Less tread for new tires a trend?

[faramir9]

Curious about this. Just had new Cooper CS3s installed on my Saturn. They supposedly came with 9.5/32" tread; when I measured with a cheapo tread gauge it read closer to 9/32" even. And this tire comes with a 65K-mile treadlife warranty.

Kinda scratch my head over this. Then there is the Michelin Premier and the folks who won't buy it because it comes with 8.5/32" tread. I understand going for LRR and moving away from the almost-silly treadlife warranty trend of a few years ago, with the 85K-90K warranties.

But: Has technology advanced that far that we don't need deep tread for regular AS tires these days? A conspiracy to boost CAFE numbers a tiny bit, for OE tires? Or simply for cheaper cost of production, which might or might not be passed on to the consumer.

Curious....

 

[raytseng]

I'd throwout the premier and give it the benefit of the doubt, because they're touting the way the sipes changes and actually gets bigger as it wears.
Perhaps if you go over 8.5/32s the benefits of that technology don't work correctly.

 

[faramir9]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
I'd throwout the premier and give it the benefit of the doubt, because they're touting the way the sipes changes and actually gets bigger as it wears.
Perhaps if you go over 8.5/32s the benefits of that technology don't work correctly.



Interesting. I read the same thing about the CS3: long sipes, that get longer (proportionately) as the tire wears. "According to Cooper, a brand new CS3 offers 30% more sipe length versus typical tire construction; when the CS3 is half-worn, it offers 125% more sipe length compared to typical tire construction." From: http://www.tirereview.com/cooper-rolls-out-mid-range-cs3-touring/

We shall see. I drive gently, no more than 10K miles a year and run winter tires when I can afford it. (My Weather-Masters are waiting patiently for November.) The test will be someone who drives 25K spirited miles a year, some of it in the white stuff.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: faramir9
...when I measured with a cheapo tread gauge ....


There it is.

Plus, you are talking about 1/2 of 1/32 of an inch, or 1/64 of an inch which is just over .39mm. Probably within manufacturing deviation limits?

 

[daves87rs]

I'm all for better handling tires in all seassons, even if that means less tread.


Or, make people put some #!#& snows on in the winter....

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: daves87rs

Or, make people put some #!#& snows on in the winter....


I like this solution. No longer will I be late because of stuck AWD soccer mom mobiles with bald touring tires that can't go or stop.

 

[Dallas69]

It's simple.
The tires wear out faster so they can sell you another set sooner.

 

[HangFire]

No conspiracy theory is needed. There is no law against higher rolling resistance tires. There are plenty of them on the market.

If it's a LRR tire (or the less stringently defined "Eco" tire), less tread depth means less rolling resistance. Less tread block area and more open space, same thing, also better for preventing hydroplaning.

LRR tires are necessary for many hybrids, where a very minor difference in rolling resistance can mean the difference between staying in electric or running the gas engine. Fuel economy is important to many buyers, so the so-called Eco tires are also readily available.