Tyre tread ?

miggiwoo

Am driving to France next week and have checked my tyres for tread.3 seem fine but on the rear passenger tyre , the outside tread seems to me to be just about on the level ( as per my 20p piece ).
Am thinking of taking it to the local garage for a tyre check but wondered whether they would replace 1 tyre or if they would change 2 ( because of balance ?)

Thanks :money:

jase1

In the UK a garage will be quite happy to replace one tyre -- but in France they're more strict when it comes to different tyres/tread depths on the same axle. It's unlikely they'll do anything about it but if you're stopped by the police, there's a chance they'll comment on it.

How is the spare? I'd be inclined to just swap the marginal tyre with the spare if the others are half-worn.

espresso

What about your spare if you have one?

You don't have to replace in pairs depending on the condition of the other tyre.

fart

espresso wrote: »

What about your spare if you have one?

You don't have to replace in pairs depending on the condition of the other tyre.

You need to have a legal spare too.

jase1

Given that it sounds like the tyre already on the car is perfectly legal (albeit marginal) I don't see that as a problem.

JohnM5206

fart wrote: »

You need to have a legal spare too.

It only needs to be legal at the point you are putting it on the road - you do NOT need to have a legal tyre in spare wheel well or rack .:)

fart

JohnM5206 wrote: »

It only needs to be legal at the point you are putting it on the road - you do NOT need to have a legal tyre in spare wheel well or rack .:)

Really?

I'm genuinely shocked....i once got an on the spot fine for having an 'illegal' spare because it had a nail in it!

And, you need to have a legal spare. I wouldn't be driving to France without one!

Strider590

When in doubt, just get them changed.... Your not saving anything by being tight, you'll have to replace them soon anyway, winter is only a few months away, hell it won't be long until we have to clear frost of the car each morning.

jase1

Even if it is legal to not have a good spare, I still wouldn't recommend it. It's only a technicality -- as soon as you need to use it, you have a problem. You might as well save the weight and not carry a spare under those circumstances.

As I say though the OP seems to think that his worst tyre is legal. So:

Let's say the other three tyres are all the same make, all have 5mm, and the spare is also 5mm but a different brand.

Put the mismatched 5mm pair on the back, the matched pair on the front, and the marginal (2mm?) tyre in as the spare. Problem sorted

Either that, or replace two tyres, put the best of the rubbish in as the spare and discard the other two tyres.

espresso

fart wrote: »

And, you need to have a legal spare. I wouldn't be driving to France without one!

Luckily your opinion is not the law!

Many cars are supplied run flat tyres or a tyre puncture repair canister and NO spare wheel.

A legal spare tyre is the obvious sensible option but there is no legal requirement to carry one.

Yolina

espresso wrote: »

Many cars are supplied run flat tyres or a tyre puncture repair canister and NO spare wheel.

A legal spare tyre is the obvious sensible option but there is no legal requirement to carry one.

True, but I always was under the impression that *if* you were carrying a spare, then it had to be legal (I mean thread-depth wise)? Not much point having one otherwise anyway