Tyre tread ?

Strider590

jase1 wrote: »

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. I don't want to head into a 90 left, find it perfectly fine, carry on into a 90 right and go straight into a hedge.

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.

Like many, i've done the whole tyre swapping thing.... But I realised it's pointless, your not making your tyre's last any longer, your not saving money, your just increasing the number of trips to the tyre merchant, driving about with uneven (or different brand) tyres AND (just thought of this) for many this means a tyre/exhaust outlet that'll try to get you to agree to extra unnecessary work every time you visit.

I personally replace tyre's in pairs, I want consistent grip on both sides whether im turning left/right or stopping. I don't want to head into a 90 left, find it perfectly fine, head into the next 90 right and end up in a ditch.

jase1

It's all very well saying that strider but the OP describes a situation where one tyre has obviously much less tread than the other three.

If, in this situation there is a spare which has tread more in line with the good tyres, swapping them over is not the same thing as rotating, which is what you're describing.

I agree that in an ideal world you replace tyres in pairs, but if the OP is trying to save money there's nothing in what I have said that is not sensible.

I'm currently running my first car with mismatched tyres on the rear. Why? Because I couldn't find a match for the brand-new (DOT code 2 years old) Goodyear Hydragrip that was sat in the boot, and I was unhappy with the notion of letting a good tyre go to waste. TBH as the other odd tyre is also a good one, I have not noted any handling deficiencies as a result.

(I'm having far more problems with the Pirelli P6000s on the front which were effectively given to me due to a mix-up at the reseller, but that's another story, god P6000s are useless tyres!).

mattyprice4004

When faced with this situation I found a part-worn on eBay with similar tread to the other tyre. Was great and wore down perfectly with the other side.

Jack_Regan

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

When faced with this situation I found a part-worn on eBay with similar tread to the other tyre. Was great and wore down perfectly with the other side.

Not a good idea if you don't know the history.

Iceweasel

You don't know the history of the tyres on a 2nd-hand car either!

goonarmy

Yolina wrote: »

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

Common myth. Along with if fitted it must work for mot. What if you drove with a car full of spare wheels? Would each n every one have to be legal

AS2RW

goonarmy wrote: »

Common myth. Along with if fitted it must work for mot. What if you drove with a car full of spare wheels? Would each n every one have to be legal

True.

Only tyres fitted to an axle are subject to the legal requirements, a tyre that is stowed away can be in any condition.

But it's also worth bearing in mind that most if not all breakdown companies will have a requirement in their terms & conditions that if your vehicle was fitted with a spare as standard that the spare is present and in a fit state to be used. If not be prepared to dig deep in your pockets when they tell you you have to pay for recovery (whether you have cover or not) or a tyre at the roadside!