How long have I got before I need to replace tyres?

Indout96

And driving style; the back tyres on Mrs LA's RX-8 were slick after 12,000 miles:eek:

She's not trying hard enough

Bob63

Replace one of the 3mm tyres with the spare - put it on the front. Replace the 2mm tyre with a new one and put that on the front as well - make sure the make/model matches for peace of mind. Leave the two best 3mm on the back and you'll get a few good miles out of them.

Conor_3

cheesy.mike wrote: »

Replace one of the 3mm tyres with the spare - put it on the front. Replace the 2mm tyre with a new one and put that on the front as well - make sure the make/model matches for peace of mind. Leave the two best 3mm on the back and you'll get a few good miles out of them.

You want the new ones on the back unless you want the rear of the car passing the front when braking on roundabouts and corners.

AdrianHi

I recently had a car service dept. guy check over my tyres and using his fingers declare my rear tyres to be nearing the legal limit and needing changing.
I got home and checked them with my tyre tread depth gauge to find 4mm left.

In colder wetter times of year I will change a tyre once it gets to 3mm, in summer I would change it at no lower than 2mm.
I would suggest the same as others, get the spare out the boot to replace one of the 2mm tyres and get one new one to replace the other 2mm tyre before your holiday and put a bit of money aside for replacing the other two in a couple of months time.
I would advise against cheap rubbish tyres too. There are some new Michelin Energy Savers on the market which also perform very well and last longer than average. Worthwhile if you expect to keep the car another 30,000 miles.

Marker_2

I have a Renault Clio, recently had first MOT and was charged £140 for the 2 front wheels, as they were below the legal amount. Wernt impressed, neither was my credit card, but better safe than sorry!

movilogo

You want the new ones on the back unless you want the rear of the car passing the front when braking on roundabouts and corners.

In most FWD cars, front tyres wear more quickly than rear ones. Also, 70% of braking is done by front wheels. So, it's advisable to fit new tyres in front for better traction. Unless one drives like maniac, fitting new tyres on rear is not mandatory

leehal

movilogo wrote: »

In most FWD cars, front tyres wear more quickly than rear ones. Also, 70% of braking is done by front wheels. So, it's advisable to fit new tyres in front for better traction. Unless one drives like maniac, fitting new tyres on rear is not mandatory

My last car was a Saab and for some reason they recommended having the better wheels at the rear (it was a front wheel drive), don't understand the logic on this but it backs up Conor's comments.

Smi1er

movilogo wrote: »

In most FWD cars, front tyres wear more quickly than rear ones. Also, 70% of braking is done by front wheels. So, it's advisable to fit new tyres in front for better traction. Unless one drives like maniac, fitting new tyres on rear is not mandatory

The first third of your stament is true, the rest isn't.

Some advice....
Replacing tyres
Tyres have a range of functions providing grip, steering and braking. The average sized tyre will rotate about 880 times every mile, with a total mileage of about 30,000 miles which is more than once round the earth (circ 24,902 miles at the equator). This means that during its life the tyre will rotate more than 26 million times. Each time it is in contact with the road it is deflected under the load of the vehicle, meaning it is distorted more times than most other vehicle components.
As a general rule we recommend that when your tyres need replacing, put the new tyres on the rear of the vehicle. This applies to both front and rear wheel drive cars, with increased safety being the main reason. Particularly in the wet, it has been shown that with partly worn tyres fitted to the rear, their reduced water dispersal ability leads to a greater chance of over-steer and loss of control. Used tyres are also more prone to punctures and it has been established that rear deflations are more likely to cause loss of control than front deflations.

Minerva69

Thank you all for the helpful advice! :beer: I didn't read some of the messages until tonight, but I'd already rung the dealer first thing this morning and booked the car in for Thursday, as it's the only day I could do before my hols and they said they could fit me in. Having all 4 replaced as I checked them myself this morning and they weren't telling porkies. The new tyres will be the same as are on now, Continental Premium Contact, so they should last a while. I can't believe I'll be spending £700 on my car this week what with the tyres, service & MOT :eek: Think I'd better head over to the credit card forum now and find a good balance transfer deal :rolleyes:

AdrianHi

I've had Continental Premium Contact 2 tyres on for the last 20,000 miles. I picked them because my local dual carriage way regularly gets water logged and these tyres resist aquaplaning better than anything else I've ever had.
That £700 spent should keep you going for a while.