Tyres - why not increase tread depth????
Discussion
It's my understanding that new tyres are supplied with 9mm of tread, with the legal limit being 1.6mm.
Assuming that most would chop in at about 2mm that means 7mm of used tread.
Also assuming that that 7mm of wear equates to 14K miles.
Gives us 2K miles per mm.
So if the tyre companies uppped the initial tread depth to 12mm, the tyres should last an extra 6K miles.
Saves money, saves the cost of skipping all those tyes after just 14K, etc....
So why hasn't it happened? I can't believe a few extra mm would present a massive safety issue so it must be down to money. But if so, why hasn't one of the tyre companies broken rank and started marketting tyes with extra tread to save money and the environment???
Assuming that most would chop in at about 2mm that means 7mm of used tread.
Also assuming that that 7mm of wear equates to 14K miles.
Gives us 2K miles per mm.
So if the tyre companies uppped the initial tread depth to 12mm, the tyres should last an extra 6K miles.
Saves money, saves the cost of skipping all those tyes after just 14K, etc....
So why hasn't it happened? I can't believe a few extra mm would present a massive safety issue so it must be down to money. But if so, why hasn't one of the tyre companies broken rank and started marketting tyes with extra tread to save money and the environment???
simple.
a taller tread would allow the tread blocks to move around more, which would increase heat, which would increse wear / reduce handeling.
so the tyres would be more unstable and wear quicker as a result.
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
a taller tread would allow the tread blocks to move around more, which would increase heat, which would increse wear / reduce handeling.
so the tyres would be more unstable and wear quicker as a result.
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
As said, tread block movement. It makes the car feel wobbly and makes the tyres overheat in the dry.
If you look at racing wets they usually have more than 9mm tread, and they're utterly useless in the dry.
Off road tyres quite often have more than 9mm tread, on my Landy I've replaced the tyres through age before despite them having huge amounts of tread left
If you look at racing wets they usually have more than 9mm tread, and they're utterly useless in the dry.
Off road tyres quite often have more than 9mm tread, on my Landy I've replaced the tyres through age before despite them having huge amounts of tread left
Piersman2 said:
It's my understanding that new tyres are supplied with 9mm of tread, with the legal limit being 1.6mm.
Assuming that most would chop in at about 2mm that means 7mm of used tread.
Also assuming that that 7mm of wear equates to 14K miles.
Gives us 2K miles per mm.
So if the tyre companies uppped the initial tread depth to 12mm, the tyres should last an extra 6K miles.
Saves money, saves the cost of skipping all those tyes after just 14K, etc....
So why hasn't it happened? I can't believe a few extra mm would present a massive safety issue so it must be down to money. But if so, why hasn't one of the tyre companies broken rank and started marketting tyes with extra tread to save money and the environment???
Some tyres already have more tread depth Assuming that most would chop in at about 2mm that means 7mm of used tread.
Also assuming that that 7mm of wear equates to 14K miles.
Gives us 2K miles per mm.
So if the tyre companies uppped the initial tread depth to 12mm, the tyres should last an extra 6K miles.
Saves money, saves the cost of skipping all those tyes after just 14K, etc....
So why hasn't it happened? I can't believe a few extra mm would present a massive safety issue so it must be down to money. But if so, why hasn't one of the tyre companies broken rank and started marketting tyes with extra tread to save money and the environment???
A lot of tyre companies are trying to increase the legal limit to 3mm on the grounds of profitwet weather safety.
Goodyear basically did a good job of telling them to manup when it launched the optigrip. It's designed so the tread blocks increase with width as the tyre wears down, maintaining at least some level of wet performance.
Goodyear basically did a good job of telling them to manup when it launched the optigrip. It's designed so the tread blocks increase with width as the tyre wears down, maintaining at least some level of wet performance.
Matt_N said:
crofty1984 said:
guru_1071 said:
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
Really?I didn't know that.
jon- said:
Matt_N said:
crofty1984 said:
guru_1071 said:
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
Really?I didn't know that.
A scrubbed tyre down to 4mm will last longer than a full depth tyre as there's less give so the the block don't overheat. They handle better too.
jon- said:
A lot of tyre companies are trying to increase the legal limit to 3mm on the grounds of profitwet weather safety.
Goodyear basically did a good job of telling them to manup when it launched the optigrip. It's designed so the tread blocks increase with width as the tyre wears down, maintaining at least some level of wet performance.
I'm guessing the main company behind that move was Pirelli, given their tyres are fGoodyear basically did a good job of telling them to manup when it launched the optigrip. It's designed so the tread blocks increase with width as the tyre wears down, maintaining at least some level of wet performance.
king lethal in the wet in the second half of their lifespan. It's quite hard to get the back end to move in a Cinquecento Sporting....unless you're running P 700 Z's with less than 3 mm on them - then it's scarily easy.cptsideways said:
jon- said:
Matt_N said:
crofty1984 said:
guru_1071 said:
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
Really?I didn't know that.
A scrubbed tyre down to 4mm will last longer than a full depth tyre as there's less give so the the block don't overheat. They handle better too.
joshpiston said:
cptsideways said:
jon- said:
Matt_N said:
crofty1984 said:
guru_1071 said:
racers shave new tyres down as the tyre will then last longer than an identical tyre with full tread
Really?I didn't know that.
A scrubbed tyre down to 4mm will last longer than a full depth tyre as there's less give so the the block don't overheat. They handle better too.
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