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Tyre wear

39K views 64 replies 25 participants last post by  WILKWAN 
#1 ·
After 6 months and 7k miles I've noticed that my front tyres are down to 3.5-4mm, which is a little more wear than what I was hoping.

Based on the current wear rate, I envisage that I'll be replacing the front tyres at around 10k miles (I usually change tyres when they wear to 3mm).

A little bit disappointing with this wear rate, but glad I've got the bog standard 17" wheels as the tyres aren't too expensive.

Rears have hardly worn at all (6.5mm remaining).
 
#52 ·
" General rule is that more goes on the back, even with front wheel drive"

I expressly tell tyre dealers to put new tyres on the back and shift the back to the front ever since one dealer put two new tyres on the front. Ironically, there was a big Michelin poster on the wall stating that the rear wheels should have tyres with more tread.

They weren't too pleased when I made them switch the tyres around. Haven't used that dealer since.
 
#53 ·
Yes, the first thing many drivers generally think about with new tyres is that they want more tread on the front for better steering and better water clearance in order to avoid aqua-planning. What some people fail to consider is the impact of all that additional grip at the front on how the back tyres behave. The theory behind the Michelin poster probably comes from the understanding that it's easier to control under-steer that it is over-steer, and that more tread on the back helps resist this. Having had a lively (but fantastic) BMW 320 in the past, I know that over-steer was easy to induce in the wet regardless of how much grip you had at either end :shock: . With experience you can manage it to a degree and it feels intuitive. It's under-steer, when you're drifting across the road into the path of a lorry, that backing off the accelerator, avoiding the brakes, and having the front end regain grip feels counter-intuitive.

On the subject of the 1.6mm limit, this was also discussed on a previous thread. It was determined some years ago based on how much tread depth would be needed in order to disperse a certain amount of water, at a certain speed, and with a certain width of tyre. From what I recall, it was based on a tyre width of around 185. Tyres widths on many cars, including the Ateca, are now much wider than that so logic would suggest more tread depth required to achieve the same result. That's why you might see suggestions at some garages to change tyres at 3mm even though the law says 1.6mm.

Michelin are now making car and bike tyres which they say are just as effective at 1.6mm as they were when new. At least they've recognised the need for change even if the law hasn't.
 
#54 ·
tobydog said:
Having had a lively (but fantastic) BMW 320 in the past, I know that over-steer was easy to induce in the wet regardless of how much grip you had at either end :shock: .
How long ago are you talking about? ESP/ESC/DSC systems on 'prestige' cars for years, and every new car now, will stop that. I brutally tried to power-slide my Mercedes C Class around a greasy roundabout and it just went around it as if it was on rails.

The best tyres on the back rule should definitely be followed if you're letting your kids loose in an older hatchback though.
 
#56 ·
Rory said:
tobydog said:
Having had a lively (but fantastic) BMW 320 in the past, I know that over-steer was easy to induce in the wet regardless of how much grip you had at either end :shock: .
How long ago are you talking about? ESP/ESC/DSC systems on 'prestige' cars for years, and every new car now, will stop that. I brutally tried to power-slide my Mercedes C Class around a greasy roundabout and it just went around it as if it was on rails.

The best tyres on the back rule should definitely be followed if you're letting your kids loose in an older hatchback though.
Rory - it was the E36 model from 1996. Antilock breaks and that was it. Lovely 320 SE with silky smooth straight six. There is a great roundabout where the A14 links to the A12 which was great fun!

Silvertouran said:
Just replaced the last original rear tyre on my 1.6TDi at 69,000 miles. Falken Azenis. But nobody stocks these tyres so i now have Michelin Primacy 3 all round.
Silvertouran - bit late for me now as I've gone for the Falken Azenis FK453CC but what do you think of the Michelin's compared to the Falken's? That's amazing mileage given that I've read so much about them wearing out too quickly.
 
#57 ·
I haven't had a chance to try the Michelin on the front yet as i just got them on Saturday. I've has Bridgestone on the front and they are ok but they didn't last as long as the Falkens that came with it.
This is front tyre wear as follows:-
Falkens lasted till 26,000 miles.
Bridgestone lasted till 46,000 miles (20,000)
Bridgestone lasted till 69,000 miles (23,000)
Michelin just fitted yesterday
 
#58 ·
Tobydog, sorry I'm so late getting back to you about my Michelin Primacy 3's.
I've had them about 6 weeks now so can give a bit of feedback.
To me they feel livelier than the Falcons. The steering feels lighter. The car feels more agile but as a result less secure in the corners. Don't get me wrong, I've not got into any trouble, I don't push the car hard enough for that but they just feel less secure. I would say the difference feels like the Falcons had the steering in 'Sport' mode and since I've changed to Michelin the steering feels like it's been switched to 'normal'.
Might suit some people. I'm OK with it now I'm used to it.
I find the Michelins quieter than the Falcons ….although this goes against the db ratings quoted on Black Circles.
I'd say the Michelins are also more comfortable than the Falcons, seem to give a more cushioned ride which I like.
Someone else asked how you measure tyre tread depth ….I use a tyre tread depth gauge.
Falcons were 8mm depth from new.
These Michelins are 7mm depth from new.
I like the Michelins but for me the worth is in the mileage I get out of them, that's what helps me decide what I'll choose next.
I got 17,000 miles from my Falcons, I'll be pleased and surprised if I can get the same from the Michelins.
 
#59 ·
Thanks Valleyboy. The various reviews say that the Michelin has relatively soft sidewalls so that may well explain your driving experience.

I'm not expecting the Falken's to be more comfortable than my Bridgestone's but I do hope they will be a little quieter. The DB level for the Bridgestone is 71, the Falken is 67, and for the Michelin it's 68, however, this doesn't actually relate directly to cabin road noise. It's pass-by noise and is an environmental factor rather than a driver refinement factor.

I still wanted to maintain the sporty handling and wasn't too concerned with longevity because, at £81 a corner fitted, I can buy nearly two FK453CC's for the price of one Primacy 3. They only need to get me to around next June and hopefully I won't regret my decision.

Thanks again.
 
#61 ·
Well, I had an interesting lunchtime.

My new Falken Azenis FK453CC tyres arrived at the garage so I headed over there to have them fitted. The garage owner commented that one of the tyres was made in week 35 of 2017 (the other three were actually early 2019) but they had polished them all up with silicon. There were no labels on the tyres and the usual thin painted band around the outside wasn't showing. For those who haven't read the thread history, I got them online from mytyres.com

I know the guy who owns the garage as he's done my tyres before on several occasions. He's honest and knows his stuff and he believe's that the tyres are probably what are known as "Take Offs". In certain parts of Europe a buyer can opt to have winter or all-season tyres fitted by the dealership when they pick up their car. It's an option and therefore the summer tyres are surplus to requirements. Mine came from Germany where I understand it's illegal to use summer tyres in the winter, at least in certain parts. For this reason my tyres were probably factory fitted (may even have been on an Ateca!) and did a handful of miles before being taken off. Hence the price of £70 each plus fitting rather than £150.

The only gripe (and it should be short term) is that the owner told me to take it easy for the first 10-20 miles until the silicon has been scrubbed off the tread. Okay in the dry but it's currently raining and I'm heading home from work soon. I'll report back over the weekend.
 
#62 ·
The supply story is a bit odd - MyTyres's website says they only sell new fresh off the production line tyres. I think they even identify anything over 2yrs old.

It also strikes me as unlikely "take-offs" would be two years old, as OEMs will usually only take very new tyres.

Either way it's a bit strange that a 2017 tyre crept in there. Price is pretty good but other places are similar, so it's not unusally low.
 
#63 ·
Thank you Valleyboy, I have a 1.5tsi 2WD with 215 50 R18 too with falkens fitted from the factory. The front tyres are down to about 3mm after 15,000 miles and I am going for the Primacy 3 in a fortnight too. I hope they last a bit longer.

Been having the car for some 15 months and finally decided to join this forum :)
 
#64 ·
WILKWAN said:
Thank you Valleyboy, I have a 1.5tsi 2WD with 215 50 R18 too with falkens fitted from the factory. The front tyres are down to about 3mm after 15,000 miles and I am going for the Primacy 3 in a fortnight too. I hope they last a bit longer.

Been having the car for some 15 months and finally decided to join this forum :)
Will you have the new tyres on the back and rears moved to the front, I have the Falkens on mine with similar wear, never been that impressed with them in the wet wheelspin easy in 1st.
 
#65 ·
Hi Dsldude

I do not intent to swap the fronts to the backs. I know some people recommended it and SEAT actually suggested this in the manual, but I wanted a more decent pair of tyres in the front to avoid the wheelspinning etc. It is not like I drive like a racing driver so I am not worried about the back end of the car losing the grip.

I do hope the Primacy 3 will be better.

Funny enough, my car is also the Xcellence in Lava Blue with DSG, despite a slightly different engine.
 
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