Tyre depths

rjb
rjb Forum Participant Posts: 118
edited January 2018 in Towcars & Towing #1

The min legal tyre depth for a car is 1.6 at what depths do you change your car tyres

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  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited January 2018 #2

    I've just changed our Audi Q3's tyres at a little bit over 2mm at 32K miles

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #3

    1.7 wink

  • Phishing
    Phishing Forum Participant Posts: 597
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    edited January 2018 #4

    Absolute min 3mm.

    From ROSPA:

    Stopping distances start to increase dramatically at tread depths of below 3mm. At the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm, the stopping distance is increased by 36.8% on the hot rolled asphalt and
    44.6% on the smooth concrete.

    OR 5 years old regardless of how deep the tread is.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #5

    Minimum legal is 1.6mm I would not wish to go down any where near that. My tow car is used almost exclusively when on holiday. I check pressure just before each of 3 tours and one closer 2 week stay. I suppose that on a tour the tow car could easily do 2k miles. If the front tyres were anywhere near 3mm at that time I would change them. The rear tyres and those on our local runabout tyres are changed on age rather than wear.

  • rjb
    rjb Forum Participant Posts: 118
    edited January 2018 #6

    I always change at around 3 mm but with premium tyres could you go closer to the 1.6

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2018 #7

    many tyre places inc Costco will  only fit new tyres to the rear & assuming they're same size, swap the old rears to the front. 

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited January 2018 #8

    I've  just  had  my  'van  M O T 'd  &  serviced  With  a  full  set  of  five  new  boots  on  frown.  12  Reg  van  28K  on  the  clock  &  the  tyres  definitely  shewing  signs  of  incipient  cracks.  Much  better  scrapping  the  tyres  than  scrapping  me  !!

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2018 #9

    I think most will. My local tyre fitter would certainly do so without charge. I really don't worry about it. 

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #10

    Totally agree - I've just put a set of BFG's on my Touareg after 26k miles when the originals were down to 3 to 4 mm.  Just not worth taking a risk and although an expensive exercise, it's something you have to be aware of when towing with a big heavy 4x4 which tends to eat tyres anyway. At least the Goodrichs should give me much better mileage.

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2018 #11

    Really got no idea. National tyres go round all the company cars in the works car park every couple of months and check all the tyres and replace when required.

    All I know about it is when I get a call from reception to give them the keys while the work is done.

    Just had a quote from the mobile caravan engineer i use to replace the caravan tyres now they are 8 years old. £130 the pair, fitted.

  • bigherb
    bigherb Forum Participant Posts: 65
    edited January 2018 #12

    3mm for me as well, especially as I use all season tyres which start to lose much of the benefit under 3mm

  • Pickle Wanderer
    Pickle Wanderer Forum Participant Posts: 19
    edited February 2018 #13

    Michelin have argued that performance all the way down to 1.6mm satisfactory and that changing at 3mm is costing vehicles owners dearly.

    I'll need to see how my current set of CrossClimates hold up, but my usual annual mileage is such that I generally get twitchy about the age of a tyre before the tread runs out.

  • Tigi
    Tigi Forum Participant Posts: 1,038
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    edited February 2018 #14

    Presumably 1.6mm was set as a depth considered to be safe to drive down to by the powers to be so 3mm seems bit of a money burner for no real reason.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2018 #15
    Years ago its was less than 1.6mm IIRC. Can't remember the figure though.
  • Bob2112
    Bob2112 Forum Participant Posts: 276
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    edited February 2018 #16

    It used to be the edge of the writing on a two-bob bit.

  • armourer
    armourer Forum Participant Posts: 218
    edited February 2018 #17

    i never go below 2mm

    you only live once

  • kentman
    kentman Forum Participant Posts: 147
    edited February 2018 #18

    The other factor is age  -  depending on whose advice you accept, tyres should be changed at between 5 and 7 years regardless of tread depth.

  • twocals
    twocals Forum Participant Posts: 117 ✭✭
    edited February 2018 #19

    The real fun is that the 44 ton truck filling your reareview mirror is on 1mm and the pizza delivery guy as he skids into your bonnet is visible tread.

    Happy driving. 

  • NutsyH
    NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
    edited February 2018 #20

    I just hope you're not following me on a wet road when I stop quickly, because you won't on 1.6mm. You'll still be skidding when you rear end me.

    Those 4 patches are all you have in contact with the road, doesn't matter how good your brakes are.

    3mm minimum, for me. Anything less is false economy

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited February 2018 #21

    I suppose in the end it all comes down to how safe you want to be and how much you value your own life.  If the answer is not much, by all means go down to 1.6 mm or even lower if you really don't care!

    Me? I would never go below 2mm and I usually change at about 2.5mm. Remember your only contact with the road, and therefore your ability to control your car depends on about 4 sections of rubber about 4 inches by 3 inches (Depending on tyre size)  Personally I like those 4 sections to be as grippy and less prone to slipping as possible.  You never know what that other idiot will do.

    ( Ex Police grade 1 driver, I.A.M, over 1.25 million miles covered and no accidents)

    Tyre safety is YOUR responsibility!

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #22

    I change around 2.5/3.0mm, water dispersal efficiency gets worse as tread depth lessens, and eventually you can end up aquaplaning in bad conditions. Then no amount of braking or steering by the driver will do anything to keep control of the vehicle.

    Permanent dry roads would probably be fine even down to slick tyres, but we live in the UK and that doesn't happen.

  • Mitsi Fendt
    Mitsi Fendt Forum Participant Posts: 484
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    edited February 2018 #23

    I don't let mine get below 3mm

  • NutsyH
    NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
    edited February 2018 #24

    Tigerfish

    Couldn't agree more. I was told many years ago exactly what you say above, by a Police Class 1 driver who was giving me lessons on how to drive a TVR quickly but safely.

    I also have a good pal who is a tyre engineer, and is of similar opinion. I drive performance cars, and believe the tyres are as important as the brakes, suspension, and my abilities.

    Same applies, I think, to tyre choice. There are roughly 3 classes of tyre:

    Budget, Mid range and Premium

    I know it is a financial choice for many people, but I would never use anything other than premium on my cars.

  • PrestonDave
    PrestonDave Forum Participant Posts: 67
    edited February 2018 #25

    It all depends how fast you drive, how close you follow the car in front and what you are comfortable at driving, lets face it at the correct speed and distance slicks would be safe but illegal.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2018 #26

    Only in the dry. The tread pattern is there to disperse the water  

  • Milothedog
    Milothedog Forum Participant Posts: 1,433
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    edited February 2018 #27

    Do you folk know that the legal requirement for Motor cycles, Buses & Coaches and HGVs is lower than a car. It only has to be 1mm and in the case of the heavy vehicles it doesn't have to be the central portion of the tread pattern either.   

  • Sootyvandriver
    Sootyvandriver Forum Participant Posts: 22
    edited February 2018 #28

    I would be happier driving premium tyres at 1.6mm - 2mm than Buget tyres at 5mm.

    I like to change all 4 tyres at the same time so swap front to rear mid life. I have changed tyres due to sidewall cracking recently.

    From memory most new tyres are around 7mm tread depth so those of you changing at 4mm or so must be well shod, in more way than one.wink

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #29

    I tend to let them get down to around 2 mm before changing on the car and then use mid range preferably Avon which always seem a good compromise. The caravan tyres never wear significantly so they get changed at about five years.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #30

    I would be happier driving premium tyres at 1.6mm - 2mm than Buget tyres at 5mm.

    A car aquaplaning due to inadequate tread depth is not fussy what brand of tyre is fitted.

  • Pickle Wanderer
    Pickle Wanderer Forum Participant Posts: 19
    edited February 2018 #31

    Tread depth is not an absolute measure of performance in the wet.

     

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