Tyres need to be prematurely replaced

jawlie

I bought 4 new tyres on 20/6/2008 for my car. the size is 235/45/17 and the 4 Goodyear tyres cost €460.

Yesterday, 28/8/2009, I had a puncture and went back to the same place I bought tyres to be told that the rear two tyres are worn and now have to be replaced.

I am surprised that these two tyres need to be replaces after 14 months and 12000 miles later. Although my car is a 3.0l Audi A4 multitronic, it has traction control and I am a very easy driver and by no means a boy racer, and can't understand why the two rear tyres need to be replaced.

The previous tyres on the car lasted for over 3 years and I am driving the same way and the same distances per year as I was.

What can I do about this as new tyres should last more than 12000 miles or 14 months!

mullingar

Your tracking could be off. Get it tracked!

However, if the tracking is spot on, did you find the new tyres grippier and nicer to drive on?

The grippier the tyre, the softer the rubber, the softer the rubber the shorter they last. If you want long life buy a tyre for long life buy a tyre that has a high thread-wear rating number. It will probably have mediocre grip and a harder ride.

Quote from [url]www.carbibles.com:[/url]

The tread-wear rating - a comparative rating for the useful life of the tyre's tread. A tyre with a tread-wear rating of 200, for example, could be expected to last twice as long as one with a rating of 100. Tread-wear grades typically range between 60 and 600 in 20-point increments. It is important to consider that this is a relative indicator, and the actual life of a tyre's tread will be affected by quality of road surfaces, type of driving, correct tyre inflation, proper wheel alignment and other variable factors. In other words, don't think that a tread-wear rating of 100 means a 30,000 mile tyre.

jawlie

mullingar wrote: »

Your tracking could be off. Get it tracked!

However, if the tracking is spot on, did you find the new tyres grippier and nicer to drive on?

The grippier the tyre, the softer the rubber, the softer the rubber the shorter they last. If you want long life buy a tyre for long life buy a tyre that has a high thread-wear rating number. It will probably have mediocre grip and a harder ride.

Quote from [url]www.carbibles.com:[/url]

The tread-wear rating - a comparative rating for the useful life of the tyre's tread. A tyre with a tread-wear rating of 200, for example, could be expected to last twice as long as one with a rating of 100. Tread-wear grades typically range between 60 and 600 in 20-point increments. It is important to consider that this is a relative indicator, and the actual life of a tyre's tread will be affected by quality of road surfaces, type of driving, correct tyre inflation, proper wheel alignment and other variable factors. In other words, don't think that a tread-wear rating of 100 means a 30,000 mile tyre.

Are you saying that its quite normal for a a tyre on a normal car to last 12000 miles or 14 months before it needs to be replaced? It's not as if these tyres were cheap, they were €460 for 4, which sounds expensive to me too!

these tyres seems no different from the previous ones with regard to the ride or with regard to being "grippier". If the tracking was out the should be more worn on one side than the other, whereas they are pretty much equally worn.

Gurgle

jawlie wrote: »

went back to the same place I bought tyres to be told that the rear two tyres are worn and now have to be replaced.

Did you look at the tyres?
Visibly worn?
Evenly worn?

Did the tyre shop have big windows?

ianobrien

jawlie wrote: »

I bought 4 new tyres on 20/6/2008 for my car. the size is 235/45/17 and the 4 Goodyear tyres cost €460.

That wasn't expensive for 4 Goodyear in that size.....

jawlie wrote: »

why the two rear tyres need to be replaced.

I thought that the front tyres would have worn out first. Were they swapped in a service?

jawlie wrote: »

What can I do about this as new tyres should last more than 12000 miles or 14 months!

I can't get more than 12K miles (20K KM) from a set of front tyres - Then I do drive with a high cornering speed.

Tyre wear is not just "driving like a boy racer". It's the cornering speed that loads the tyre and causes wear. The weight of the car is a big influence also. Boy racers typically drive fast in a straight line and can't take a corner at speed. Straight line speed doesn't wear tyres (engines, gearboxes, brake pads and the rest of the population suffer allright

If you didn't notice any performance difference between the rock hard rubber that you had on previously & the Goodyear, and tyre life is the only issue, buy the rock hard ones.

I know from experience (expensive experience) not to put cheap tyres under a car, especially in the wet...

Stealdo

jawlie wrote: »

Are you saying that its quite normal for a a tyre on a normal car to last 12000 miles or 14 months before it needs to be replaced? It's not as if these tyres were cheap, they were €460 for 4, which sounds expensive to me too!

these tyres seems no different from the previous ones with regard to the ride or with regard to being "grippier". If the tracking was out the should be more worn on one side than the other, whereas they are pretty much equally worn.

They're saying that there is no 'normal' amount of miles or time for a set of tyres to last because there are too many variables. The main points to take are that it is likely the tyres were not correctly inflated, or that the tracking is off on the car. Other things like carrying heavy loads, poor roads, towing etc would all add to it.
12k miles would be a short life in my opinion for the tyres you're describing but the reason isn't likely to be that they were defective. As above, check the wear pattern on them. Uneven wear will tell you it's likely to be one of the above things.

Also, parking with one side of the car on a kerb on a regular basis can unbalance the tyres and cause premature wear.

johndaman66

ianobrien wrote: »

That wasn't expensive for 4 Goodyear in that size.....

Would have to totally agree here. In fact I would be thinking you done very well to get them for that money. Had 215/45/17 tyres on my last car (not as wide as OP's, so would perhaps be less expensive) and with a lot of phone calls the cheapest I was quoted was 360 euro for four of a brand I never heard of before and even the name sounded a bit dodgy. In the end went with Federal tyres which were 400 euro for four fitted and again after many enquiries. Without knowing much about tyres I would think the Federal would be a few notches down from the Goodyear. They certainly don't have the name anyway.

As previously pointed out it will depend on a lot of variables that will affect the life expectancy of your tyres. Rough bendy roads where you are breaking a lot will reduce the range. Your tracking being off will have a major impact and reduce tyre life drastically. In addition worn shocks and other suspension parts will have an impact on tyre life. I once was getting over 30,000 miles out of a set of tyres I had on a car and was discussing this with a chap at work. He was shocked as he was only getting 3,000 miles out of his! Reason being he told me was his suspension was well shot. It didn't make much difference to him as he was scrapping the car before the next NCT was due on it. Other things that will impact on tyre wear are the loads which you carry/tow, and obviously the tyre make and compound of the rubber. The lower the profile the more often you will be replacing them too I think. Ther may well be even more factors that are being overlooked I'm sure.

Owen

johndaman66 wrote: »

I would think the Federal would be a few notches down from the Goodyear. They certainly don't have the name anyway.

I definitely beg to differ. As I've said here previously, I ran a set of Federals at Silverstone in May and came second on track. They might inexpensive, but they're not cheap.

johndaman66

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I definitely beg to differ. As I've said here previously, I ran a set of Federals at Silverstone in May and came second on track. They might inexpensive, but they're not cheap.

Perhaps you are right PaintDoctor. I wouldn't know enough but all the wide variety of makes available to draw comparisons. All I know is that the Federal tyres were very good to me. I did suggest Federal as a brand to consider to somebody on the motors forum before looking to change their tyres and other posters came along totally dismissing my suggestion. Guess there is a snobby factor attached to something as mundane as tyres also:)

BostonB

jawlie wrote: »

...
What can I do about this as new tyres should last more than 12000 miles or 14 months!

You can't generalise like that. Lots of factors influence tyre wear. The other question is grip might be very poor long before they wear out.

mickdw

I bought a new audi in april 2008 and its on its 3rd set of fronts & second set of back tyres with 25k miles on clock now so nothing too unusual there. I assume these were on the front and were changed around during service. If they have been on the back all the time then you have an alignment problem of some sort.

david

What type of tyre are they?

I've had Nankangs last me 20k miles and still have loads of thread (Got a blowout so changed all 4, and terrible grip). I've also had very good BF Goodrich last about 12k miles and need replacing.

Grip/quality is inversely proportional to durability. Cheap tyres use cheap plastic compounds that last a LOT longer to better rubber compound tyres. TBH I don't skimp on tyres. They're IMO the singlemost important safety feature your car has.

Tech3

I've nearly put 40,000km on mine over 1 year 4 months and they are still fine.

Gurgle

david wrote: »

Cheap tyres use cheap plastic compounds that last a LOT longer to better rubber compound tyres. TBH I don't skimp on tyres. They're IMO the singlemost important safety feature your car has.

Very true, but its horses for courses.

Why put super-grip soft rubber tyres on a car thats going to sit dozing in city traffic for 90% of its running life?
You're not getting 'grip' from the rubber, you're just scraping it off as you turn the wheels on an almost stationery car.

For country driving, we have dirt-track roads - traction is far more valuable than friction. The shape of the treads will affect your handling more than the material. A pothole will rip a lump off a rubber tyre where a nylon-based compound would have bounced off the edge.

IMO, the only driving in this country that justifies top quality rubber is regular M / N road 100-120kph driving (and I'm not including the M50 car park).

beachlife

jawlie wrote: »

I bought 4 new tyres on 20/6/2008 for my car. the size is 235/45/17 and the 4 Goodyear tyres cost €460.

Yesterday, 28/8/2009, I had a puncture and went back to the same place I bought tyres to be told that the rear two tyres are worn and now have to be replaced.

I am surprised that these two tyres need to be replaces after 14 months and 12000 miles later. Although my car is a 3.0l Audi A4 multitronic, it has traction control and I am a very easy driver and by no means a boy racer, and can't understand why the two rear tyres need to be replaced.

The previous tyres on the car lasted for over 3 years and I am driving the same way and the same distances per year as I was.

What can I do about this as new tyres should last more than 12000 miles or 14 months!

I think there is something wrong with your car,I have goodyear tyres on mine (e200 merc) and get about 30,000 miles out of a set. I don't think you should need two sets of rear tyres for every service?

BostonB

Gurgle wrote: »

Very true, but its horses for courses.

Why put super-grip soft rubber tyres on a car thats going to sit dozing in city traffic for 90% of its running life?
You're not getting 'grip' from the rubber, you're just scraping it off as you turn the wheels on an almost stationery car.

For country driving, we have dirt-track roads - traction is far more valuable than friction. The shape of the treads will affect your handling more than the material. A pothole will rip a lump off a rubber tyre where a nylon-based compound would have bounced off the edge.

IMO, the only driving in this country that justifies top quality rubber is regular M / N road 100-120kph driving (and I'm not including the M50 car park).

don't agree with that. I've hard wearing budget tyres at the moment and the grip is dire especially in the wet. That's mainly city driving. Even at 20 mph you notice the difference in a decent set of tyres. I dunno where you drive in the country but anywhere I've been there are roads not dirt tracks.

Gurgle

BostonB wrote: »

don't agree with that. I've hard wearing budget tyres at the moment and the grip is dire especially in the wet. That's mainly city driving. Even at 20 mph you notice the difference in a decent set of tyres.

There are soft rubber high friction tyres and there are budget nylon-composite hard wearing tyres.

Then theres a dozen grades in the middle.

I dunno where you drive in the country but anywhere I've been there are roads not dirt tracks.

Take a trip around meath some day, and not just on the Dublin-Elsewhere roads.

BostonB

I know there's different types of Tyres that's was my point. Most people in Meath aren't driving on mud tracks. And is slow crawling in heavy traffic typical on mud tracks? Hardly.