When do you change your tyres?

cruizer101

I'm curious as to when people change their tyres. Obviously there are the thread wear indicators at 1.6mm but I'm assuming most people change well before getting that worn. Mine are coming close to 3mm now and I'm starting to look at getting new ones. So ignoring changes for other sorts of damage such as puncture or sidewall damage, at what point do you change your tyres.

bmw535d

when you rub your hand over them and you get cut from the wires hanging out:pac:

When they are down to the 1.6000000000000000001 mark.

R.O.R

Between 3mm and 2mm. 2mm being the bare minimum you'd want between you and the road.

EPM

When they hit the wear indicator usually.

But if planning a trip or coming into winter I'll just do it if they are in anyway close

corktina

looking at the pile in the tyre place eveytime I go in, i would say that almost noone replaces tyres as early as you and most wait until the tyre is seriously illegal.

Me, I try to catch them before they hit the indicator but then i believe tyres are cheap to replace whereas many people think it costs them money to put on their headlights when it gets dark...:cool:

Zubeneschamali

I do the rears when I notice them at or near the wear indicator.

Both my cars are FWD, and I generally notice the fronts starting to slip in the wet before they wear to that point.

cian1500ww

Normally when they get to the wear indicators, try to get as much out of them before changing.

Stoolbend

I usually change them at around 3mm.

mickdw

When Im driving in the wet & I realise that the tyres are f*cked, I then think about changing them. Typically inside edges in bits even though its a new car & has been aligned. It has alot to do with driving style I think.

Topper Harley

When I absolutely have to. In the past I've had tires at all different thread depths but now they're all about even so I'll change them when they're all fairly close to 1.6mm.

dunsandin

I used to stinge on tyres, then on the N7 I had to jam on, and the car slid like on ice. Didnt crash, but came close. Now, I have new tyres on everything - I have 7 vehicles, and if i buy a yoke, it gets 4 good quality tyres first off. Tyres are only dear until you need em to grip the road, then they are cheap. How do you fancy dying cos you are too mean to buy tyres? Or your wife and kids dying cos the tyres gave out ? I now regard tyres as cheap, and change them when they show any degree of wear. My tyre dealer loves me, but I drive all day every day, and i drive fast, and my life is worth more than a few tyres, to me anyway. They are all you have linking you with the road.

daveharnett

corktina wrote: »

looking at the pile in the tyre place eveytime I go in, i would say that almost noone replaces tyres as early as you and most wait until the tyre is seriously illegal.

The state some of the tyres on the discard/recycle stacks can be pretty frightening allright.

For me, as soon as the steering/back end starts to feel noticeably vague (less accurate, more small steering corrections needed), it's time to think about changing. This seems to be about 3mm, more if wear is uneven. I think lots of people would say there is another year left in them!

Cocoon

My tyres are baldy on the outside but have plenty of meat in the middle, how am I fixed. Where do ya gague the min dept?

daveharnett

Cocoon wrote: »

My tyres are baldy on the outside but have plenty of meat in the middle, how am I fixed. Where do ya gague the min dept?

(Just on the 'outside' edge? I'd say check your alignment for a start). Afaik, the legal requirement is 1.6 across the whole width of the tyre. Having one side of the tyre 100% isn't much use if the other side (the one that's actually in contact with the road) is in rags.

daveharnett

daveharnett wrote: »

(Just on the 'outside' edge? I'd say check your alignment for a start). Afaik, the legal requirement is 1.6 across the whole width of the tyre. Having one side of the tyre 100% isn't much use if the other side (the one that's actually in contact with the road) is in rags.

1.6mm across centre 75% of the tyre and visible pattern on the rest me thinks.

Zubeneschamali

Cocoon wrote: »

My tyres are baldy on the outside but have plenty of meat in the middle, how am I fixed.

If a tyre is worn in the centre and not at the two sides, you're over inflating it.

Where do ya gague the min dept?

Where it is at its minimum.

Tropheus

I had a 911 (993) a few years back. The rear tyres lasted about 8k miles and the fronts would last 3 times that. However, if you only changed the rears when worn, the handling wasn't as good for some reason.

Some 911 owners will change the part worn fronts with the rears to maintain the handling.

Needless to say, it was an expensive car to keep on the road:)

woody33

From the NCT site:

Reason for refusal: the depth of tread is less than 1.6 mm in the central three-quarters of the tread pattern.

peasant

Seenashow we live in a pretty wet country with lots of partially flooded roads I usually change tyres when they reach around the 4 mm mark (4 mm being tyre manufacturer's recommendation).
If the 4mm get reached in spring I might run them into autumn but make sure that I get a new set of rubbers for the winter.

After the last icy winter I'm even thinking about buying winter tyres next time and running them all year round (it's not like our summers are scorchers, now is it?)

I don't drive that much and a set of tyres usually lasts me 4-5 years ...after about 6-8 years tyres get old and brittle anyway and should be replaced regardless of thread depth)

Padraig Mor

When they hit the wear indicator. IIRC this is actually at 3mm, which is the limit in some European countries. I think.

DonJose

I change my tyres every 40,000km, at 20,000 I switch the tyres from the front to the back as the front tyres wear out more.

barryfitz

Poll might have been handy. But im with most others, when im down to the tyre wear indicator.