Checked tyres last week and @ 4mm. Whats the legal min and how many miles should I get from 4mm to the legal? (If that makes sense..)
5th Nov 2008 8:27 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72788
1.6mm ISTR although I replace them at 3mm. 2mm would do me 8000 miles.
5th Nov 2008 8:29 pm
CY
Member Since: 16 Aug 2005
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 4502
Yes 1.6mm for the 3/4 breadth of the tyre surface and around the edges. Cuts and bulges are also illegal...
Had to know that one for the Theory, did you guess 2007 Porsche Boxster (987) 2.7
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5th Nov 2008 8:32 pm
Ken
Member Since: 20 Feb 2006
Location: Here
Posts: 10865
Its winter really should change at no less than 3mm
On the side of the tyre there are triangles that show where the wear bars are if you tread gets level with these its time to spend some money before points & fines come your way
5th Nov 2008 8:39 pm
tanters
Member Since: 24 Oct 2007
Location: Oireland
Posts: 4284
Dont mind fines etc
at over 2.5T you'll need every mm to stop your car. As Ken says, coming into the winter, if you dont feel confident on low thread, splash the cash and save a lot of dosh in the long run.
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5th Nov 2008 8:50 pm
character
Member Since: 01 Jan 2008
Location: wiltshire
Posts: 5781
just changed my front ones this last weekend when at 3mm which is the legal limit when driving in europe, at less than 3mm the stopping distance is increased by some 70%
just changed my front ones this last weekend when at 3mm which is the legal limit when driving in europe, at less than 3mm the stopping distance is increased by some 70%
Maybe in the wet, but in the dry, the larger the contact area, the larger the area to apply friction / grip to the road surface. (Think F1 racing tyres). Slicks offer more grip, partly through compounds and heat but also contact patch.
Or maybe I had one too many kingfishers with that curry "To finish first, one first has to finish ...."
5th Nov 2008 11:38 pm
AJS4X4
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Surrey
Posts: 3224
Nice to see most people are senesable with tread depths.
I think the min tread depth is O.K'ISH for dry roads but in the wet totaly wrong and can see a change on it's way.
Think about it as well, less tread more chance of punctures, as for grip, the D3 is no F1 car, how much does it weigh ?
Most will agree with me, illegal tyres can "kill"
Makes me wild when you get the odd customer say "got my moneys worth out of them" when there are more spikes sticking out of there tyres than a hedgehogs back.
My rant is over, but tyres are very important, I can hear you say "he sells tyres", true, and undertakers sell coffins.
Not having a dig at anyone just I think talking sense.
Member Since: 12 Feb 2006
Location: Midlands
Posts: 594
90BHP wrote:
character wrote:
just changed my front ones this last weekend when at 3mm which is the legal limit when driving in europe, at less than 3mm the stopping distance is increased by some 70%
Maybe in the wet, but in the dry, the larger the contact area, the larger the area to apply friction / grip to the road surface. (Think F1 racing tyres). Slicks offer more grip, partly through compounds and heat but also contact patch.
Or maybe I had one too many kingfishers with that curry
You would have to have 0mm of tread to get a bigger contact patch on a standard road tyre!
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10th Nov 2008 4:58 pm
crews control
Member Since: 18 Mar 2007
Location: Dorset
Posts: 5011
F1 slicks don't start getting grippy until they're around 80˚C+, and they'll only last 300km maximum!
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10th Nov 2008 5:42 pm
countrywide
Member Since: 16 Sep 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6019
I would never run my tyres down to the legal limit, especially after watching one of the car programs on TV when they showed the stopping difference between decent tread and just the legal limit.
10th Nov 2008 5:52 pm
cmyers_uk
Member Since: 10 Apr 2005
Location: Near Bristol, UK
Posts: 433
1st I am a firm believer in 3mm as minimum, 4mm if you want no deterioration.
Quote:
at less than 3mm the stopping distance is increased by some 70%
Id like to know the source for that test. The only official test id seen didnt get anywhere near those results but then again I suppose you didnt say how much less than 3mm.
ROSPA say 3mm is the best bet, however it is worth noting that this only refers to wet in the dry there is no difference IMHO I may not sell tyres but I thought I knew the reason a tyre had tread and it wasnt for dry grip.
In the BRMA's tests on 2 different road surfaces the difference was
Concrete
6mm to 3mm is 5metres.
80kmh with 3mm v 1.6mm is 5metres or 10m less than 6mm.
Asphalt
6 - 4mm not loss , from 4 - 3mm 2metres , from 3 - 2mm 4 metres from 2 - 1.6 3 metres.
Hence why michelin recommend 4 for winter tyres presumably as that is the first point of deterioration.
So if your driving to devon in heavy rain on the Motorway the guy with 6mm will stop 5metres before you, you will in turn stop 5 metres before the person bang on the legal limit. The only time its a problem is if the extra 5 metres he travelled contains another car! But the same could be said as you sailed past the 6mm tread guy.
So if you want to have the same stopping distance as new only let your tyres go to 4mm.
Member Since: 03 Jul 2006
Location: Oberon, NSW
Posts: 6922
A lot of tyres have a small ridge between some of the threads as an indicator. Look round the tyre and you may find one. When the tread wears to the same level as the ridge it is time to replace.“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely gamesâ€
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