How long do car tires last?

J

Jabbar

New member
How long is the life span of a typical car tire? Does this improve with brand etc or solely dependant on how you drive your car?


My service came back with recommendations on a tire change saying they`ll be under the legal limit of tread within a couple of months, so I thought I`d just leave it and get it done a bit cheaper at a garage. Are these guidelines to be strictly followed?
 
How long is the life span of a typical car tire? You sir, have asked a very loaded question. Let`s look at some the factors that effect tire life: Temperature, pressure, humidity, driving style, vehicle weight, road conditions, cargo, tyre type, tread pattern, suspension condition, and suspension alignment. These are all the majors and there are many more minor things that effect tire life. However in the *ideal* situation, each tire manufacture will give a mileage life specification or mileage warranty, tire life has so many different variables, as you can see^^, I haven`t even listed the minute details. Usually the better the brand tire, the better quality you will get, tires are the absolute case of `you get what you pay for`, period. Tires are something I will always want to improve upon, as in I am always looking for the best tire for my application as they are the first line in many variables of car control, since they connect the vehicle to the road. If your service advisor is advising you that you need new tires, soon, I would listen to them. However, there is good news as there is a company called Discount Tire that really does fantastic work and has excellent service. Discount tire is the only place where I will and get my tires, and have them serviced (rotated, flats fixed, warranty issues). The guidelines for minimum tread depth, they are not guide lines, they are very strict rules, remember that a car is considered a deadly weapon, and is even deadlier when running on well worn tires, tires are all about vehicle control. A vehicle is not merely a machine made up many parts, it is a system of many parts that work in unison, harmony. Tires are the first letter in the automotive safety alphabet, pass `A` and everything else will be effected. I could literally talk all day about tires. Here are a few resources for building knowledge:

TireRack.com - Tire - Tech Center
 
what he said ^^^^^ .. let me add a couple things .... my family has been in the tire business since there were tires (bridal and wooden wheel repair previous) ...

First get a second opinion from someone you know and trust ... dealership told my wife, during a scheduled oil change on a 16 month old car, that her tires were needing replacement ... far from it .. the fronts had been replaced due to a slashing (remember to always replace in at least pairs) and were like new, the rear had perfectly even wear and have about 5-10K easy left. Their job is to sell, sell, sell !!!
Yes, all manufactures make tires under different brand names and off brand names ...
You should also make sure you are buying a tire that not only suits your climate, and your driving style, but also reasonably has good ratings (see side of tire) as an example, they will give you a set of numbers say 400 for tire wear "A" traction "A" temperature ... these do not always need to be "A" again depending on where you live and how you drive ...

You can also go to Tire Rack and order tires and they ship it and have a set of dealers cooperating around the country.

IF you have a BJ`s or Costco membership, they can also give you good deals if you know what you want .. you may not want them picking your tires ;)

Personally, I usually go with Michelin or Goodyear .. I get a better ride and they seem to last longer ....

Like it was said above, there are so many variables to picking and maintaining a tire :)
 
And remember that the tire pressure that`s best for safe handling in an emergency maneuver (and also for fun/sporty driving) is hardly ever close to the tire pressure that provides even wear when grocery-getting at low speeds. I choose to have the car handle properly even though that means my tires wear out sorta fast (and clueless people say "you`re running too much tire pressure").

I have different brands on different vehicles, but I run more Michelins than anything else. Gotta choose the *right* model though, even with a good brand.
 
Not very long....................


20160622_100352_zpsocxt9nng.jpg
 
Yep, my rear tires always need replacing before the front tires. A ton of good information here. There dealership here will match the price at Tire Rack, but Walmart throws in free lifetime balance and rotation, which is a darn good deal, especially if you buy some of those new Michelins that have extra long tread life.
 
512detail said:
my first set on my SRT made it about 3 months (and 3k miles- ha) :hotrod2::drive::lol:
Click to expand...

If a SRT can chew up tires that quick. I would hate to see how fast tires go on a Hellcat. I imagine your second set of tires are being driven a little more conservatively.
 
I got 45k off the factory Continentals on my M Roadster.

I keep the car aligned and the pressures correct.

Of course I replaced them with Contis again.


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I always went by those "old-fashioned-horizontal-lines/thingy-dingies" across the surface of the tires. Please don`t ask me what they is called. Obviously I don`t have a clue. LOOK at the remaining tread on your tires, and take note of the depth of the tread? Driving at high speeds (speed demon here?), it might not be advisable to run your tires "to the line"? I have piloted mostly rear-wheel-driven cars for the past 30 years, soooo obviously, the greater tire wear will likely show on the rear? Those of us like to peel out, are gonna replace more tires than usual? For the last three rides, I also could not rotate tires (different sizes), adding to additional wear for rear tires.

I generally believe in Michelins, and generally a follower of Discount Tire,...albeit the local folks blew out the sidewall of a very pricey car last year (the dealership was very good at replacing the tire, but...?). Reckon, it might depend on what "tech" blows up ("blows out?") your tire?

On my final service with me CTS V, the dealership advised buying two new tires, but I felt otherwise. Didn`t look shotzo to me. Obviously, I could be wrong.

Last Saturday, I tried to pass a minivan on the relatively steep decent from a mountain pass. The left front tire instantly started shredding like a retread. Rubber spitting everywhere with many bits and pieces, before (you get five points for guess it), the remaining parts of the driver`s side tire went looping/spinning/bouncing off across the lane several feet in front of me. Shouldah seemed "cool", but it wasn`t.

The "normal couple" did a good job of slowing the minivan to the side. I pulled over in front of them with my flashers on. Fortunately, no one was hurt, except for the wheel rim (?).

Why a minivan was going 80+ mph down a steep decent at 100 degrees is totally beyond me.

Please check your tires, folks. It may cost you your life.....? All`s well, that ends well?
 
Different tires last different times. Mostly they will come close to their guaranteed length of mileage.
My car in interesting in tires. It`s only a Corolla. But they put high performance H rated tires on it. Inflate to only 32 pounds. Works really good. But have to rotate them every 5k miles. Fronts wear on outside, rear on inside.

Now many of the tires for my car are guaranteed to go 70 or 80k miles. Michelins, Continentals, Pirelli. But the tires that came on it are only guaranteed to 40k something miles. It shows at 35K. I take it they are higher performance, but quicker wear. They are Toyo tires.
Hehe on high performance for my car. How the Toyota engineers came up with this and set it up. Makes driving really nice. By far nicest in it`s class of car. Also, don`t have to worry at all about driving in the desert...they won`t blow. Plenty of headroom on over pressure.
 
LEDetailng said:
If a SRT can chew up tires that quick. I would hate to see how fast tires go on a Hellcat. I imagine your second set of tires are being driven a little more conservatively.
Click to expand...
Lol
Nah i had that car brand new at 24 yrs old

It took me till the third set before i had no more money ,ha


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Jabbar said:
How long is the life span of a typical car tire? Does this improve with brand etc or solely dependant on how you drive your car?


My service came back with recommendations on a tire change saying they`ll be under the legal limit of tread within a couple of months, so I thought I`d just leave it and get it done a bit cheaper at a garage. Are these guidelines to be strictly followed?
Click to expand...

Way too many factors for anyone to give you a definitive answer.

However, when you are looking for new tires, the manufacturer normally has a "rating" (aka: an estimate) of mileage for each model tire. Now, keep in mind that sometimes that is based solely off of the rubber compound used for the tire with no real world analysis.

I can second the Discount Tire recommendation from TheMeanGreen. I`ve never had a bad experience with any of their stores I`ve been to across the country.

As far as their recommendation, legal wear limits in most states is 2/32 of an inch. That`s not a lot of tread. You`d get along fine in dry conditions with 2-4/32 but during rain or other inclement weather you may find yourself hydroplaning/sliding.

Don`t take a chance on tires though. That is quite literally the only thing that keeps you driving down the road. If you slip, blow out a tire, hydroplane, or in any way lose control of your vehicle it can not only cost you money but it could also cause lives.
 
There`s virtually unlimited variables at play here.

Even the most expensive tire might not last more than one day (blowout or puncture in the side wall).

With that said I`ll share my person experience with each of the vehicles I`ve owned.

1989 Sandrail: changed the original tires for paddle tires that never needed replacing as it was only sand driven (no odometer).
1990 Pontic Bonneville SSE: bought used with two sets of tires never bought another set of tires ~100,000 miles.
1991 300cc Honda ATV: never changed the dirt/mud tires just kept using fix a flat, and plugs as holes accumulated.
1992 Mazda 626: Tires were changed 3 times over the course of ~100,000 miles.
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Tries changed twice over ~95,000 miles.
1994 3 series BMW: Tires were changed every 30,000k miles whether they needed it or not.
1996 Mazda 626: Tires changed 3 times over ~150,000 miles.
2004 Mazda Tribute: Went trough two sets of tires (winter and all season) changed every ~50,000 Miles
2009 Jeep SRT8: Changed the OEM run-flats out that had 16/32nds of tread left for Racing compound tires that have lasted ~12,000 miles (finished now), winter tires have lasted me 25,000 miles.

Best tire I`ve owned: Nitto NT50`s (don`t expect them to last more than 10,000 miles, and they suck up nails and screws like a vacuum)
 
Most vehicle owners "skimp" on tires when it comes down to replacing them, but I also realize that not everyone will spend $1000 on four Michelins when $300 is all that they have for tires. You do , indeed, get what you pay for in tires (to some degree).

Biggest factors in tire wear and hence tire life that YOU control:
1) Checking AND maintaining tire pressure on a monthly basis.
Too soft (under-inflated), and you wear out the outside edges. Too hard (over-inflated ), and you wear out the middle.
a) Buy a digital tire pressure gauge and use it (about $14.00 at auto parts stores)
b) Check your vehicle owner`s manual or tire placard on the driver`s door post or side for OEM recommended tire pressures front and rear. I tend to go about 1 or 2 psi OVER their recommendation. The manufacturer has gone through some rigorous road testing of that OEM tire to determine that tire PSI for your particular vehicle for ride comfort and safety.
2) Rotate your tires on a regular basis according to the owner`s manual OR tire manufacturer`s pamphlet info that came with the car.
3) Keep your suspension aligned. Hitting pot holes, curbs, road debris, parking lot bump stops, or speed bumps can knock out the alignment and cause premature tire wear.
4) Look at your tires tread pattern. If one side of a tire looks worn, find out why it`s happening.

Your driving conditions and how you drive will also greatly affect tire life.
1) Heat is the worst enemy of tires
a) Stop-and-go driving
b) High-heat climates
c) Mountain descent that require frequent braking inputs
d) Overloaded vehicle weight (Like 10 bags of cement from Home Depot in the back of your Prius or the five offensive line buddies from your high school football team in your Dad`s Subaru Outback.)
2) Road media travelled over
a)Crush limestone or granite rock gravel versus paved black-top versus concrete
b) Area road maintenance (IE rough pot-holed roads or graded gravel or sandy trails)
3) Tire material from manufacturer.
Every tire has a temperature rating and tire tread-life rating. If you buy a true winter-rated tire, its compound is soft and designed for environmental temperatures below 40°F. Long-lasting (IE high mileage warranties) all-season tires have a very hard compound, but they are not the best for snow-and-ice conditions. (Which is why our Canadian friends in the Ontario providence are required BY LAW to have true-winter tires on their vehicles from November thru March OR travel in the US over the Rocky Mountain passes during snow events require such tires on a vehicle or chains.)

As stated above by other posters, most tire wear life is a function of a lot of different factors: some you control; others you do not.
 
The Michelin Pilots on my previous Crown Vic had *extreme* outer-edge wear after just a few AutoX runs. Had I not inflated them to the pressure I did (i.e., had I run the Ford-recommended pressure) they would`ve been destroyed the first run, might`ve even "polevaulted"/flipped the car due to rim-to-pavement contact.

(Testing by the Vehicle Dynamics Institute showed that Crown Vics handle best at 42psi and that handling deteriorates significantly at lower pressures. The OEM recommended pressure is 35psi, but at that pressure the car handled terribly and basically rode on the sidewalls during hard cornering. They had to halt testing at (IIRC) ?32? psi due to excessive sidewall flex that threatened to result in rim-to-pavement contact.)

[Had to edit this, had misremembered which PSI was dangerous. Sorry, it`s been a while..]
 
Lonnie said:
... OR travel in the US over the Rocky Mountain passes during snow events require such tires on a vehicle or chains.)....
Click to expand...

Met this one with a smile. I`ve seen it in Colorado. During a snow storm. Requiring chains or snow tires. If I remember right...they allowed 4 wheel drive also. In place of snow tires or chains. Usually doesn`t last long. Could just spend the night in one of those inexpensive ( :P ) ski resorts. Colorado does a great job of maintenance at even 10k feet in the middle of a storm on that freeway. Got to hand it to them.

On the other hand. You`re better off going through Colorado, at 10k feet, in the middle of a blizzard. Than you are driving through Wyoming on the nicest winter day. The reason? Wyoming doesn`t plow their roads. It`s ludicrous. Drive in Wyoming during winter? Get the meanest studded winter tires you can possibly find. I`m not joking.
Yes, I can attest that I have actually seen a Wyoming snow plow. Now where they use it? Don`t ask me!
 
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