Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by condor

I consider available tread / wear-out, but subject to a 7 year life.

If there is no tread left, no point in using it further.
But rubber degrades with time & hardens. As it hardens, they become less & less safe. Hence change them .. about 7 years is what I feel is a fair usage, before changing them.

I would say the same, tread wear is a definite pointer but given the harsh conditions in which we operate here in India, roads, dust, heat, etc etc, my guess is that the max one should hang on to one's tyres is 5 years.

[rohan_iitr]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

@rohan_iitr, you could select the poll option based on the tyre-replacement behaviour you have followed till date.

Regarding tyre-buyback, I did not get you. I agree tyre prices are increasing, but how can changing tyres before tread wears off help save money ? And even though new tyres cost a lot, what we get for old tyres with some tread on it, would not be comparably high IMO.

Let me explain with an example. These are just some random fictional figures - don't concentrate on the figures, try to see the logic in the example.

Lets say you purchased your car in 2007. Lets say your usage is such that the tyres will start wearing off in 6 years. Now in 2012 (5 years after using existing tyres), you have 2 options:

1. Buy a new set of tyres in 2012 (after using existing tyres for 5 years) at 2012 prices, lets say 25k for a set of 5 tyres and 2k buy back for the existing set of tyres. You get a new set of tyres for 23k that will last another 5 years, going by the same logic.

2. Buy a new set of tyres in 2013 (when the tyres start wearing off) at 2013 prices, lets say 27k for a set of 5 tyres and 1k buy back for the worn out tyres. You get a new set of tyres for 26k, that will last another 6 years, going by the same logic.

Assuming that one does not intend to keep a car for more than 10 years, the first option seems safer and more ecomonical.

I've just presented my point of view. This logic may be flawed, I'm open to discussion.

Rohan

[vikram_d]

I follow a simple formula. 50,000kms or tread depth. Whichever is earlier. Tread depth reference is when the tread wear indicator starts to come in contact with the road.

[subbarp]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I would say the same, tread wear is a definite pointer but given the harsh conditions in which we operate here in India, roads, dust, heat, etc etc, my guess is that the max one should hang on to one's tyres is 5 years.

My view is, it is a function of
a). Age (# of years)
b). Tread wear & tear based on observation
c). Location (Places with extremes of temperature require a more frequent change)
d). Driving style (sedate driving Vs. rough driving like many cabs do)
e). Roads (city roads/ bumpy roads)
f). # of km

Hence there cannot be a definitive answer, it could range anywhere from 2-7 years based on all of these parameters.

thanks

[GTO]

A 6 year old tyre that's used very less (and thus, standing in one place for too long) is prone to damage.

Rubber does harden with age and the sidewalls lose their flex too. I wouldn't be comfortable using a tyre that's over 6 years old. The grip simply isn't there anymore.

[devsoftech]

I change the tyres when any one of the conditions is true:
1. Tyre is 3 years old
2. Tyre loses its flex (is hard) or cracks appear
3. Tyre has suffered 5 punctures
4. Tyre has done 30,000 kms (irrespective of tread depth)

I cannot compromise on comfort, reliability and safety on the road, even if it takes a credit card to change the tyre

[Disclaimer]
A serious fanboy of Dunlop tyres for bikes and Michelin Primacy LC and Yoko A-drives for cars. An aging/wearing tyres will naturally start compromising on comfort and reliability. I do end up replacing them prematurely and I do not mind.

I voted for: "I change tyres based on age - every 3 years, irrespective of tread depth."

[bluevolt]

In my experience tyres usually worn out by 50,000 KMs/5 years and I follow the same principle. Our M800 was sold with stock tyres @ 51,000 KM on ODO and still tyres were usable for another 4-5K KMs.

My WagonR is nearing 40K but tyres are good enough for another 10K KMs.

So I am voting for 'I change tyres only when the tread goes below the acceptable depth.'

[Shome]

With the kind of usage I have, none of my tyres have lasted beyond 3 yrs wrt tread depth. Other wise, I would recommend a change every 5 years at the most if tread depth is not an issue

[smartcat]

I change the tyres every 40,000 kms, irrespective of the age or wear. An expense of Rs. 20,000 every 3 - 4 years is not much, in my opinion, especially since the change offers so many benefits.

- Enhanced safety
- Better ride quality on new tyres
- Less tyre noise on expressway
- Better grip

[reignofchaos]

My tyres wear out in 30000km or so since I normally buy softer/sports compounds. So they never last beyond 2 years anyway.

[shuvc]

On the Baleno, I switched to the F1 GSD2 from NCT 5 at 11K kms. This switch was to upsize.

Used the GSD2s for 36K kms. Roughly 2.5 years. There was still tread remaining, but they had become unbearably noisy.

Switched to GSD3s. This set has now run 40K kms in 3years ! They are noisy but less than the GSD2s. Went to a shop to check out new tyres. They passed verdict that the tyres would run another 10k easily!! The car is used in the city only nowadays. Hence I'll probably use them till the 45K mark and then switch.

To sum up, I would go by tread wear, unless the tyres get too noisy.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by subbarp

My view is, it is a function of
a). Age (# of years)
b). Tread wear & tear based on observation
c). Location (Places with extremes of temperature require a more frequent change)
d). Driving style (sedate driving Vs. rough driving like many cabs do)
e). Roads (city roads/ bumpy roads)
f). # of km

Hence there cannot be a definitive answer, it could range anywhere from 2-7 years based on all of these parameters.

thanks

I sold my Scorpio with its OEM Bridgestones on it, having done 50k odd kms in 4 years in all sorts of terrain, city, highway, hills, off road, jungle road etc. Those tyres were hardening but had another 10k to 15k kms life left in them as per the Madhu's chaps. My friend, to whom I sold it, has done another maybe 8k to 10k on those tyres and in pretty harsh conditions inside Coorg. I think he will be due for a change anytime now.

With my Yeti I have barely crossed 6k kms and mostly in city and on highway but I dont think these OEM tyres are going to last me more than 25k kms overall - maybe 2 years of use, no more. They're too soft. I shall simply have to spend on a set of much more rugged tyres for this vehicle and quite quickly I believe.

[mayankjha1806]

Voted for " I change tyres only when the tread goes below the acceptable depth."

Fortunately this happens around 40K, which takes about 3-4 years to achieve hence its kind of right time to change tyre anyway. Changed Baleno tyres at around 45K when the new ones were about 3-4 years old. Never felt loss of grip, only when the threads were low the loss of grip was noticeable and hence changed it.

[supremeBaleno]

From the poll, it looks like my assumption was correct. Majority of us (55%) seem to go by tread-wear.
With the next set of 12% changing tyres every 5 years. And 8% changing tyres at 6 years.

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

My bad I didn't notice the 1st option and ended up selecting the last one

PM the mods - they might be able to help you correct your option.

Originally Posted by racer_ash

the tyres become hard and they do not provide the sufficient cushioning effect and this could adversely effect the suspension setup. We experienced this personally only after sitting in a friend's 2006 swift with new set of wheels. The ride was much more comfortable. Our car was transmitting all the bumps and roughness into the cabin much more noticeably.

I am recently noticing the same on my Baleno where the OE tyres have done 60K kms in 7 years - I seem to feel the bumps now compared to when the tyres were new. Not sure if it is a psychological thing or due to tyres being hard. Of the 5 tyres, only 1 has worn out, with the remaining 4 having the same tread as they did when new, even after 60K kms. I usually keep the air in the tyres 2-3 psi more than recommended, so this does adds to a stiff ride. Will try using recommended pressure and then see how it feels.

[ghodlur]

Uptil now I used to believe that the most logical option would be Option#1, but looking at so many options quoted by BHPians I am now confused as I was contemplating tyre change at 30K for my Fiesta and also since its now almost 3 yrs old.

I remember being told by the Michelin dealer that Michelin tyres do come with a tread indicator and that the tyres can be run safely till the tread surface matches the indicator surface. No need to worry about the kms or age of tyres. I dont know how true is this.

Would the tread logic be applicable even if one of the tyres has had multiple punctures?