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

supremeBaleno · 22nd June 2012, 13:50

@ghodlur, if the tread is still within legal limit, then you are OK. Especially since it is only 3 years old. The multiple punctures tyre can be moved as the stepney, which will be sparingly used.

esteem_lover · 22nd June 2012, 14:46

This is almost as good as asking, when do you change your engine oil ? Do you look at it, feel it and then say I will change it after another 1000 kms or do you do it at the manufacturer recommended intervals immaterial of how the oil looks or feels like.

I think we should go about what is the right way to do it and not think that the most popular choice is the right way to do it.

My option is to change the tyre every 4-5 years (assuming they aren't worn out) whether it looks like new or not. I have also been ignorant and wore out my first set of tyres (MRF Zigma Steel) in my M-1000 till I can see the steel belts, but that is not the safe thing to do. Tyres are one of the most important components in a car's safety(before ABS, Air bags etc) and giving it it's due importance is paramount in safe driving.

Just change your tyres and feel the difference in grip and sound levels.

supremeBaleno · 22nd June 2012, 16:03

@John, for the oil, the manufacturer says change it at 5K/10K/15K, depending on the car. So no need to look at or feel the oil.
But for tyres, our manual says nothing about replacement interval. And if this was not bad, neither do the tyre manufacturers say anything about life of tyres.

So assume we go about it the right way, as you said. What is the right way or interval ? If you look at the poll, we have guys changing tyres from 2years to those that change it till it is bald.
For someone religiously changing tyres at 2 years, you are taking a huge risk by waiting till 4-5 years, which in turn is how you feel about the guys changing it anytime after 5 years.
But again from the posts here, there is no interval which will work for all since usage varies from person to person.

SBR · 22nd June 2012, 16:38

For my M-800, I changed the tyres after 5 years & 56K KMS on the ODO. The tyres still had another 10K of tread which could have been used as per Madhu's. However, I decided to change them as I felt that the ride was getting hard.

I did the same with my bike earlier.

I go by age of the rubber as the rubber tends to get harder over the years.

R2D2 · 22nd June 2012, 16:53

Based on my usage, car and tyre maintenance routine I would change my tyres every 5-6 years regardless of wear

Michelin recommends that tyres be changed 10 years from the date of manufacture regardless of treadwear. I am effectively doubling that frequency.

Michelin India - When to Change Your Car, Van or SUV Tyres? - www.michelin.in

Cheers!

esteem_lover · 22nd June 2012, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

For someone religiously changing tyres at 2 years, you are taking a huge risk by waiting till 4-5 years, which in turn is how you feel about the guys changing it anytime after 5 years.

Please check with the guys changing in 2 years, I am sure they are changing because they would have done 50-60k kms on those tyres and not because they are 2 years old. Your voting options are not clear.

honeybee · 22nd June 2012, 17:33

I didn't vote, because I check both, the age and treadwear. My tyres have usually lasted 40k+ over three years and more.

deutscheafrikar · 22nd June 2012, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

But for tyres, our manual says nothing about replacement interval. And if this was not bad, neither do the tyre manufacturers say anything about life of tyres.

So assume we go about it the right way, as you said. What is the right way or interval ?
.

Maybe you will find it in this thread
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...awareness.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach..._awareness.pdf

supremeBaleno · 22nd June 2012, 19:47

The pdf says tyres have a 4-year expiry date. But there is no mention of who is the author, his/her background etc. This is important because even Michelin says tyres if taken care of and inspected regularly, can be used for 10 years.

@John, I thought the poll-options were pretty exhaustive covering everything from 2-10 years. What is not clear in them ?

esteem_lover · 22nd June 2012, 21:43

Biju, maybe i should talk to you over phone and make you understand. I will try my best here.

Age and tread go hand in hand as far as tyres are concerned. I might change my tyres after 6 months or 1 year too if I have used up their tread life (say I drove 40-60k kms(depending on the tyre)), I will not wait for it to go bald. Just because your baleno feels as new as it was 7 years back, do you think everything is as new as it was ? There are parts that are wearing out (meaning losing their original strength) all the time whether you use it or not.

Regarding the poll options, even I voted for 5 years (wish there was a choice to recall that vote) but if I was driving my car for 24k kms a year i.e 2k kms a month, I would have checked the 2 year option since there was no choice as to KMs vs Years there. A reasonable cabbie will have to change his tyres at least once every year.

goandude · 23rd June 2012, 10:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

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.

Assuming you have rotated the tyres periodically, it seems strange that only one tyre has lost its thread and the others are like new. 60 k kms would definitly removed at least 50% thread depth. or are they super hard compound?

deutscheafrikar · 23rd June 2012, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

This is important because even Michelin says tyres if taken care of and inspected regularly, can be used for 10 years.

This is good info. Cos 4 years is too early.

So now we can agree to inspect after 5 years of age for cracks etc... and change to new after 10 years from the date of manufacture as a precaution.
I have MRF's for my motorcycles at home since last august and got new Michelins XM 1 + for my car last month but these were dated mid 2011 so was feeling bad I couldn't get current dated tyres. Works for me, I feel better now.

supremeBaleno · 25th June 2012, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by goandude

Assuming you have rotated the tyres periodically, it seems strange that only one tyre has lost its thread and the others are like new. 60k kms would definitly removed at least 50% thread depth. or are they super hard compound?

Yeah, I do 4-tyre rotation every 5K kms, so it was strange that I have wear issues with just one tyre. Regarding the other tyres, I am sure some tread has definitely worn off after 60K kms, but not 50%. No idea about the compound and stuff (stock OE Bridgestone tyres), but could be a combination of care (check/fill air atleast once a month, rotate every 5K kms) and driving characteristic (no hard braking or wheelspins, single user etc).

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Age and tread go hand in hand as far as tyres are concerned. I might change my tyres after 6 months or 1 year too if I have used up their tread life (say I drove 40-60k kms), I will not wait for it to go bald.

I agree that age and tread are 2 main factors and while all of us agree that we need to change tyres if the tread is below legal limit, everyone seems to have their own take on the age part - each person thinks of a particular age (2 - 10 years) after which it is 'correct' to change tyres. And your next sentence (underlined above) seems to indicate that while you think age and tread matter most, your actual decision would be based on a 3rd parameter (no. of kms run) - so if you ran 40K kms in a year and the tread is good, you will still change the tyre.

Not disagreeing with your thoughts on age as a parameter, but would it not help if we had something concrete to back it up when a person says 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 years is the max a tyre should be used? Something coming from the tyre-cos which says tyres go bad after a certain period and should be changed. The problem is tyre-cos hesitate to say that (maybe because who will buy their tyres if they say it will last only 4 years, while the competition does not mention age at all) and even when they say (Michelin), they are saying you can go till 10yrs max.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Regarding the poll options, even I voted for 5 years but if I was driving my car for 24k kms a year i.e 2k kms a month, I would have checked the 2 year option since there was no choice as to KMs vs Years there.

Adding different options for kms-run (apart from age and tread that we have now) would have made it a poll with too many options - confusing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

A reasonable cabbie...

Now that's an oxymoron - does such a tribe even exist ?

supertinu · 28th June 2012, 12:54

I used to be of the opinion that tyres should be changed when tread wears our sufficiently but boy was I wrong

. I am glad I had asked on TBHP for advice on this matter. On my Ikon I changed MRF ZVTS to Michelin XM1+ after they had done 52K in ~5.5 years. They still had tread on them when changed but the amount of difference the swap made was unbelievable. Ride was so much more pliant, braking improved and drastic reduction in tyre noise.

So few lessons learnt from the experience, change tyres atleast within 5 yr life cycle, 4 yrs would be best if running is low as is with my case. All tyres are not the same, so pick brand very carefully.

k_nitin_r · 28th June 2012, 13:21

I think we should add another option to the poll that says "I change tyres only when I go bald (assuming there still is a tyre)" :-D

I generally change the tyres if:
(i) they've seen their share of the odometer
(ii) they have enough candles on their birthday cakes
(iii) there is visible damage (or lack of tread)

View Poll Results: Do you replace tyres by age or tread-wear ? If by age, every how many years ?
I change tyres only when the tread goes below the acceptable depth.	245	56.71%
I change tyres based on age - every 2 years, irrespective of tread depth.	7	1.62%
I change tyres based on age - every 3 years, irrespective of tread depth.	22	5.09%
I change tyres based on age - every 4 years, irrespective of tread depth.	38	8.80%
I change tyres based on age - every 5 years, irrespective of tread depth.	62	14.35%
I change tyres based on age - every 6 years, irrespective of tread depth.	19	4.40%
I change tyres based on age - every 7 years, irrespective of tread depth.	6	1.39%
I change tyres based on age - every 8 years, irrespective of tread depth.	3	0.69%
I change tyres based on age - every 9 years, irrespective of tread depth.	2	0.46%
I change tyres based on age - every 10 years, irrespective of tread depth.	2	0.46%
I change tyres only when they go bald (no tread at all).	26	6.02%
Voters: 432. You may not vote on this poll

22nd June 2012, 13:50	#31
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,678 Thanked: 2,913 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? @ghodlur, if the tread is still within legal limit, then you are OK. Especially since it is only 3 years old. The multiple punctures tyre can be moved as the stepney, which will be sparingly used.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2012, 14:46	#32
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 513 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? This is almost as good as asking, when do you change your engine oil ? Do you look at it, feel it and then say I will change it after another 1000 kms or do you do it at the manufacturer recommended intervals immaterial of how the oil looks or feels like. I think we should go about what is the right way to do it and not think that the most popular choice is the right way to do it. My option is to change the tyre every 4-5 years (assuming they aren't worn out) whether it looks like new or not. I have also been ignorant and wore out my first set of tyres (MRF Zigma Steel) in my M-1000 till I can see the steel belts, but that is not the safe thing to do. Tyres are one of the most important components in a car's safety(before ABS, Air bags etc) and giving it it's due importance is paramount in safe driving. Just change your tyres and feel the difference in grip and sound levels.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2012, 16:03	#33
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,678 Thanked: 2,913 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? @John, for the oil, the manufacturer says change it at 5K/10K/15K, depending on the car. So no need to look at or feel the oil. But for tyres, our manual says nothing about replacement interval. And if this was not bad, neither do the tyre manufacturers say anything about life of tyres. So assume we go about it the right way, as you said. What is the right way or interval ? If you look at the poll, we have guys changing tyres from 2years to those that change it till it is bald. For someone religiously changing tyres at 2 years, you are taking a huge risk by waiting till 4-5 years, which in turn is how you feel about the guys changing it anytime after 5 years. But again from the posts here, there is no interval which will work for all since usage varies from person to person. Last edited by supremeBaleno : 22nd June 2012 at 16:16.
	(1) Thanks

22nd June 2012, 16:38	#34
SBR BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 237 Thanked: 60 Times	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? For my M-800, I changed the tyres after 5 years & 56K KMS on the ODO. The tyres still had another 10K of tread which could have been used as per Madhu's. However, I decided to change them as I felt that the ride was getting hard. I did the same with my bike earlier. I go by age of the rubber as the rubber tends to get harder over the years.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2012, 16:53	#35
R2D2 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 3,257 Thanked: 5,852 Times	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? Based on my usage, car and tyre maintenance routine I would change my tyres every 5-6 years regardless of wear Michelin recommends that tyres be changed 10 years from the date of manufacture regardless of treadwear. I am effectively doubling that frequency. Michelin India - When to Change Your Car, Van or SUV Tyres? - www.michelin.in Cheers!
	() Thanks

22nd June 2012, 17:33	#37
honeybee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dombivli Posts: 3,055 Thanked: 2,143 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? I didn't vote, because I check both, the age and treadwear. My tyres have usually lasted 40k+ over three years and more.
	(1) Thanks

22nd June 2012, 19:47	#39
supremeBaleno Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chennai / Kochi Posts: 5,678 Thanked: 2,913 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? The pdf says tyres have a 4-year expiry date. But there is no mention of who is the author, his/her background etc. This is important because even Michelin says tyres if taken care of and inspected regularly, can be used for 10 years. @John, I thought the poll-options were pretty exhaustive covering everything from 2-10 years. What is not clear in them ?
	() Thanks

22nd June 2012, 21:43	#40
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 513 Times View My Garage	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? Biju, maybe i should talk to you over phone and make you understand. I will try my best here. Age and tread go hand in hand as far as tyres are concerned. I might change my tyres after 6 months or 1 year too if I have used up their tread life (say I drove 40-60k kms(depending on the tyre)), I will not wait for it to go bald. Just because your baleno feels as new as it was 7 years back, do you think everything is as new as it was ? There are parts that are wearing out (meaning losing their original strength) all the time whether you use it or not. Regarding the poll options, even I voted for 5 years (wish there was a choice to recall that vote) but if I was driving my car for 24k kms a year i.e 2k kms a month, I would have checked the 2 year option since there was no choice as to KMs vs Years there. A reasonable cabbie will have to change his tyres at least once every year. Last edited by esteem_lover : 22nd June 2012 at 21:45. Reason: adding 'once'
	() Thanks

28th June 2012, 12:54	#44
supertinu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,283 Thanked: 1,370 Times	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? I used to be of the opinion that tyres should be changed when tread wears our sufficiently but boy was I wrong . I am glad I had asked on TBHP for advice on this matter. On my Ikon I changed MRF ZVTS to Michelin XM1+ after they had done 52K in ~5.5 years. They still had tread on them when changed but the amount of difference the swap made was unbelievable. Ride was so much more pliant, braking improved and drastic reduction in tyre noise. So few lessons learnt from the experience, change tyres atleast within 5 yr life cycle, 4 yrs would be best if running is low as is with my case. All tyres are not the same, so pick brand very carefully.
	() Thanks

28th June 2012, 13:21	#45
k_nitin_r BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Dubai,Hyderabad Posts: 469 Thanked: 80 Times	Re: Do you change tyres by age or by tread-wear/damage ? I think we should add another option to the poll that says "I change tyres only when I go bald (assuming there still is a tyre)" :-D I generally change the tyres if: (i) they've seen their share of the odometer (ii) they have enough candles on their birthday cakes (iii) there is visible damage (or lack of tread)
	() Thanks