Front Tyre Wear

[mikey4444]

I have a Fiesta, only 18 months old and I am averaging about 13,000 miles on a set of front tyres. I have a friend who drives a Focus and he says that he gets about 24,000 miles.....that is a huge difference.

What kind of average mileage should I expect, and is there a website that can help ?

[Buenchico]

I bought my Escort with 85,000 miles on it, with four tyres that were obviously 'used' but still with a reasonable amount of tread on them. It's now got 140,000 miles on it (so that's 55,000 miles I've driven, starting with part-worn tyres). I always replace tyres before they get below (or even fairly close to) the legal limit and, in all, I think that I've had just one full set of tyres in that time. (There's still loads of tread left on the ones currently on my car).

Over the years (with various cars), I've generally worked on the assumption that a set of tyres will last at least 30,000 miles and I've often got closer to 40,000 miles out of them. (I generally buy the cheapest tyres available, as long as the grip rating is reasonable; I ignore things like the noise rating).

So 13,000 miles to me sounds pathetic! (I've bought part-worn tyres in the past, when I've been hard-up and I'd have expected at least 15,000 miles from them!).

Are you sure that you're checking your tyre pressures regularly? (Indeed, are you sure that you're using the correct pressures? Most cars I've had required higher pressures in the rear tyres than the front but my Escort requires 35psi in the front but only 29psi in the rear).

[Buenchico]

Of course, if you follow too close to other cars, you'll be constantly braking (rather than just lifting your foot off the accelerator now and then), which will add to your tyre wear.

You're not a tailgater, I hope, are you, Mikey?

;-)

[bhg481]

It could very well be your driving style - harsh acceleration and braking knocks miles off the life of a tyre. I watch people scream up to a road junction and stand on the brakes, then roar off like an idiot - to the local garage for a new set of tyres and brake pads ,I always think.
If you go through more brake pads than he does that points to your driving style as well.

[mikey4444]

No, most certainly not Buenchico !

I find 40,000 miles on a set of FRONT tyres, on a front-wheel drive car as amazing.

I am not a speed merchant any more, and I think you would describe my driving as more sedate these days. But I don't buy expensive tyres...perhaps that is part of the answer.

[Baldric]

I've driven performance front wheel drives for years and would be concerned at anything less than 28 to 30K from a set of tyres (swapped back to front approx every 5K miles). Yours is a diesel I believe, that's a fair bit of weight up-front, do your tyre pressures weekly, anticipate what's happening around you so you avoid heavy braking and sudden changes of direction, get your tracking checked, 13K is very poor performance imo and suggests to me some driver input may be involved.

[Baldric]

Just seen your 1317 post, you get what you pay for, I would never buy cheap tyres my life depends on them

[douglas9401]

Some might say that major manufacturers are taking their cue from Pirelli in F1 and building their tyres to wear out at a higher rate.
I realise that the motor racing situation is a manufactured one to try and make the sport more 'interesting' but maybe they think that we've been conditioned to expect tryes to wear our more quickly.
They certainly don't last as long as when I were a lad and cruising in my VX 4/90. :-)

[retrocop]

I was reluctant to suggest lack of car sympathy as a possibility.
Buying expensive tyres is no just the answer. There are some very good hard wearing budget tyres to be found with good grip and wear rating.
There used to be a brand called Roadhog but were made by Goodyear I believe. I fitted had them on my wife's car and they outlived the car. That was a clio but makes no difference.

[mikey4444]

My favourite nephew is a Manager at the local Ford Dealer, and he looks after me, so to speak, and I always take his advice. He has been in the business for 20 years, and says that £13,000 miles on a set of front tyres isn't to bad for this type of car. It only has 15 inch wheels and he told me this morning, that even if I did get more expensive tyres, it might not make much difference.

But has anybody else noticed how expensive tyres are these days !

[retrocop]

Sorry Mikey, I cannot accept that 13,000 is acceptable for a tyre. I know your job requires a fair amount of driving but to replace the boots in what normally would be less than a year is ludicrous. Used to be average mileage for a year 15,000. It is not the time the mileage takes though. It's how the car is driven and maintained that counts.
If my car returned 13,000 for a set of tyres I would change the car.

[bhg481]

Agreed, retro.

re cost; I bought my first pair of Goodyear tyres for my car in 2011 for £315. Since then I have had a few sets and the price has dropped steadily to £200 (last month). Same car, same tyres.

[Baldric]

///a Manager at the local Ford Dealer///

Er, yes, he would say that, wouldn't he?

I recently put a set of Run-flats (4) on the Beemer, £400 (cash) fitted, had shopped around and that was a good deal

[TWR]

As said Mikey, the front tyres with a derv engine wears out quicker due to the weight, you check them often? when you say you get them changed at 13000, what wear is there on the tyres? does the walls of the tyres show wear? does the Centre of the tyre show wear? you can over inflate your tyres this will could cause unnecessary wear.

[retrocop]

Just checked the wheel size for the model and year of Renault Clio my wife once owned. 13" rim. Front wheel drive and she got about 45,000 mileage from new when she /I fitted Cheaper Roadhogs. Still loads of tread when she part/exed it for a more reliable VW Lupu. Also a small wheel vehicle which did a load of mileage to Scotland and back. We got much more than 13,000 on that car as well.

[Baldric]

The only reason I mentioned cash @ 14:02 is that it would have been another £40 if it had been anything else.

[mikey4444]

TWR...the wear was even throughout both tyres at 1.5 mil, and its a 1.5 TDI.

I am still amazed that anybody would get over 40,000 miles on a set of front tyres !

[TWR]

The avenue I would go Mikey, contact the dealer that fitted the tyres to me although you have covered 13000 are not up to their standard, check sites that cover these tyres & match the mileage, if they come about higher than yours, complain to the dealer, then the Tyre manufacture with size / Serial No, date of purchase, & your mileage as proven by the people that fitted them.

[retrocop]

As a matter of interest can we know what make these rubber bands are and who supplied them ? :-)

[Hopkirk]

Perhaps you need to get your wheel alignment checked - that could be causing the excessive wear.

Try this for cheaper tyres:

http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/