original tread depth

[someonelse]

Having spent some time hoosing replacement tyres, looking at the new euro specs for noise, wet grip and fuel economy, as well as reviews, price etc, I have suddenly discovered that different tyres seem to come with different tread depth.

No one I've spoken to, whether tyre fitters, garages, users etc has ever mentioned this, and it was only by chance that I discovered my new tyres had a tread depth of 7. Most, I believe, come with a tread depth of 8.

Given that the legallimit is (I think) 1.3 (or thereabouts, surely this means my tyres will reach the legallimit sooner.

Are other people aware of this? Am I mistaken? And why is this factor not taken into account. And why is the original tread depth never included in marketing literature, specifications or anywhere else so far as I can see?

 

[doyle]

legal limit is 1.6mm

 

[Burnerman]

The maximum new tread depth is 9mm.
Expect the wider, 'performance' tyres to have less, and often fewer tread grooves, especially if they are designed for summer use.
Crossply and semi commercial tyres will have deeper grooves.
The life of the tyre is dependant on the grade of rubber wound onto the carcass, and the drivers right foot
Tyres have wear indicators in the treads, and when they become level with the tread, thats it......but by then you'd need to be careful in the wet anyway!
John

 

[gregers]

iirc the bars set in the tyres are actually 2mm.this then gives you a kick up the jacksy to get new boots.

 

[someonelse]

gregers 'n doyle. Did you read the post? Not asking about the legal limit or how to recognise it, I'm asking about the variation in original tread depth!

OK - so max is 9 (thanks burnaman): butshould one be asking what the original depth is when choosing new tyres, or does the different grades of rubber used make comparison by depth impossible/irrelevant?

What should one consider (given that most tyre fitters generally just offer you 2 tyres - a 'mid range' and a premium).

 

[gregers]

check out auto express,iirc last weeks edition.
they had a tyre comparison test.continental won.

i could be wrong but i seem to have noticed the small the tyre size the deeper the tread,or is that just an illusion?

 

[Avocet]

I think the original depth is less relevant than compound. The thing is, if you have too much depth, the tyre feels really vague and horrible on the road when new, because the tread blocks distort more. Often, higher performance tyres will have less new tread depth because they're usually a softer compound to get more grip, and because the drivers of such cars will be wanting more precise handling.

 

[someonelse]

check out auto express,iirc last weeks edition.
they had a tyre comparison test.continental won.

i could be wrong but i seem to have noticed the small the tyre size the deeper the tread,or is that just an illusion?

Thanks. Did a quick online search but have to buy the mag to see it. Did stumble across this comment on another forum though:

You shouldn't really rely on magazines to give unbiased reviews. Check out who their main advertisers are that month just in case.

IIRC the last Autoexpress tyre test was done at Continental's test track in Germany. Oh and guess which tyre won

!!

I'm also suspicious of an 'overall winner'. Since each manufacturer has dozens of different tyre products, all in multiple sizes, what's best for one car, wheel-size, driving style, may not be best for another...

Enough. I've fitted Michelins and will stop thinking about this till the next pair wear out!