Tyre tread depth

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Fri 20 Dec 2002 16:06
Tyre tread depth - Drivethru
Just a quick question, is it normal for the tread depth across the tyre to be slightly different? Mine is about 0.5mm different inside edge to outside edge. My tyres have done 3000 miles.

Thanks for any replies.
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Fri 20 Dec 2002 16:21
Tyre tread depth - Andy P
Mine are the same. It depends how the suspension geometry is set up and how it changes as the wheel turns.

I recall from Top Gear that the Skyline GTR34 wears it's tyres from the inside. Unless the tyre was inspected with the steering on full lock, this wear was easily missed.


Andy
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Fri 20 Dec 2002 16:29
Tyre tread depth - Cyd
This suggests you'll only get 2/3 the life you should get if they wore evenly. Sounds excessive to me - though there is a lot of talk about cars which wear tyres unevenly. I'd have it checked.
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Fri 20 Dec 2002 18:23
Tyre tread depth - Dynamic Dave
Fronts, rears, or both?
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Fri 20 Dec 2002 18:43
Tyre tread depth - Drivethru
Dave,

It's just the front. As Andy says it's only when full lock is on and I measure depth that you notice it. Steering is ok and there's no pull to either side.
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Fri 20 Dec 2002 19:04
Tyre tread depth - SjB {P}
My Vectra GSi Estate has pretty extreme camber by design on the rear tyres, and wears out the inside shoulders as a result in 16k miles. Yes REAR tyres on a FWD car! The outside shoulders remain almost like new throughout. I found this out the hard way when my Vx dealer berated me for running rear tyres down to the canvass. I did, and had no idea, just like with the front tyres on a Skyline.

Front tyres wear hardest on the inside too, though by nothing like as much, which has been the case on every FWD car I have owned. Thinking about the physics of what happens when putting power through front wheels, and the way steering works, I wonder if it is caused by the tyres squatting and toeing-in under power.

/Steve
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