Handling - and new v part worn tyres?

[AnthonyH]

I'm wondering how much better the handling of a car will be if it gets new tyres.

I'm trying to compare 4 used but still legal tyres to 4 new tyres.

What do you think? Will the handling be noticeably better? And why?

 

[StevenRB45]

I'm wondering how much better the handling of a car will be if it gets new tyres.

I'm trying to compare 4 used but still legal tyres to 4 new tyres.

What do you think? Will the handling be noticeably better? And why?

There's legal...and there's part worn and there's also aged tyres.

So legal i.e. 1.6mm across 75% of the tyre there's a significant difference in wet weather performance between that and a new tyre. New tyre will be several metres shorter in the stopping distance in heavy rain.

But conversely dry weather performance you'll probably find the 1.6mm tyre has more grip and a shorter stopping distance being closer to a slick.

However..the age of the rubber also makes a difference so as tyres age they lose their plasticity this both reduces their grip and increases rolling noise.

On one of ours we've got 4 x 3 year old tyres at around 4.5mm there's still plenty of meat on them and they are still flexible. Changing to a brand new set of the same will likely yield little difference perhaps slight improvement in wet weather but they don't noticeably aquaplane at present, worse dry performance and slightly less noise perhaps.

On the other we have 4x brand new of the same tyre, this made a huge difference as the ones coming off were actually brand new but finest gutter seekers on the front and 4 year old cheapies on the back. In this case changing the tyre was like changing the car in terms of grip and noise.

 

[AnthonyH]

Interesting reply.

I've been firmly of the mind my GP handled better than my EVO, until today, but now i think the roles have reversed. That must be because the EVO has the newer tyres. I was convinced that giving the GP new shocks and struts out weighed the tyre effect, but it seems not.

It could also be the weather effect, it was very wet today, as i'm sure you noticed lol.

I'm slowly converting to using part worn tyres purely on a cost basis, my bad...

 

[StevenRB45]

If it's raining the great flood then tread depth is king, design and compound make a difference but you need tread depth to move water and stop aquaplaning.

The Evo did have updates to the suspension etc over the grand so there's a lot of variables not just tyres here.

But in general good tyres are the easiest way to improve a car if it's got a slightly iffy set on.

Also while people will swear they are all the same...

Sometimes you do indeed get what you pay for.

 

[AnthonyH]

The concept of shaving a tyre down to test them i like! (from the video) And i do believe a worn premium tyre can be better than a new budget tyre in many circumstances.

I recently bought two part worn tyres, one was indeed part worn, the other a re-tread. The re-tread has a deep tread, but its already tearing a little.

When I finally get my 500X on the road i'll need new tyres on the front, the rubber has gone quite hard on these, so like you say they'll not be so good in the summer.

 

[StevenRB45]

They won't be particularly good in winter either if the rubber has gone hard.

A hard compound doesn't grip well in cold weather indeed this is why winter tyres are soft compound and heavily siped.

There's loads of tyre info on that YouTube channel trying many many different things.

 

[AnthonyH]

Aye. They're probably at 2mm depth, as i changed a tie rod end i'll need to leave them while i see what the tracking is like. Probably not so good...

 

[StevenRB45]

I tend to bin tyres at 3mm...beyond that I find them a bit marginal.

Although that's not necessarily tread depth, with an annual mileage of about 6k a year easy miles 3mm is about a 6 year old tyre if you've rotated them at which point they've usually hardened up a treat.

 

[AnthonyH]

I can't say with any reliability i've ever got 30,000 miles out of new tyres. But my intuition says its a lot less. I've only recently discovered i've been running my Punto front tyres with the pressure a little low. I'd studiously put them up to 30 psi, but i should have had them at 32. Oh well! lol.

I really should buy a tyre depth gauge and record tyre pressure, mileage and depth together, to get some kind of handle whats going on with them.

 

[StevenRB45]

I've got ones on the rear of the C3 at present that have been on since 2020 and done near 40k. I rotate them and the Goodyear's are a very low wear tyre (treadwear 600) on a very light car.

Over 4mm left on them but the edges are starting to get spidery cracks as they dry out and age so if I decide I'm keeping that car it probably needs treating to some new boots in the next year or so.

 

[AnthonyH]

I've just bought a tyre depth gauge, for £3.83 i don't need to think about it for too long. I almost bought a digital one, but i don't think thats necessary, it'd be running out of batteries. So i bought a stainless steel one, hopefully it won't rust or break while lost among my other tools

 

[StevenRB45]

Boot of the Toyota has a pressure gauge, tyre depth gauge and a foot pump in the left hand wheel arch storage.

Two of those get used weekly although the depth gauge not so much given it's very much a steady state thing. Although if you're doing you own alignment...3 measurements across the surface should highlight issues.

 

[AnthonyH]

Boot of the Toyota has a pressure gauge, tyre depth gauge and a foot pump in the left hand wheel arch storage.

Two of those get used weekly although the depth gauge not so much given it's very much a steady state thing. Although if you're doing you own alignment...3 measurements across the surface should highlight issues.

Hmmm, interesting that you mention tyre depth measurements across the surface, i hadn't thought of that.

Can't mention home alignment on here...but lets just say both my EVO and GP are 100% aligned and i didn't go to a garage