hey i was wondering if any of you guys know a formula or average that will tell how long a tire with a given tread rating will last, in miles?

like one with rating 100 will last days, 500 40k, etc...
thanks!

cant really do it because every factor makes a difference
if you drive like a psycho, and you live in a very hot climate with rough, coarse pavement, your tires wont last long.
if you drive like an old lady, in a cooler climate with smooooooth brand new pavement, your tires will last forever.

Yep, there is no simple formula to this, it's all in each individuals driving habit.

I'll use myself as an example: 225/60/14 Yokohama A509's. 160AA treadware (considered pretty soft).

My 1st set that I purchased in 99 (brand new) lasted about ~70K miles. This was mostly due to my "borderline grandma like" driving style, I was mostly pushing the car around turn on those freeway sweeper onramps, no tire burnouts, and constant tire rotations ever 10K miles.

Other peeps have said that their A509's only lasted 30K miles. Probably have more aggresive driving styles/habits than me, or other factors that contributed to this.

Prior to this, I had a set of BFG Radial TA's in the same size (400AB treadwear, much harder than the Yokohama's). Managed to get ~80 - 85K miles on them, with my same driving habits. Probably would have gotten 90K miles had I not only rotated them 4 times.... :runaway: Wore them out to just barely past the treadwear indicators, finally changed them out because it was getting dangerous to drive them in heavy rain (massive hydroplaning & panic stopping got really interesting).

So...... individual driving habits is what it boils down to. And having the 4 wheel alignment set to stock settings for optimum treadwear (rather than more handling) was a plus.

I'd like to mention, the every tire maker has a different way of coming up with their tread rating.

My yokohama avid h4's last me about 60K miles 500 treadwear rating. Only reason I get these is because I need tires rated for up to 140 miles an hour, since I'm often going 120/130.

Is your life worth a few extra miles on a set of tires? Get some good tires with some grip and dont worry about how long they last.

thanks guys. i appreciate those examples

I'd like to mention, the every tire maker has a different way of coming up with their tread rating.Very true. There is no government standard for treadwear numbers. Each manufacturer sets there own benchmark. So treadwear numbers only provide a true comparison between different tires from the same manufacturer.

Also very true . Your life is worth more than $400. Your ass rides on them.

Also very true . Your life is worth more than $400. Your ass rides on them.


:stupid:

Regards,
James R

Besides, if you put so much money into your suspension and wheels, why degrade it by running crappy rock like tires? There are some decently priced tires using silica based tread compounds that have fantastic grip and good durability.

Apparently, the successor to Khumo's Ecsta Supra 712 is going to be a silica tread tire. It's called the Ecsta SPT. I'm currently running Toyo Proxes4 on the rear of my car and they are great. Still cannot believe how long they have lasted. Of course, having grip means losing less rubber from breaking traction ;)

yes, tires make a big difference, and i would go with the nicest tires that you can afford. i have got into many problems with my copper cobras, but now with my new tires i can not break them loose, so i don't get into any problems. sure that is an extreme example (considering my new shoes), but its just not worth the extra hassle/danger of buying crappy tires when compared to good ones.

what are you thinking about running, and what size?

Only use manufacturer tread wear indicators as a marginal guide line, I find they lie outright.

For instance I had the coolest tires ever, a set of 225/50-15 Firestone Firehawk SVXs. The tread wear was 180 and I got 40,000kms out of them (about 25,000 miles)! Now that doesn't seem like much, but I seriously beat on those tires, drifting, burn outs, autocrossing, you name it, and regularly too. They took a beating like no tire I've ever had. Now I have a set of Falken Ziex with a treadwear of 320. Already they're wearing out quicker and I havn't been nearly as harsh on them. They should be pretty decent compared to other budget tires in their price range, but I fully expect to have to replace them next year.