How long do tyres last?
Tyres are a very important component for your vehicle. Apart from the obvious fact that they are essential for your car to roll, they also have an impact on safety and fuel economy. In order to ensure that your car is working to its optimal performance, it is essential that your tyres are kept in good condition and they are replaced at the appropriate time. In this article we are going to inform you of when you should change your tyres, and some tell-tale signs that your tyres may need changing.
How many miles do tyres last?
The average lifespan of tyres is typically around the 20,000 miles for the front tyres and 40,000 miles for the rear tyres. This is how many the typical tyre should average, however, this can variate depending on different factors.
One of the factors is the typical journey that you undertake on a daily basis. If you live in a city and your typical journey involves a lot of stop, start driving, this will reduce the life of the tyres through increased wear.
Another factor that can affect the life of your tyres is underinflation. Underinflation is a major reason why your tyres will wear quicker and won’t last as long. A key sign of underinflated tyres is wear around the edges of the sidewall of the tyre.
When should I replace my tyres?
There are many variables that come in to play, that can effect when you should replace your tyres.
Climate
A change in weather conditions can effect when you change your tyres. Tyre manufacturers create tyres for all seasons. It is recommended that you change your tyres when the season and driving conditions begins to change.
Summer tyres
Summer tyres have been engineered to perform to its optimal levels in the warmer summer months. Summer tyres are made up of a harder compound, that allows the tyre to grip the road better in warmer temperatures. Summer tyres also feature less sipes in the tyre, as there is less of a need to displace water, snow and ice. It is recommended that you change back to summer tyres once the temperature starts to consistently rise above 7°C.
Related: What's the difference between Summer Tyres and All Season Tyres?
Winter tyres
On the contrary to summer tyres that work to optimal levels in the summer, winter tyre has been engineered with features that allow it to tackle harsher winter conditions. Some of these features include additional sipes that work to displace snow and ice, a deeper tread pattern that works to add grip with the road through snow and water and a higher rubber content that works more effectively in low temperature. You should change to winter tyres when the temperature begins to consistently fall under 7°C.
Related: How do winter tyres work?
All season tyres
All season tyres are an alternative that tyre manufacturers provide. All season tyres work in all seasons, so therefore do not need to be changed when the season and temperature begins to change. All season tyres have features of both summer and winter tyres. However, they will not work as well as summer tyres in summer or winter tyres in winter. If performance is an important factor to you, then you will want to change tyres seasonally.
Related: The new Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2
Wear
As your tyres are used on a daily basis they begin to wear and loose grip. The component of the tyre that begins to feel the wear is the tyre tread. The tyre tread are the grooves and patterns that you see in your tyre. The purpose for these grooves and patterns are to grip the surface of the road when accelerating, cornering and braking. The more you do these things the more the tyre tread begins to wear down.
In the UK, the legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, anything below this is considered unsafe and makes the tyre illegal. The technique to check your tread depth is with a tread depth gauge or with a 20p coin. Place the 20p in the tread, if the outer band of the 20p is visible then you need to replace your tyres.
Related: Are part worn tyres safe?
Signs your tyres need replacing
There also may be some noticeable signs when you are driving that indicate that you need to replace your tyres.
- Excessive shaking and vibrations, whilst driving
- Cracks on the sidewall
- Excessive squeaking coming from tyres
- Less control when driving
- Longer braking distance
- A hole in the tread
All of these signs are tells of excessive wear on the tyre. If you notice any of these signs you should get your tyres checked immediately.
Related: When should I replace my car tyres?
How long do tyres last in storage
If you have some spare tyres in storage, then you may be wondering how long they last before they perish? The total amount of time that you can keep your tyres stored and still use them is 6 years if they are kept in the correct conditions.
When storing your tyres ensure that they are stored upright if they have no rims and laid flat is they contain rims. Ensure that the tyres are stored in dry, cool and dark place to avoid the tyres deteriorating.
Where can I get my tyres changed?
If you notice any of the signs of wear or you wish to get your tyres changed for a different season, at National Tyres and Autocare we have over 250 nationwide and stock all major tyre brands such as Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin, Goodyear and Dunlop.
We also provide our National payment assist, that allows you to spread the cost of the tyres over 4 payments, making it easy and affordable to get new tyres.
Related: Click here to find our nearest branch
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