what is a typical tire tread depth when new ?

[j3gq_imp]

No doubt, different tires (brands and models) must be different. But since the lifetime of any tire must depend on how much tread there is to begin with ... what is the depth of tread on a new tire ... typically ? front and/or read wheel ?

I forgot to measure my Dunlops when they were new, and now it's too late.

[max]

Something like 6 mm. for the rear and 5 mm. for the front tire, my road pilot 4's had nearly 7 mm. on the rear measure with vernier calipers, so it depends, hope that helps.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Don't forget to factor in the propriety of the rubber compound.

The more "advance" the compound, the less like the need for excessively deep tread for say typical road tires.

[j3gq_imp]

@GO can you elaborate ?
If you can please help me understand my measurements. My tires have about 3000 miles on them since new. Today I measure
front tire center line : 3mm (left)
front tire on the side where no wear can have taken place : 3.5 mm
rear tire center line : 4.5mm
rear tire on the side : 5mm

This looks very different from the values mentioned above. It seems to say that the Dunlops never had more than 3.5 / 5 mm of tread depth, and if I did run them down to the min. values (1.5 / 2mm), I might get another 9,000 miles out of the front tire, and another 12,000 miles out of the rear ? (both calculated in a simplistic way as 0.5mm tread used per each 3000 miles). I am a little surprised by these numbers. In particular I had expected the rear might be going faster.

[GoldOxide_imp]

@GO can you elaborate ?
If you can please help me understand my measurements. My tires have about 3000 miles on them since new. Today I measure
front tire center line : 3mm (left)
front tire on the side where no wear can have taken place : 3.5 mm
rear tire center line : 4.5mm
rear tire on the side : 5mm

This looks very different from the values mentioned above. It seems to say that the Dunlops never had more than 3.5 / 5 mm of tread depth, and if I did run them down to the min. values (1.5 / 2mm), I might get another 9,000 miles out of the front tire, and another 12,000 miles out of the rear ? (both calculated in a simplistic way as 0.5mm tread used per each 3000 miles). I am a little surprised by these numbers. In particular I had expected the rear might be going faster.

What I meant was each tire manufacturer have their own "recipe" for a tire design. The [secret] recipe may focus on traction, while another on fuel economy, while another on road noise, and etc. etc.

The Goldilocks Design would be to be very good at everything, and tire designs for consumers may have recipes in rubber compound that might give them a marketing edge over their competition.

With respect to tread depth, if a certain rubber recipe is able to offer riding performance and longevity while using less rubber (Example: 0.5 or 1 mm less tread depth), then they will try to certify that design. Conversely, if a competitor has a less research budget to produce a superior rubber compound, in order to certify their tires for some minimum requirement it may mean they require a deeper tread pattern to meet that requirement.

These are generalizations and not profound. However, the rubber recipe (rubber components, ratios and processes) are very proprietary to the manufacturer, and help maintain (if any) a market advantage.

[Mixagon_imp]

My battlax are 5mm front and 7mm rear both on the centre line.

[jtopiso_imp]

Usually, grip on asphalt/tarmac/hard surfaces comes from rubber compound, and not from the tread design or depth.

Tread design and grooves are there to aid evacuating water, to be able to grip to loose surfaces (gravel, sand...), to avoid aquaplaning, and to grip on to soft ground (mud, snow..).

Racing tyres, for dry tarmac, are slicks. When in F1 they wanted to reduce the speed of the cars (1998 until 2008, IIRC), they diminissed grip levels by adding grooves (so reducing the effective contact surface of the rubber). For a given rubber compund, the more rubber in contact, the greater the grip on a hard&dry surface.

(grip on mud, snow, water... works in a very different manner).

Life on the tyre will deppend mainly on the hardness of the rubber. Usually, grip and wear go together, and both increase the softer rubber is.

[peterbaron]

Brand spanking new OEM size Metz Z8::


Front - 5/32


Rear - 7/32

[GoldOxide_imp]

[url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/member.php?action=profile&uid=3454]PB: Depth gauging new tires?

[peterbaron]

Yeah, j3gq's never seen it