What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Run flat tyre wear
Do you think run flat tyres are prone to more wear than normal tyres? I have a MINI Cooper S on a 57 plate and replaced the original front Dunlop Sport SP01 run flats at 14k. The replacement Conti Premium Sport Contact 3 are now on 3mm after 12k of use. Car is 5.5 years old and has 26k on clock.
My previous 55 plate Astra 1.9CDTI Sport Hatch was still on the original Bridgestone Potenza non run flats after 22k and 2.5 years old when I sold it (I covered around 7.5k in the 18 months I owned it after buying second hand).
I know it all depends on how you drive, but I still cover the same distance as I did in the Astra annually and drive the same way. Although the MINI is more powerful the Astra had more torque both cars being front driven, so surprising how big a difference in tyre wear.
Also the Contis have now got a groove which runs all round the tyre down the centre of the tread. I have spoken to Continental and they say it is a carbon strip designed to disperse static electric from the tyre. I have never seen tyres with this before and wonder if it is causing the slight instability I have in my car at the moment.
My previous 55 plate Astra 1.9CDTI Sport Hatch was still on the original Bridgestone Potenza non run flats after 22k and 2.5 years old when I sold it (I covered around 7.5k in the 18 months I owned it after buying second hand).
I know it all depends on how you drive, but I still cover the same distance as I did in the Astra annually and drive the same way. Although the MINI is more powerful the Astra had more torque both cars being front driven, so surprising how big a difference in tyre wear.
Also the Contis have now got a groove which runs all round the tyre down the centre of the tread. I have spoken to Continental and they say it is a carbon strip designed to disperse static electric from the tyre. I have never seen tyres with this before and wonder if it is causing the slight instability I have in my car at the moment.
Asked on 5 June 2013 by Bad Guy
Answered by
Honest John
Tyre wear is more generally dependent on the profile and width of the tyre, whether the car is FWD or RWD, how much the suspension 'loads' the tyres, and the compound and tread of the tyres and how well the wheels are aligned. I have heard of Mitsubishi L200 4x4s, which are very comprehensively aligned at all different axle articulations at the end of the production line, giving a tyre life of 55,000 miles.
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage Guide
From choosing the right tyre to what to do when it goes wrong - we have the answers.
Tyre News And AdviceSimilar questions
A few weeks ago you published a letter from a reader that gave details of a company that could supply runflat tyres for his BMW at less cost than a BMW dealer would charge. I cut the letter out for future...
I have purchased a BMW 320d SE Estate. I think it would normally come as standard with 17-inch alloys but the one I purchased has 18-inch. Continental tyres on the front and a brand new cheap make were...
My 2017 VW Golf GTE has 225/40-18 tyres which will soon need replacing. The Michelin Cross Climates are attractive and often recommended by you. However, the runflat version (Zero Pressure) only seems...
.jpg)
