Poor Tyre Wear

Rippy

Front tyres (goodyear 205/17) are completely shagged on my FWD Renault Trafic van after 12,500 miles. I reckon thats pretty crap. Is it the way I drive (pretty nimbly) or is that normal?

astec123

When was the thing last checked over professionally? It may be something isnt right if you drive "nimbly"! Something may be out of allignment.

unkel

205/17 on a van is a bit unusual, isn' it?

You'd expect 155/13

bazz26

Rippy wrote:

Front tyres (goodyear 205/17) are completely shagged on my FWD Renault Trafic van after 12,500 miles. I reckon thats pretty crap. Is it the way I drive (pretty nimbly) or is that normal?

What do you put in the van? Do you usually carry a heavy load around in the back of it as this can make the front of the van very light and the front wheels can struggle to find traction.

I remember the old Ford Transit (early 1990s) when it had no power steering. The steering got lighter when the more you put into the rear. Downside: front wheels had less grip and was prone to occasional wheel spin.

mike65

On a van you have to keep the air pressure at the correct levels the combination of heavy loads and "push-on" driving will kill tyres in no time if they are much below reccomended pressure.

Mike.

AMurphy

Could be a soft rubber compound, more suitable for cornering in a SUV than carrying loads in a van.

Are they wearing flat or one side or the other or in the center only?. In which case I might suggest poor alignment or wrong pressure.

Last tyres I put on the van were a Soft rubber. "Aquathread" type. Great in corners especially when wet, but wear has been escessive overall. Might get something a little harder next time round.

Rippy

The van is quite lightly loaded (I have a TV aerial and satellite business).
Front wheel drive of course.
I find the grip from the tyres and the handling great for a van, so there may be something in the soft-compound theory.
Tyre pressures are usually ok, though I have been known to neglect them for a few weeks, then they are 2/3 pound down.
I think they would have been designed for a van, as they are the original tyres supplied,and they are marked 'Goodyear Cargo."
The only thing I can think of is I do a lot of tight manovering in driveways etc.
I wonder if this is "scrubbing" the tyres?

AMurphy

What profile are these tyres, 65, 70, etc. and what ply and or load rating (it should be in small print somewhere on the tyre.)
for a cargo vad or truck, I'd expect a high profile, eg 70~75 with a high ply count.

Scrubbing on driveways, hmmmm, maybe, bot only if you do lots of it and on firm dry pavement. I'd suspect cornering is far more abrasive.

I'd expect 40K+, but they have worn in about 30K.