Assuming the overall diameter and all else to be the same, would a 205/60/15 tire last noticeably longer than a 185/65/15?
by mercury, January 17, 2005
Assuming the overall diameter and all else to be the same, would a 205/60/15 tire last noticeably longer than a 185/65/15?
shouldn't have any effects on tread wear, the tread depth and treadwear stated on the tire should be the only indication for tire life, if any difference it would minimal
Yeh hes right, that has nothing to do with tire longevity....you need a mileage rating to determine that, and a mileage rating is based the hard/softness of the tire...a softer tire won't last long but will provide a smoother ride, where a hard tire will last longer but be rougher ride.
I beileve his question was more like: all other things being equal, will the wider tire last longer than the narrow one? I honestly don't have a clue.
Ti-Jean
The weight of the car vs tire size certainly has a lot to do here.
For more even wear and fuel economy, I wouldn't go the wide and low profile route (205/60-15). Unless much better handling and cornering is sought.
For the Corolla, the best compromise would probably to go up 1 size and move to 195/65-15, from 185/65-15 (CE).
Same as LE and S. Comfort and handling should improve somewhat, and tire longevity as well.
If all other things were equal - tire compound, traction, tread pattern, temperature range, speed rating, etc - except for increased tire width and the corresponding decrease in aspect ratio for keep the overal diameter the same. Then the wide tire will last longer than the thinner tire, assuming you could find a tire that was made that way.
You gain better traction (bigger footprint) with the wider tire, increased sidewall stiffness (better handling and cornering), and increased load rating - but you would also see an increase in fuel consumption, increased ride harseness, and generally the wider tire is more expensive.
If you are looking at a cost point perspective - any cost you save, through increased life - you'll give up in terms of reduced fuel economy and high initial cost. From a performance perspective - you get better braking, cornering, improved traction in some instances, and increased load rating - at a cost to ride quality and some reduced traction in other instances.
Don't do it to save money - one good road hazard and it doesn't matter what kind of tire you end up with (omitting the EMT versions).
Thanks for the replies.
I actually went from 185/65-15 to 215/45-17. The cornering response and grip is greatly improved, but at the cost of gas mileage and acceleration.
Seeing as there's so much more rubber on these tires, I couldn't help but think that more rubber carrying the same weight of car should make the tires last longer. But it's true that the slightly better treadwear isn't going to make up for the very high initial cost and the gas mileage hit.
What kind of tires did you go with?? Did you go from the stock goodyear integrites? Its common for people to notice a few MPG loss when switching from the integrities...but the integrities are terrible terrible tires.
My stock tires were the Uniroyal Tigerpaw AWP's, which are awesome for longevity (40000 miles and they weren't even 70% worn) but terrible for everything else. My current set is original equipment off the Scion tC - Bridgestone Potenza RE92.
That being said, I certainly don't expect my Z-rated treadwear 160 RE92's to even come close to lasting as long as my treadwear 500 Tigerpaws.
Ti-Jean
These RE92 are horrible in the rain in standard size. I wonder how they perform in the wet in the size you have?
I've likewise heard warnings about RE92's in the wet. I drive fairly conservatively when it's raining, so I haven't had any problems. My opinion is that it's a good OEM tire, but definitely not worth the $162 it sells for in the aftermarket.
All other things being equal, the wider tire lasts longer. There is a larger contact patch, so the same weight is distributed over a larger area. However, your fuel mileage will suffer. Larger contact patch equals higher rolling resistance, and this means the engine must work harder to move the car, hence, lower mileage.
I don't think wider tires = less wear.... I deliver pizza for Dominos so I use a lot of tires... my best results come from using Falken 512s (P185/60/14). You can get them from Sears for only $55 a tire or on ebay for less in bulk.
It's a really good tire that is snow/ice rated w/ great traction and a 420 tread wear. Treadwear is rated at 0-500... the higher the number the greater it is to resisting wear and tear.
Here are a few links:
Wider tires may last longer because you have a larger surface area to cool the tire at freeway speeds but the same total contact patch. Also in most cases the diameter is slightly larger as well... less revolution = less actual distance on the tire.
A wider tire also rides softer at the same tire pressure. More even contact with the road can reduce tire wear as well.
