Tyre wear: Front versus Rear!

[alecblack]

Hi,

I have now had my S3 for nearly 6 months and I am still very happy with it, it still gives me a big grin every time I go out in it. But i noticed today that my back tyres are almost at the end of their life. When I bought the car the front tyres were just over half tread and the backs were about 3 quarters tread. Are S3's not meant to be mostly front wheeel drive until the back loose traction? If this is the case then why are my back tyres going down twice as fast as my front? I have Goodyear Eagles all round and reguarly check the tyre pressure. Is this normal? what sort of tyre wear do you all get?

Also I have done about 6k miles since I have had the car and I would'nt have expected them to go down so fast, is this normal for S3's?

All replys very much welcome.

cheers in advance

 

[icenutter]

The fronts should wear more quickly. Is the tyre wear on the rear even (ie is there more on the inside or outside)? Are you sure you had the right pressures?

6k isn't that much for Eagles, but wear as always depends on how you drive.

 

[alecblack]

The wear is even across the tread.

Also, my driving is 70-80% normal so I wouldnt say it had anything to do with that. I would have expected at least 10k out a set of tyres.

 

[rodenal]

I'd personally expect 20ishk out of a set of tyres so theres something not right

 

[ChriS3]

Is the car lowered without using adjustable tie-bars?

 

[claudefrog]

aye, i find my rear tyres wearing a lot faster also, prob dur to kicking the **** out now and again

 

[jojo]

Deffo the front wear quicker on my S3, managed to get a decent 20k miles out of a set of 19" tyres, and that was on standard suspension, See how it goes on lowered suspension though... I only do around 6k miles a year, so I get good value out of them anyways.

 

[simch]

You sure they were not rotated front to back on a service...?
That is not right at all.

Are you sure 100% that when you GOT the car the tyres were like that......? or when you viewed it........?
My mate bought a golf off a private seller, and when he saw it wheels and tyres were good, unmarked and good tread. he paid deposit, went back pickd it up a few days later, looked at body, checked miles, paid the balance, signed papers off he went.
Few days later, at his mates garage, looked around it and the alloys had scuffs on the centre of the spokes, the rear tyres were near illegal and a different brand to the ones on the front (were same all round when he viewed it).
Seller denied all knowledge of couorse, and in the end told him to FO!

 

[nky_84]

might be a bit of a hijack, but wot size profiles etc do people get for 17's an 18's??


17's??

225/40/18?

an wots the going rate for a quality tyre, between 150 an 200 ??

cheers

Nick

 

[rodenal]

18s 225/40/18, not sure about 17s.

You'll get toyos for about 105 each, eagle F1's for about 130 each

 

[alecblack]

The car is completely standard,

What type of things could be wrong with it? could it be the Quattro system?

 

[jcs356]

I had four new tyres put on at the same time, and the rears wore slightly quicker than the fronts - but only by 1mm or so. They weren't rotated during service.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Mine has always worn the rears quicker than the front. But then, it has always power oversteered too. The Haldex seems to work in mysterious ways.

 

[SHarper]

Hi,

I have now had my S3 for nearly 6 months and I am still very happy with it, it still gives me a big grin every time I go out in it. But i noticed today that my back tyres are almost at the end of their life.

Also I have done about 6k miles since I have had the car and I would'nt have expected them to go down so fast, is this normal for S3's?

I too have had mine just over 6 months and this was going to be the next question that I asked...

I had 4 x Toyo 1-S's put on when I fitted 18" wheels and my backs were more billuxed than the fronts after only 6000 miles. I've replaced them with Vredstein Ultrac's, that I managed to get for under £60 each fitted, so thought they were worth a try. They seem fine, very quiet, but I haven't used them in anger......yet.

 

[alecblack]

I have ordered a pair of Pirelli Rosso's of ther net so I will keep an eye on them and see how long they last. Going by the ratings on mytyres.co.uk the Pirreli's tyre wear is far better than the Goodyears so hopefully I will get a bit more out of them.

I checked through old reciepts brom the previous owner and it looks like I got about 10k out of them. Is this normal for a set of tyres on the s3?

 

[jesters3]

Just checked around my car and saw that my rear tyres are close to the limit. My car is remapped but suspension is standard. I replaced the rears at 165k it is now on 174k so I have only got 9k out of the rear set!! I would have expected this on the fronts but they are fine with a good deal of tread left.

Any ideas why the rears are wearing so fast? All looks good, springs seem fine and the rear brakes seem in order so not sticking.

 

[Mr.G]

I've recently replaced two front tyres as mine also wears tyres quicker at the front.

Kept the standard Pirelli P Zero Rosso and had my tyres rotated free of charge, most garages will do this for you if you ask.

Always good to rotate and always good to have the new tyres put on the rear. It actually states that in many documents relating to new tyre fitting etc.

G

 

[jojo]

I got almost 20k out of my 19" tyres(Including 2 track sessions@Castle Coombe and a couple of conservative track days), you must be driving the ****** hard! I change all 4 at once, front wears slightly quicker than the rears, but I got a rear puncture on the edge of the tread, so swopped all 4.

 

[S3Steve]

I got almost 20k out of my 19" tyres(Including 2 track sessions@Castle Coombe and a couple of conservative track days), you must be driving the ****** hard! I change all 4 at once, front wears slightly quicker than the rears, but I got a rear puncture on the edge of the tread, so swopped all 4.

What tyres are you running seem very good mileage especially including trackdays?

 

[jojo]

What tyres are you running seem very good mileage especially including trackdays?

Continental Sport Contacts, don't remember the exact tyre, I had Yoko's first which lasted approx. 13k miles, I'm quite a conservative driver, even on track days, I rarely push my car to it's limits(even though I should), I mean maybe the odd tyre squeal, but not enough to scrub my tyres to nothing. Currently got a set of Avons which seem stickier than the Conti's, hoping to get around 15k miles outta these ones.

 

[jesters3]

I got almost 20k out of my 19" tyres(Including 2 track sessions@Castle Coombe and a couple of conservative track days), you must be driving the ****** hard! I change all 4 at once, front wears slightly quicker than the rears, but I got a rear puncture on the edge of the tread, so swopped all 4.

This is just it, I am not driving it hard at all!! Far from it I am just poottling about a 60/70mph (seriously I am, just can't be ***** any more). I have always changed all 4 at the same time but the last couple of times I had to change the rears first and then the fronts as the rears have gone so bald that it is a slick tyre. I'm not into swapping front to back and vice versa. I think there is something wrong with the rear so the load is squatting the rear down some thing chronic meaning the at the rear tyres are taking a beating. Either the suspension is FUBAR or i have a sticking rear caliper - however on inspection all seems good.

 

[jojo]

I don't recall if you have lowered suspension or not Jester? Is it wearing the inner tyres quicker, or an even amount of wear accross the tyre? If it's the latter, then it could be a Haldex/diff problem, if wearing inside edges and car is lowered, then you need adjustable tie bars at the rear. My rears are wearing the inside edges quicker due to no adjustable Tie bars, but since I only do 5k miles a year max in the thing, I'm not too bothered.

 

[jesters3]

Standard suspension. Wear rate is even across. I recently had a haldex service and all seems fine. Hmm