Which type of tyres wear faster?

By Roger Houghton

Tyres are an excellent example of a case where it generally pays to buy a well-known brand, even if there are cheaper alternatives available. Tyres are a safety- critical item on any car, so it is usually best to replace the tyres with the same make and type as fitted previously. This ensures that the spare wheel can be used in regular tyre rotation to spread the wear over five tyres instead of four.

You should also buy the correct type of product to suit the application. Don’t buy aggressively-treaded off-road tyres for your SUV if you seldom drive off-road. Rather buy on/off road tyres that give a comfortable and reasonably quiet ride on tar roads while still being reasonably efficient in off-road conditions.

Generally, the softer the rubber in a tyre tread the better the grip and therefore the road-holding. But there is a penalty to pay in terms of tyre wear as the softer rubber tread on a tyre (such as those often fitted to high performance cars) will wear out quicker and require replacement at intervals which may not suit the budget.A rule of thumb is to fit the tyres listed in the car’s owner’s manual.

All tyres offered for sale in South Africa are supposed to be homologated by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS). There is a list on the website www.nrcs.org.za

One must also keep the tyres inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure to ensure maximum life.

Regular wheel alignment checks and adjustment if necessary is also important in lengthening tyre life. Today this is a quick and relatively inexpensive operation at the many wheel and tyre fitment centres in South Africa.

However, when fitting non-standard alloy wheels, one must obtain the advice of the supplier with regards to the recommended tyre for that specific wheel size. These tyres could well be in the low profile/high performance category, with high grip, but a tendency to wear out quicker.