Tyre life

[APNess]

The above subject is not something I ever bothered about with other cars, but with the Leon (FR tdi, chipped, though not at the moment to save the clutch) it's a big issue. Front tyres are lasting something like 3 months, 3000 miles or so before getting down to below 1.5mm of thread I think they are Dunlops at the moment, but am spending a fortune on tyres what with the wifes Bora needing 4 last year, mine needing 6 (4 all round in may, 2 at front in september, and now told this morning another 2 for the front in next month or so before 1st MOT) and the motorbike needing 3 (all round and another front when I got a puncture, turned out the sidewalls were totally squared off too in 2k miles - wondered why it wanted to tip into corners...I asked about harder tyres, and the bike guy shook his head sadly - seems BT021 are as hard as they get )

I'm sure the easy answer is "go slower round corners" but has anyone got any tyre brand they can recommend that will last at least 5000 miles on a chipped tdi? This year on the bike I'll be trying to dangle off like a monkey more to save the tyres, not really an option with the car!

 

[daveyonthemove]

3000 miles? is that right?
I have Toy Proxe T1-R's on mine all around, and i have seen 12,000+ from the fronts, then putting new ones on the back, and the back ones to the front i get another 6000 miles. So they are good for 20,000 miles if left on the back and easily 10,000 miles if left on the front, and mine is chipped too.

 

[DIFT]

I can do 10k on mine... including a trackday!

Get your geometry checked!!!

 

[CupraTDI_Rob]

3000 miles is a very low amount of miles for a set of front tyres.
Is the tyre wear even across the width of the tyre?
Mine had new toyo proxe T1-R's on the front when i brought it and i've since done about 5500 miles (5000 with a remap) and they have hardly worn at all.

 

[glynnd]

I was concerned about mine at 9k bit you have made me feel better! (sorry)
Glynn

 

[APNess]

Eeesh. Well I did get the tracking done with the last set of tyres and it turns out they made a right **** up, not clipping the brake hoses back in the right place and causing them to wear through almost, so that was new brake hoses needed. Of course, I can't check or 100% confirm they unclipped the hoses, but I didn't do it, and no one else has had the wheels off.

I thought getting the tyres changed twice a year would be normal for a fwd car with plenty of torque (1/3rd throttle is enough to spin the wheels at the moment, and any more just slips the clutch). I'll be sorting out an uprated clutch (car has done 38k miles despite my signature syaing 13k) when it's out of warranty after march, doesn't slip when unchipped.

I always used to get 20k miles or so out of the Audi (S2) tyres, and they were the cheapest naffest tyres usually on that, but I guess 4wd helps.

Ah well, cheapest crappest tyres are going on next time - so called 'performance' tyres seem to melt like chocolate too easy. Or maybe it's just me, driving like a maniac (and here I was thinking I was more sensible these days. Clean license in 8 months if I can watch out for speed vans, only second time in 18 or so years driving... )

 

[Issue24]

If I were you I’d have tracking checked again by somebody else, I’m running same set up as you, Getting 10000 miles from Goodyear Eagles GSD3, and up to 6000 with current tyres Bridgestone RE070 which are supposed to be softer still..

 

[daveyonthemove]

If your driving hard enough to wear good tyres down in under half the time everyone else manages it, then i would keep away from the cheap tyres purely because they won't cope with the speeds as well.
There has to be a problem somewhere, so get to someone who can do 4 wheel laser alignment check and go from there. They will probably offer a discount if you get the tyres done there at the same time.
I had mine checked at the last tyre change, and it was 100% spot on, so i was happy with that. Worth remembering that the best tyres for grip usualy have a softer compound, so they will wear away faster.