Mud-club

Chat & Social => The Bar - General Chat => Topic started by: william127 on January 18, 2009, 22:53:06

Title: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: william127 on January 18, 2009, 22:53:06
can anybody tell me what the minimum depth of tread is for tyres to be legal? thanks
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: dreadnought110 on January 18, 2009, 22:54:20
1.6mm over 75 % of the tread i think :)
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: hairyasswelder on January 18, 2009, 22:56:58
1.6mm over 75 % of the tread i think :)

Sounds right to me  ;)
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: JIMBOBLY on January 18, 2009, 23:01:43
im not being a big head,but i am a tyre fitter(7 years)and that is correct people,but if the vechiles grose weight is over 7.5 ton,its only 1mm,dame as motorbikes,stupid law,but its true :)
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: Gordo on January 18, 2009, 23:15:36
im not being a big head,but i am a tyre fitter(7 years)and that is correct people,but if the vechiles grose weight is over 7.5 ton,its only 1mm,dame as motorbikes,stupid law,but its true :)

And on mopeds there isn't a minimum, but tyre tread pattern must be clearly visible.

However the advice I've always given is to replace the tyre once it reaches the wear indicators - that's when the manufacturer considers that it's past its best and should be replaced.
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: Disco Matt on January 18, 2009, 23:28:49
Yep - bear in mind that 1.6mm is a legal minimum. That doesn't mean that it's safe in heavy rain (for example), just that the law has to be drawn somewhere.
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: william127 on January 18, 2009, 23:39:14
thanks for that iv got a set of rangerover 3 spoke alloys that i took off and replaced with white 8 spokes/mts and want to know if their legal so i can keep them as spares/get a bit more for them, so brought a gauge from halfords but the alarm sticker thing was stuck over the tread requirements bit and it pulled the paper off with it :doh:
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: littlepow on January 19, 2009, 18:15:03
If it's mud tyres, you might want to change them earlier. As at the legal 1.6mm point the will be absolute rubbish in the gluppy stuff.
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: william127 on January 19, 2009, 20:21:34
its the road tyres on the alloys im worried about, the mts have only done about 15 miles + a play and play day :)(and i got them with the wheels, 2 miles from the workshop for £200 :D :D)
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: Lord Shagg-Pyle on January 19, 2009, 22:25:36
1.6mm is the legal limit, although our patrol cars get their's done at 4mm. Its a bit safer that way.
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: SWEETY on January 19, 2009, 23:14:36
1.6mm is the legal limit, although our patrol cars get their's done at 4mm. Its a bit safer that way.

I'll be binning my AT's when they get to 4mm :D When I had cars I often bined the tyres at 2.5-3mm :roll:
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: Range Rover Blues on January 22, 2009, 03:17:45
Car manufacturers recomand 3mm as at that point the wet grip starts to suffer seriously.  IIRC it's also the law in some European countries which is why we have so many second hand tyres here.

I was told by someone that 4x4 tyres needed to be changed ealry because they were supposed to be deeper, I think it was a fellow member who had been stopped by the fuzz.  Utter hogwash of course but not worth getting into an arguamant over.  Besides, wider tyres need deeper tread which is why motorbikes can function with less tread, some road cycles have no tread but the tyres are so narrow they don't need any.

My advice to my pupils is 75% across the centre 3.4 of the tyre, all the way round (that's the law) and visible at both edges (so you know it's not worn well into the carcase).

My mate is an MOT inspector and QC testing at his station so he goes on all the courses.  Even under the 1.6 mm law there are some dodgy tyres that are within the law.
Title: Re: minimum tyre tread depth
Post by: Disco Matt on January 22, 2009, 11:43:48
I can confirm that BFG A/Ts are a bit useless in mud when they get down to 5mm  :lol:

(They are being changed at the end of the month).
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