Tyre Wear consistent with mileage?

JimVee

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T6 Guru
I have a Gen 6 Caravelle which I use as my daily car so does around 100 miles a day to work and back. it runs on OE 18's and empty about 99% of the time with the odd heavy load in it, I drive it like a normal car and it regularly sits at 70 mph ;) where allowed or usually within the speed limits, my journey is probably 75% dual carriageway and 25% other roads and I have covered @28300 mile so far yet I am now on my 3rd set of front tyres and 2nd set of rear tyres.

Front: 1st set were OE Hankooks (12000 miles), 2nd set were General Altimax Sport( 14000 miles) and now on Jingsu (harder compound and recommended by the garage and so far handle very well for a budget tyre. Garage suggested these as I wanted a cheap pair to try to wear out at the same rate as the rears so I can then change all 4 at once to a set of recommended Nexen)

Rear: 1st set were OE Hankooks (20000 miles), 2nd set are General Altimax Sport (8000 mile so far)

Hope that all makes sense, I appreciate its all down to driving style, accelerator etc and its not necessarily a car and weighs a lot more than a standard car but what are you guys running and getting as an average life on the front and rear tyres, thanks.
 
Mate, you're getting pretty much the same wear as me, if not a lot better.
I tend to swap mine front to back every few thousand miles. (always done this because I don't like changing tyres in anything other than sets of 4, but that's because i'm nuts, and don't want a pair of old tyres and a pair of new)

1st set of Continental 6 were poor and I chopped them in at 6000 miles because they scrub off the edges and look worn really quickly. (even my tyre shop were surprised how quickly they went) There was a few thousand miles left in them, but a mate wanted a used set for a car he'd sold, and gave me good money for them as part worn.

2nd set of Nexxen SU1 were around 10,000 miles, and still had a little life left in them, but i'm not a fan of 'almost' worn tyres, and tend to change them before I need to. (advised to go for these because harder compound and better wear rates) Not a bad tyre, but the grip was nothing compared to the Conti's.

3rd set, and current tyres are the same Generals as you have. I've done around a 1000 miles to date, and purchased these simply because they are on my wife's mini and have lasted for 30000 miles, plus brilliant in the winter, and the bonus of them being a Continental brand. However, I don't like these tyres on my T6 because I find them very loud compared to the others, including the cheaper Nexxen tyres.

I've just ordered a new set of wheels, and looking at this exact moment at different tyres, and tempted on the Goodyear Eagle f1. I had a set of these on a previous van and they had the full package, grip, wear, quiet and looked nice. Plus load rated high enough.

My van is loaded 95% of it's life, I drive hard and brake hard a lot of the times. 95% of my driving is motorway.
Wheels are 19"
 
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Mine are the Contivans 17's on Devonports. I'm on 26k miles and still have lots of tread. I do get the garage to swap the fronts with the rears every 10k miles as I find this gives and even tyre wear so all 4 wear down evenly and all need replacing at the same time. I've always done this on all my cars.
 
I’m just shy of 40k and have just fitted my 3rd set of fronts. I travel 70 miles a day, 95% on dual carriageway doing 69 on the cruise control, yes 69, how sad am I.

I’m on 18” sportlines, 255 width, Kombi and usually unladen. I’m still on original rears (Hankook) and have used Avon’s for the last two changes on the front.
 
Thanks guys, will have a look at the Contivans and swap the tyres round more frequently going forward.
 
Never noticed any difference in grip with using difference tyres tbh, the body roll on stock suspension on the T6 prevents any fun with winding roads.

I never swap the fronts with the rears either, buying two tyres seems expensive to me, buying all four at once would be too depressing.
 
Has your caravelle been lowered as your geometry might need to be sorted. There's a trick to doing the geometry on a lowered van otherwise you'll still rub off the tyres (i.e. the person doing the geometry needs to ignore the lower ride height and set them as if it's standard and unladen)
 
It's been useful reading this thread. I run Goodyear Eagle F1 Assym 3 255/45R18 103Y on 18s lowered 30mm. Just needing to change the fronts at 17,000 miles which I am disappointed about. However, based on this thread it would appear that front tyres wear quickly on theT6 (it's my first van so it's still a voyage of discovery) making my impending purchase slightly less painful
 
17k on fronts and your disappointed? I've not had to change tyres for years as I do low miles and swap motors well before the tyres need replacing. I'd have thought 17k was pretty good for fronts?
 
17k on fronts and your disappointed? I've not had to change tyres for years as I do low miles and swap motors well before the tyres need replacing. I'd have thought 17k was pretty good for fronts?
That's why the thread was really useful, I had no idea what to expect. Its softened the financial blow of spending money on new rubber :)
 
If my tyres lasted as long as 30k miles I'd be concerned! I'd rather have sticky / grippy tyres that don't last as long as a cheap hard set.

Not a good idea to skimp on shoes, especially on a 2T+ vehicle?

If you’re buying in pairs I read you should always put the new set on rear axle (if front wheel drive)
 
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Both my previous T6s were on OEM Claytons and Contivans, I got almost 30k out of each set.
Same load, tyre pressures set every week and mostly M way and A road driving.
My current van is now lowered and on 18"s, be interesting to see what mileage I get from these.
 
I have the standard Goodyear cargo vector all weather tyres that come on the t32 . I have just gone over 40000 miles and front have 1 mm to the markers and rears still got 4 mm . The only problem is it sound like the red arrows are following me . Can anyone recommend 17 inch summer tyres that aren’t to noisy.
 
Just had the original continental tyres changed (17" Devonports) squeezed 31000 out them with a front to rear swap at about 18000. I was starting to think that a wheel bearing was on its way out. A real moan at 40-45 mph. I always thought tyre noise was high despite insulating the van to death for noise and thermal. Had some Pirelli Carrier 215/60/17 all season fitted. selected for the low noise rating/wet performance. what a difference. These tyres are near silent in comparison. Not cheap but 107/109 load rated tyres aren't. Result and pleased.
 
Anyone tried Michelins on the van? They'll more than likely be what I fit next.
 
If my tyres lasted as long as 30k miles I'd be concerned! I'd rather have sticky / grippy tyres that don't last as long as a cheap hard set.

Not a good idea to skimp on shoes, especially on a 2T+ vehicle?

If you’re buying in pairs I read you should always put the new set on rear axle (if front wheel drive)
Not sure I agree with you on this one, although I guess its how you drive it; the all-seasons often an "A" wet weather rating; brilliant regarding aqua planing; brilliant in ice etc;
The warm/dry summers day is not when you will have an accident in your van under normal van driving; and get upto 40k miles with 3mm still left on.
Some T6 drivers on here are down to 3mm in less than 10k miles, and then run the tyres to well below 3mm... Not the best imo
A hot hatch is a different thing imo.
 
Not sure I agree with you on this one, although I guess its how you drive it; the all-seasons often an "A" wet weather rating; brilliant regarding aqua planing; brilliant in ice etc;
The warm/dry summers day is not when you will have an accident in your van under normal van driving; and get upto 40k miles with 3mm still left on.
Some T6 drivers on here are down to 3mm in less than 10k miles, and then run the tyres to well below 3mm... Not the best imo
A hot hatch is a different thing imo.

My point was I'd rather have grip than a long lasting, hard compound (and I agree a tyre with 3mm tread after 40km is definitely not going to have optimum grip!)

Lasting 40k miles doesn't make the tyre 'good' IMO, regardless of vehicle type.
 
My point was I'd rather have grip than a long lasting, hard compound (and I agree a tyre with 3mm tread after 40km is definitely not going to have optimum grip!)

Lasting 40k miles doesn't make the tyre 'good' IMO, regardless of vehicle type.
Yes I agree, but neither does it make it bad, if its the right tyre imo.
 
What makes it the right tyre? Depends if you want value or performance?

I can see tyres lasting that long with constant motorway driving, but not on our Dorset roads! :mad:
 
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