Tire Treadwear Ratings
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Mach 1 Member
Joined: January 18, 2010
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From: KC, MO
Tire Treadwear Ratings
Now that I'm finally getting around to buying another performance car, I took some time to look at the tires on the market. I was kind of surprised at what I found, and I'm wondering what others think. Pretty much all of the "ultra high performance" all-season tires had treadwear ratings of 400. One was even rated at 500. I was shocked by this. Last time I cared (about 10 years ago), the only tires that would be rated this high were high-mileage ecomony tires. Have tire companies improved their tires in the last 10 years to where they can achieve good grip off such a high treadwear rated tire? I was expecting low 300 ratings.
Meanwhile, the summer only tires were generally rated in the 200's. This was where I expected them to be.
Meanwhile, the summer only tires were generally rated in the 200's. This was where I expected them to be.
Last edited by Skotty; Mar 8, 2010 at 10:51 AM. Reason: grammer correction
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Mach 1 Member
Joined: January 18, 2010
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From: KC, MO
No one? Anyone know where might be a good place to ask this question? Also, has anyone ever seen any good comparisons of snow tires vs. non-snow tires? I think that would be a good test.
Last edited by Skotty; Mar 17, 2010 at 11:03 AM.
Swamp Donkey Man Cans
Joined: August 20, 2007
Posts: 4,367
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From: Massachusetts
Maybe this will help. Still very vague as to what 400 would be when compared to 500.
It seems to me the the rating of 500 does not directly relate to the mileage the tire will be able to achieve, but more how it compares to other similar "test" tires.
Originally Posted by Tirerack.com
Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Standards
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Uniform Tire Quality Grade Standards (UTQG) were originated to provide consumers with useful information to help them purchase tires based on their relative treadwear, traction and temperature capabilities. While it is required by law for most passenger car tires sold in the United States, it is not required for deep treaded light truck tires, winter/snow tires, temporary spare tires, trailer tires, tires under 12” in diameter and other select tires.
When looking at UTQG ratings it is important to realize that the Department of Transportation does not conduct the tests. The grades are assigned by the tire manufacturers based on their test results or those conducted by an independent testing company they have hired. The NHTSA has the right to inspect the tire manufacturer's data and can fine them if inconsistencies are found. While most new tire lines have their grades established when they are introduced, they are allowed a 6-month grace period to allow the tire manufacturer to test actual production tires. Once a grade is assigned it must be branded on the tire's upper sidewall and printed on its label.
Unfortunately, the rating that is of the most interest to consumers is the one that appears to be the least consistent. While the Treadwear Grade was originally intended to be assigned purely scientifically, it has also become a marketing tool used by manufacturers to help position and promote their tires.
Treadwear Grades
UTQG Treadwear Grades are based on actual road use in which the test tire is run in a vehicle convoy along with standardized Course Monitoring Tires. The vehicle repeatedly runs a prescribed 400-mile test loop in West Texas for a total of 7,200 miles. The vehicle can have its alignment set, air pressure checked and tires rotated every 800 miles. The test tire's and the Monitoring Tire's wear are measured during and at the conclusion of the test. The tire manufacturers then assign a Treadwear Grade based on the observed wear rates. The Course Monitoring Tire is assigned a grade and the test tire receives a grade indicating its relative treadwear. A grade of 100 would indicate that the tire tread would last as long as the test tire, 200 would indicate the tread would last twice as long, 300 would indicate three times as long, etc.
The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Uniform Tire Quality Grade Standards (UTQG) were originated to provide consumers with useful information to help them purchase tires based on their relative treadwear, traction and temperature capabilities. While it is required by law for most passenger car tires sold in the United States, it is not required for deep treaded light truck tires, winter/snow tires, temporary spare tires, trailer tires, tires under 12” in diameter and other select tires.
When looking at UTQG ratings it is important to realize that the Department of Transportation does not conduct the tests. The grades are assigned by the tire manufacturers based on their test results or those conducted by an independent testing company they have hired. The NHTSA has the right to inspect the tire manufacturer's data and can fine them if inconsistencies are found. While most new tire lines have their grades established when they are introduced, they are allowed a 6-month grace period to allow the tire manufacturer to test actual production tires. Once a grade is assigned it must be branded on the tire's upper sidewall and printed on its label.
Unfortunately, the rating that is of the most interest to consumers is the one that appears to be the least consistent. While the Treadwear Grade was originally intended to be assigned purely scientifically, it has also become a marketing tool used by manufacturers to help position and promote their tires.
Treadwear Grades
UTQG Treadwear Grades are based on actual road use in which the test tire is run in a vehicle convoy along with standardized Course Monitoring Tires. The vehicle repeatedly runs a prescribed 400-mile test loop in West Texas for a total of 7,200 miles. The vehicle can have its alignment set, air pressure checked and tires rotated every 800 miles. The test tire's and the Monitoring Tire's wear are measured during and at the conclusion of the test. The tire manufacturers then assign a Treadwear Grade based on the observed wear rates. The Course Monitoring Tire is assigned a grade and the test tire receives a grade indicating its relative treadwear. A grade of 100 would indicate that the tire tread would last as long as the test tire, 200 would indicate the tread would last twice as long, 300 would indicate three times as long, etc.
The problem with UTQG Treadwear Grades is that they are open to some interpretation on the part of the tire manufacturer because they are assigned after the tire has only experienced a little treadwear as it runs the 7,200 miles. This means that the tire manufacturers need to extrapolate their raw wear data when they are assigning Treadwear Grades, and that their grades can to some extent reflect how conservative or optimistic their marketing department is. Typically, comparing the Treadwear Grades of tire lines within a single brand is somewhat helpful, while attempting to compare the grades between different brands is not as helpful.
It seems to me the the rating of 500 does not directly relate to the mileage the tire will be able to achieve, but more how it compares to other similar "test" tires.
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: May 16, 2004
Posts: 5,206
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From: Bristol, TN
And to further complicate matters it also depends on the vehicle and driving habits.
Thread Starter
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Joined: January 18, 2010
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From: KC, MO
Thought I would add a little update based off of new knowledge. If you ignore all the performance labels and instead compare by whether they are rated summer only or all season, you will find that most summer only tires are mostly in the neighborhood of 280 tread wear ratings, while the all seasons are mostly in the neighborhood of 400.
Bullitt Member
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I have had the Mich pilot A/S on my last 3 cars and they will probably be going on my 11 GT as well. I drive very high mileage although it is mostly highway. I have found that the Fronts will last me upwards to 60k and still not be at the warning thread. The rears will depend on how heavy the right foot is but I have gotten 40 k out of them. Problem is my right foot is a little heavy 
Great tire. they are good up to about 6 inches of snow. Drove all of last winter even with the heavy snow almost every day. I think there were 2 days I couldnt drive and that was because of ground clearance not the tires. And on the dry I think they handle as well or better than most stock tires.
There are pricey but well worth the price. My current car is an 06 M3 BTW and it was Great in the snow.
Great tire. they are good up to about 6 inches of snow. Drove all of last winter even with the heavy snow almost every day. I think there were 2 days I couldnt drive and that was because of ground clearance not the tires. And on the dry I think they handle as well or better than most stock tires.
There are pricey but well worth the price. My current car is an 06 M3 BTW and it was Great in the snow.
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: May 16, 2004
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 18
From: Bristol, TN
The A/S is a good tire, when my job required it I used them, the A/S + is rated for 40k which is about what I got out of mine as well. I've read a Jag owner who got 60k out of a set, but I imagine that entailed regular maintence and alot of highway driving.
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