Car tire service life - how to replace it on time? Service life of nokian winter tires Goodyear winter tires maximum practical service life

A tire is a rigid rubber jacket mounted on a disc cage. It is in direct contact with the road and is therefore subject to rapid wear. You must be able to determine the expiration date of tires for a car quickly and correctly.

Not only rubber is used in modern tires. It is a high-tech product consisting of 200 different elements: plasticizer, elastomer and other chemical components.

Manufacturing date

The tire production date is indicated in the identification number. It is placed in an oval-shaped depression and consists of 4 digits. The first two are the week, the second two are the year of manufacture.

Each tire is labeled. Its decoding will not provide much difficulty if you carefully study the order of designations. The following information is usually indicated:

• type of tires or their type - tube, tubeless;
• size, including width, height and diameter;
• load indicator;
• manufacturer's brand - information about the brand is indicated in large Latin letters;
• seasonality data - winter, summer, all-season;
• speed index;
• production date - a four-digit code, for example, 1016, which means the 10th week of 2016;
• weather conditions - an image in the form of an umbrella, etc.

Since 2000, the age of a tire is indicated on the tread in an oval groove. Prior to this, the year of production was marked only with the last digits of the identification code.

Tire life

Thanks to tires, a safe adhesion of the car to the road and effective braking are created. For this reason, the motorist must pay special attention to the resource of products. Car rubber or truck tends to wear out over time. You must be able to correctly determine the suitability of the product in order to carry out a timely replacement.

Until 2000, any tire was considered worn out after 10 years of use. Today, experts mark the permissible shelf life of tires as 45 thousand kilometers. vehicle... The life of the wheels prolongs the observance of traffic rules - careful driving, seasonality, etc.

It is impossible to predict the duration of operation, since everything is individual. Driving speed, driving style, climatic conditions - these parameters are not the same. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically inspect the wheels, to identify defects even at the stage of their appearance. After 5 years of operation, tire diagnostics must be carried out once a year. And this is correct, because the older the tire, the more it is subject to changes and defects.

A crack in the tire should alert the owner. Such a tire must be shown to a specialist in order to determine the suitability of the product.

Here are the first things to look out for:

• pressure indicator;
• appearance;
• the presence of noise or unusual behavior of the car on the road (pulling aside for no reason).

You also need to check spare wheel even if it was not applied. Improper storage can cause cracks in the rubber material of the tire.

Summer rubber service life

Summer tires are made with a harder tread. Therefore, the duration of their operation is somewhat longer. They are able to withstand 10 years, subject to quality road surfaces. Their resource is highly dependent on driving style. Frequent harsh braking is the cause of ametric rubber abrasion and damage.

If the tread height of a summer tire is less than 1.6 mm, then you should not pull with a replacement. It will be possible to measure the size of the tread using a special tool - a tire depth gauge.

Service life of winter tires

The shelf life of winter tires is 7 years, but in Russian conditions it rarely exceeds 4 years. It is noteworthy that the service life of winter tires is also determined by the country of manufacture:

• Russian spikes and Velcro are less useful - 20-30 thousand km;
• European ones are twice as large - 50-60 thousand km.

In addition, the following factors have a direct impact on the service life of winter studded tires:

• date of manufacture;
• storage method at the base - tires must be properly stored between seasons so that microcracks do not form on the rubber;
• tire pressure - in winter it should not be excessive, otherwise the shelf life of rubber for a car will be noticeably reduced;
• the speed of the car - the lower it is, the longer the shelf life of winter tires;
• overloading the trunk - reduces the life of winter tires by 20-30 percent;
• elevated asphalt temperature - do not delay the replacement of rubber in the spring;
• wheel alignment and balancing.

Measurement of the tread height on winter tires should show at least 4 mm.

The maximum life of winter tires should not exceed 7 years. Studs must be stored properly, otherwise they will deteriorate quickly.

How to extend your tire usage period

Several useful tips help to extend the shelf life car tires:

1. Rubber must be stored properly;
2. The wheels must be rearranged. For example, on rear wheel drive cars, the front tires wear out more slowly. If you change the location of the wheels every 8-10 thousand km, the protectors will wear out evenly;
3. Check the tire pressure as often as possible. It must be suitable for the season and other requirements;
4. Inspect the rubber regularly for defects. If you find the slightest crack, urgently consult a specialist;
5. Drive calmly, try not to press the pedals abruptly, always keep the car under control;
6. Observe cleanliness. Before storing the tire, stones and dirt should be removed from the tread. Better yet, rinse with detergent, without using a spray bottle.

Proper storage of tires

Store the rubber in a cool place, away from ultraviolet radiation. There should be no working generators, transformers and other electrical equipment near the buses.

Many tires are thrown into the trash heap every year due to improper storage. Not everyone knows how to properly maintain them. It is best to store them without disks:

1. It is necessary to carefully remove the rubber, rinse and dry;
2. After that, treat with a solution with preservative properties - sold in a car dealership;
3. Then the tire should be placed in a dark plastic bag and stored in the closet.

The bag must not be sealed tightly, otherwise it will lead to the formation of condensation.

Warranty period for tires

A tire wears out easily, regardless of whether it has been used or not. Over time, the rubber oxidizes, cracks form at the edges, and the adhesion parameters deteriorate.

The service life of new car tires is limited to 5-7 years. As for old rubber, manufacturers do not recommend using products that have been in stock for more than 10 years. They just lose their warranty.

List of TOP 10 popular rubber manufacturers

There are quite a few tire manufacturers today. Rubber of each company has its own characteristics. Here is a list of the top 10 brands:

1. Bridgestone. Japanese brand, which has retained its leadership in tire manufacturing since 2007. Bridgestone supplies its sports cars with tires;
2. Michelin. The second concern in the world. Today Michelin is opening factories in our country;
3. Goodyear. Euro holding, which includes several companies;
4. Continental. Manufacturer of premium rubber for passenger cars;
5. Pirelli. Tires from Italy;
6. Dunlop. An English tire manufacturer with subsidiaries around the world today;
7. Hankook. Korean manufacturer, well-known in the Russian Federation;
8. Yokohama. Classic, Japanese tire manufacturer;
9. Nokian Hakkapeliitta. The best brand of winter tires from Finland;
10. Kumho. Korean tire brand with economy and premium models.

Michelin Alpian winter tires have a directional tread pattern. Best suited for wet surfaces and melted snow, but should not be used in severe icy conditions.

Shelf life of car tires in the warehouse

GOST - state standard, regulations of the Ministry of Transport for the safe storage of tires. There are GOSTs 4754-97, 3112199-1085-02 and 24779-81. According to these legislative documents, the standard for storing tires should not be exceeded. Then, according to the law, the rubber is obliged to go into operation. However, in shops and warehouses, tires do not stay long - they are bought up.

Products will retain their original characteristics for as long as possible if the following conditions are met:

• the presence of spacious rooms, closed from sunlight;
• safety standards at height;
• persists temperature regime- from -30 to +35, low humidity.

Car tires are important to be able to properly handle and store. This will save your budget and improve driving safety.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

They have a limited service life. At the same time, a number of factors affect the shelf life of rubber, ranging from natural wear during operation and ending with rubber aging, change and gradual loss of the declared properties.

As practice shows, the service life of winter tires is less than that of summer tires. Moreover, the shelf life of winter studded rubber in some cases differs from analogs without studding. Next, we will look at what is the service life and shelf life of winter tires.

Read in this article

Studded winter tires: service life

Once again, we note that the service life of winter tires is somewhat shorter than that of summer tires. Although visually the tires are almost the same, the composition of winter and summer tires is very different. Without going into details, a summer tire is stiff while winter tires softer and more elastic, as a result of which it wears out stronger and faster.

Please note that in case of violation of the rules of storage and operation, the aging process of rubber and the general wear of winter tires can significantly accelerate. For this reason, when choosing winter tires you need to pay special attention to a number of features.

First of all, if new or used tires are purchased, it is necessary to determine the manufacturer and know the tire production date in order to understand how many more such tires are coming out. In the case of buying studded winter tires, these aspects need to be given special attention.

Please note that in order to determine how much winter tires run, it is worth dividing tires into expensive branded and cheap ones. Branded products from well-known world manufacturers are durable. If the tire is stored correctly, correctly selected for a specific car, installed on a wheel, taking into account the characteristics of the tire, then the service life of winter studded tires or Velcro can be from 5 years or more.

However, cheap tires (Chinese or low-cost domestic) under the same conditions may not come out even for a couple of seasons. The fact is that expensive tires have patented components in their composition that allow the rubber not to age and retain its properties for a long time. Cheap tires usually do not have such additives or their amount is insignificant, which leads to tire cracking, loss of elasticity, etc.

The service life of winter tires

Let's go back to the studded winter tires. Often, manufacturers determine that or about 50-60 thousand km. The same goes for Velcro. However, in fact, such an indicator can be achieved if the tire, "fresh" by the date of manufacture, is operated in almost ideal conditions.

Such conditions for winter tires should be understood as a stable near-zero temperature, constant maintenance of the recommended tire pressure, as well as driving at a low speed on roads that are covered with a layer of snow and ice. In other words, you need the conditions for which a studded tire or Velcro is designed.

If the car is operated aggressively (sharp starts, active braking), the car often drives at high speed on dry asphalt, winter tires are operated at positive temperatures (above +8 degrees Celsius), in this case the spikes themselves fly out and the tires wear quickly.

In addition to the service life of the rubber, you also need to pay attention to the expiration dates. These are slightly different concepts that need to be delineated. Simply put, the service life is actually the life of the tire during operation and depends on many factors, while the shelf life depends on the date of production and storage conditions.

To make it clear, even if a tire is not in use, but is simply stored in a warehouse with a new one, the rubber will still age and become unusable over time. As a rule, if the tires have been in the warehouse for several years (4-7 years or more), one should not rely on full compliance with all the declared performance characteristics.

It turns out that they are completely new in terms of wear, but tires that are old by the date of manufacture will wear out stronger and faster when driving after installation on a car, they can be noisier, and lose elasticity.

Microcracks appear on the surface, which subsequently rapidly increase under load. It is for this reason that rubber, which has been in stock for a long time, is usually sold at significant discounts. It is also important in what conditions the rubber was stored. High humidity, high temperatures, direct sunlight are not allowed. Also, winter tires are stored in special bags to minimize contact with air.

Otherwise, winter rubber, which contains many more components to maintain elasticity, dries up and cracks quickly. This means that if the storage conditions are met in full, the tire will retain its properties even after 2-3 years, while a gross violation of the conditions may mean that in a couple of years the tire is not suitable for use.

To find out the date of manufacture of tires, you need to pay attention to the marking. The date of manufacture is stamped on the side surface as a four-digit number (after 2000). However, it must be remembered that before 2000 the designations were somewhat different. On this topic.

What is the service life of tires: winter tires

So, if we summarize the information received, the service life of winter studded rubber or Velcro can be determined taking into account the features discussed above.

• First, we pay attention to the date of manufacture and storage conditions of winter tires;
• Second, we determine the tire manufacturer (brand or cheap tire);
• Third, we estimate in what conditions the car will be used (snow, asphalt, etc.)
• Fourth, we take into account the type of tire itself (studded or without studs).

If we talk about how long the service life of winter studded tires is, in this case, the most important indicators will be the age of the rubber, operating conditions and mileage.

As a rule, such tires of well-known brands (taking into account the fact that no more than 3 years have passed from the date of tire production, the rubber was stored correctly and was installed on the disk taking into account all the requirements), care for about 50 thousand kilometers on snow and ice.

However, studded wheels can last no more than 30 thousand km. when driving on asphalt, especially if the vehicle is being used aggressively. Typically, more than 60% lack of studs and tread wear of more than 50% indicates a need for tire replacement. As a last resort, you can re-stud the rubber.

It is important to understand that even if the conditions are optimal, the tires are in excellent condition, the mileage on them is minimal, such tires will still lose their properties after 8-10 years.

Visually, rubber aging is indicated by discoloration (from black to gray), cracking, delamination, etc. In this case, the tires must be changed regardless of the condition of the tread, studs, sidewalls, etc.

As practice shows, on average, winter tires good quality serve about 50 thousand km or 5 years. It turns out that the service life of rubber is about 5 years with relatively low mileage of up to 10 thousand km. for the season.

By the way, the terms of operation of winter tires are separately indicated in the traffic rules. According to the SDA, the rubber must be changed taking into account wear, that is, when the tread depth is less than the 4 mm mark. Winter tires must be marked (snowflake icon, M + S, etc.).

Note that there are several ways to increase the life of your winter tires. First of all, you must follow the rules for operating tires. It is also important to maintain the recommended tire pressure at all times by checking the reading with a pressure gauge. If the pressure is higher or lower than normal, tire wear is significantly accelerated.

The condition of the chassis of the car, more precisely, the suspension, also strongly affects the wear of the rubber. It is required to regularly check the alignment camber, as well as to eliminate existing faults.

Finally, we note that the rapid wear of rubber, especially soft winter tires, occurs when an imbalance of the wheels appears, a beating is felt on the steering wheel. In this case, problems may be with the disc itself or the tire (it is necessary to roll the disc and balance the tire).

Also, imbalance in winter often occurs as a result of the accumulation of snow and ice on the disc, which also leads to wear. To eliminate this factor, it is recommended to warm up the car in a warm parking lot or garage, remove snow and ice from wheels at a car wash, etc.

As a result, we note that winter tires are soft, they are afraid of side cuts and heavy loads on the sidewall. This means that when cornering, it is better to slow down as much as possible, avoid hitting holes and potholes (especially with sharp edges). This approach avoids premature splint hernias, cuts, tears and other defects.

Read also

How to determine the date of manufacture of car tires: year of manufacture of the tire, designation and markings. What to look for, the designation of the date before 2000 and after.

Directional, non-directional and asymmetric tire: what are the features. Rotation lettering on tires, which means. Installation of tires by type of tread.

Winter tires are softer than summer tires, therefore, they wear out much faster. So what is the service life of winter tires? How to get good studded tires for secondary market and not regret it? Let's take a closer look at this topic, which is important for motorists.

Car tire life

Everything car tires are made from a rubber compound based on rubber, therefore they are subject to gradual wear. The degree of wear is influenced by many factors. But there are standards to determine

Service life of winter and summer tires in accordance with GOST

According to Russian GOST 4754-97, for pneumatic rubber for passenger cars the warranty period is set - 5 years from the date of manufacture. For off-road tires, this period in accordance with GOST is increased to 10 years.

If your tires are older than 5 years, carry out a thorough inspection before using.

The use of rubber over 8 years from the date of manufacture is associated with great danger. During such a period of time, a rubber product becomes inelastic, and the adhesion of your car to the road on such tires will be extremely low.

Manufacturing date

Finding out the age of a tire is easy, just look at the markings on its side. The year of manufacture is the 3rd and 4th digits of the code, and the 1st and 2nd are the week of production. From this date, count the rubber expiration date in accordance with GOST.

Types of winter tires

Exists 2 types of winter tires:

• studded
• Velcro.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Studded tires safer when traveling on snow. They are not afraid of severe frosts... Shows good grip on ice and wet snow, which shortens braking distances. When driving on wet asphalt, the result is worse than "sticky". TO cons spiked rubber include heavy weight, high noise levels, quick wear on studs and increased fuel consumption.

Velcro tires Manufactured from soft rubber that can withstand low temperatures. This ensures perfect grip, or "sticking". Velcro is ideal for mild climates (not lower than 0 ° C) and city driving. For driving on ice and snow unsuitable, the stopping distance is longer than that of studded tires. The service life of winter velcro rubber is longer than studded one.

How long will winter tires last?

The service life of winter tires depends on the country of manufacture:

• European-made tires can roll from 50 to 70 thousand km without loss of consumer properties;
• tires Russian production will serve 20-40 thousand km;
• tires made in China withstand from 50 to 80 thousand km of run.

The service life of winter velcro rubber is always longer than that of studded rubber. But these tires are not suitable for the Russian winter.

At Nokian When asked about tire life, the answer was: "The recommended tire life is six years and the recommended maximum tire life is 10 years." They also advised them to pay more attention to checking them. technical condition rather than pay attention to the production date.

Factors affecting tire wear

The wear of car tires is affected by many factors: country of production, mileage, operating and storage conditions. Let's list the main ones.

Storage method

Keep use rubber in a cool, dark and dry place. Too high temperature, humidity and sun destructive for rubber products. Tires on rims should be stacked for storage, and empty tires should be stacked vertically.

Tire pressure

Regularly check the pressure in the wheels- low rates negatively affect the service life. Also do not pump tires, when using the pump, be sure to check the result with a pressure gauge. For winter period pressure 0.2 bar higher.

Tire pressure reduced by 2 bar increases the braking distance by 1.5 times.

You can find out the correct values ​​from the following table.

Driving style and bad roads

For a long service automotive rubber, you should adhere to the following rules:

• Drive at an average speed - no more than 90 km per hour. This will extend the life of your studded tires by 40% compared to driving at speeds over 120 km / h.
• Try to move smoothly, without jerking or slipping. Do not brake too harshly, as you can quickly burn tires. Those who like to rip are also "golden" customers of car dealerships in terms of the amount of burned rubber.
• There are two troubles in Russia, and with one of them - with bad roads- the state has been actively fighting for many years. The quality of the road surface directly affects tire wear. But here we are still powerless.
• Do not overload luggage compartment... This leads to uneven load distribution, which increases tire wear.

Wheel imbalance and wheel alignment

Another danger to tires is wheel imbalance. This also increases the wear rate of the rubber. When changing tires from winter to summer and vice versa, be sure to balance the wheels.

The average tire life, declared by the manufacturer, is 7-10 years, depending on the season - more severe summer tires on the car last longer than soft winter ones. For Russia, due to the condition of the roads, such an indicator is hardly achievable. High-quality whole rubber is the key to a safe ride, therefore professionals recommend checking the wear after 3-4 years of operation, without waiting for the period specified by the manufacturer.

The method for determining wear depends on which tires the consumer has purchased for the car. Wear can be calculated:

• according to special indicators in the form of jumpers between the protector - when it wears out to their level, the rubber must be changed;
• according to the numbers of different depths that are embossed on the surface of the tires - depending on which numbers are visible, wear is estimated;
• measuring the protector with a ruler with a depth gauge on the most damaged part (height by summer tires should be more than 1.6mm, for winter 4mm).

The average life of the product may be reduced due to weather, traffic and other factors.

Factors influencing wear

The service life of a car's tires is directly related to how often it is used and how. The higher the mileage, the faster the rubber deteriorates. Mileage standards in accordance with GOST:

• for passenger cars with a carrying capacity of up to 2 tons - 45 thousand km;
• for trucks 2-4 tons - 60 thousand km;
• for trucks over 4 tons - 65-70 thousand km.

On average, the service life on Russian highways in urban use can be about 5-6 years. It is shrinking due to many conditions and factors:

• the use of tires out of season (soft winter tires wear out strongly in summer, and summer tires do not withstand winter temperatures);
• faulty shock absorbers and chassis problems;
• quality of roads;
• driving style - hard braking and acceleration;
• transportation of heavy baggage;
• violation of camber (in this case, car tires will wear out to a greater extent only from the inside or outside);
• use of low-profile rubber, which wears out much faster.

Mechanical damage can accelerate the failure - cuts, deformation during emergency braking, bumps after impacts.

How to maximize rubber life?

The consumer can count on the service life of the tires depends on the mass of external factors and his own responsibility. The average life expectancy of a tire of a car of a motorist who observes all the rules, taking into account imperfect roads in the CIS, can be 6-8 years. Tire life can be manipulated by following certain rules:

• ensure the maintenance of optimal pressure;
• store correctly;
• service the car on time.

The pressure level directly affects the degree and type of wear. At insufficient pressure the side parts of the tread will wear out, when high pressure - middle part... If the camber is disturbed, only one side of the tread can be abraded. Wear is measured over the most damaged area of ​​the tire, so this kind of rubber must be treated with caution.

The comfort of using tires depends on the way they are stored after the change of season. Ideal option is a dry, cool and dark room. In the absence of such a place, you can find a slave or a garage, the owners of which are ready to leave the car accessories for storage for a small fee.

The performance of the shock absorbers and running car directly affects the wear resistance of rubber. If you are confident that your vehicle will perform flawlessly, you can count on a long tire life.