Car serviced today, tread depths FL5mm, FR6mm, RL6mm,RR 6.5mm.  Clearly roundabouts are causing the near side wear.   My intention is to wear the front pair and replace ( rears coming to front, new tyres to the rear).  At the current wear rate the front right will still have ~4mm of tread when the near side hits just 2mm and I replace the pair.  It is tempting to swap FL and FR tyres now, then replace when they hit 3mm left but I think I've read swapping tyres across a driven axle is a bad idea?  I think it's the twist that driven tyres take in the carcass, forcibly reversing that can damage the tyre?  Is that right? So,if I don't want to rotate front to back, other than going the wrong way around roundabouts for the next year, is there anything I could do?

 

Tyres are the OEM fitted conti sc2s. Done nearly 7.5 k miles now.

Most tyres are directional so if yours fit into this catagory you can only swap back to front on the same side. I would suggest you check with your dealer of local tyre fitter first if you do decide to swap across axles

Most tyres are directional so if yours fit into this catagory you can only swap back to front on the same side. I would suggest you check with your dealer of local tyre fitter first if you do decide to swap across axles

Most tyres are NOT directional - they are asymmetric.  Must be fitted the correct way on the rim but can be fitted to any of the four positions.

 

From the Continental web-site  -  "ContiPremiumContact™ 2  Improved handling thanks to asymmetrical tread pattern".  'Outside' is embossed onto one side wall of the tyre to show which way around it should be fitted to the rim. 

Tyres should only be swapped front to back, never side to side other wise the tyres would then be rolling backwards. Tyres get into a wear pattern.

Quote from Octavia II Owner's Manual:

If significantly greater wear is present on the front tyres, we recommend changing the front wheels around with the rear wheels as shown in the diagram ⇒ fig. 161. You will then obtain approximately the same life for all the tyres.

It may be advantageous to swap the tyres over “crosswise” when certain types of wear characteristic arise on the running surface of the tyres (but not in the case of unidirectional tyres). Specialist garages are familiar with details.

We recommend that you change the wheels around every 10 000 km in order to achieve even wear on all wheels and to obtain optimal tyre life.

Fig 161 mentioned above shows tyres being changed front to back on the same side.

Cheers, as I thought.  Either live with uneven wear left to right, or swap tyres front to back and across.  Having bought a new tyre for a full sized spare when I got the car, and a matching new tyre (just in case the manufacturer should drop the design before I get to use the 'spare' tyre), I simply want to wear the front pair and replace them, rather than rotate all 4 tyres and replace all 4 further in the future.  It's just to get tyres in use before aging becomes an issue.

 

Hmmmm, decisions.

Find some left hand bends to go round at speed to even them out! I experience this due to the fact I have 18 roundabouts on my way to work. There is very little you can do about it I'm afraid and just have to replace the pair with the acknowledgement that one is worn less. You could sell the 4mm tyre on eBay to recup some cost? Probably not worth the hassle!

How often do you check your tyre tread depth 'nelin' do you also ensure correct tyre pressure at the same time/period ??

Might be worth to change tyres to non-directional (asymmetrical) in the future..especially your spare wheel/tyre.

 

Last set of (2) tyres I bought were asymmetrical (non-directional), as in the event of a tyre being required to be changed, a directional tyre would/could prove illegal if fitted at wrong corner of vehicle.. 

You pay no-more for a non-directional tyre compared to a directional tyre, so not a problem in my case..

Swap tyres with me. My front right tyre is near its end but front left has quite a bit on. Don't know whether to swap front to back on the 17th and do the national with back tyres on the front and hopefully have some tread till next month, drive down to the national, swap tyres round then and continue as above or drive down there, do the trackday and replace tyres ASAP. think I might drive down there and see what they're like. I'll be taking 2 of my old wheels down as spares though.

The conti sc2 aren't directional.  Neither are the Goodyear efficient grips I have on the spare/stored away ready to go on next.

 

I know what the cause is.... A500 and A 51 between j16 of M6 and Chester.  Swmbo lives in Chester, I am south London, I get bored of the motorway and leave at j16, it's also 20 miles shorter than m6 m54 and quicker.... If driven [cough] making progress [/cough].  Part of the fun is straightening the roundabouts.

 

might have to do m54 a41 more.  Tried that when m6 was closed, slightly slower but more twisty A road fun, less dualcarriageway and roundabouts.....i suspect it would increase offside tyre wear more than decreade nearside but hey!

 

As for  pressure and tread checks, i glance at the tread at least monthly as i wash the car, i knew what was happening onrhe front but cant see the ½mm difference at the rear (not an issue though, they willgo crosswise swap to thefront as the new tyres go to the back).  Pressure ive checked a bit less but enough to keep all 4 the same (except when the rear nearside collecteda clout nail) and close enough to correct that wear is even across each.  Ive experimented from 32 to 38 psi, currently running 36/37 all round.

My problem is B6271 and the fact that I'm more confident with left hand corners than right handed ones because if you do end up sliding you have a spare lane for run off (as long as you only push it when no cars are coming)