Goodyear UltraGrip Performance - Shocking Degradation (at least visually)

[Stocho]

Hi,

I have never seen anything like that with any tyres:
1. Tread depth 4mm+
2. No sidewall damage / bulges etc.

However the tread pattern even when new had lots of small cuts and now these degraded into what is seen on the pictures. I would think they still would perform better than new economy tyres but would they pass MOT?

 

[BTB 500]

How old are they? These are snow tyres I think, and I guess could run quite hot in warmer weather.

Should pass an MOT as the tread depth is OK, but could well be mentioned as an advisory.

 

[Stocho]

How old are they?

Just under 4 years, 14000 miles.

Car is rarely driven during the day (commute to work by public transport) so the idea was that even during summer months they would be used when temperature is not too high.

 

[BTB 500]

Just under 4 years, 14000 miles.

IIRC winter tyres have 8-9mm of tread when new and are considered worn out at 4mm. They have a very soft compound, so if you've done 14k miles on them in normal conditions that's probably quite reasonable.

PS if 4 years is based on when they were fitted check the date code on the tyres to get their actual age.

 

[Bellow]

Front, rear, or all?

 

[Stocho]

Front, rear, or all?

All 4 like that. I supposed those wavery cuts compromised the strength...

 

[Bellow]

All 4 like that. I supposed those wavery cuts compromised the strength...

Sipes, is what they are called. I suspected the tearing was caused by steering while stationary (worse with foot brake applied) but that seems not to be the case.
The one set of winter tyres I have had didn't do anything like that despite being driven quite hard. They were replaced by summer rubber around May though and were on a very light (730kg) car.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Time to buy new tyres by the looks of it.

 

[fabes]

Just under 4 years, 14000 miles.

Car is rarely driven during the day (commute to work by public transport) so the idea was that even during summer months they would be used when temperature is not too high.

Whilst the temps may be a bit cooler in the morning and evening etc, the tarmac is still very, very hot (esp in the evening) and snipes can attach and tear
It is one of the many reasons that winters all year round aren't a viable option here (esp this summer)

All Seasons are adapted for this and are therefore viable

 

[ALFAitalia]

As said above..what's the date code?....Not unusual for tyres to be three or more years old before fitting.....which is why I always ask to see the tyres before they are mounted.
It's even more likely for unusual size or winter tyres which are in lower demand.....especially in the south.

 

[Teego]

These are serious winter tyres and will degrade quickly in normal temperatures. Yours will probably fail an MoT because the tread is peeling away from the carcass.

 

[Smiley]

They do look to be in quite a bad way. I don't share your confidence that they are still better than a new economy tyre. Personally I would not wait to find out what the MOT tester thinks; I would get them replaced.

 

[Gazwould]

Dedicated winter tyre , softer compound , done 14K and didn't like the heatwave .

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Just under 4 years, 14000 miles.

Car is rarely driven during the day (commute to work by public transport) so the idea was that even during summer months they would be used when temperature is not too high.

Supposed to be used below 7C.

 

[BfgSLKMan]

100% - they are winter tyres. They really degrade in warm weather. If you need winter tyres but (as you indicate) you don't do much mileage then all season are a great alternative, mainly covered by Michelin Cross Climate [we use them on our company cars to save running two sets]. Not quite as good a a dedicated summer and winter set, but good enough.

 

[BTB 500]

Apart from the wear issue dedicated snow tyres have much less grip on tarmac at normal UK temperatures, even in the wet. They take them very seriously in parts of Europe where there's significant snow/ice in the winter, and various organisations publish annual group tests with measured braking/cornering/aquaplaning/etc. data on different surfaces at various temperatures. Snow tyres are great on snow but are massively outperformed by even the cheapest summer tyres the rest of the time. Nobody uses them all year round - as mentioned that's what all-season tyres are designed for. Even those are overkill for most parts of the UK, but they can give peace of mind if you feel you absolutely have to be able to drive no matter what the weather does.

 

[BfgSLKMan]

Apart from the wear issue dedicated snow tyres have much less grip on tarmac at normal UK temperatures, even in the wet. They take them very seriously in parts of Europe where there's significant snow/ice in the winter, and various organisations publish annual group tests with measured braking/cornering/aquaplaning/etc. data on different surfaces at various temperatures. Snow tyres are great on snow but are massively outperformed by even the cheapest summer tyres the rest of the time. Nobody uses them all year round - as mentioned that's what all-season tyres are designed for. Even those are overkill for most parts of the UK, but they can give peace of mind if you feel you absolutely have to be able to drive no matter what the weather does.

The benefit of winter tyres I (like the picture with a mountain and snowflake symbol) is up to about 7c/8c air temp, so actually all of those cold frosty mornings over late autumn and winter - its not just about snow. "Snow" tyres [techincally] don't exist unless you could studded tyres which are illegal in most place in the EU (less some areas of Scandinavia or some Alpine passes).

I still remember a work colleague (about 10 yrs ago) when i worked in the UK poo pooed the idea of winter tyres as a waste of time. I took great pleasure in my 90PS diesel fwd focus pulling him out of the 2" of settled snow around his Subaru OUtback 4x4 on summer tyres... Suddenly he agreed with me that you can have as many wheel drive as you want but its nothing without grip!

I am really amazed that with H&S everything in UK, that employees haven't forced through winter tyres on company vehicles, as employers are obliged to provide a safe workplace. Summer tyres do not meet the criteria for ALARP (As Low as Resonably Practicable) for safety risk assessment.?

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , on my Mitsubishi Pajero I have a comprise tyre Bridgestone ( M & S ) type that work really well.

Mud and show !

Had to change the rears at 25000 mles.

 

[BTB 500]

The benefit of winter tyres I (like the picture with a mountain and snowflake symbol) is up to about 7c/8c air temp, so actually all of those cold frosty mornings over late autumn and winter - its not just about snow.

I know that's widely quoted by the manufacturers but it's not really borne out by the independent tests. What Car did a winter/summer comparison at 5.5C and on dry road their test Golf averaged 6 metres further stopping distance from 100 kph on winter tyres than summer ones. In wet braking at 4C the winter tyres were better. But on a wet handling course (cornering grip) at 5C the best was a Continental summer tyre. So it's not as clear cut as often made out.

I am really amazed that with H&S everything in UK, that employees haven't forced through winter tyres on company vehicles, as employers are obliged to provide a safe workplace. Summer tyres do not meet the criteria for ALARP (As Low as Resonably Practicable) for safety risk assessment.?

On actual snow there is no doubt whatsoever that summer tyres don't work very well. But in most parts of the UK snow is rare, and you could argue that fitting tyres which are known to give less grip the rest of the time would be more of an HSSE issue for employers. In snow average UK traffic speeds are extremely low, whatever tyres you happen to have fitted. So the most likely accident is probably sliding into a kerb, or a low speed impact with another car or object. Whereas in warmer/dryer conditions people drive a lot faster, and the consequences of having less grip then are potentially far more serious.

 

[JHS]

Am I alone in thinking that to condemn winter tyres as "shocking degradation" after thousands of miles in summer conditions is somewhat over the top?