986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - If you drive conservely how long are tires and brakes good for?

MNBoxster · 10-13-2005, 08:57 PM

Hi,

Generally the softer the compound, the better the grip, the shorter the wear - a trade-off Grip for Wear.

The Tires spec'd for the Boxster are relatively soft compound Tires: 140-220 Treadwear Rating. This means they grip like a Cat, but leave lots of rubber in their wake and so wear quickly. Tires in this range wear between 12k and 20k mi.

But, there is also a Time Component to the Tires' Service Life - NO LONGER THAN 5 YEARS! This is because the tire become harder, losing Grip, and loses it's Heat Management qualities as it ages. This is due to moisture, UV Rays, Heat Cycling etc.

A Tire 5 years old is unsafe for high speed running regardless of the amount of tread left, you may get away with it, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Personally, I change my Tires every 4 years (they usually need it anyway, but I do it even if they don't).

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

10-13-2005, 08:57 PM	#6
MNBoxster Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Posts: 3,308	Hi, Generally the softer the compound, the better the grip, the shorter the wear - a trade-off Grip for Wear. The Tires spec'd for the Boxster are relatively soft compound Tires: 140-220 Treadwear Rating. This means they grip like a Cat, but leave lots of rubber in their wake and so wear quickly. Tires in this range wear between 12k and 20k mi. But, there is also a Time Component to the Tires' Service Life - NO LONGER THAN 5 YEARS! This is because the tire become harder, losing Grip, and loses it's Heat Management qualities as it ages. This is due to moisture, UV Rays, Heat Cycling etc. A Tire 5 years old is unsafe for high speed running regardless of the amount of tread left, you may get away with it, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Personally, I change my Tires every 4 years (they usually need it anyway, but I do it even if they don't). Happy Motoring!...Jim'99 Last edited by MNBoxster; 10-14-2005 at 09:23 AM.