Get Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles) -> Tyre wear/ mileage Guide for Volkswagen Caddy SUV Third Generation (2003-2015)

Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

The maximum speed permitted by law when driving with snow

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chains is 50 km/h.

Snow chains should be removed when there is no snow on the

road. There is no point in having them on the wheels, as they

adversely affect the vehicle's handling. It causes unnecessary

stress on the tyres and above average wear on the chains.

4.2

Tyre wear/ mileage

4.2.1

General

A tyre has to meet numerous requirements ⇒ page 18 .

Different types of tyres meet these requirements to varying de‐

grees.

Depending on the conditions in which the tyres are used and on

the type of vehicle, some requirements will be more important

than others.

H, V, and Z tyres for „high-performance vehicles“ are expected to

have good grip on wet and flooded roads. The trade-off for this,

however, is that the mileage is not as high as S or T tyres, for

example.

4. Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles)

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Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

4.2.2

Requirements to be met by tyres

A - Wet braking properties

B - Driving comfort

C - Steering accuracy

D - Driving stability

E - Tyre weight

F - Life expectancy

G - Rolling resistance

H - Aquaplaning

The pie chart illustrates to what extent the tyre meets the various

requirements. The tyre in this example (with its specific structure

and rubber composition) would meet the requirements listed

above (A to H) to the extent indicated by the size of the segments

of the pie.

Improving one of the characteristics will have a negative effect on

one of the others.

Example:

An improvement in wet braking properties -A- leads to a reduction

in driving comfort -B-, rolling resistance -G- and life expectancy

-F-.

The life expectancy of passenger vehicle tyres does not just de‐

pend on the rubber composition and design of a tyre. The condi‐

tions for use, the vehicle-specific circumstances and driving style

have a heavy influence on the service life of a tyre.

Modern vehicles enable comfortable and economic driving, but

also a more "sporty" driving style. A tyre life of 5,000 to 40,000

km or more is possible.

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Note

The driving style is the most important influencing factor as re‐

gards the service life of a tyre.

4.2.3

Wear behaviour of high-speed tyres

These tyres are designed for very high speeds. When developing

these tyres, good grip in wet conditions is the main objective. The

tread compositions do not have the same wear resistance as T

and H tyres for lower speeds.

The life expectancy of high-speed tyres is therefore considerably

lower in comparable conditions of use.

4.2.4

Factors influencing the service life of a

tyre

The following factors influence a tyre's service life to varying de‐

grees.

Driving style:

♦ Speed ⇒ page 19

♦ Braking ⇒ page 19

♦ Acceleration ⇒ page 19

♦ Cornering ⇒ page 20

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Rep. gr.44 - Wheels, tyres, vehicle geometry

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Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

For more information about driving style: ⇒ page 19 .

Maintenance:

♦ Tyre pressure ⇒ page 20

For more information about maintenance: ⇒ page 20 .

Environment:

♦ Road surface

♦ Ambient temperature and climate

Vehicle:

♦ Weight

♦ Dynamic toe and camber settings

Tyre use:

♦ Speed range

♦ Wet or dry

Tyre type:

Winter or summer

4.2.5

Driving style

I. Steady driving without deceleration or acceleration

Example:

Speed (km/h)

Wheel slip

Wear

100

180

1

3

1

9

II. Braking (driving style)

Most wear is caused during braking.

Example: Braking from a speed of 50 km/h

2 2)

Braking distance (m)

Vehicle allowed to roll to a stop

Wheel slip

Wear

Deceleration (m/s )

0

4

8

0

1

4

100

50

0.1 x g

0.2 x g

0.4 x g ³⁾

12.5

32

2000 - 3000

2

2) g = Freefall acceleration: 9.81 m/s

3) A deceleration of 0.4 x g corresponds to heavy braking.

III. Acceleration (driving style)

Slip caused when driving off gently is approximately the same as

that caused when driving at a constant speed of 100 km/h.

Example:

Wheel slip

Wear

Driving off gently

Driving off normally

1 - 2

7 - 8

1

5

Driving off with wheels spinning

20 or more

100 - 200

4. Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles)

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Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

IV. Driving through curves (driving style)

A »sporty« driving style and driving at higher speeds also cause

greater wear when driving through corners.

In practice, this means that wear is increased 16-fold when the

cornering speed is doubled. This is the »premium« that has to be

paid for going faster.

Example: Driving through a curve with a radius of 150 m

2 4)

Speed (km/h)

Wear

Lateral acceleration (m/s )

50

80

100

1 = 0.13 x g

2.5 = 0.33 x g

4 = 0.53 x g

1

6.5

16

lk

2

4) g = gravitational acceleration: 9.81 m/s

4.2.6

Tyre maintenance

Tyre pressure

The weight of the vehicle causes the tyre contact area to flatten.

This in turn causes the running surface and the entire ply of the

tyre to be continually deformed when a tyre is rolling. If the tyre is

underinflated, the amount of flex is higher, resulting in a greater

increase in heat and increased rolling resistance. This then leads

to increased wear and poses a greater safety risk.

Example: Specified standard tyre pressure with cold tyres, ac‐

cording to vehicle load

Tyre pressure (bar)

Tyre pressure (%)

Tyre life (%)

2.3

1.9

1.4

1.0

100

80

60

100

85

60

40

25

If tyre pressure is too high, this will result in poor rolling comfort

and increased wear across the centre of the tread. We recom‐

mend always to maintain the tyre pressure specified by the man‐

ufacturer.

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Rep. gr.44 - Wheels, tyres, vehicle geometry

Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

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Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

Note

♦ The diagrams shown are not applicable in all cases.

♦ They are intended merely to give an idea of the wear rates of

tyres on the front and rear axles and with front-wheel drive and

four-wheel drive.

♦ The tyre service life may differ significantly, depending on op‐

erating conditions and running gear.

Diagram 1:

Tread depth versus tyre life for vehicles with front-wheel drive and

V-rated tyres

P - Tread depth

S - Mileage covered

1 - Front axle

2 - Rear axle

Diagram 2:

Tread depth over tyre service life for vehicles with four-wheel drive

and V-rated tyres

P - Tread depth

S - Mileage covered

1 - Front axle

2 - Rear axle

Diagrams 1 and 2 show that the tread on a new tyre wears faster

than that on a heavily used tyre. As the wear curve is not linear,

it is not possible to estimate the tyre service life on the basis of

wear after the first 5,000 km.

On front-wheel drive vehicles, the front tyres not only have to

transmit the steering and driving forces, but also the greater part

of the lateral and braking forces. This causes the front tyres on

front-wheel drive vehicles to wear much faster than the rear tyres.

Even tyre wear can be achieved by swapping (interchanging) the

front and rear wheels on a regular basis. Rotating wheels

⇒ page 53 .

4.2.7

Evenly worn tyres

The requirements to be met by tyres are increasing continuously.

This is caused by the following factors:

♦ greater vehicle weight

♦ high speeds

♦ high level of vehicle safety

Greater loads on the tyre will, of course, lead to an increase in

tyre wear.

Driving style has a critical effect on tyre wear. For this reason,

customer claims regarding tyre wear on evenly worn tyres are not

covered by the warranty.

The effective service life of a tyre can be determined only when

the remaining tread depth has reached 2 mm (see diagrams

⇒ page 21 ).

4. Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles)

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Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

4.2.8

Measuring tread depth

Note

♦ The tread depth is measured in the main tread channels.

♦ Do not measure at the TWIs (Tread Wear Indicators).

Measure the tread depth in the main tread channel, at the points

where the tyre is worn most heavily. The position of the TWIs can

be seen at various points on the shoulder of the tyre

⇒ Item 15 (page 9) .

A „Δ“ or the manufacturer's „logo“ may appear in the place of

„TWI“.

The bars of the TWI have a height of 1.6 mm. This is the minimum

tread depth required by German law.

Different values may apply in other countries.

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The TWIs must not be included in the measurement. Tread depth

should always be measured at the deepest point of the tread

channel.

A - TWIs in the main tread channels

B - Main tread channels with TWIs -arrows-

4.2.9

One-sided wear

This is often caused by driving style, but can be the result of in‐

correct wheel alignment.

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Increased one-sided wear

One-sided wear, usually in conjunction with signs of scuffing on

the ribs of the tread and in the fine grooves, always occurs when

the tyres have been allowed to roll with an extreme tyre slip angle,

causing them to »rub« on the road surface.

Driving fast on a stretch of road with lots of curves will cause in‐

creased wear, in particular on the outer shoulder.

A rounded outer shoulder on the tyre in conjunction with a partic‐

ularly high degree of wear on the outer tread blocks indicates fast

cornering. This wear pattern is influenced by driving style.

To optimise handling, the suspension is set to specified toe-in and

camber values. Increased one-sided wear can be expected if

tyres are allowed to roll under conditions which differ from those

specified.

One-sided wear is especially likely if the toe and camber have not

been set correctly. Moreover, there is a greater risk of diagonal

washout.

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Toe-out or negative toe-in

Distance between front of wheels -A- is greater than distance be‐

tween rear of wheels -B- (-C- = direction of travel).

4. Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles)

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Amarok 2011 ➤ , Caddy 2004 ➤ , Caddy 2011 ➤ , Caddy Kasten/Kombi 1996 ➤ ...

Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

Toe-in or positive toe

Distance between front of wheels -A- is less than distance be‐

tween rear of wheels -B- (-C- = direction of travel).

To prevent one-sided wear, care must be taken to ensure that the

wheel is set within the tolerance specified by the vehicle manu‐

facturer. The most frequent deviation of the wheel alignment is

caused by external influences, for example hard contact with the

kerbstone when parking.

By measuring the axle geometry, you can check whether the

wheel alignment is within the specified tolerances or whether it

has to be corrected.

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Running gear modifications

Using „suspension-lowering kits“ and/or alloy wheels that have

not been recommended by VW may result in altered wheel posi‐

tions which deviate from the specified alignment.

Even if the axle geometry is correct with the vehicle stationary

during wheel alignment, the changed vehicle height and wheel

positions can cause the wheel suspension to move differently

during operation.

Uneven wear is then unavoidable.

The way to prevent one-sided tyre wear is to ensure the wheel

alignment is correct on one hand and on the other hand to make

sure the vehicle is used only for its intended purpose:

Regular servicing of the vehicle and tyres helps to prevent tyre

wear. The following should be noted in particular with regards to

this:

♦ The prescribed minimum tyre pressure must be adhered to.

♦ Different wear on the front and rear axle depending on the

driving style is unavoidable. This condition can be compensa‐

ted for by rotating the wheels from front to rear. The ideal

opportunity to do this, for example, is during the seasonal

change between winter and summer tyres. This change also

has a positive side effect in that the tyres can wear down

equally, meaning that a completely new set of tyres can be

fitted. This prevents differences between the tread depths of

the tyres on each axle, which can have negative effects on

road holding.

♦ Saw tooth formation is a normal wear pattern, particularly if the

driving style is very careful ⇒ page 27 . This can lead to in‐

creased rolling noise, which generally becomes better as the

tread depth decreases. In the event of light saw tooth forma‐

tion or if saw tooth formation is just starting, exchanging the

wheels between axles is normally sufficient. If saw tooth for‐

mation is very pronounced, the wheels have to be changed in

accordance with ⇒ page 27 so their direction of rotation is

reversed.

♦ Some tread patterns may create an impression of premature

wear: if winter tyre sipes or channels in the tread are worn

down, only compact profile blocks without patterns remain,

thus giving the impression of a worn tyre. In this case, the re‐

maining tread depth must be measured in each groove. If this

is at or below the minimum tread depth, the tyre can continue

to be used without restrictions. (In Germany, the minimum is

1.6 mm; it is recommended, and in Austria, required, that win‐

ter tyres that are worn down to 4 mm be used only in summer )

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Wheels and Tyres Guide - Edition 01.2011

4.2.10

Wear in middle of tyre

This wear pattern is found on the driven wheels of high-perform‐

ance vehicles that are frequently driven long distances at high

speeds.

At high speeds, centrifugal forces cause the tyre diameter to in‐

crease more in the middle of the tread than it does at the shoulder.

This causes drive forces to be transferred to the road surface from

the centre section of the tread. This i^ls^kreflected in the wear pat‐

tern.

Effects of this kind can be especially pronounced on wide tyres.

It is not possible to counteract this wear pattern by reducing the

tyre pressure.

WARNING

For safety reasons, the tyre pressure must not under any cir‐

cumstances be reduced below the specified tyre pressure.

A more or less even tread wear pattern can be achieved by in‐

terchanging the tyres on the driven wheels and non-driven wheels

in good time.

Increased tread wear

The typical tread wear pattern of tyres run on the driven wheels

of a high-performance vehicle.

The increased wear in the centre section of the tread results from

the extra loading associated with centrifugal forces within the tyre

and the transmission of drive forces.

4. Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles)

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Facts about wheels and tyres (commercial vehicles) -> Tyre wear/ mileage for Your Volkswagen Caddy SUV Third Generation (2003-2015)

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