Problem with Tyre in Maruti Alto.


Thread Starter #1
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
101
Likes
13
Location
Chennai
I have a used 2007 Maruti Alto shod with MRF ZVTS tyres. Size is 145/80 R12. It has currently clocked around 22600 kms. The left front tyre has completely worn out[anger] i.e. the tread wear indicator is seen. The tyre is 6 years old. I have rotated the tyres. Now only two tyres (the ones which where in the back and are now in the front) have some tread left. The tyre retailers are asking me to change the whole set ASAP. What should i do and what is your opinion about tyre upsizing?
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
582
Likes
81
Location
Lucknow
Please do post few pics of all the tyres. So that we can see the condition of the tyres and give proper suggestion. If you have a pair of good tyres, you can shift them back and buy a new set for the front. And what about the spare wheel ??
 
Thread Starter #3
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
101
Likes
13
Location
Chennai
Will definitely post pictures. The spare is brand new i guess, The rubber is still black. Won't the tread patterns differ if i buy a new set?
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
3,779
Likes
1,335
Location
Bangalore
Are all the 5 tyres stock ones ? 22K is very less mileage to get the tyre worn out until you have driven on very bad roads.

I would advise you to change all four tyres if not brand new but seconds (which you get in tyre shops from people who go for upgrade/tubeless ones after doing few thousand kms).

If you upsize your tyre you have to change the rims/alloys. It may also affect FE.

Cheers,
Anshuman
 
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
2,546
Likes
1,315
Location
M.P.
@Speed_freak: Premature wear of tyres clearly points out towards a suspension issue, unless of course there is some manufacturing defect in the tyres (highly improbable). Please change all 5 of your tyres to brand new ones as they are over 6 years old (expiry period of a tyre = 4 years). Upsizing is strictly NOT RECOMMENDED on the Alto because it NEEDS a cushioned ride quality owing to its small wheelbase and puny tyres. You upsize, you loose cuishioning. Result? A hard ride and more load on suspension components.

A word of advice, before going for new tyres, get your suspension set up checked up from an authorised Maruti dealer, else a faulty suspension would eat up your new tyres too; CHOMP. CHOMP. CHOMP.
 
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
794
Likes
117
Location
Thiruvananthapuram
I have a used 2007 Maruti Alto shod with MRF ZVTS tyres. Size is 145/80 R12. It has currently clocked around 22600 kms. The left front tyre has completely worn out[anger] i.e. the tread wear indicator is seen. The tyre is 6 years old. I have rotated the tyres. Now only two tyres (the ones which where in the back and are now in the front) have some tread left. The tyre retailers are asking me to change the whole set ASAP. What should i do and what is your opinion about tyre upsizing?
I think it is the alignment issue.
Check the alignment from a reliable place other than the dealer and put the best 2 out of 5 tyres in front,
and drive for a 1000kms and check the front tyres if it has the same probs go for a suspension check,(which may not be necessary in this case.)
Then think of new tyres or else your new tyres will get worn out too.
An upsized tyre will affect your mileage and steering smoothness.
 
Thread Starter #8
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
101
Likes
13
Location
Chennai
Are all the 5 tyres stock ones ? 22K is very less mileage to get the tyre worn out until you have driven on very bad roads.

I would advise you to change all four tyres if not brand new but seconds (which you get in tyre shops from people who go for upgrade/tubeless ones after doing few thousand kms).

If you upsize your tyre you have to change the rims/alloys. It may also affect FE.

Cheers,
Anshuman
Yes all the 5 tyres are stock ones. I bought this car on September 2012 (2007 model). It had clocked around 18100 kms when i bought the car. The owner was a old man. So i'm pretty sure he wouldn't have driven over bad roads. I'm quite sure that the tyres were good when i bought it. Now the reading is 22600. The left front tyre only has worn out very badly. The rest are all 'okay'.

Need to do wheel alignment and wheel balancing at regular intervels of say, every 5000 km.
Thanks for the information. I don't know if the previous owner did that properly. He has driven 18100 kms only in 5 years. I will make sure i follow it properly.

@Speed_freak: Premature wear of tyres clearly points out towards a suspension issue, unless of course there is some manufacturing defect in the tyres (highly improbable). Please change all 5 of your tyres to brand new ones as they are over 6 years old (expiry period of a tyre = 4 years). Upsizing is strictly NOT RECOMMENDED on the Alto because it NEEDS a cushioned ride quality owing to its small wheelbase and puny tyres. You upsize, you loose cuishioning. Result? A hard ride and more load on suspension components.

A word of advice, before going for new tyres, get your suspension set up checked up from an authorised Maruti dealer, else a faulty suspension would eat up your new tyres too; CHOMP. CHOMP. CHOMP.
Will get it checked then. But as far as to my knowledge, There is nothing wrong with the suspension setup i guess. Lots of people have driven my car and they've never complained about the suspension. And by the way, what's the difference between tread life and tyre life?

I think it is the alignment issue.
Check the alignment from a reliable place other than the dealer and put the best 2 out of 5 tyres in front,
and drive for a 1000kms and check the front tyres if it has the same probs go for a suspension check,(which may not be necessary in this case.)
Then think of new tyres or else your new tyres will get worn out too.
An upsized tyre will affect your mileage and steering smoothness.
I have already rotated my tyres. The previous owner did not do all that i assume. (.i.e. he did not rotate the tyres till i did ((22600 kms)). Now the good ones are in the front and the bad ones are in the back. Spare wheel is unused. Looks new. But don't want to use it.

Please do post few pics of all the tyres. So that we can see the condition of the tyres and give proper suggestion. If you have a pair of good tyres, you can shift them back and buy a new set for the front. And what about the spare wheel ??
These are the pictures of my left front worn out tyre. Uneven wear i guess. What do you guys think? No tread in centre but tread is there in the corners.
 

Attachments

Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Messages
2,524
Likes
250
Location
Mumbai
You need to change the tires.I think after 5 years the tire starts to get hard and develop cracks on the sidewall.

It happens if your car stands a lot.You should change all the tires.

The uneven wear is either due to worn out suspension components or no alignment and balancing done during service intervals.
 
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
2,546
Likes
1,315
Location
M.P.
what's the difference between tread life and tyre life?
Tread = The part of tyre that grips the road, i.e. the one which has grooves.

Tyre = Er, c'mon you know what a tyre is.

Life = Means two things. First is the expiry date. As I said in my earlier post, the expiry date of all car/motorcycle tyres is 4 years from the date of manufacture (stamped on the side of the tyre). The second is the wear pattern of the tyre. Depending on your usage pattern, a tyre may wear out earlier than 4 years; sidewalls may crack, tread may wear out and start looking like Bruce Willis's head. That's the time when you replace it with a new tyre.

Regarding your point about the suspension that many people have driven your car and no one has complained anything about the suspension, just understand that it may not be easy to FEEL a misaligned suspension. When the Tata Sumo was launched, its front tyres used to wear out within 10000-20000 Kms because of faulty suspension design - something that Tata corrected on the later model Sumos. Please get your suspension settings checked.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
794
Likes
117
Location
Thiruvananthapuram
When the Tata Sumo was launched, its front tyres used to wear out within 10000-20000 Kms because of faulty suspension design - something that Tata corrected on the later model Sumos.
OT,but something to be noticed.

And tata claimed that sumo is a huge and heavy vehicle and so it is quite natural that the Tyres will be worned out with a 20000kms as it does in tata's trucks.
We had to wait till the Qualis launch to know that it was the fault of TATA.
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter #12
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
101
Likes
13
Location
Chennai
Guys i'm planning to go in for the Yokohama C. Drive 165/60 R12. What say? Will they be a perfect fit for the 12 inch rim? What tyre brand would you guys recommend?
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
3,779
Likes
1,335
Location
Bangalore
Guys i'm planning to go in for the Yokohama C. Drive 165/60 R12. What say? Will they be a perfect fit for the 12 inch rim? What tyre brand would you guys recommend?
I doubt those would fit or be stable in stock steel wheels. You may need to go for alloys for same.

Best is to stick to OEM specifications for tyre upgrade.

Please check Alto threads in the forum for more detail.

Cheers,
Anshuman
 
Thread Starter #15
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
101
Likes
13
Location
Chennai
Hey Guys, Finally bought new tires. Michelin XM2 155/70 R12. Costed 3000/- per tyre. Will post the pics. soon. What do you guys think?
 

Top Bottom