What is the minimum tyre tread in Spain?

[olive]

Not safe limit but minimum legal tread depth and width across tyre rule here in Spain please?

Thanks olive

[frank]

Do they have treads, I thought they all drove on slicks!
1.6mm tread depth.

[El Cid]

It's a EU standard now. It's 1.6mm across 75% of the width and around the whole tyre circumference.

Most tyres have tread indicators - little ribs across the grooves. When these are level with the tread you are on the legal limit.

Sid

[spanish_lad]

is it a car or 4x4

[gerryh]

is it a car or 4x4

Why? Are there different regulations for cars and 4X4s?

Cheers
Gerry

[Enrique]

Hi,

"The minimum legal tread depth for car, 4x4 and van tyres for vehicles up to 3.5t gvw, is 1.6mm over the central ¾ of the tread width"

[gerryh]

That is what I thought, so was suprised that Spanish Lad was suggesting there was a difference.
Cheers
Gerry

[Retro P]

I think the question should be "what is my life worth"

[ajtg1952]

In the good old days of driving a company car I used to drive a lot in continental Europe. Because most high speed roads in France, Spain and Germany do not use surface chips, unlike the UK, to give texture depth, the roads get slick when wet. I therefore changed my tyres at 3.0mm. 1.6mm is not enough on a smooth, wet road at high speed.

[spanish_lad]

Hi,

"The minimum legal tread depth for car, 4x4 and van tyres for vehicles up to 3.5t gvw, is 1.6mm over the central ¾ of the tread width"

That is what I thought, so was suprised that Spanish Lad was suggesting there was a difference.
Cheers
Gerry

that must be a new thing then, i was refused an itv with 4 tyres at 5mm on a suzuki jeep, because the tyres didnt have enough tread.

[Enrique]

Hi SL,
The tester must have been having a bad day
Nothing new on the info I posted its been around for some years....

"The 1.6mm legal limit dates back to 1992 "

New 4x4 tyres can have up to 10mm new tread, normal car/van tyres 8/9mm

[spanish_lad]

blimey, he must of got out the wrong side of bed then

[dxf]

Hi

My car failed the ITV last year; the wear bars were not level with the tread - say about 2mm left. I was told the minimum was 3 mm. Not a problem as I intended to change all four tyres anyway for the winter (the tester just said the front two tyres).

Davexf

[pietree]

Lucky in Uk and Spain, a lot of European countries need two sets of tyres, one for winter one for summer, can you imagine that? What a pain changing them and the cost.

[Enrique]

Hi,
I run summer and winter tyres in UK , have winter ones on spare set of wheels, came in handy last winter .
Apart from the initial cost , tyre wear is spread over the sets.

[Devils Advocate]

I've heard that said before Enrique about swapping winter/summer tyres. Are you talking about 4x4s or ordinary cars there? I can understand it on a 4x4 but on a car what options do you actually have in sourcing these sets of tyres?..i.e. what differentiates a summer from winter tyre, as I say I understand it if we a talking 4x4 where the choice of tread pattern and depth and compound is greater

Cheers

[Enrique]

Hi DA,
Use them on a 1.6 Megane and Kangoo , I source them from http://www.mytyres.co.uk

They have a selection..........

I have Michelin Alpin A3

Advantages :: they work better below 7c than Summer tyres, have more snipes and wet weather performance is better.

You can get All Season tyres as well , I've not had any experience with these.

[Devils Advocate]

Thanks Enrique, had a look through the winter range on the link..........just never realised so many were available.........I suppose that's with living in a climate that doesn't vary much more than 10 degrees and is just dull and damp 343 days a year............apart from last winters blip and the sunny day we had back in June , they are probably just not needed around here.

I think the all season thing must just be ordinary road tyres then

[Enrique]

Hi DA,
Some light reading from Honest John....................

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/parts- ... elin-tests