Why Does Tire Treadwear Matter?
The lifespan of a tire can make or break how you perform at your next event. The last thing anyone wants is buying a boatload of tires to realize they aren’t designed for the application you are using them in. A tire UTQG (Uniform Tire Quality Grading), more specifically it’s treadwear will tell you just that. UTQG explains to you, as a tire buyer, what to expect from the performance of your tire. The rating is compiled of treadwear, temperature resistance, and traction.
How is treadwear decided? A tire's lifespan is dependent on its treadwear, which part of the UTQG. The spirit of a treadwear rating is that the higher the rating the greater the tire life, and vice versa. So, in theory, a tire that has a rated treadwear of “600” would last three times as long as a tire that is rated at a “200”. Though this can be true within brand lines it tends to get blurry when you are comparing brands. In full disclosure, the treadwear rating is mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but NHTSA does not test the tires or assign ratings. Rather, it is the tire manufacturer's duty to test their own tires.
This means that a tire from Brand A that is rated at “200” may have a better or worse lifespan than Brand B’s “200” rated tire. But don’t let that discourage you. Though ratings may be subjective brand to brand, treadwear is still the best way to decide if a tire will work for your set-up or application that you are using it in, ultimately determining the performance of the tire you are buying.
Why does this matter to me?
Well, great question.
No matter what motorsport that you participate in, the treadwear of the tire you use matters. Not only does treadwear tell you the lifespan of your tire, but it gives you insight on the performance that you can be expecting from the rubber you buy. Whether you drive endurance, track days, or are drifting and destroying tires every weekend the tread life of the tire you are using will ultimately dictate how well YOU perform. For instance, a tire rated “180” or less should perform great during drift events or track days (depending on your set-up) due to a shorter lifespan and the extra grip you get from a softer compound, but we would not recommend that treadwear as a daily driver. On the opposite side of things, a tire rated “400” or over would be great for high mileage but not for grip over the short racing time.
Additionally, some events require you to have a certain rated tire. Most NASA (National Auto Sports Association) sanctioned events require you to have a minimum treadwear of 180, and mandate that the tire is DOT certified depending on your class. Although there are no such requirements for most grassroots drifting events, the only thing you are hurting by using a 400 rated tire is yourself.
From our experience with the Accelera 651 Sport, which is has a treadwear rating of 200, we have found that a tire that is rated 180-200 will perform well in almost all applications, but daily driving. This might also be because the 651 Sport is a r-compound that is made to handle the heat cycles that a 200-rated tire would go through. Regardless, the Accelera 651 Sport lasts longer than your standard 200-rated tire, while providing you the grip you need in any conditions you put it in.
When it comes to the treadwear ratings you just need to know what works in the application you plan on using the tire in. The last thing anyone wants is a tire that either provides too much grip or a tire that dies before you even get started due to chunking or delamination. Know what treadwear works for you and factor in the tire's tread pattern to maximize the performance of any tire you use.