Seems to me that all things I learned as a teen hot-rodder have changed. Seems no one follows break-in periods for new cars -- except me -- and I never hear about break-in for new tires -- or brakes for that matter. With new tires, I learned to try to never drive over 50 mph and try to avoid hard, abrupt stops and jackrabbit take-offs, as well as avoid bumps and potholes for the first 50 miles. Never been told that when I buy tires, but as I just bought new Michelin CrossClimate2's for wifey's Subaru Crosstrek, I will repeat that to her and probably be ignored. I did do some googling, though and found Continental gives sort of the same advice, but they recommend 500 miles! They also recommend only driving on dry roads for that period -- guess that means only replace tires in the summer in the Pacific Northwest and hope for no summer showers. Like A Pair Of Shoes, Tires Need To Be Broken In Too | Continental Tire
i always avoid those things all the time, but i haven't read break in advice for tyres in years. can't hurt i suppose.
My experience is that within the first 5,000 miles, the 'new' treads will wear down to even. Thereafter, the tires give maximum MPG. Bob Wilson
Ah.....tyres. Most people have tire problems for the same reason that they have car problems - inattention to maintenance rather than "doing it wrong." There have been 100,000 arguments about break-in oil, this or that blend, or tire rotation practices. I usually get full treadwear life +25-50% but I also change them out well before they reach 2/32" because of the torrential rain that we experience here in the SE. I own 2 RWD and 2 FWD vehicles and 'what works for me' is to inflate to body placard +4-5 psi, and use a rearward cross/forward cross rotation pattern @ < 5,000miles. (none of my tyres are directional.) This keeps me from getting the thumpitty-thumpitty noise from "cupped" or irregularly worn tires. I also hand torque the lugs to prevent rotor warping - which is about the only time I break out the torque wrench for cars and M/C use lately. Again. MY mileage. Yours might vary.
I've never done anything to break in tires. On the other hand, I don't expect them to really handle right until they've been on the car for a couple of hundred miles, and this gets reset upon rotation. They're never much different. In my experience it's fairly subtle until you're dealing with heavier loading, like a truck or van. Those you feel a bit more, especially in the wind.
The mold release does something to the exposed surface of the tire that results in the traction and rolling resistance not being at 100%. It quickly wears off. Being cautious with new tires won't hurt, but most drivers likely don't need to make any changes to how they drive. Was probably different years ago, but neither did motor oil last as long as it does now, though shops will still tell you to change it by those old intervals. Now cycles are different. They have half the wheels to begin with, so slight changes in how the tire behaves have a larger impact. Plus turning by leaning puts other stress on the tire that one on a car doesn't see.
Some very good points have been raised above. Tire rotation equalizes wear between front and rear. Correct inflation equalizes edge and center wear. If you believe that 'exceeding the placard' means overinflation, you are likely to lose tread life. Replacing them before they are at legal minimum tread depth could save your life when things get slippy. I add front-end alignment. When previous pair comes off the front, they will tell you if camber, caster, and toe in need to be adjusted. All you need to do is pay attention.
Used to do that but now all our rigs are AWD and makers are pretty clear all tires must have similar amounts of wear.
About tires, I like to maximize tire life using a two-tire, replacement. On a vehicle with a pair of drive wheels, they will wear out first. Order a replacement pair and coordinate with a tire shop delivery. Have the tire shop: (1) move the non-drive pair to the drive wheels (2) mount new rubber on the removed rims (3) hold old tires so you can inspect them (4) put new tires and rims on non-drive hubs (5) alignment (6) inspect worn tires for wear patterns (ask Google) (7) tire shop recycles the worn tires Tire replacement is one pair at a time, reducing purchase costs and maximizing service miles. Inspect the worn tires looking for abnormal wear to compliment the alignment. Side-to-side swapping can equalize the wear so each pair wears down equally . . . say every 1-2 years or tire pair replacement . . . but always inspect (or appear to) for abnormal patterns. Run the tires at the highest pressure tolerable but less than the maximum, sidewall pressure. This lowers tire temperature, extends tire life, and improves steering handling. It slightly reduces hydroplaning (very slight per SAE papers.) All tires look a lot alike so chalk mark them front right (FR), FL, rear right (RR), and RL. If the work is done wrong, share with the shop supervisor. Bob Wilson
