All things being equal (never are, but) - if everything was exactly the same, same car, same driver, same exact tires, same road surface, etc...and one road was really wet and the other really dry - which would wear the tire faster, wet or dry?
Tire wear on wet roads
- Thread starter Pablo
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dry
two reasons:
a) less friction between the road and tire. Think about burnouts with water vs. without water. much less tire smoke without water, right?
b) less heat buildup (related to a). The water has a much higher capacity to absorb heat than air.
two reasons:
a) less friction between the road and tire. Think about burnouts with water vs. without water. much less tire smoke without water, right?
b) less heat buildup (related to a). The water has a much higher capacity to absorb heat than air.
That was my thinking as well......but I don't have much empirical proof.
Pablo, I was going to post that very same question today!
Do tires in Seattle last longer than the same ones in say, Phoenix, AZ?
With all the rain we've had the last few weeks, I push off purchaing tires for another month or so!
Do tires in Seattle last longer than the same ones in say, Phoenix, AZ?
With all the rain we've had the last few weeks, I push off purchaing tires for another month or so!
I'd think that the water would provide some measure of lubricating and cooling between the tire and the roadway, and I'd think that there might be a slight advantage in a wetter environment.
But would the constant exposure to moisture cause the tire to physically degrade faster (not wear related)?
But would the constant exposure to moisture cause the tire to physically degrade faster (not wear related)?
Well XS that was my quandry on the other side. Rubber will degrade in water eventually and constant wear while wet....even though cooler, the water will have a bit of disolving effect.
Pablo,
two more things to consider.
Rubber cuts easier when it's wet, maybe it wears faster too.
The average driver is more likely to lose traction and slide their tires on the pavement when it's wet.
two more things to consider.
Rubber cuts easier when it's wet, maybe it wears faster too.
The average driver is more likely to lose traction and slide their tires on the pavement when it's wet.
Kestas
Staff member
Sandpaper works better when wet because lubrication from water saves on the abrasive that is kept recycled and keeps it cool so it lasts longer. The abrasive acting on the tire is not recycled, so the analogy of wet sanding doesn't work here. The key difference is recycling of the abrasive. I'd say wet roads are easier on the tire because of the lubricating properties.
I think dry, because there is more traction/friction between the tread and road. Everything else being equal a dry road will also tend to be warmer at a given atmospheric temperature, compared to evaporative cooling from water when it's wet. Tires wear quickest with high friction and high temperature, like high speeds on a hot day.
I was thinking the same thing. Kinda like when you wet sand something. Sandpaper works better when wet than when dry. My guess is that there's not much difference.
OK, guys, here are the facts!
Tires hardly wear at all in snowy or rainy conditions - in non-cornering driving. However, since most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode, wet and snowy conditions adds a bit of lubrication between the road and the tire, allowing for an easier transition in and out of the footprint, and therefore better wear in the cornering mode as well.
As a general rule, rubber as a material isn't affected by water, however, rubber cuts more easily when the cutting edge is lubricated and water does provide some lubrication.
The reason sandpaper works better when it is wet is that the water flushes the surface and doesn't allow the "grit" to get clogged with particles. Taking the sandpaper analogy further, what happens with the road surface is that the tire is constantly "seeing" a new surface, and the surface gets cleaned out every time it rains. Ergo, the worst tire wear ought to occur immediately after the rain has dried off the road surface.
For this reason, tire wear is never tested in rainy (and snowy) conditions.
So to answer the question about tire wear in Seattle vs Phoenix: Since most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode and since Seattle has much curvier (Is that a word?) roads, Seattle will probably have more rapid tire wear, even considering the effect the rain has on tread wear.
Hope this helps.
Tires hardly wear at all in snowy or rainy conditions - in non-cornering driving. However, since most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode, wet and snowy conditions adds a bit of lubrication between the road and the tire, allowing for an easier transition in and out of the footprint, and therefore better wear in the cornering mode as well.
As a general rule, rubber as a material isn't affected by water, however, rubber cuts more easily when the cutting edge is lubricated and water does provide some lubrication.
The reason sandpaper works better when it is wet is that the water flushes the surface and doesn't allow the "grit" to get clogged with particles. Taking the sandpaper analogy further, what happens with the road surface is that the tire is constantly "seeing" a new surface, and the surface gets cleaned out every time it rains. Ergo, the worst tire wear ought to occur immediately after the rain has dried off the road surface.
For this reason, tire wear is never tested in rainy (and snowy) conditions.
So to answer the question about tire wear in Seattle vs Phoenix: Since most tire wear occurs in the cornering mode and since Seattle has much curvier (Is that a word?) roads, Seattle will probably have more rapid tire wear, even considering the effect the rain has on tread wear.
Hope this helps.
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