Tire tread depth

dryfly wrote:
I recently installed a set of Goodyear Endurance ST tires on my new 5th wheel. I noticed the tread depth was 8/32", and this was considerably less than the 13/32"

After some research, I found that less height on the tread may well contribute to dissipating heat from the tire carcass, thereby promoting longer life and fewer separations.

Less tread depth for "life of tire" does not concern me as I replace tires every 5 years. I have never experienced much wear at this interval.

Tread depth is only one aspect of tire life. Every major tire manufacturer (Goodyear, BFG, Michelin, etc.) has their own proprietary rubber compounds which vary in relative hardness/softness in order to create what THEY believe is a superior tire. Generally, softer compounds wear more quickly, but provide better wet/dry traction, better NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) characteristics than hard compounds. The manufacturers that use softer compounds have to increase the tread depth to provide comparable design life to tires with harder compounds.

Look at some tires for racing applications. The rubber is so soft its like wet glue when hot. They have fantastic grip, but, . . . . they wear out in 100 miles or less. That just wouldn't work in a heavy duty trailer/truck.

Chum lee