Understanding the Tire Break-In Period: Why It’s Important

The New Tire Break-In Period: Why It Matters and How to Do It Right

When you purchase new tires for your vehicle, it’s tempting to hit the road and immediately enjoy the improved handling, grip, and performance that fresh rubber can offer. However, new tires need a break-in period to reach their full potential. This break-in period, often overlooked by drivers, is crucial for ensuring your new tires perform as intended, providing the best possible safety, handling, and longevity.

What Is the Tire Break-In Period?

The tire break-in period refers to the initial phase of driving on new tires during which they wear off their factory coatings and settle into the road surface. Most tire manufacturers recommend a break-in period of approximately 500 miles (800 kilometers). During this time, the tires adapt to the vehicle’s weight, the road, and various driving conditions, allowing them to perform optimally once the break-in is complete.

Why Tires Need a Break-In Period

1. Mold Release Agents— Tires are manufactured using molds, and to prevent the rubber from sticking to these molds, manufacturers apply mold release agents. These chemicals remain on the tire surface when it is brand new. The presence of mold release agents can make the tire’s surface slicker than it will be after the break-in period. This can temporarily reduce the tire’s grip on the road, especially in wet conditions, until the agents wear off.
2. Surface Texture and Tread Optimization— New tires often have a slight sheen or glossy finish on their surface. This is caused by the smooth surfaces in the mold. The glossy surface gradually wears off as the tires are driven. This initial smoothness can reduce traction compared to tires that have been properly broken in.

How to Properly Perform a New Tire Break-in

Breaking in new tires isn’t complicated, but it requires some attention to how you drive during the first few hundred miles. Here are the key steps to ensure your new tires settle in correctly:

1) Drive Gently at First: Avoid Aggressive Maneuvers: During the break-in period, it’s important to avoid sudden stops, sharp turns, and aggressive acceleration. These maneuvers can cause the tires to wear unevenly before they’ve had a chance to adapt to the road properly.
2) Gradual Speed Increase: Start by driving at moderate speeds and gradually increase your speed as you accumulate more miles on the new tires. This approach allows the tires to warm up and wear off the mold-release agents and any initial surface smoothness.
3) Vary the Mix of Road Surfaces: Driving on a variety of road surfaces (such as highways, city streets, and rural roads) during the break-in period helps the tires adapt to different conditions and wear patterns.
4) Monitor Tire Pressure: Check Regularly: New tires can undergo slight changes in pressure as they break in. Regularly check and adjust the tire pressure according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, ensuring optimal contact with the road and proper wear.

Expect a slight drop in MPG due to the increased rolling resistance of the new tires

New tires have deep tread, which is normally a good thing. But all that extra rubber causes the tire to have more resistance to rolling and flexing and that reduces fuel economy for a while until you’ve worn off a bit of the rubber. Expect new tires to reduce your fuel economy.

New tires have lower response

Deep tread blocks tend to squirm when put under lateral stress, so new tires offer less responsiveness than older tires with half the tread depth. As they wear in, the responsiveness will increase. Don’t expect your new tires to be as responsive when first installed as your old ones.

©, 2021 Rick Muscoplat