Quick question, or maybe more of an opinion poll. I just received my new max performance summer tires and will have them put on shortly. What's the conventional wisdom on breaking them in?

Tire Rack recommends 500 miles of "easy acceleration, cornering and braking" which I take to mean normal, daily driving as a break-in period.

You guys agree? What are your breaking in practices before you let her rip on new tires?

Thanks!

Never heard of "breaking-in" tires, i always just drove normally

There isn't any brake-in for street tires. There is for racing tires. And by racing, I mean non-DOT approved racing slick. With these, you use a special heat cycle to make the tire last longer.
On street tires, there is a coating (mold release agent) that needs to be worn off before they perform their best.

Worn off huh? so leave the parking lot sideways and youll be good.. :Eyecrazy:

Right, and this process of wearing off the coating from the mold is what they mean by breaking it in. I'm just quoting what Tire Rack recommends and it's for street tires.

They say, "Due to these different components, your new tires require a break-in period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance"

The word "ensure" sounds like it matters down the road. Hence why I asked. Probably doesn't matter much tho for street, like you say. But here's the article in case anyone is interested.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=5


There isn't any brake-in for street tires. There is for racing tires. And by racing, I mean non-DOT approved racing slick. With these, you use a special heat cycle to make the tire last longer.
On street tires, there is a coating (mold release agent) that needs to be worn off before they perform their best.

Drive on them, if it was me I would not get to crazy on them for the first 25 miles. This allows the bead to fully seat and seal.

In the case of new wheels and tires make sure you have the lugs re torqued after 25 to 50 miles.

Just drive them 'normally', no mad tyte dorifto action, no flat spot inducing hard stops.