Mixing Tyres

[Cygnus]

Hey all, I'm pretty sure by the looks of my tyres, my last stealer service did not rotate my wheels! My treads in the front wheels are becoming quite close to the wear indicator (1mm maybe?). But my rear wheels still have maybe around 1cm to the indicator. So I've ran about 25000km, and my tyres are 16" Contis.

Now, what are people's thoughts on mixing different tyres for front and rear wheels? If mixing tyres, what brand/model do you guys recommend to mix with the Contis in the back?

[leasaunce]

imo it should be ok, as long as the left and right side have the same brand of tyre.

it become a problem when you have the left shoe different to the right shoe

[MACCAA]

Not a big fan of mixing tyres.Put the good ones on the front.You'd be suprised how long the worn ones will last on the back.
Basically all the rears do is keep the bum off the ground....
Cheers
Len

[brad]

Hey all, I'm pretty sure by the looks of my tyres, my last stealer service did not rotate my wheels! My treads in the front wheels are becoming quite close to the wear indicator (1mm maybe?). But my rear wheels still have maybe around 1cm to the indicator. So I've ran about 25000km, and my tyres are 16" Contis.

Now, what are people's thoughts on mixing different tyres for front and rear wheels? If mixing tyres, what brand/model do you guys recommend to mix with the Contis in the back?

i doubt the rears have 1cm as they only came out with ~8mm but I get your meaning.

legally you can run different brands/tread patterns on the same axle but it isn't very smart because of differing levels of traction.

what you are proposing (different on front to rear) is fine. You can even run different sizes/profiles front & rear.

About the only thing i'd suggest (and millions will disagree ... /dons flame suit) is that if all your tyres are the same size, run the best tyres on the rear (if practical).

I'm not sure if they are available in the right size for your car but if you don't want Contis again, try:

• Maragoni Mythos
• falken FK452
• Bridgestone Adrenaline RE001
• federal 595RS
• Dunlop SportMaxx
• Firestone Firehawk Wide Ovals
• Pirelli Dragon

I've either driven on these or mates have recomended them. Some may not suit a Polo as they were fitted to bigger, heavier cars (Subaru Liberty size).

[McCosker]

Everything from Buses to race cars run different tread patterns on the front to the rear (steering tyres and drive tyres). so i dont see the problem with running a polo with different treads front and back. Currently i have different treads on the front and back. Like others have said, you just have to keep them in pairs and there shouldnt be a problem.

[callen]

With in three weeks of getting my car I had nails go through the side walls of two of my tyres.

I now have conti's on the back and Michelin Pilot Precedas on the front. I havn't had any problems at all and the handling actually feels much better than when the Conti's were on the front.

Just make sure the tyres that you are putting on the front are a good quality tyre so that the front and back grip is failry matched.

[Ben_GTI]

Provided the backs are the same and the fronts are the same its all good. However, if you have uni directionals on the front and directionals on the back, this can cause problems I'm told.

The fronts are the most important in a FWD car, everything happens through them. The back is just to stop the ass dragging.

[brad]

Provided the backs are the same and the fronts are the same its all good. However, if you have uni directionals on the front and directionals on the back, this can cause problems I'm told.

directionals are preferred on the steer axle if you have both types

The fronts are the most important in a FWD car, everything happens through them. The back is just to stop the ass dragging.

Until the tail hangs out or wants to lock up.

I like putting the worst on the front so they wear out quicker

[The_Hawk]

You should always put your best tyres on the ones that steer is what I have always been told, even more so in a front wheel drive car since they do everything.

[Grant]

You should always put your best tyres on the ones that steer is what I have always been told, even more so in a front wheel drive car since they do everything.

i think brad's reasoning is (correct me if im wrong) that it is preferable/safer to have the front wheels lock before the rears under heavy braking. since a wheel locks once the braking force exceeds the friction/grip. but then again thats why we have ABS..

[Ben_GTI]

i think brad's reasoning is (correct me if im wrong) that it is preferable/safer to have the front wheels lock before the rears under heavy braking. since a wheel locks once the braking force exceeds the friction/grip. but then again thats why we have ABS..

Meh who brakes for corners these days?

[brad]

You should always put your best tyres on the ones that steer is what I have always been told, even more so in a front wheel drive car since they do everything.

Unfortunately, that's a fairly common misconception.

There was a spate of single car accidents in NZ when FWD first started becoming common 30 years back. The investigation showed that under brakes the rear would lift & lighten and was losing grip with the tarmac because of the practice of putting the best tyres on the front. For most people, a front skid is easier to control than a rear skid.

If the fronts are worn, the weight of the engine & drivetrain help maintain road contact in the wet. With the worn tyres on the rear end, the reduced weight promotes aquaplaning.

Don't take my word for it though.

TireRack

Some other mob with a video & vicki butler whatsit

kleber tyres

Fitting new or least-worn tyres at the rear

If you are only changing two tyres out of four, whether your vehicle has front- or rear-wheel drive, we recommend fitting the newest tyres on the rear axle. This will give you greater safety in the event of unexpected and difficult situations (emergency braking, tight bends, etc..) especially in the wet. The front tyres generally wear quicker than the rear, especially with front-wheel drive (which applies to the majority of vehicles nowadays). Numerous tests have demonstrated that it is easier to control the front axle than the rear.
This is why KLEBER advise you to fit the new or least worn tyres on the rear axle for :

* better grip when cornering
* greater safety.

Michelin

Why put new or less worn tyres at the rear ?

Whether you have front or rear wheel drive, we recommend that you use newer tyres for the rear set, for extra safety in unforeseen or difficult situations (emergency braking, tight bends etc) particularly on wet surfaces.
Numerous tests have shown that it is easier to control the front wheels than those at the rear.

Front tyres generally wear quicker than those fitted at the rear, particularly on front wheel drive cars, which are currently in the majority.

New tyres fitted in front :
- The behavior of the car will change, because the front / rear balance will be reversed.
The driver, used to a car with less grip at the front, will therefore be taken unawares.
- On a slippery road, the rear will lose traction before the front of the vehicle.
The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect. Only an experienced driver will be able to recover from this dangerous situation...

New tyres fitted at the back :
- The handling of the vehicle will be similar to that known by the driver before the tyre change, because the traction balance will be the same.
- Rear traction will be better, and the driver will be able to control and steer their vehicle without a problem by decelerating and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the bend.

That's why Michelin advises you to reduce the risks you take by fitting new or less worn tyres at the rear of the vehicle for:
- better grip on bends
- extra safety.

[Ben_GTI]

Okay Brad I'll agree with you that less worn on the back is good for the reasons you have stated above.

However people have told me that the back of my Polo lifts if I steer even a tiny bit while braking farking hard. So I don't care if there is tread or not, a wheel not touching the ground = no grip regardless.

I prefer to have tread depth on the front because I hate aquaplaning. My Old Mitsu Verada was almost down to the treadbars on the front and I didn't change them for the logic you give. Well I can tell you if you want to repeat my mistake, carry some poo paper with you when it rains and you start playing "steer the boat" on the freeway, or if its heavy rain, "How long can you drive straight while turning the wheel at 100km/h"

I really wish I could find the webpage where a guy had brand new directionals on the back of his Toyota Soarer and half worn uni's on the front. He couldn't drive home on the freeway because the car became that unstable. Hence my comment previously regarding where directionals should go if you are going to mix them.

I just want to share my experience with using worn tyres on the front. Even if my experience defies logic and the advice of the manufacturers. I think what you say is correct in the dry, but my experience in the wet says otherwise.

[brad]

I really wish I could find the webpage where a guy had brand new directionals on the back of his Toyota Soarer and half worn uni's on the front. He couldn't drive home on the freeway because the car became that unstable. Hence my comment previously regarding where directionals should go if you are going to mix them.

I didn't disagree on that point. Directionals should always be on the steering axle.

As for all the the other stuff, everyone can pull out one-off anecdotal stories that disprove what the manufacturers give as "general" advice and it could well be that in specific situations new front/worn rear is a better option.

re: aquaplaning down the motorway...Have you done any advanced driving courses? (well worth it & great fun, especially if you know the other guys) One of the first thing they teach you is that if the front is aquaplaning then back off the throttle & give the brakes a stab to get the fronts back through the water and onto the tarmac. If the fronts on a heavy Verada are aquaplaning because they can't dissipate the water then they'll be no safer on the rear - unfortunately you just have to slow down(hate doin' that)

As I said before, If my tyres are half worn, then I like them on the front to get them bald quicker. Also I don't like aged tyres (front or rear) - another reason to get them working & wear them out.