Mixing tyres?

[littleowl]

I can’t find a set of all season tyres for the size of my rears (245/40/R17 91W), but can the fronts (225/45/R1791W). The only ones for the rears are either summer or winter.

Is it possible to mix front and rear, or will this affect the handling / cause warranty/insurance issues etc?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

No, best not mix as they will have different handling characteristics.

If you're worried about winter, then I would buy a set of premium winter tyres and use them all year round. Using summer tyres in winter and winter tyres in summer means there will be a compromise, but on balance using modern winter tyres in summer is the best compromise (for me).

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Error.

 

[anglaslt]

I can’t find a set of all season tyres for the size of my rears (245/40/R17 91W), but can the fronts (225/45/R1791W). The only ones for the rears are either summer or winter.

Is it possible to mix front and rear, or will this affect the handling / cause warranty/insurance issues etc?

If you want to use one set in your exact size then there's little option but to have a good set of winters (as Booby D says). You may have to go up to 95 load rating but shouldn't be a problem.

There's quite a choice out there but I would recommend Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme which I use on my Freelander. Unless I'm planning a very long trip across Europe they stay on all year round. It's +30c just now and they feel fine.

Review Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme

 

[anglaslt]

Oops, having recommended Vredestein I don't think they do your size either. Michelin and Nokian do though.

 

[PobodY]

Is it possible to mix front and rear, or will this affect the handling / cause warranty/insurance issues etc?

Unless you're mixing cross-ply with radials, I don't think you'll notice any difference; especially as you're matching them on each axle (not putting one brand on one side, and something different on the other).

You may even chose to put a stiffer tyre in the front that you can lean on a bit more, and something softer in the rear to give more traction.

 

[slade1]

Don’t mix radials with cross ply, if you have to, radials on the back one cross ply on front even if the car is front wheel drive.

 

[John]

I always recommend to people to get the same brand of tyre across all four wheels if they can as that is what I try and do (unless changing to a different brand with not both axles needing to be changed).

I don't really drive this CL on the ragged edge like I used to my previous car but even when pressing on, and all throughout the Winter months, it's fine. I have Contis on the rear and Goodyears on the front.

Differences in tread depths across different axles probably makes more of a difference and certainly pressure does, as would I imagine, different types of tyres.

(as Booby D says)

Do you know something we don't?

 

[markjay]

As others said, the best advice is to get the same tyres (ideally also the same make and model) on all 4 wheels, even if it means driving on winter tyres all year round.

Mixing summer tyres with winter tyres or with all-weather tyres is a no-no.

One last thought - have you checked your handbook to see if you can fit different-size tyres on the same rims? If you can, then ossibly you'll find all-weather tyres for all 4 wheels.

 

[Scott_F]

This thread reminded me of a very earnest warning from an old Public Information film:

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[slade1]

This thread reminded me of a very earnest warning from an old Public Information film:

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I tried mixing radials, just known as Michelin X, in the mid 1950s on a VW long before any PI films. Big improvement in road holding.

 

[clk320x]

I have Contis on the rear and Goodyears on the front.

Same with my CLK, has been fine

 

[littleowl]

What I’m after is comfort, with some winter road holding abilities. My car has lowered suspension so I don’t want anything that is going to make the ride harder! I may have to compromise somewhere - haven’t checked the handbook yet to see if I can fit different sizes on the rims

 

[PobodY]

Same with my CLK, has been fine

I've got Michelin Pilot Sports all around, but I need to get the fronts replaced and want something I can lean on so was looking at putting the same on again. - I found Goodyears too soft in the past; the Nissan took them (Eagle F1) to slicks in a year:

 

[DrewGardner]

I can’t find a set of all season tyres for the size of my rears (245/40/R17 91W), but can the fronts (225/45/R1791W). The only ones for the rears are either summer or winter.

Is it possible to mix front and rear, or will this affect the handling / cause warranty/insurance issues etc?

Legal ? yes

Wise? No

Mixing tyres which will have different characteristics is asking for trouble, particularly under very heavy braking.

I would avoid this route at all costs

 

[DrewGardner]

I've got Michelin Pilot Sports all around, but I need to get the fronts replaced and want something I can lean on so was looking at putting the same on again. - I found Goodyears too soft in the past; the Nissan took them (Eagle F1) to slicks in a year:

My goodness! Did you not notice any ill effects as they were getting to this stage? Really scary.
I bet it felt amazing when you put the new tyres on

 

[John]

Reminds me of the rears on my M3 Evo just before I changed them. They were on the treadwears rather than quite as slick as that but the car handled amazingly still.

 

[PobodY]

It's AWD so I didn't notice a great change in the grip levels, and it's probably a result of my trying to dial-out the inherent understeer of the setup.

I was on the way to doing the same thing with Bridgestone Potenzas too:

 

[moog999]

Same with my CLK, has been fine

I've got Bridgestone on the back and falken on the front of mine.

There are absolutely NO ill effects whatsoever. In fact, as a stop gap I had a Bridgestone on one side and a conti on t'other side of the rear axle, while I got another potenza sorted. Again, you honestly couldn't tell.