Different tyre brands front v back

Kemik

Kemik

Kemik

Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2005
Posts
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Location
Widnes
Hi guys,

After 20k miles and down to 3mm on my front tyres means I'm looking to replace them. They come with all weather and I will be matching with all weather, same size, etc. The car is a Golf GTD so front wheel drive.

The problem is I want to use a different brand for the replacements. As the back ones still have more than enough tread I don't fancy shelling out another £200 for back tyres that don't need replacing.

What are everyones thoughts on using different brands for front v back if the tyres are largely the same (ignoring the brand differences)? Would rotating them be preferred with the new brand on the back?
 
Jamesyboyjim said:
Why the new at the back? I thought the fronts work the hardest and thus wear the quickest, wouldn't new tyres be better on the front? Forgive my ignorance! :p
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Better tyres on the back than the front is more likely to cause understeer, rather than better tyres on the front, which is likely to cause oversteer.

Understeer is generally easier to correct on a front wheel drive car (as generally you just lift off the throttle), whereas oversteer requires counter steering, and in some circumstances (e.g. lift off oversteer) reapplication of the throttle - both of which are counter intuitive when trying to avoid a crash!


ref:
http://www.drivingfast.net/car-control/understeer.htm
http://www.drivingfast.net/car-control/oversteer.htm
 
Under normal driving conditions any tyre combination would be fine. The days of radial and cross-ply tyres is long gone yet the scare stories of mixing brands stays.
 
Finglonga said:
Under normal driving conditions any tyre combination would be fine. The days of radial and cross-ply tyres is long gone yet the scare stories of mixing brands stays.
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Its just common sense isnt it. Different tyres have different characteristics, what if you had a tyre on one side that was mode susceptible to aquaplaning than the other 3 - what do you think would happen if you hit a patch of standing water?
 
I can tell you exactly what happens with one tyre on the back worse than the rest, the back of the car goes light and wiggles and makes your bum go squeaky. :eek:

One of many things I learned when I had my first car. :)

Oh and having the back step out is fun, if you want it to... Having it happen when you don't, is NOT! :eek:
 
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acemastr said:
You need to rotate your tires more often
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I can't as the rears are wider than the fronts :p

But yea, new rubber on the back and different brands won't make that much difference as long as they are roughly equal in performance.

I wouldn't want Goodyear F1's on the front and Ling Longs on the back :D
 
You guys make me laugh.

I have 205 nexens on the rear and new 215 Goodyear eagle ayssemetrical on the front on my celica.

Not once have i under or over steered. You'd have to be driving like a tool or have something wrong with your car for that on anything sub genuine performance car
 
iaind said:
Its just common sense isnt it. Different tyres have different characteristics, what if you had a tyre on one side that was mode susceptible to aquaplaning than the other 3 - what do you think would happen if you hit a patch of standing water?
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Absolutely nothing will happen if you are driving to the conditions. If someone is driving too fast for the conditions and hit standing water the car will aquaplane regardless of if they have ditch-finders or the best tyres money can buy.
 
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