Going to be using Good Year Ultra Grip Ice on the rear of the car with about 75% tread still remaining. The other two were on the front last winter and I don't want to use them as they are less than 30% tread. I'd like to buy two new Michelin Xi3 and put them on the front. Assuming there'd be no problems with this? Ideally you'd want to have all the same tread pattern but would there really be noticeable difference?? T.I.A....
Different brand winter tires on same car?
- Thread starter dino33
- Start date
- Status
It's not ideal, but certainly better than running on almost bald ones.
Personally, I'd put the newer tires on the rear though.
Personally, I'd put the newer tires on the rear though.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
It's not ideal, but certainly better than running on almost bald ones.
Personally, I'd put the newer tires on the rear though.
+1
It's more than pattern differences. Tires are complex with differing construction and compound.
Put the superior Xi3 on the rear.
It's not ideal, but certainly better than running on almost bald ones.
Personally, I'd put the newer tires on the rear though.
+1
It's more than pattern differences. Tires are complex with differing construction and compound.
Put the superior Xi3 on the rear.
I wouldn't worry about it...
Depends on your driving situation. Many people say put the good ones on the rear to keep rear from sliding around. That is true if you are driving alot of higher speed driving especially. I used to live on hilly driveway and drove very little hi speed driving. Need the good tires on FWD car to get me in and out when it snowed alot and I couldn't keep it cleared always. Just evaluate your needs.
Different Winter tires vary across various conditions. Imho winter conditions are worst condition to have an imbalance in your vehicle especially if one set of tires has a good advantage over the other set.
Just be wary.
Just be wary.
Some vehicles like Subaru with asymmetric 4 wheel drive want the tread depth to be within 3/32s between tires.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Sounds good to me, the front ones will be close to even by the end of the season
How much is 75% remaining in reality? Actual tread depth that is.
If no one blinks at running say 5/32's on all four corners, then why would running 5/32's in the rear and 8/32's in the front be "bad"? I mean, does one really corner that hard that the change in max cornering ability will be a problem? Most cars are not neutral handling I thought--with most FWD's being notorious for understeer. Playing with tread types would alter that, but perhaps in a good way?
I suspect this is just fine. Just don't try to track this vehicle in inclement weather. Besides: are you going to rotate the tires this winter, anyhow?
If no one blinks at running say 5/32's on all four corners, then why would running 5/32's in the rear and 8/32's in the front be "bad"? I mean, does one really corner that hard that the change in max cornering ability will be a problem? Most cars are not neutral handling I thought--with most FWD's being notorious for understeer. Playing with tread types would alter that, but perhaps in a good way?
I suspect this is just fine. Just don't try to track this vehicle in inclement weather. Besides: are you going to rotate the tires this winter, anyhow?
Originally Posted By: supton
........ If no one blinks at running say 5/32's on all four corners, then why would running 5/32's in the rear and 8/32's in the front be "bad"? ......
Perhaps I can answer that.
The theory is that if you have better tires on the front, you are more likely not to notice that you're driving too fast for the conditions.
Further, when you lose traction, as you slow down, there is a point where you gain it back. If you're driving backwards, you more or less have to come to a stop - where if you are pointed forward, you would have steering control. It's a matter of how much distance you would travel before you have the car back under control.
........ If no one blinks at running say 5/32's on all four corners, then why would running 5/32's in the rear and 8/32's in the front be "bad"? ......
Perhaps I can answer that.
The theory is that if you have better tires on the front, you are more likely not to notice that you're driving too fast for the conditions.
Further, when you lose traction, as you slow down, there is a point where you gain it back. If you're driving backwards, you more or less have to come to a stop - where if you are pointed forward, you would have steering control. It's a matter of how much distance you would travel before you have the car back under control.
Fair enough.
Although I don't think the cars in question would have wet traction acceleration issues. Which would be my real fear: losing grip in the rain, once up to speed. Once above a certain depth, the traction should be "good enough". At least until past legal speeds with deep standing water on the road... in which case, slowing down would be advised, regardless of tire depth, and doubly so if the driver "knows" they have some sketchy tire depth.
Snow is different. Pushing past 30mph or so in the snow is a fools errand, and best done with caution. We all do it, of course: but no one is surprised when it goes bad--and if one had such wildly disparate tire depths, they likely wouldn't be pushing that speed in the first place. ['cept it wouldn't be 5 vs 8, as 5/32's is about bald for a snow tire. Numbers made up for comparison purposes.]
I've only ever had one car with wet traction issues, and that was due to bad tire choice--I noticed that line of tires went away very quickly. Nothing else has had enough power to spin a tire on wet pavement, and even that car wouldn't, once a better set of tires was procured.
Although I don't think the cars in question would have wet traction acceleration issues. Which would be my real fear: losing grip in the rain, once up to speed. Once above a certain depth, the traction should be "good enough". At least until past legal speeds with deep standing water on the road... in which case, slowing down would be advised, regardless of tire depth, and doubly so if the driver "knows" they have some sketchy tire depth.
Snow is different. Pushing past 30mph or so in the snow is a fools errand, and best done with caution. We all do it, of course: but no one is surprised when it goes bad--and if one had such wildly disparate tire depths, they likely wouldn't be pushing that speed in the first place. ['cept it wouldn't be 5 vs 8, as 5/32's is about bald for a snow tire. Numbers made up for comparison purposes.]
I've only ever had one car with wet traction issues, and that was due to bad tire choice--I noticed that line of tires went away very quickly. Nothing else has had enough power to spin a tire on wet pavement, and even that car wouldn't, once a better set of tires was procured.
The most killer app IMO of snow tires is their breakfree traction: it hangs around. Start a spin with all-seasons and the static/sliding friction coefficients rear their ugly heads and there isn't anything to grab the rear axle and pull it back in line.
Snows have amazing lateral friction and make the driver's inputs (countersteering) actually effective.
I always try to break friction under controlled (
And I would run this mismatched set of snows, though I wouldn't set out to buy them.
Snows have amazing lateral friction and make the driver's inputs (countersteering) actually effective.
I always try to break friction under controlled (
And I would run this mismatched set of snows, though I wouldn't set out to buy them.
Personally I think mixing will be fine, concur with the above advice to put the new ones on the rear. But if it's nagging at you why not stick with the Ultra Grips? ADAC ranked them # 1 this year (ok, they have it as the model "9".. which look like the UltraGrip WRTP in the states).
Front wheel drive it looks? No problem whatsoever. Who drives like A.J. Foyt on an icy road??
I mix to what makes sense, been doing it for years. Recently had a trajic accident in MY or WY where the Mom went out of control & slid into a semi, young child killed. The roads were icy, I can just imagine her tire quality.
My plans this year are two almost new Blizzacks on the drive axel with two newer 'all-seasons' on the other. As in many instances, YMMV.
I mix to what makes sense, been doing it for years. Recently had a trajic accident in MY or WY where the Mom went out of control & slid into a semi, young child killed. The roads were icy, I can just imagine her tire quality.
My plans this year are two almost new Blizzacks on the drive axel with two newer 'all-seasons' on the other. As in many instances, YMMV.
I read the Michelin report years ago that first started the discussion about putting new tyres on the rear.
If I remember correctly it wasn't the difference in grip that was the biggest concern
It was the change in grip balance
If you drive a car every day, specifically a FWD car, the front tyres will gradually wear down, the driver will adjust to this very gradual change in grip.
This will lead to a situation where the car has more grip in wet conditions at the rear.
When you put new tyres on the front then the cars balance has changed with more grip on the front.
Obviously I don't think it is an issue if you rotate tyres, not least because you will usually change all four tyres at once.
In my old job the Response Cars never had new tyres put on the rear, though I think they did rotate them sometimes. I say sometimes as I drove a few that had front tyres near 2mm and had nearly new rears.
Can't remember much more of the report, it was interesting enough. I still put new tyres on the front though.
If I remember correctly it wasn't the difference in grip that was the biggest concern
It was the change in grip balance
If you drive a car every day, specifically a FWD car, the front tyres will gradually wear down, the driver will adjust to this very gradual change in grip.
This will lead to a situation where the car has more grip in wet conditions at the rear.
When you put new tyres on the front then the cars balance has changed with more grip on the front.
Obviously I don't think it is an issue if you rotate tyres, not least because you will usually change all four tyres at once.
In my old job the Response Cars never had new tyres put on the rear, though I think they did rotate them sometimes. I say sometimes as I drove a few that had front tyres near 2mm and had nearly new rears.
Can't remember much more of the report, it was interesting enough. I still put new tyres on the front though.
Thanks for all the input guys. Not so concerned about putting new tires up front any longer which I will be doing. Either Xi3, R2's, or possibly Hercules Avalnche R G2's which are supposedly made by Nokian and are actually Hakkapeliitta R's... I wonder what would happen if you were to put studded winters on the front and non studded in that back, assuming you would be pushing your luck?
Edit: Yeah, just looked it up, it'a a no no. Though there seem to be drivers out there who do just that, it appears tire shops won't even put them on a vehicle if they think you're only going to use two studded tires...
Edit: Yeah, just looked it up, it'a a no no. Though there seem to be drivers out there who do just that, it appears tire shops won't even put them on a vehicle if they think you're only going to use two studded tires...
Last edited:
- Status
