Replace Worn OEM Tire w/ New OEM Tire?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jan 31, 2006
Messages
4,440
Location
Idaho
In this interesting article, a former FCA automotive engineer advocates using an OEM tire as a replacement tire, when the original set is worn out:

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2...-for-oem-replacement-tires/#more-1682718

Some excerpts:

Quote
The ... thing to understand is that tires are the largest tuning element on the chassis for ride, steering, handling, acceleration, and braking. Literally everything that the vehicle does in regard to its motion is filtered through the tires. Therefore, it is critical that tires are tuned to the vehicle and the vehicle is tuned to the tires.

...Changing out the OEM tires is undoing an extensive amount of tuning and development work that cost the OEMs hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars to complete. The process started with vehicle program leaders determining functional attribute targets for the vehicle. From there, engineers worked with tire manufacturers to develop the tires. While "off-the-shelf" tires may sometimes be selected, in most cases the tires are tuned specifically for the vehicle...

...With the tires selected, the OEMs can proceed with development and tuning of the rest of the vehicle around them. While the vehicle dynamics areas of ride, steering, and handling might be most obviously impacted, there are many other functional areas that are tuned around the tires. Braking performance, fuel economy calculations, and powertrain tuning are all impacted. The "active chassis" group will be developing the stability control, ABS, and traction control around the tires, as will the ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) group. The NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and durability groups will also be conducting their work around the tires......Consider for a moment that, from a ride perspective, a tire is essentially an undamped spring. You can then see how varying that component would affect things such as impact harshness and shake and how that would need to be accounted for in the damper tuning......

...In regard to steering, almost every tire had a unique electronic power steering calibration for its application in each model variant........Based on how the tires differed, changes to EPS tuning were usually required in a few areas of the calibration. The "on-center" feel, or how "positively" the car would steer straight-ahead, was critical to driving comfort, especially over long distances. The response characteristics of the tire would alter the linearity of the effort build in the wheel as the driver steered into a corner. In other terms, as you steer, you want the wheel to communicate with a continuous build in effort as you turn harder. Not having the effort build well-matched to the tire and vehicle response could result in a car feeling anywhere from nervous and hyper-active to sluggish and unwilling to turn....

...So, if you value the performance and feel of your car as it came new from the factory, it would behoove you to replace your tires with the original ones when they're due for it. And, not just the same brand and model, but the exact OEM tire that was tuned for your car. The aftermarket replacements look the same, but if you're not buying the OEM part from a dealership, it is not likely to be the same OEM tuning....

...Changing out the tires is almost akin to changing the engine in the car. You can do it, but you'd better know exactly what you're doing, because the whole car was designed around it. If you're satisfied with the performance of your vehicle, stick with the OEM tires when it comes time to replace...
 
The how come some OEM tires I have had in 55 years of driving have worn out quickly, hydroplaned so badly I had to remove them before 10,000 miles and cried like a banshee when I got up to 60? I just replaced the OEM tires on my VW Alltrack with Bridgestone Ecopias. Better mileage, better handling and VERY quiet.
 
Cars need to accept commodity replacements.

It wouldn't be okay for them to say, well, our engines run their quietest with Continental serpentine belts, so don't use Dayco.

It's okay for a Ferrarri to be high-strung. Not okay for a Dodge Sebring.
 
Last time I actually did that was in 1974, when I got a good clearance deal on OEM Uniroyals I was running. More recently, I have not wanted to use OEM tires again because of tire wear or wet/snow performance issues. In many cases, dealers do not carry exact OEM replacements, either. I know that is true for Subaru dealers in my area.
 
I am not going to buy into the author's theory. I do believe in staying with the OEM sized tires. However, there are better performing tires than what come on the cars from the factory. Michelin are some OEM tires that I couldn't wait to get rid of.
 
I'll replace my OEM tires with the same when OEMs start using quality tires and not the cheapest bidder for the job.
 
I'll disagree as well.

"OEM tuning" might exist when the vehicle comes off the assembly line. Once that vehicle has a few miles on it then normal wear and tear practically guarantees it won't meet an "OEM tune."
 
Even if you buy OEM tires from tire shop, they will NOT be the same as those sent to the factory; those have to meet OEM specs whereas those very same tire sold by independent dealer have to meet a much broader spectrum to expand sales.
 
Last edited:
Unless it's a beater and if your replacing just one or two bad tires, I would get an identical tire to install. Hate it when I buy a nice car and it has brand A tires on the front and brand B on the rear.
 
Car manufacturers pay next to nothing for OEM tires. Tire companies make the deal on the the one in four chance that a customer will fall for the ruse or that one of the tires will fail and the customer will pay through the nose for a replacement. Some of the worst tires I've used have come on the car.
 
I don't buy that for one second. The original tires are whatever the manufacturer can find the cheapest.

Maybe this applies to high performance sports cars.
 
Originally Posted by SubLGT
In this interesting article, a former FCA automotive engineer advocates using an OEM tire as a replacement tire, when the original set is worn out:

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2...-for-oem-replacement-tires/#more-1682718

Some excerpts:

Quote
The ... thing to understand is that tires are the largest tuning element on the chassis for ride, steering, handling, acceleration, and braking. Literally everything that the vehicle does in regard to its motion is filtered through the tires. Therefore, it is critical that tires are tuned to the vehicle and the vehicle is tuned to the tires.

...Changing out the OEM tires is undoing an extensive amount of tuning and development work that cost the OEMs hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars to complete. The process started with vehicle program leaders determining functional attribute targets for the vehicle. From there, engineers worked with tire manufacturers to develop the tires. While "off-the-shelf" tires may sometimes be selected, in most cases the tires are tuned specifically for the vehicle...

...With the tires selected, the OEMs can proceed with development and tuning of the rest of the vehicle around them. While the vehicle dynamics areas of ride, steering, and handling might be most obviously impacted, there are many other functional areas that are tuned around the tires. Braking performance, fuel economy calculations, and powertrain tuning are all impacted. The "active chassis" group will be developing the stability control, ABS, and traction control around the tires, as will the ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) group. The NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and durability groups will also be conducting their work around the tires......Consider for a moment that, from a ride perspective, a tire is essentially an undamped spring. You can then see how varying that component would affect things such as impact harshness and shake and how that would need to be accounted for in the damper tuning......

...In regard to steering, almost every tire had a unique electronic power steering calibration for its application in each model variant........Based on how the tires differed, changes to EPS tuning were usually required in a few areas of the calibration. The "on-center" feel, or how "positively" the car would steer straight-ahead, was critical to driving comfort, especially over long distances. The response characteristics of the tire would alter the linearity of the effort build in the wheel as the driver steered into a corner. In other terms, as you steer, you want the wheel to communicate with a continuous build in effort as you turn harder. Not having the effort build well-matched to the tire and vehicle response could result in a car feeling anywhere from nervous and hyper-active to sluggish and unwilling to turn....

...So, if you value the performance and feel of your car as it came new from the factory, it would behoove you to replace your tires with the original ones when they're due for it. And, not just the same brand and model, but the exact OEM tire that was tuned for your car. The aftermarket replacements look the same, but if you're not buying the OEM part from a dealership, it is not likely to be the same OEM tuning....

...Changing out the tires is almost akin to changing the engine in the car. You can do it, but you'd better know exactly what you're doing, because the whole car was designed around it. If you're satisfied with the performance of your vehicle, stick with the OEM tires when it comes time to replace...

Yeah, no.

OEM tires typically suck. I've never owned a vehicle that the OEM tire was the best choice for. For example, even Spring Mountain Motorsports ripped the Goodyear tires off the corvettes and put Michelin Pilot Sports on in their place before ever tracking them, back when I went there in 2011.
 
Originally Posted by Boomer
I just replaced the OEM tires on my VW Alltrack with Bridgestone Ecopias. Better mileage, better handling and VERY quiet.
My Jetta came with them from the factory. I wonder if they are a different kind than the retail versions. These where so out of round they came off in the first 2K miles of me owning the car. No reason a brand new car should shake like it did.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Originally Posted by Boomer
I just replaced the OEM tires on my VW Alltrack with Bridgestone Ecopias. Better mileage, better handling and VERY quiet.
My Jetta came with them from the factory. I wonder if they are a different kind than the retail versions. These where so out of round they came off in the first 2K miles of me owning the car. No reason a brand new car should shake like it did.


Dealer put the Ecopias on the Caliber when we bought it. They were okay in the dry, meh in the wet but they never hydroplaned which is good, and sucked in the snow.
 
Originally Posted by Boomer
The how come some OEM tires I have had in 55 years of driving have worn out quickly, hydroplaned so badly I had to remove them before 10,000 miles and cried like a banshee when I got up to 60? I just replaced the OEM tires on my VW Alltrack with Bridgestone Ecopias. Better mileage, better handling and VERY quiet.

Boomer said:
.





Ditto! You'd be hard pressed to find anything but a supercar with such tires. Almost all OEM are the cheapest tolerable that will get it out the door and not greatly affect sales. Most new car tires are lucky to get 50k and I mean lucky.
The one thing I wouldn't do is put different aspect tires on an axle . Beyond that if someone is that concerned about the suspension and high speed handling he is probably driving like an idiot or on a track.
 
Long version: Barry's Tire Tech: OE Tires

Short version:

1) OE tires are built to the vehicle manufacturer's specs. They are NOT off-the-shelf items.

2) The tire specs for OE tires have different goals than a person buying tires for his used car has - in particular, the replacement market tire buyer usually wants good wear (unless he wants good grip!), where the OEM wants fuel economy.

3) Vehicle manufacturers don't pay a lot for tires because they buy hundreds of thousands, have them delivered on a even basis, to the same location for about 3 years. It is easy to set up an assembly line and a shipping system with those set of circumstances.

4) OE tires are NOT made out of cheap materials. The goals are different and not what a consumer usually wants.

5) OE tires are indeed tuned to the car they come on.

6) OE tires are NOT chosen because of price. They have to meet the specs first, the tire supplier has to be one approved (usually only 3 or 4 manufacturers are on the approved list.), the specs preclude inexpensive, and the selection process is much more involved than just price. The OEM buyer also looks at things like the ability to deliver on time, a short supply line, the ability to meet the first shipment schedule. etc.

Editorial comment on the article cited: Because the average consumer wants something different than what the OEM wants, I think the article cited is wrong. While what facts he stated were true, his conclusion was wrong because a) the goals are usually different, b) sometimes the goals are sooooo different that virtually no consumer would go for a tire like that, and c) the OE tire is usually obsoleted when the tire is no longer supplied (making the idea of replacing the original tires with the same tire impossible.).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top