Mixed Tires
06-25-2008, 03:19 PM
#1
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Mixed Tires
Getting a couple of responses to my search for MY02 wheels with mixed tires front and rear, such as:
front tires Pirelli Rosso P-Zero 225/40 ZR18
rear tires Bridgeston Potenza 285/35/ZR18
This is a bit odd to me as I have not run mixed tires since I was 19 yrs old and could not afford matched sets. Any thoughts?
front tires Pirelli Rosso P-Zero 225/40 ZR18
rear tires Bridgeston Potenza 285/35/ZR18
This is a bit odd to me as I have not run mixed tires since I was 19 yrs old and could not afford matched sets. Any thoughts?
06-25-2008, 03:31 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Most here will tell you not to mix tires. I posted this response about a year ago in this thread:
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/369074-mixing-tires.html
Like the threads where people ask about whether it's okay to patch a tire for the track, you'll find lots of different responses. Part of the issue in mixing tires is making sure that grip and response levels are the same between two different types of tires. Mix an old pair of Goodyear F-1 tires on the front with a set of fresh Hoosiers and you will definitely experience some unusual handling characteristics...if you push it hard enough. Part of being a good driver (and I know we're all phenomenal drivers, right?) is knowing to to adapt to changing handling situations. On the track, your car may be understeering for an hour and then suddenly become tail happy. As a driver, on the street or on the track, it is up to you to be aware of this and compensate for it. Now, factor in a situation where the handling characteristic may have changed from the past five years to different handling after changing tires; I maintain that, as a driver, one should be able to adapt to this relatively untaxing dynamic scenario.
On this board, it is highly unpopular to make this statement, but I have mixed two different types of tires and, gasp, driven them on the track, yes, the track(!) with zero histrionics or catastrophic situations. Just like saying that it is always okay to mix different types of tires, it is just as incorrect to state that mixing tires will result in disaster and/or is always inadvisable. One must assess the individual case and make an assessment based on the facts, not sweeping generalizations.
Flame on. Don't care.
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/369074-mixing-tires.html
Like the threads where people ask about whether it's okay to patch a tire for the track, you'll find lots of different responses. Part of the issue in mixing tires is making sure that grip and response levels are the same between two different types of tires. Mix an old pair of Goodyear F-1 tires on the front with a set of fresh Hoosiers and you will definitely experience some unusual handling characteristics...if you push it hard enough. Part of being a good driver (and I know we're all phenomenal drivers, right?) is knowing to to adapt to changing handling situations. On the track, your car may be understeering for an hour and then suddenly become tail happy. As a driver, on the street or on the track, it is up to you to be aware of this and compensate for it. Now, factor in a situation where the handling characteristic may have changed from the past five years to different handling after changing tires; I maintain that, as a driver, one should be able to adapt to this relatively untaxing dynamic scenario.
On this board, it is highly unpopular to make this statement, but I have mixed two different types of tires and, gasp, driven them on the track, yes, the track(!) with zero histrionics or catastrophic situations. Just like saying that it is always okay to mix different types of tires, it is just as incorrect to state that mixing tires will result in disaster and/or is always inadvisable. One must assess the individual case and make an assessment based on the facts, not sweeping generalizations.
Flame on. Don't care.
06-25-2008, 09:10 PM
#4
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The only reason I prefer to avoid mismatched tires is simply that I own Porsches because they are at the leading edge of handling performance in their day and I like to keep it that way. You can also have fun driving a Porsche when the engine is not in proper tune...just not with the same performance as one that is in tune.
Driving your car without matched tires will not be a life changing experience
Driving your car without matched tires will not be a life changing experience