Just WTF is wrong with people?

[Jasandjules]

I've been looking at some estates recently, now don't get me wrong I am not expecting £100 per corner tyres here but the number of cars which have different tyres on the same axel is just amazing. One car had different tyres on each corner!!

Then today I'm getting tyres put on my current estate, some bloke comes in with a 2013 Merc, and wants ONE tyre fitted. Mechanic says "I can't get X tyre but Y is close enough, £98". Chap says ok I'll come back in a few days and get it fitted.

[Toaster Pilot]

Protip: most people who aren't PH members don't care in the slightest as long as their tyres are black and round.

I've seen so many situations like you describe. My MX5 has two pairs of ditchfinders on it, but then I expect no different for a £1000 car.

[Fastdruid]

My Mondeo when I looked at it had decent tyres on but different front to back (from memory Toyo proxies rear and Yokohama's front).

In the pre-sales MOT they noted that one of the tyres was damaged and so replaced it with the cheapest tyre they could find.

[Chicane-UK]

Toaster Pilot said:

Protip: most people who aren't PH members don't care in the slightest as long as their tyres are black and round.

That's pretty much it. They'll just go to a tyre centre, and put on whatever is cheapest. Job done.

[kambites]

I suspect most cars on the road have different tyres on different wheels and they don't constantly end up in hedges at the side of the road. It's not something I'd do myself, but it's not exactly the certain death that some people seem to make out.

If non-matching tyres made a significant difference to accident rates, the insurance companies would load their premiums for them - it's not as if the insurance industry is shy about finding another statistic to mess about with premiums.

[Debaser]

Tyres don't matter at all. Just drive to the conditions and you'll be fine.

[Jandywa]

Debaser said:

Tyres don't matter at all. Just drive to the conditions and you'll be fine.

[Jasandjules]

kambites said:

I suspect most cars on the road have different tyres on different wheels and they don't constantly end up in hedges at the side of the road.

You have to wonder how many of them crash though because of it. Not into ditches but failing to brake fully etc..

[kambites]

Jasandjules said:

kambites said:

I suspect most cars on the road have different tyres on different wheels and they don't constantly end up in hedges at the side of the road.

You have to wonder how many of them crash though because of it. Not into ditches but failing to brake fully etc..

I don't think it can be a statistically significant amount.

[Urban Sports]

Jasandjules said:

I've been looking at some estates recently, now don't get me wrong I am not expecting 100 per corner tyres here but the number of cars which have different tyres on the same axel is just amazing. One car had different tyres on each corner!!

Then today I'm getting tyres put on my current estate, some bloke comes in with a 2013 Merc, and wants ONE tyre fitted. Mechanic says "I can't get X tyre but Y is close enough, 98". Chap says ok I'll come back in a few days and get it fitted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le1z9HOY5Ss

[slash79]

Funny this topic has come up. I've just ordered two tyres for my 9-5 Aero estate. It's got two decent Goodyear Eagle Assy 2's on the front and two different shockers on the back. Gonna put the two older Assy 2's on the back and the two new Assy 2's on the front.
I hate mix matched tyres. Especially on car with bags of torque!!

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 17:56

[matthias73]

Jasandjules said:

I've been looking at some estates recently, now don't get me wrong I am not expecting 100 per corner tyres here but the number of cars which have different tyres on the same axel is just amazing. One car had different tyres on each corner!!

Then today I'm getting tyres put on my current estate, some bloke comes in with a 2013 Merc, and wants ONE tyre fitted. Mechanic says "I can't get X tyre but Y is close enough, 98". Chap says ok I'll come back in a few days and get it fitted.

Why would someone have to have something wrong with them to not want to double their expenditure on a regular basis?

[supertouring]

No one mentioned puncture repairs yet?

PH standards are slipping.

[Debaser]

Jandywa said:

Debaser said:

Tyres don't matter at all. Just drive to the conditions and you'll be fine.

But it's true. Also, car companies only fit good quality tyres because it helps the tyre company sell more aftermarket ones.

[Cliftonite]

slash79 said:

Funny this topic has come up. I've just ordered two tyres for my 9-5 Aero estate. It's got two decent Goodyear Eagle Assy 2's on the front and two different shockers on the back. Gonna put the two older Assy 2's on the back and the two new Assy 2's on the front.
I hate mix matched tyres. Especially on car with bags of torque!!

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 17:56

O.K. I'll bite!

The better tyres should be on the rear.

[slash79]

Cliftonite said:

O.K. I'll bite!

The better tyres should be on the rear.

I thought being a 250bhp fwd car, the newer ones should go on the front!? No? It's not exactly a tail happy car.
If anything, it under steers like a mofo lol

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 18:36

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 18:39

[MonkeyDust]

If you're not getting close to the car limit of grip, it's not going to make much difference. Especially with stability control to bail you out if you get into trouble. They are certainly better than driving around bald tyres.

Personally I don't buy cheap tyres, well not cheap for 14"s at least, I find the car feels skittish on them. But the average person who isn't interested in driving, and probably drives something a little modern than a mk1 MX5, won't. When looking at a second hand car I do treat good tyres and wiper blades as a good omen though. Four mismatched budget tyres and supermarket wipers, what else have they scrimped on?

[Evil.soup]

The significance depends on the car. After destroying a wheel and tyre I once had no choice but to have miss matched tyres from side to side on the rear of an MR2 Roadster, yoko one side and nankang the other. Good lord the thing was dangerous afterwards, very twitchy through corners even at normal motorway speed!!

I currently have different tyres front to back on my Impreza again not through choice. I have been using falken fk452 all round for years but when i went to replace the 2 fronts recently the fk452 have been replaced with the fk453. The treads couldnt be more different but its made no noticable difference to the way the car drives, handles or stops.
Equally i have owned basic shopping cars with mixed tyres all round and its made no obvious difference. That said, i always try to replace in pairs but different treads front and back isnt an issue at all.

[Evil.soup]

The significance depends on the car. After destroying a wheel and tyre I once had no choice but to have miss matched tyres from side to side on the rear of an MR2 Roadster, yoko one side and nankang the other. Good lord the thing was dangerous afterwards, very twitchy through corners even at normal motorway speed!!

I currently have different tyres front to back on my Impreza again not through choice. I have been using falken fk452 all round for years but when i went to replace the 2 fronts recently the fk452 have been replaced with the fk453. The treads couldnt be more different but its made no noticable difference to the way the car drives, handles or stops.
Equally i have owned basic shopping cars with mixed tyres all round and its made no obvious difference. That said, i always try to replace in pairs but different treads front and back isnt an issue at all.

[DaveH23]

slash79 said:

Cliftonite said:

O.K. I'll bite!

The better tyres should be on the rear.

I thought being a 250bhp fwd car, the newer ones should go on the front!? No? It's not exactly a tail happy car.
If anything, it under steers like a mofo lol

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 18:36

Edited by slash79 on Thursday 22 May 18:39

The idea behind them on the rear is if the front has more grip it will cause the rear to to try and overtake the front leaving you in a fireball of death.