Opinions on this will vary massively , all down to personal choice and wallet power.

So this month so far , got a rear driver side puncture ( non repairable ) Went onto Black Circs and ordered an AVON ZV7 @£139 fitted.

Tuesday of this week passenger side rear got a lovely u nail right on the shoulder ( UN REPAIRABLE) So done some shopping around and could afford another Avon but this time no ZV7's anywhere. I purchased a ZZ5.

 

So up front I have 2 pilot sport 4s and on the rear AVON ZV7 and a ZZ5 2 different tread patterns. This ok?

 

Thoughts , comments please  

Personally not something I would do.

Explain ,more please , until this car ive had company cars and they always put different tyres on each axle when one needed replacement

Read this , do you agree

Tyre size, load and speed ratings are what you would need to match, not the specific tyre. Unless we are talking supercar/hypercar territory.
 

Also the mismatch is on the rear axle , and these tyres are dragged along by my FWD

If you are not pushing it, anything is fine. However, a big mismatch in the wet can be dangerous when you need the grip. 

 

I would at least put the same tyres on an axle. 

Im worried now , as I do push it regularly . So 2 asymmetrical tyres same size , load rating same manufacturer differing tread patterns on rear axle .

 

I just couldn't get the same product as one went out of stock . What im I going to do when I have a puncture and need a Tyre

 

Both xl 96 Y

I wont sleep now thinking I have a death trap

in Slovenia, by law, you can have different tyres on front and rear but... front axle must have matching tyres, and rear axle must have matching tyres, and you mustn't have a mix of summer/winter tyres.

 

EDIT: I just noticed you mentioned you had different tyres on the same end of the car, not good indeed. The tyre place should have warned against that.

 

Another way of looking at this. Under linear (straight) braking and acceleration, the front rear grip changes dramatically and so differences between commercially available tyres of similar rating is not likely to cause an issue compared to those massive changes in front/rear grip

 

When cornering, things could be a problem:

 

If the rear has less grip than the front you will get oversteer. The car back will step out and want to spin you.

 

If the front has less grip, you will get understeer. The car will want to push straight ahead. This is the favoured handling characteristic of most manufacturers and is less traumatic/dangerous, in general.

 

You could get lucky and the car is perfectly balanced and your tyres cancel out understeer or oversteer that is naturally present 

 

So find yourself some safe place (big carpark on the weekend) to test the limits of adhesion and learn what your car is doing (liftoff in a tight corner, vs accelerate). Do it in the wet also. So the question you then need to ask yourself, do I like the way the car loses grip, or not. Does it feel safe and controllable or not?

Edited 15 March, 20197 yr by digifish
correction

It all goes back to the golden rule - when doing anything on suspension or wheels, do everything in pairs. Like the others have said, I wouldn't recommend it, but at the end of the day, it's safer than running old cracked up tires, or running no tread.

Nah, done tens of thousands of miles on odd tyres, would bother me a bit on a front wheel drive car. 

 

 

I don’t believe there is actually any law in the UK about needing the same tread pattern across the axel... but it’s best practise to have the same. 

I'm sure you will get the definitive word on the subject from your insurance company. Give them a call.

So I called NATIONAL , Kwik fit and ATS asked if having 2 different design same brand new tyres on the rear , both asymmetric design. All fitters said no problem on a front wheel drive car.

 

 

There you go then ! Not for me though ....

So Nick , whats on the 4 corners of your 280?  Being a 2015  plate car you have had to change the front 2 at least. being 4x4 you prob have changed all

8 hours ago, Greezy56 said:

So Nick , whats on the 4 corners of your 280?  Being a 2015  plate car you have had to change the front 2 at least. being 4x4 you prob have changed all

 

Yeah changed them but didn’t have to still plenty of meat left on the P7’s. Can’t remember the exact figures but had over 4mm on front and over 5 on back. 

 

Went for SP4’s. Seem ok so far looking forward to getting a bit of heat into them !

On 14/03/2019 at 22:58, Greezy56 said:

 

So up front I have 2 pilot sport 4s and on the rear AVON ZV7 and a ZZ5 2 different tread patterns. This ok?

 

 

Illegal in some countries - eg France where you must have the same tyre type/tread design on each axle. [EDIT - and Slovenia as above!]

 

Myself, after doing a full on brown trouser 70mph to zero emergency stop a while ago , I'm fussy re tyres so try to stick to the same type on each axle.

Edited 17 March, 20197 yr by bigjohn

I very much doubt that this law can be applied to tourists in their UK reg car that is fully legal here in the UK. Even if you were involved in an accident.

 

I've never experienced any issues whatsoever with having different brands/tread patterns on the same axle, which like the OP, happens from time to time out of necessity rather than choice.

 

And even presented cars for MOT with a different tyre brand and pattern on a steelie on one wheel with the others alloys, a total of 3 different tyre brands and patterns, two V rated, two H rated. Passed no advisories.

 

Edited 17 March, 20197 yr by xman

Michelin PS4 235/45/18 on offer in Costco from tomorrow buy 2 get £40 off

On 17/03/2019 at 10:21, xman said:

I very much doubt that this law can be applied to tourists in their UK reg car that is fully legal here in the UK. Even if you were involved in an accident.

 

 

I always thought when driving abroad one had to adhere to all local laws. I nearly came unstuck when French police (gendarmes & douanes) when they were carrying out a sting in a service station south of Calais targeting cars with windscreen attached satnavs when the new gps speed camera laws came in. Most of the cars loaded on the transporter around the corner were British cars many with roof-boxes affixed - so a few holidays ruined!

 

A friend of mine had a puncture in France and when he called in at tyre place they refused to fit just one new tyre. He decided to drive home using his space-saver tyre to avoid scrapping a perfectly good tyre. 

 

In Germany it is law during the winter to have "tyres with winter properties" fitted which and since 2018 is the snowflake symbol. This applies to cars from any country.

 

Edited 18 March, 20197 yr by bigjohn

On 15/03/2019 at 00:17, Greezy56 said:

Im worried now , as I do push it regularly . So 2 asymmetrical tyres same size , load rating same manufacturer differing tread patterns on rear axle .

 

I just couldn't get the same product as one went out of stock . What im I going to do when I have a puncture and need a Tyre

 

Both xl 96 Y

I wont sleep now thinking I have a death trap

You just have to remember there is a mistake match in grip levels front and rear. 

 

Problem is in the wet where the limits are lower. So you adjust your driving to suit. 

I read in the manual that you have to have identical tyres on the same axle - can't remember the exact wording.

But I used this information (I copied and emailed the page in the manual) to insist that the lease company, via Kwik Fit, changed the axle pair rather than leaving me with a Pirelli on 4 mm on one side and a brand new Hankook on the other.

In extreme conditions this is important and it doesn't matter how you think you drive - in an emergency you unexpectedly encounter such conditions.

And Kwik Fit et al don't care if you have an accident.  All they care about is the deal that they did with the lease company to fit tyres over the lease period.

Agree totally but i'd love someone to test a test where all 4 wheels had performance tyres from differing manufacturers. Lets see what happens there. I have looked and no one has done this test to show wet and dry

So I contacted Protyre tire advice uk  and posed the question . 2 same manuf tires with same load and same speed but differing models. So an Avon zv7 and a Avon ZZ5 both brand new on real axle of front wheel drive.

Here is their answer

 

 

Good Morning,

 

Further to our live chat conversation on Monday I have double checked with our Centre Manager for you and I can confirm the below:

 

Although legally and for an MOT purpose if  the tyres are of the same size, speed and load rating yes you can mix tyre patterns and brands.

 

Please see comment on our website :

 

UK law specifies your vehicle must be fitted with the correct type and size of tyre for the vehicle you are driving and the purpose for which it is being used. This means fitting the right tyres, ensuring that they have sufficient tread, are appropriately inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure and free from damage.

 

Both the Avon products are asymmetric in design and provided both same size load rating and speed rating there is no problem with mixing the product.

 

Hope this helps answer your query.

So there u have it , The not for me , or the " will create a death trap"   Prove me wrong now . Show me science data that 2 brand new asymmetrical tires on  the rear of a FWD car in wet conditions , will cause concern. No opinions , no what I think **** ,, SCIENCE RESULTS , Where is the proof.

 

Charles from Manchester writes , in my opinion ,,, !!!! **** your opinion show me scientific results. My car is a family car not a Ferrari Enzo on the Nuremburg.  

12 hours ago, Greezy56 said:

Where is the proof.

 

Charles from Manchester writes , in my opinion ,,, !!!! **** your opinion show me scientific results. My car is a family car not a Ferrari Enzo on the Nuremburg.  

 

What's on at Nuremberg, Ferrari or otherwise?  I though only Hitler held rallies there

 

But you learn every day https://norisring.de

 

Edited 6 April, 20197 yr by Bud