Hi all,

 

Quick question, my Fabia has 4 Bridgestone ER300 86H's. My wife has taken it to work this morning and got a puncture! In a panic she was next to a Kwikfit and asked them to replace it. They didn't have that particular tyre so put a Continental tyre on instead (which would not have been my preference). Anyway she did ask about compatibility and they said it's similar and it won't make any difference.

 

They said it's only bad if they were mixing directional/asymmetric tyres, and or cross-ply/radial tyres. I mean I know it's not ideal, and I'm assuming Kwikfit wouldn't send my wife on her way if it was potentially very dangerous, but I thought I'd check on here if it's actually okay or not?

Thanks :)

Front or rear tyre replaced, and how worn is its axle-paired Bridgestone?

Which tyre (location)?  What is the tread depth/condition of the tyre on the opposite side/same axle?   

 

 

 

It's the rear n/s tyre that was replaced. The condition of the opposite tyre is very good, and is only 9 months old.

 

The two front Bridgestones are both fairly new too at only 6 months old. 

As per the above comments, there are lots of factors to consider.

 

Ideally you want the tyres on each axle to match but even that could cause problems depending on how different the front/rear tyres are i.e. premium brand on the front, budgets on the rear could cause oversteer as the rear would lose grip before the front.

 

Even if you replaced like for like, if the other tyres were near the legal limit, having a brand new tyre could cause problems in certain conditions i.e. the new tyre would be less prone to aquaplaning so the car could end up slewing, on a dry road the older tyres would likely have more grip so under extreme braking the same could happen.

18 minutes ago, jonboyuk said:

It's the rear n/s tyre that was replaced. The condition of the opposite tyre is very good, and is only 9 months old.

 

Nothing to worry about then. Maybe swap rears to the front when you get a chance so that the best tyres are at the back, and the mismatched ones will wear out quicker if on the driven wheels..

So for clarity, essentially we now have premium everywhere, (albeit a mixture of Bridgestone and Continental on the back) and they are all relatively new tyres.

 

I read it was better to have matched where possible over the front though Wino? I take your point on re: wear though.

Latest thinking is put the best tyres on the back, as the stats say more accidents involve the back end 'stepping out'. Mismatch on the back will encourage it tend to go one way or the other under extreme circumstances (although ABS etc. should take care of most situations TBH).

Edited 26 March, 20197 yr by Wino

That's great - puts my mind at ease. Thanks Wino + all!

I always do them in pairs, yes it costs a bit more but it means you go 1/2 as many times to get them changed :P

 

If you can, have a spare wheel / tyre for the car in the boot that you can use.

This gives you more flexibility and stops the panic purchase.

 

The near side tyres wear faster than the off side tyre so put the one with more tread on the near side.

 

My fabia has a full size alloy with the same tyre as the rest in the boot.

 

Don't forget that the Fabia III has ESC as standard these days.

 

For the other car I only have eleven tyres at the minute.

Five on/in the car and six spare. 

 

 

Thanks AG Falco

Edited 30 March, 20197 yr by AGFalco
added Sig.

2 hours ago, AGFalco said:

The near side tyres wear faster than the off side tyre so put the one with more tread on the near side.

 

 

 

Really? They shouldn't do (if fitted new as a pair).  Front tyres on a FWD car normally wear faster than rears, I've never known a difference between offside and nearside.

Edited 30 March, 20197 yr by Jim H

2 hours ago, AGFalco said:

The near side tyres wear faster than the off side tyre so put the one with more tread on the near side.

 

News to me, i've gone through 3 pairs of tyres over 50k miles (2 fronts, 1 rear), and all have worn evenly.

We turn for longer/more to the right ( in the UK ) than to the left.

Roundabouts, one way systems, car parks all go clockwise.

It is longer round the M25 clockwise than it is anticlockwise.

It is not by much but using a digital tread depth gauge you can notice this.

I see about 2000 tyre a month.

 

Thanks AG Falco

1 hour ago, AGFalco said:

We turn for longer/more to the right ( in the UK ) than to the left.

Roundabouts, one way systems, car parks all go clockwise.

It is longer round the M25 clockwise than it is anticlockwise.

It is not by much but using a digital tread depth gauge you can notice this.

I see about 2000 tyre a month.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

Fair fair, having done nearly 50k on a single pair of rear tyres, both still had 4mm tread left. Just speaking from experience.

 

I know we get alot more punctures on the rear left tyre though. My parents have had 2 and i've had 1, all the same rear left. And also increased suspension wear on the left too.. the wishbone bushes were completely shot on the left of mine, while the right looked in good condition. Replaced both anyway. Parts were cheap as chips.

11 hours ago, FabiaGonzales said:

I know we get alot more punctures on the rear left tyre though.

 

Yes, this is because most items that puncture a tyre ( nails/screws )  are found near the kerb.

The front tyre,if wet, can pick the offending item up off the ground and set it spinning in the air.

 

The rear tyre then hits the item that causes the puncture.

Don't drive near the kerb will help, especially when it is wet.

 

Suspension wear is partly due to potholes, also most commonly found near the kerb.

 

Thanks AG Falco