Effects Of Mixing Tyres

Mixing Tyres refers to the use of more than one type of tyre on a vehicle. The tyres may differ in size, tread pattern , construction or may be from different manufacturers.The most widespread and well known of this practice is to use two separate sets of radials for the front and the rear.

What does mixing tyres do to your car?

One needs to keep in mind that every manufacturer provides an ideal tyre model for his vehicle’s buyers, and this recommended list of tyre models are the preferred choice of radials to suit the needs of this vehicle. Usually, people tend to mix tyres among this list itself, using a specific model for the front wheels and another for the rear. However, there are numerous disadvantages with this practice, and one needs to carefully note them before proceeding with this practice.

1. The first thing to be held in mind is that mixing tyre types on your car usually bears negative effects on the vehicle’s overall performance. The front tyres are of a particular type, while the rear ones are of another type. On the other hand, the ideal method of equipping tyres is to ensure that all four of them are suited with the exact same design specifications.
2. The control that the tyre brings to the vehicle is shifted, in most cases, for the worse. The reason for this is that the level of grip that is offered at the front and the rear differ. This results in an unequalized level of traction that is spread through the vehicle. Therefore, with the front tyres gripping higher and the rear ones weaker, the overall handling of the car suffers.
3.  An ideal set of tyres adorning all four wheels usually results in perfect alignment, keeping the vehicle stable when driving. Mixing the radial types could potentially lay waste to this stability alignment. As a result, it is not recommended to mix tyres, especially when the safety that runs the vehicle depends on the stability and alignment of the tyres.
4. Replacing the ideal tyre formation meant to equip all four wheels could lead to imbalances creeping up. Tyres play an essential role in keeping the vehicle balanced and replacing the ideal tyre formation could potentially disregard the balance that is meant to be brought to it. As a result, this is another reason to refrain from mixing tyres.
5. Mixing tyres poses the risk of bringing uniform wear on the four tyres. For instance, cloaking all four wheels with the same radial ensures that all the tyres undergo the same level of deterioration and damage. Therefore, the amount of wear that is undergone is spread through all of them, and is uniform. This also ensures that the handling is not disrupted by the uneven wear. However, when the radials are mixed, this function is lost: The four tyres undergo wear and deterioration in an uneven pace.

It is greatly imperative to keep these things in mind before mixing tyres, or deciding not to. It is always better to stick to the manufacturer’s guidelines when adorning tyres, and in most cases, mixing tyres always yields a more negative response than a positive one and hence, should be generally avoided.