Mismatched tire brands

It is a serious problem and up here in Canada anyway, the police will bust you for driving an unsafe vehicle if they spot the mismatched brands of tire.

I was in a bad fender bender where the other party might have died and my vehicle was inspected by the police and insurance company. Both told me I would automatically be found the 'at fault' driver if my tires didn't match. This could turn an accident into vehicular homicide! My Cherokee passed and the other person was found 'at fault'.

The different brands of tires flex and compress differently. This can cause the vehicle to dive or slide into corners or if the rear end corner dives, to do 360's way too easy.

How much wear is on the 3 firestones? I have heard of truck tire places that can shave the new tire down a little so it matches the wear of the other tires. Or just put it on the right rear and do a few smoke outs to wear it down fast. ;-) (the right rear is the primary drive tire and it will break free and spin first if you pop the clutch)

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

Involving using the mini-spare, and its affect on the 4-wheel drive,> and thats not really the case for my vehicle, I assume, or I could be> all wrong.

Mismatched tires are a danger to you and the rest of the prople on the road just as bad as a drunk driver.

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com proclaimed:

It *could* be that the tire dealer was trying to sell you unneeded tires. Or perhaps, unlike you, he is aware that it is not at all a good idea to have different tires anywhere on the vehicle.

You really wouldn't even want to have the same brand and model if one is quite new and the others are worn.

The ABS might actually help the first time you have to try a panic stop on greasy pavement and your vehicle attempts to swap ends due to the mismatched tires.

Got an owners manual?

Just in case you decide that the opinions you have solicited may not be accurate (how many of us are REAL mechanics?), try reading the owner's manual.

Good lord if I believed everything I read, I'd be scared to death to drive after reading some of these replies.

It's important to have a matched set of tires on your vehicle, but if you can't, match them per axle.

NOTHING catastrophic is going to happen to you running a slightly different tire, (notice I said slightly) it CAN cause odd handling characteristics, and it CAN cause slightly odd braking if it's on the front, but unless its wildly different from the other tires, it's not that big a deal.

I sold tires for and was a front end mechanic for 11 years. I'm not just making this up.

Most new tire dealers ARE afraid to sell you unmatched sets, because of the potential for liability, because everyone DOES sue now, for everything. It doesn't mean something terrible is going to happen to you.

Millions of vehicles run mismatched tires, re-treads, etc with no ill effect. Trans-Ams a few years ago came from the factory with different size tires from front to rear.

I don't condone running different tires on your vehicle, I don't run oddballs on my passenger vehicles either, but just wanted you to hear something other than "doomsday" advice.

Spdloader

Involving using the mini-spare, and its affect on the 4-wheel drive,> and thats not really the case for my vehicle, I assume, or I could be> all wrong.

I would like to chip in here, that four wheel drive is not a consideration in this case, because the vehicle is a Wrangler with part time four wheel drive, which is never meant to be used on paved surfaces.

Earle

> Involving using the mini-spare, and its affect on the 4-wheel drive,> > and thats not really the case for my vehicle, I assume, or I could be> > all wrong.

They told me it made 'The' difference between me going to jail or not.....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Aug./05 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Toss away your single brand tire, use one of the three firestones as a spare and buy two new tires and install them on the same axle.

Snow...

Involving using the mini-spare, and its affect on the 4-wheel drive,> and thats not really the case for my vehicle, I assume, or I could be> all wrong.

In the United States of America you would need a jury to put someone in jail for something like this. An overly enthusiastic assistant district attorney might threaten to prosecute, but it would be bluff, and he would be trying for a plea bargain, not justified by the facts. How many jury members would have mismatched tires, or have no idea what size tires were on their own cars? I think that "they" were just trying to impress you with how much power and authority they possessed. Even in a socialist state, this sounds like bullcrap.

Earle

Here they figure if you are driving an unsafe vehicle and kill someone in an 'accident', the 'accident' is no longer an accident, you are at fault for driving an unsafe vehicle. 'Maybe' you could have avoided the other person if you vehicle had proper tires to turn properly.

I was lucky, the guy that hit me lived and my Cherokee is in good mechanical shape.

I guess for something that big, it would take a jury up here too...

But you still would get screwed over just in a regular accident if you have an odd tire.

Mike

Absolutely. The issue here is the ABS that is designed to measure wheel speed and adjust the braking to make them equal. Two new tires of the same size but of different manufacture will most likely have different diameters when loaded with the same weight pressure. Therefore, they will rotate at different speeds telling the brakes to compensate, resulting in impaired brake efficiency. The cars I work on have one sensor per wheel. If the vehicle only has one sensor per axle, then the only negatives are diff wear and a difference of traction.. A full set of the cheapest tires available would be better than buying one.

But why be stupid? Just because someone can does not make it ok, even if it is legal.

The 2001 Service Manual section on replacement tires is as follows: " DESCRIPTION - REPLACEMENT TIRES

The original equipment tires provide a proper balance

of many characteristics such as:

? Ride

? Noise

? Handling

? Durability

? Tread life

? Traction

? Rolling resistance

? Speed capability

It is recommended that tires equivalent to the original

equipment tires be used when replacement is

needed.

Failure to use equivalent replacement tires may

adversely affect the safety and handling of the vehicle.

The use of oversize tires may cause interference

with vehicle components. Under extremes of suspension

and steering travel, interference with vehicle

components may cause tire damage."

My '02 Owner's manual is very similar where it states the tires should be "equivalent to the originals in quality and performance."

That being said the OP has 1 Wrangler ST (which is of very poor quality) and

3 Firestones of unknown model and quality.

I do not know that I would want 1 Wrangler ST mixed with a good quality tire on the same axle as the traction of the Goodyears is so poor..

Tell us about what caused the other tire to go flat. If you had a nail or screw through the tread area then a simple 'tire plugging' will offer a safe repair.

How much wear is on the other Firestones?

What type of tire dealership? Was it a Firestone dealer or a dealer who sells Firestone?

Another option is to purchase a used Firestone with similar mileage..

Involving using the mini-spare, and its affect on the 4-wheel drive,> and thats not really the case for my vehicle, I assume, or I could be> all wrong.

The logic here in New Zealand is in line with Canada. You cannot have two mismatched tyres on the same axle (it is illegal). If there is an accident, you are history as probably the insurance won't cover it as well because you were driving an "unfit" or "unsafe" car. We have to have a warrant of fitness performed on our cars here (annually if it is less than six years old, six monthly after that) and part of the test includes tread depth, tread wear and pattern. Its much easier to just replace them all and sell the old ones separately if some of them are any good.

TW

Here they figure if you are driving an unsafe vehicle and kill someone in an 'accident', the 'accident' is no longer an accident, you are at fault for driving an unsafe vehicle. 'Maybe' you could have avoided the other person if you vehicle had proper tires to turn properly.

I was lucky, the guy that hit me lived and my Cherokee is in good mechanical shape.

I guess for something that big, it would take a jury up here too...

But you still would get screwed over just in a regular accident if you have an odd tire.

Mike

I think that if you were sent to jail for mismatched tires, that were basically the same size and in good condition, you would have cause for a false arrest suit. Discretion has its limits. I'll bet you were guilty of the speed thing, just hired a lawyer and maybe a professional "expert witness" to get you off.

Earle