Different Tyres On The Back

[Neeranam]

I have got Yokaham tyres on my car. The back ones are getting worn(can just see the metal threads on one of them) so I'd better change them. I could wait a few weeks until I can afford 4 new ones(15,000 baht) or buy some cheap ones for the back now.

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

Cheers

N N

[Skyline]

Depends on your wheels and performance of your car Neeranam.

Yokos are usually hi-performance tyres and thats reflected in the price.

If you are running a standard car with a standard engine,I would say buy a cheaper set of tyres,no need for the Yokos.

I always use Falken tyres for performance/modified cars as the quality is better than Yokos and at a cheaper price.

[ltdknowledge]

To just change the back ones is fine., even if they are a different manufacturer. It's having different tyes on the sides that is not so good. Obviously if the metal thread is showing you should definately change, not just for your sake but for padestrians and other road user you could kill if one of them pops.

One other thing. If your car is front wheel drive i would put the new ones on the front and swap your excisiting fronts to the back, proving there not in as bad condition as you have described for the rear.

Edited December 7, 2006 by ltdknowledge

[Farma]

I'd be more inclinded to park your car until you get the money to buy the same brand tyres.

Change all 4 at the same time even if they're cheaper ones. Different tread patterns between front and rear can cause problems due to differing grip.

Another option would be to buy 2 new ones and drive carefully until you can afford another 2 of the same.

Just don't go speeding with different tyres like you mentioned in another thread.

[Mid]

please put the two news tyres on the front ,

where the steering and braking happen ............

put the best two of the rest on the back

[Little Black Duck]

If the car is front wheel drive the new tyres should go there..

its not going to make a huge difference if you run the best two

of the remaining tyres on the car for a while..

[Neeranam]

Thanks for the replies. I am a bit confused.

Just don't go speeding with different tyres like you mentioned in another thread.

So is it dangerous?

please put the two news tyres on the front ,

where the steering and braking happen ............

put the best two of the rest on the back

OK.

If the car is front wheel drive the new tyres should go there..

its not going to make a huge difference if you run the best two

of the remaining tyres on the car for a while..

Mazda 323 Astina(rear wheel drive-I think), so should put the new ones on the back?

[moonoi]

Thanks for the replies. I am a bit confused.

Just don't go speeding with different tyres like you mentioned in another thread.

So is it dangerous?

please put the two news tyres on the front ,

where the steering and braking happen ............

put the best two of the rest on the back

OK.

If the car is front wheel drive the new tyres should go there..

its not going to make a huge difference if you run the best two

of the remaining tyres on the car for a while..

Mazda 323 Astina(rear wheel drive-I think), so should put the new ones on the back?

Nope the 323 is front wheel drive. So put them on the front

[Farma]

Put your new tyres on the front. That’s where you need good grip for steering and braking.

It’s also easier to control a car with a blown rear tyre than one with the front tyre blown.

Different tread patterns have different road holding ability. One tread pattern can loose grip earlier than the other and you could end up spinning off the road going around a corner at speed, under heavy braking or in the wet.

In a lot of countries you would fail a car roadworthy check if all tyres were not the same.

[Gary A]

Put me firmly in the front wheels camp. Front wheel or rear wheel drive doesn't make any difference. You need the steering control in the front and in case of a blow out it is far better to have a rear tire fail.

[kasi]

The freshest tyres should always go on the front.

I buy my tyres from dealers who offer free tire rotation as part of the deal.

Rotating your tyres every 5-10K km will nearly double the life of the tyres.

Proper inflation is also key to making your tyres last.

If you're driving on tyres that are already showing "cord" you are an accident waiting to happen!

Edited December 9, 2006 by kasi

[bino]

Hi Neeranam-

Change the tires with steel belts showing ASAP. They are dangerous.

Having two brands of tires is not a big deal, as long as they are the correct size and rating for your car, and the "construction" as the front. IE- mixing bias ply tires with radials is dangerous, but bias ply tires are practically history now.

Like Little Black Duck said- its not going to make a huge difference if you run the best two

of the remaining tyres on the car for a while. Buy two new tires, put them on the front and move the existing front tires to the rear. Buy two more in a couple of months when your budget allows. This will be safer than what you have now.

My two cents to add... are all four existing tires the same brand / series of Yokohamas (suggesting that they were all replaced at the same time) and the rear tires are showing significantly more wear? It is highly unusual for rear tires to wear faster on a front wheel drive car.

I'd suggest that you spring a few extra baht for a computer alignment- checking toe-in, camber, castor, etc. It sounds like your rear wheels are way off if they are wearing faster than the fronts.

Another thing to add- you don't necessarily have to replace the tires with Yokohamas- as another poster mentioned, they are a premium / performance brand. I recently replaced all four tires on my GF's car (she had Firestones before, which I have always hated) with Goodyears, which in my opinion are far better tires. The difference in feel when driving afterwards was night and day. The 175/70 - 13 Goodyears (probably the same or similar size as your Astina) were about 2000 Bt each.

Edited December 9, 2006 by bino

[tutsiwarrior]

I'd say get two new for the front (check the alignment) and switch the existing front to the rear if they have reasonable tread. Shitcan the rear tires if they are worn as you describe, pronto. Worn tires are the cause of many bad accidents...

[Neeranam]

Hi Neeranam-

Change the tires with steel belts showing ASAP. They are dangerous.

Having two brands of tires is not a big deal, as long as they are the correct size and rating for your car, and the "construction" as the front. IE- mixing bias ply tires with radials is dangerous, but bias ply tires are practically history now.

Like Little Black Duck said- its not going to make a huge difference if you run the best two

of the remaining tyres on the car for a while. Buy two new tires, put them on the front and move the existing front tires to the rear. Buy two more in a couple of months when your budget allows. This will be safer than what you have now.

My two cents to add... are all four existing tires the same brand / series of Yokohamas (suggesting that they were all replaced at the same time) and the rear tires are showing significantly more wear? It is highly unusual for rear tires to wear faster on a front wheel drive car.

I'd suggest that you spring a few extra baht for a computer alignment- checking toe-in, camber, castor, etc. It sounds like your rear wheels are way off if they are wearing faster than the fronts.

Another thing to add- you don't necessarily have to replace the tires with Yokohamas- as another poster mentioned, they are a premium / performance brand. I recently replaced all four tires on my GF's car (she had Firestones before, which I have always hated) with Goodyears, which in my opinion are far better tires. The difference in feel when driving afterwards was night and day. The 175/70 - 13 Goodyears (probably the same or similar size as your Astina) were about 2000 Bt each.

Thanks for the advice.

I have Yokos on all tyres.

They are every wide tyres, or is it the wheel that is wide??

So, I have to get the same width?

[Neeranam]

I have a spare tyre in my boot - Bridgestone185/65 .

The ones on my car are Yokohama 205/50.

Do you think it would be better than it is now to change the damaged one with the Bridgestone, but then having different makes on the back?

[bino]

Hi Neeranam-

It is hard to tell you exactly without being able to see what you have, since it is entirely possible that the previous owner of your car may well have upgraded the wheel rims (metal) and tires (rubber). Does your car have plain steel wheels with hubcaps, or does it have nice custom style wheels?

Have a look at the sidewall of your tires for the size number. It will be something like 175/70 -13, or 185/60-14. To decode this number using 175/70-13 as example, 175 is the tread width of the tire in millimeters. 70 is the sidewall height, measured as a percentage of the tread width. 13 is the wheel rim size, in inches.

If your car has 60 or possibly even 50 sidewalls, it is likely that the wheels and tires have been upgraded. I'm fairly sure that your Astina would have originally had 70's, unless it is a special or "sports" model, which may have had 60's from the factory.

Lower sidewalls dramatically improve the cornering performance of the car, because the tire does not flex as far sideways under the G force of cornering. Higher sidewalls offer a more comfortable ride, as they can absorb bumps much better.

The rule of thumb when upgrading wheel sizes is to increase the tread 10 mm and reduce the sidewall 10% for each inch of wheel size. If you had 175/70-13 and wanted to upgrade to 14 inch wheels, you would need 185/60-14 tires, and 195/50-15 tires for 15 inch wheels.

So- to make a long story short after all of this drivel- do get the same size tires as you currently have. If the previous owner upgraded the wheel size, the wheels will be wider, and need to have corresponding sized tires.

[bino]

I have a spare tyre in my boot - Bridgestone185/65 .

The ones on my car are Yokohama 205/50.

Do you think it would be better than it is now to change the damaged one with the Bridgestone, but then having different makes on the back?

I just saw this - you posted while I was typing the last post.

I'd say that the Bridgestone spare at 185/65 is one of the original tires supplied by Mazda, and the Yokohama 205/50's are definitely an upgrade.

What are the wheel sizes for these? I'd imagine that the 185/65 has a 14 inch wheel, and the 205/50 has a 15 inch wheel?

Each axle (2 front wheels / tires and 2 rear wheels / tires) must have the same sizes. Don't switch the 185/65 tire for one of the Yokohamas for every day driving. The overall rolling diameter of the tire will be different, and totally compromise the handling of your car as the different tire sizes will be turning at a different speed. This could be extremely dangerous, especially at highway speed.

In addition, if you put this tire on the front drive wheels, it will wreak havoc with your transmission and differential because each side will be turning at a different speed.

If you have to use your spare 185/65, use it to drive directly to a service center, and drive very slowly.

The sad part of all this is that the 50 series tires do come at a higher price, as they are not so common.

I'd suggest that you get two new 50 series for the front now to replace the worn rear tires, moving the current front tires to the rear. In a couple of months when you have some $, buy two more tires, putting the newest ones on the front, the ones you bought previously on the rear, and mount one of the old Yokos on your spare tire (if the rims are the same size- 14, 15 or whatever) so that your spare is the same as all the other wheels and can be used safely.

Edited December 10, 2006 by bino

[Neeranam]

Excellent advice and explanation Bino - thanks a lot!

[bino]

Mai pen rai Neeranam. Wheels and tires are someting I do know. My Aunt and Uncle have a tire shop at home, and I worked there part time when I was going to school.

A tip for anyone else reading this thread- always avoid taxis in Bangkok that have small wheels and tires. This decreased overall rolling diameter causes the meter to run faster!

[Neeranam]

What are the wheel sizes for these? I'd imagine that the 185/65 has a 14 inch wheel, and the 205/50 has a 15 inch wheel?

The wheels are actually 16'' sports wheels. The guy in the shop tried to get them off me, offering me some cheaper ones. He said that although they were 16", they would take 15'' tyres - does this sound right?

[Gary A]

What are the wheel sizes for these? I'd imagine that the 185/65 has a 14 inch wheel, and the 205/50 has a 15 inch wheel?

The wheels are actually 16'' sports wheels. The guy in the shop tried to get them off me, offering me some cheaper ones. He said that although they were 16", they would take 15'' tyres - does this sound right?

Actually the circumference of the 16 inch and the 15 inch are usually about the same. The 16 inch rims normally use a low profile tire that improves handling. I think the guy was trying to tell you that the 15 inch and the 16 inch are the same size in diameter because a 16 inch tire definitely WON'T fit on a 15 inch rim.

[bino]

He said that although they were 16", they would take 15'' tyres - does this sound right?

In a word.... no!

The previous owner of your car laid out some serious money for the 16 inch wheels and Yokohamas. Both are premium items.

Don't go for his deal- he is clearly trying to sucker you into giving up something better than he has / sells.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE(Neeranam @ 2006-12-11 01:59:23)

He said that although they were 16", they would take 15'' tyres - does this sound right?

In a word.... no!

The previous owner of your car laid out some serious money for the 16 inch wheels and Yokohamas. Both are premium items.

Don't go for his deal- he is clearly trying to sucker you into giving up something better than he has / sells.

Well what a hassle trying to find the right tyre. However I found the right size eventually - goodyear -a nice loking new design - kinda live v shaped-treads.

3100 baht each.

Got the 'dtang soon'(alignment) checked too.

[pampal]

For thailand, the tires that are showing their steel belts are like new. Take a look at some of the tires on the trucks passing you and you will see what I mean.

or better yet, take a look at the bus tires, your tires are new compared to these beauties.

[bino]

Probably "Eagles" by goodyear..? I think that you will be happy with them. I've always found goodyear to be decnt quality tires.

Glad to hear that you are sorted / motoring safely again!

[Neeranam]

Probably "Eagles" by goodyear..? I think that you will be happy with them. I've always found goodyear to be decnt quality tires.

Glad to hear that you are sorted / motoring safely again!

Cheer - the car's running very well now - even at 150kmh.