For whatever reason, you may find yourself mixing different brands and styles of tires on your car. Whether this is due to a lack of availability for the proper tires or you are attempting to customize your vehicle, there is important safety information you need to know about mixing tires on your car. For the sake of your personal safety and that of others on the road, consider what tires you are putting on your car.

Should You Mix Your Tires?

When you are deciding what tires to put on your car, it is generally recommended for basic safety reasons that all tires be uniform. This means all tires should have the same tread design, brand, and size and should be roughly the same age and equally worn. Generally speaking, you should not mix tires.

Why Is Mixing Bad?

Every tire is designed for a particular purpose and is made to hold up against different demands. Having four different tires means that each one is designed to do a different job, whether that be providing better traction, holding up under higher speeds, or withstanding more weight. Your car will handle poorly if none of the tires are the same. But even though it is advised that all tires should be the same, there is one circumstance where it is acceptable to have different tires.

When Is It Okay To Mix Tires

Tread Depths

It is common that you will only need to replace a single tire after a blowout. This results in tires with different tread depths, with the three older tires having a shallower depth than the newer one. In this circumstance, it is acceptable if the tires do not match perfectly. There will be a difference in handling, but it is small enough to be mitigated by the driver’s ability.

Placement of the New Tire

When replacing a single tire, it is recommended that you should place the new tire with the deeper depth in the rear of the car. This gives your vehicle better handling. You should also examine your tires and determine which of the remaining tires has the least amount of depth loss. That tire should be paired with the new one in the back so that each axle has a pair of tires with similar depths.

Finding the Right Tire

It is generally accepted that what you should know about mixing tires on your car is that you should avoid it whenever possible. If you are in need of new tires or need your current ones serviced, stop by our tire shop in Wichita, Kansas. The experienced professionals at RNR Tire Express will help you find the right tires for your car and ensure you are not inadvertently putting yourself in danger.