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Different rear tires than front

4K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  tachi1247 
#1 · (Edited)
I am buying a 2004 330i with ZHP. It needs new rear tires but the front tires are at 7/10. They are an all season tire and I am going to stick with all season because this will be a winter car for me so I don't have to drive my 2012 MINI JCW in the winter. Michelin pilot super sports don't cut it in the cold...

If I can't get the same tire is it that big of a deal if I go with a different all season tire in the rear? I am sure I will have fun with the car but it will not be pushed to the extremes like my MINI. I don't really see a strong compelling reason to throw away a set of good front tires and its safest for street driving to have more traction in the rear anyways.

Tire rack does not show the Goodyear F1 all seasons with the same tread pattern available.

Any thoughts?
 
#3 ·
Agreed.

Just try and stick with similar traction rated tires and a similar tread pattern and you should be golden.
Any differences due to tire characteristics can be "tuned" out with air pressure adjustments.
 
#5 ·
Below 90mph the MINI is far more fun to drive then my new 330i. The turbo has much more low end torque and it goes where you point it better. Its a JCW and around the autocross course I can see how it would be significantly quicker. This is a 2012 JCW. My 2003 Mini Cooper S was significantly slower than the new MINI. The JCW helped me win our Regional SCCA championship. I will run this car at a fun event coming up to see how it would feel.
 
#6 · (Edited)
The supercharged Cooper S was nothing special, but the turbocharged Cooper S was one of the most fun cars I've driven. It's like a little nephew begging you to playfully toss him around.

That being said, I enjoy driving the E46 more. Personal enjoyment is subjective so this isn't a knock on the Mini. To answer your question, as long as the tires match on each axle, you will be fine.
 
#8 ·
How much should the difference be between the rear and back tires ?
My rims are not staggered setup and I made the mistake of buying all same tires , theve been balanced rotated and I had an alignment done steering wheel sakes from time to time I have a 325ci coupe .

Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using BimmerApp mobile app
 
#14 ·
I'm a little lost. Why say you made a mistake of buying all the same tires?

What difference do you mean? Tire pressure? A good start is 2psi for every +

+1 2psi more
+2 4psi more etc
 
#15 ·
OP - It's always recommended having the same tires front and rear in order to keep the handling characteristics the same. People mix and match tires all the time though, and if you are just going around town you probably won't notice a huge difference. Just keep in mind that the front and rear of the car will handle slightly differently.
 
#20 · (Edited)
No drama here, just the facts... I didn't state that mixing tires will kill you...nor that you have to match tires in every case. However, matching is the best and preferred way to go when replacing two tires.

I'm a little surprised to have someone call BS on the subject. To quote a Tire Rack tech article "Because tires play such an important role in every vehicle's comfort qualities and handling capabilities, it is always best to drive on tires that are identical in every detail, including tire brand, model, size and remaining tread depth. Anything else involves some type of compromise." One can debate about the degree or magnitude of the change when mixing tires, but the change is still there. The fact that a matched set is superior to a mismatched set is not a "concept that I'm espousing", but rather is a well established and generally understood best practice among the enthusiast community.

Staggered matched setups with the same brand and model of tire still have matching tread compounds, alike tire tread patterns and tire construction methods which were made to work together. Vehicle designers and engineers tune and recommend tire pressures for a variety of reasons including vehicle safety, even tire wear, suspension setup, etc. Neither of these points change the fact that a mixed setup is not as stable or predictable, especially at the limit of grip such as during an emergency maneuver. Four of a kind beats two pair.

For those new to this idea, Tire Rack has some tech articles to get you started if you would like to learn more :

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=136
 
#21 ·
I think you misunderstand. No doubt, mixing brands on the same axle is a no-no at best, not even disputing that in most cases, same brand, belt design, tread pattern and compound are generally preferred.
My objection was to the dramatic almost alarmist tone that it was "unstable" and by implication, dangerous. It was the tone. Rather than the content.
 
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