Why You Shouldn’t Mix Tires
When it’s too expensive to buy a full set of tires, you might be tempted to just buy one tire or two tires to replace those with the most wear on their treads. Unfortunately, by doing so you can put yourself and those you share the road with at serious risk. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t use mismatched tires.
Tire Treads Wear Unevenly
As you drive, your tire treads slowly wear down. To keep your tires from wearing unevenly, your auto shop will rotate the tires and perform wheel alignment. However, if you’re using different types of tires, there is a real risk that they’ll start to wear unevenly. This could be due to the material, the tire’s tread, or simply how it was made. If you use mismatched tires, tire rotation won’t be enough to prevent them from wearing unevenly — which could cause serious problems down the road.
Tire Hampered Performance
When a tire is manufactured, it’s designed to work in unison with three other tires. Think of your tires like a team that knows how to play together. When you sub out one player, the rest of the team doesn’t perform as well. This is what happens when you move away from working sets during your tire service. Using mismatched tires could reduce your vehicle’s performance by limiting acceleration, decreasing maximum speed, and reducing your load capacity.
Watch Those Curves
Using mismatched tires in Fairview Heights, IL hampers your performance in another, more serious way. To put it bluntly, mixed tires will make your vehicle’s handling worse. Because the tread on each tire is different, as its performance rating, you’ll have a tough time predicting how your car will react to everyday occurrences. Accelerating, braking, and turning will all feel slightly off — which can cause serious issues in poor weather conditions.
Slippery When Wet
Different tires are designed to perform in different environments. If you use a mixed set of tires, you’ll really be affected when driving on wet surfaces. Each tire will provide a different level of traction and grip the road differently. This makes your vehicle very difficult to handle and increases your risk of having a car accident.
It might seem like using mismatched tires is a quick way to save money. However, due to reduced performance and increased tread wear, all you’re doing is putting yourself at greater risk and ensuring that you have to replace your new tires sooner rather than later.
