More or less tyre grip/traction

schrodie

We've just had a new tyre put on out car due to a puncture and now find that the car is veering off to the left if you relax your hands off the wheels.

One of the reasons given by those who fitted the new tyre was that it may be that the new tyre is providing either more or less traction/grip!! Personally I think that it's a tracking or wheel alignment issue that has developed post new tyre.

Is it possible that a new tyre can provide either more or less traction/grip than the other three?

Ta

OddballJamie

Sounds like the tracking. How much tread is on the other side?

schrodie

OddballJamie wrote: »

Sounds like the tracking. How much tread is on the other side?

Plenty the car is only 5 months old.

I just find it so difficult to believe that this new tyre is providing such a different amount of traction/grip so as to affect the handling of the car.

GolfBravo

Is the air pressure in both front tyres the same? Identical 2 brand/type tyres at the front?

How are the runout stripes? They still should be visible on a 5 month old car (and, obviously, the new tyre).

schrodie

I must admit I haven't checked or even seen these red stripes on the tyres but when I get my car back this afternoon (She Who Must Be Obeyed) currently has it I'll check them out and see what their positions are. You learn something every day!!

I know you said the lines should still be there even after 5 months but I hope the red lines haven't been worn away on the other 3 tyres though.

GolfBravo

schrodie wrote: »

I must admit I haven't checked or even seen these red stripes on the tyres

Unfortunately most tyre places don't see them either.

forgotmyname

Try it in a straight flat carpark 1st. Both directions in the same spot.

The camber of the road can cause it to pull left. Checked the tyre pressure of the new tyre?

fred7777

schrodie wrote: »

Is it possible that a new tyre can provide either more or less traction/grip than the other three?

Yes it's possible, in fact it's almost certain that different tyres will have different levels of "grip".

However "grip" is surely only an issue when the tyres either loose it and spin or loose it and lock and unless your tyres are spinning or locking your car shouldn't be "veering off to the left".

Iceweasel

The lines may be other than red, and there may well be a few of them, but always to one side of the tread, never the centre, so there should be no doubt.

They go right down into the sipes between the tread so it's likely that they can be completely worn off.

Many tyre fitters don't understand the significance of them and will argue/tell you if the tyre is properly balanced it wont matter - but it does.

I'm very picky about steering and would advise you to put the new tyre on the back so as to have a perfectly matched pair on the front steering axle.

w50nky

Would interesting to see if swapping the front tyres around would make it pull in the opposite direction. (If you could be bothered)

Ultrasonic

The tyres on my car say 'Outside' on the tyre sidewalls so it is obvious which way round they go even without a red line.

Must admit wheel alignment would seem the likely cause here to me, but I am certainly not an expert. If you haven't had this checked for a while I would do so anyway, preferably a proper check with a Hunter system.