Uneven tread on rear car tyres

chaotic_j

Hi,

Got a puncture on my rear nearside car tyre, so I changed for the spare which originally came with the car around 7 years ago.

All four tyres were Michelin, the spare is Kumho and has pretty much full tread whereas the rear offside tyre is probably 50-60% worn I estimate?

Discussed with father in law as to best course of action and he suggested as tread difference on tyres was high, keep the spare on, get a new tyre on rear offside and keep that tyre - the 50-60% worn one, as the new spare.

So I booked in with BlackCircles, this is the third time I'm having a tyre replaced in as many months and the place having it done at were very good. I filled out on the form exactly what I wanted them to do.

I explained when I handed the car over, again what I wanted them to do, as well as explaining to the fitter.

They gave me the car back and rushed the handover, I signed the bit of paper assuming everything was OK except now I check and they have replaced what was the original spare, with the brand new tyre i.e. rear nearside and the original spare is now the spare again.. not what I asked for.

I rang them up to query and they said that their fitter probably did this as the spare was a different brand - Kumho and a very different tread pattern. Since my car is front wheel drive, the rear is a trailing axle and so there is no traction.

They offered to do what I asked, for free if I brought the car in again, I've left it as is for now but what is the best thing to do when you are faced with this situation i.e. brands of tyres, uneven tread etc?

I'm not an expert but I attempted to do some research online, as well as speaking to the father in law, before booking in to have the tyre replaced.

Thanks in advance, chaotic_j.

Scrounger

chaotic_j wrote: »

Discussed with father in law as to best course of action and he suggested as tread difference on tyres was high, keep the spare on, get a new tyre on rear offside and keep that tyre - the 50-60% worn one, as the new spare.

I would agree with your FIL (as per above); it seems a pity to have a brand new tyre languishing as a spare (which may never even be used).

Scrounger

AdrianC

So, basically, you're miffed because the tyre that you'd rather was a spare is on the car, and the tyre you'd rather was on the car is in the boot?

I think I can see a quick and easy solution to this dilemma... It may involve getting the jack and wheelbrace out.

Joe_Horner

I don't think the Op was "miffed" so much as being unsure whether it was better to have matched brand with uneven tread or different brands with even tread on the car.

Op, unless you drive like a nutter it's very unlikely to make any difference you'll notice.

The real advantage of having the original spare on the car is that tyres tend to age more quickly when they're not being used, and if you have a choice of having a part-worn or a nearly-new one dying of old age it makes sense to use the new!

No matter what the "experts" say, you won't crash into a bus queue of kittens just because your tyres are a different brand / pattern. In fact, it's unlikely that most drivers will even notice any difference at all in the car's handling because of this. Some might, but most really won't!

EdGasket

I've always just used any old tyre on any of the rear wheels (unless its a rear-wheel drive car).

The driven wheels should have the same make and age of tyre so that the rolling diameters are the same. i.e replace as pairs. This is to reduce differential wear and friction.

topdaddy_2

Un even tires can have an affect on some vehicles, those with a viscous coupling for example. All depends what car it is