…especially in wet conditions. Given that different tread designs will shed water and snow with varying success, a mix of two different tread patterns between the front and back axles is something that is not recommended. When the exact matching tire is not available (due to the model being…
…a tire's tread pattern, it can lift the tread until it loses contact with the road. Tires with less tread depth will hydroplane in shallower water and at lower speeds than tires with deeper treads. Whether the front or rear tires hydroplane first can make all the difference. Hydroplaning front tires…
…four tires on rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive vehicles are the same size, they can be rotated to different wheel positions on the car to help equalize tire wear by using a crisscross or "X" rotation pattern. When using this pattern, the right front tire is exchanged with the left rear tire and…
…different front and rear tires but the computer thinks you should have all one size. Maybe you need custom sizes on a vehicle that came with staggered wheels. Whatever the case may be, having two sizes makes the search a bit more complex. You could pull up two different windows, one for the front…
…industry's trend of offering vehicles with different size tires in the front and rear (staggered) continues. This can be a frustration point for some unsuspecting consumers. First, tire choices can be fewer than hoped when trying to find two different sizes that match in the same brand. Second,…
…Directional tires cannot be cross rotated unless you have them remounted for the other side of the vehicle. With regards to mixing tire types, it's always best to identically match tire models on the front and rear of the vehicle. If you have to substitute the tire for a different model, at…
…on the rear tires in a corner, and the side force pulls the back of the car to the outside of the turn. This is generally the result of excessive speed when entering a corner. If you suddenly decelerate in the corner, the weight transfers to the front, giving less grip to the rear tires and allows…
…Winter/Snow tires narrow enough for deeper snow yet wide enough to be effective on ice, packed snow and dry roads. Ideally we would want to stay close to the overall diameter and weight of the Original Equipment Wheel(s) and Tire(s) to minimize impact on driving range. Given differences such as tire…
…significant differences in tread depth within the pair. If the vehicle has tires of a different type and/or size on the front and rear axles, they should only use the rotation pattern depicted in Figure I, rotating across the axle side-to-side, but not front-to-rear. Studded Winter / Snow Tire…
…With all four tires reacting at the same pace (think spring rate or squirm) it was in phase with itself. Think of a building in an earthquake...that tread squirms and reacts to the input of both the car and the road and sways accordingly. With the front and back reacting differently (one a steel…
…example, this 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe has two different tire sizes: 225/45ZR-18 (front) and 245/45ZR-18 (back), and feature the Sumitomo HTR Z III tire. A simple search by tire size brings up this tire option, among others. You'll have a variety of tires to choose from, all of which will fit your…
…the testing of tires here at Tire Rack and detailed notes developed during our in-house track time, many customers prefer to hear how I feel about a tire's behavior during street driving. Our road tests give us valuable information on how a given tire will perform on different road surfaces at…
…and On-/Off-Road All-Terrain light truck tires. We've also confirmed the importance of matched tires on all four corners. Our tests have shown that a rear wheel drive vehicle equipped with all-season tires on the front and winter tires on the back will require slower cornering speeds and longer…
…sure your tires and brakes are in good shape. If you're heading to the track every weekend then fix the car's understeer by upgrading your wheels and tires and getting a "track" alignment. Wheels: Running wider wheels and tires of the same size in the front and back in a square…
…the different performance categories and the traction levels they provide is important to selecting the right tire. In Northern Indiana, I need a tire that delivers the most amount of grip in all winter conditions, including ice, slush and snow. As someone who has the privilege to test winter tires…
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