Why You Should Not Mix Tires

Most people don’t really worry about their tires until one of them goes flat and their forced into buying a new one. Replacing a flat tire might seem like a fairly common event in the life of a car, but it can lead to some problems when you do so without trying to carefully match the rest of the car’s existing tires.

When you’re searching for new tires in Riverside, CA, you’ll want to be aware of any mismatches between your other tires and the new tires in terms of tread patterns, manufacturers, sizes or even the season the tire was meant for. If you have a mismatch, it can bring you the following tire woes:

• Unpredictable handling and braking: Tires were made to work with other tires of the same type. If you throw the whole system out of whack with a really mismatched tire, it could lead to some issues surrounding handling. This happens because tires with different treads grip the ground differently, and it can cause you to over- or understeer to compensate. You also might have braking problems due to grip, especially if one tire grips better in rain or other adverse conditions than the other tire. Car accidents are already a leading cause of injury and death in the United States, so why not try to do as much as you can to prevent accidents by using matching tires?
• Uneven wear: Because treads are so varied, using mismatched tires might cause the tires to wear unevenly on the road. This can mean that you end up needing to replace the tires more frequently than you would if they were very similar.
• False confidence: Since mismatched tires lead to problems in handling, you might not drive as well as you’d be able to with the right set of tires. But most people don’t know this, and they instead drive with the same level of confidence as they have previously. This is dangerous particularly in snowy and icy conditions, when confidence is a key component of driving.
• Additional wear and tear: If you’re driving many miles with mismatched tires, you are putting extra stress on your car’s transmission and suspension systems. This might not be a dangerous side effect, but it can be a costly one if you need to do extra repairs. This is especially true if the car has several different types of tires or wheels, rather than just one odd tire.

Replacing a full set of tires might seem impractical, but it can keep you safe and ultimately cost less in the long run, so it’s important to keep this in mind as you scope out tire sales in Riverside, CA. If you want to talk to seasoned experts about the advantages and disadvantages of certain tire replacement options, make an appointment with Reliable Tire Center. Since 1971, Reliable Tire Center has been a premier tire, brake and auto repair shop in the Riverside area. Stop by today to see how our exceptional staff can help you!

Categorised in: Tire Maintenance, Uncategorized