Almost every car needs four tyres, and most drivers know these vital components must be kept in good condition if your vehicle is to remain safe and legal on the road. But like your dinner plates at home, those tyres which start off as a nice matching set can quickly become a cobbled-together collection of parts as the challenges of motoring take their toll. As a result, many of our customers ask us: can you mix car tyres, or must they all match? Is it safe to drive with mismatched car tyres? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Let’s explore this important subject.
Mixing Tyres
From the moment you hit the road, the tyres on your car will bear the brunt of the dust and dirt, debris, uneven surfaces, water, snow and ice that you encounter. And even under perfect conditions, tyres will wear out quicker than other parts because they are made of rubber. Their flexible makeup is what allows them to grip the road surface as they are designed to, but also means that they only last a few thousand miles (or less if they suffer damage) before they must be replaced.
Unfortunately, the four tyres on your car will almost never wear out at the same rate, or sometimes on may suffer an irreparable puncture. When one tyre needs replacing, but the other three have plenty of life left in them, the ideal solution is to buy a like-for-like replacement, and at Fast Tyre Service, our goal is to supply our customers with the exact products they need as quickly and conveniently as possible. But as with all automotive parts, getting just what you want depends on availability. Manufacturers are always updating their products, so if the same tyre is no longer available, what can you do?
Mismatched Car Tyres
While mixing car tyres is possible, it is not a recommended course of action when you have another choice. Here’s why:
It can be illegal – It is not against the law to drive a car on the road if the four tyres do not all match in every particular. However, fitting two tyres of different sizes across one axle (the front or the rear) is not allowed, as this will upset the stability of the vehicle under cornering and braking. The same goes for using products with different tread patterns from one side to the other. Mixing tyre sizes on either axle will cause your car to fail its MOT, so trying to save money in this way is false economy. See our guide for information on checking tyre sizes.
It can be dangerous – In cases of mismatched tread pattern or mismatched tread depth, a vehicle’s handling can become highly unpredictable. Imagine trying to run with a training shoe on one foot, and a high-heeled shoe on the other; it wouldn’t be long before you fell and injured yourself. And for those who ask should car tyres match in terms of brand, bear in mind that products from different manufacturers are made differently, and will wear at different rates. Two tyres which start out looking identical may end up differing in size and condition after just a few miles of driving.
It can damage your car – your car is designed to operate at its best with four matching tyres. Mixing tyres will lead to the vehicle encountering forces and loads it was never designed to take, and this will eventually lead to breakdowns. For this reason alone, it is worth calling on Fast Tyre Service to source a full set of tyres for you car when necessary.
