THE 383 admiral

if your car is tuned correct you will not see any difference using 87 - 93
the typical user is not using a PERFORMANCE car just driving it like a
trophy
and whats up with the shouting
are you going to get kicked out of a Vette club because someone
does not use every GM parts # from your RPO

JrRifleCoach

OP got the message. Nuff said.

Aardwolf

Yeah and it's the wrong one from people with no experience mixing tires, or oil. LOL

anciano

I'm with Aardwolf on this one. To suggest that a set of tires is "matched" because they are the same design from the same manufacturer is ridiculous. Think about it for a minute -- the function of the rear tires (on a RWD vehicle like the Corvette) is to propel the car forward and provide some stopping traction; on the front they are for steering and primary braking. If the manufacturer puts the same tread design on BOTH front and back tires (because they don't know if they will be installed on a FWD or RWD car) they are admitting that there is no optimization in function. Remember that most cars do not use staggered tire setups, and a single tire size can fit the front and back equally. And also keep in mind that in a set of staggered tires the contact patch is different in size front and back, so a similar traction rating will not mean the same thing front and back since it's based on the rubber compound, not tire size.

One could very easily make the case that it would be better to find UNMATCHED tires that are optimized for the purposes they will be put to -- pushing forward or pushing back -- and the particular car they will be fitted to. Does the tire manufacturer know the weight of the vehicle they will be fitted to? The weight distribution of the car? FWD or RWD or AWD? The stiffness of ther car's suspension? The car's horsepower? Gimme a break -- the only reason for "matched" tire sets is aesthetic.

Front and back, that is. Obviously they should be matched side to side because of variations in both diameter and traction.

And not mixing oils? When did voodooo rituals enter into this?

mike100

I have mixed tires on my 2008. Same manufacturer, same tread compound (180), same cost-just the type I have in the front is not manufactured in any other sizes. They came off of my old awd turbo car and it was a special design just for that model only- I wasn't about to give away $300 tires.

TA

How is running different brand radial tires on the front and rear "skimping"?

I've had GSD3s (285) on the front and BFG TA/KDs(315) on the rear for years. Do you think I "skimped"? Is my handling being sacrificed?

JrRifleCoach

Don't ask me, ask the rep from the tire mfgrs.

I gave my.02.

If you can't handle it, not my problem.

TA

Tire companies are trying to sell tires. What would you expect them to say?

0Luke@tirerack

this is correct ... differences in rolling resistance and water evacuation rates can have a dramatic effect on the way a car handles and drives

Aardwolf

Hardly an unbiased source. The Tire Rack could easily perform these tests and post the data on their site. That they haven't is telling.

Sandpiper59

Did you know that rolling resistance, water evacuation, sidewall flex and both wet and dry traction are significantly different between a 285/30 and a 335/25, very significant difference in fact.

Shame on GM for putting anyone that buys their top sports car, the C6 Zr1, at risk of instant death, permanent vehicle damage and handling so impacted by mismatched tire characteristics that a VW Vanagon could out corner it!

Good lord people, the poor guy just wants to get some tires on his car and get on the road!

anciano

Of course we can handle it. Don't even need gloves. The only question is whether it is recyclable or goes in the regular can.

cv67

For most normal driving on dry roads why not. Tires dont know the difference. Now in rain or comp driving maybe theres something to it but shoot if youre just getting around town dont lose any sleep over it.

Have drs in rear normal tires up front drives just fine. Mixing radials and bias plys can act a little funny depending.

87 vette 81 big girl

Have You test driven or own a 2009-2011 ZR1 Supercharged & Water Intercooled Corvette?

Have You taken it to its Top Speed to 200-202 MPH ?

Have you driven this same Corvette at your local dragstrip and made several 10-second quarter mile passes?

Are You a PROFESSIONAL DRIVER that makes the rest of us here on C4 Corvette Forum Look like a bunch of Retards?

Do You hang out with Brock Yates, Carrol Shelby, ect?

That New ZR1 Corvette is the fastest Corvette since the 1967- 1969 L-88 427 Corvette.

Even those old Corvettes You had to know how to drive them for optimal performance.

I have mixed radial tires in the past and still do.

I don't professionaly road race. I haven't ever died in my Corvette. LOL

Practice makes for.............

Become a better driver.

THE 383 admiral

all right I'll confess.. it's a myth.. last night I installed Yokohama, Toyo, BFG, Mich
the car pulled in 4 different directions... and tore my car in 4 pieces.. I brought it to the GM master tire tech.. and he said yep.. this is a common problem mixing tires of similar nature
lesson learned...

Sandpiper59

Look how much time that saved you! Now you can do those suspension mods you wanted to do since the parts are now all off!

By the way, did you know if you put directional tires on the wrong way, the car will go in reverse when you put it in drive.

THE 383 admiral

your right.. it will be a breeze with 4 sections
ohh yeah I did install the rotation wrong.. I had a tuff time finding R 1-6

Baller

When I was young (19 - Young and dumb as they say...) I had a buddy who was in the military and did some sort of procurement or something for them. Anway, I was bitching to him about I'd bought this GTO and the PO didn't know what kind of oil was in it and how I was taking a chance on screwing up the engine with an oil change (due to the old myth about staying with the same oil) and he started laughing his *** off and said that you can pretty well mix them all. The military buys in bulk amounts and not just from one manufacturer and it has to all be mixable within type... You could go out and put a different quarts of any given brands into same change and it's not going to make an ounce of the difference.

anciano

Hey, did you guys hear that you shouldn't mix Shell gas with Chevron? Buddy of mine says he knows a guy who has an uncle with a brother-in-law whose cousin did that and his car burst into flames.

Now I'm getting scared. If it wasn't for the radon gas in there I'd head for the bomb shelter.

Sandpiper59

I heard that too but heard it was because he was talking on a Chinese made cell phone that was registered to a Mexican talk-plan while the guy down the road was filling his car for him