Tire Experts?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 797
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Tire Experts?
Hey all--
Sorry this post is not ZR-1 specific, but it does relate to my ZR-1 and problems I have had with my insurance company. Long story short, I was involved in an accident a little over a week ago. Both driver's side wheels and tires were damaged. It appears that the front tire will be able to be reliably reused, but the back is toast. All four tires are used, but have about %75-80 tread. The problem is, they no longer make the tires that are on my car. The insurance company wants to only replace one tire. This would put my car back onto the road with three of the old tires, and one new one with differing tread. I argued that this would be unsafe as the handling characteristics of tires across manufacturers can be significant in regards to tread design, etc. I wanted them to replace both rear tires, not to "better" my vehicle, but to balance it; something that it was before the accident. They are sticking to their guns about only buying one tire and that it would be perfectly safe "at normal speeds".
Am I being unreasonable? "Normal Speeds" is an arbitrary statement considering there are states in this union that have stretches of road with no real speed limits. Club racing is another example where "normal speeds" may not apply. I cannot fathom the argument that, "Tires are built with tolerances, and even having mismatched tires on opposing sides of the driven wheels does not create a significant risk over matched tires." I could not get the employee to put that in writing for me. What's more, when I thought both tires were damaged (thus creating the requirement for four new tires), I found a forum member selling a set of used (but not used-up) tires that would fit my car. I even told my insurance company about them! Whether or not this member still has them, I do not know.
So are the dangers of mismatched tires a figment of my imagination? Like I said, I am not looking for a free lunch, but I want my car back to "pre-loss condition"! What do you guys think?
Sorry this post is not ZR-1 specific, but it does relate to my ZR-1 and problems I have had with my insurance company. Long story short, I was involved in an accident a little over a week ago. Both driver's side wheels and tires were damaged. It appears that the front tire will be able to be reliably reused, but the back is toast. All four tires are used, but have about %75-80 tread. The problem is, they no longer make the tires that are on my car. The insurance company wants to only replace one tire. This would put my car back onto the road with three of the old tires, and one new one with differing tread. I argued that this would be unsafe as the handling characteristics of tires across manufacturers can be significant in regards to tread design, etc. I wanted them to replace both rear tires, not to "better" my vehicle, but to balance it; something that it was before the accident. They are sticking to their guns about only buying one tire and that it would be perfectly safe "at normal speeds".
Am I being unreasonable? "Normal Speeds" is an arbitrary statement considering there are states in this union that have stretches of road with no real speed limits. Club racing is another example where "normal speeds" may not apply. I cannot fathom the argument that, "Tires are built with tolerances, and even having mismatched tires on opposing sides of the driven wheels does not create a significant risk over matched tires." I could not get the employee to put that in writing for me. What's more, when I thought both tires were damaged (thus creating the requirement for four new tires), I found a forum member selling a set of used (but not used-up) tires that would fit my car. I even told my insurance company about them! Whether or not this member still has them, I do not know.
So are the dangers of mismatched tires a figment of my imagination? Like I said, I am not looking for a free lunch, but I want my car back to "pre-loss condition"! What do you guys think?
Former Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,776
Likes: 147
From: 877-522-8473 ext. 4362
St. Jude Donor '11-'12
what about the effect of different tread designs and depths ... the new tire would be much less likely to hydroplane in the rain than the other 3 which would be a very unsafe condition .... and the tread block squirm of the new tire would adversely effect handling through the twisties in the dry
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead).
andwe haven't even mentioned radial tire pull posibilities
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead).
andwe haven't even mentioned radial tire pull posibilities
Former Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,776
Likes: 147
From: 877-522-8473 ext. 4362
St. Jude Donor '11-'12
what about the effect of different tread designs and depths ... the new tire would be much less likely to hydroplane in the rain than the other 3 which would be a very unsafe condition .... and the tread block squirm of the new tire would adversely effect handling through the twisties in the dry
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead).
and we haven't even mentioned radial tire pull possibilities
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead).
and we haven't even mentioned radial tire pull possibilities
