Do different front and rear tyres effect steering?

[CR34TION]

Just wondering whether having different brand tyres on the front and rear effect performance or anything else.

I'm just looking to get rear tyres which is all i can afford but been told that due to the different scrub angles of front and rear, the steering wheel will be off centre when i drive straight... is this true???

cheers

[51jay]

If your rear wheel allignment is correct you can put anything you like on the back and it won't effect the way the front wheels point or the centering of the steering wheel. If you are smart you get an alighnment done when you fit new tyres front or rear

addit.... of course your choice of tyres will effect your overall handling....good tyres better grip and cornering . If you have grippier tyres on one end of the car only then that end will handle better than the other

[hippy]

i dont' know about that jay, if u had different tyres on the back i think it will effect it to an extent ... i mean consider when the hicas kicks in and u want to power ur way through the corner ... now if one tyre has more tread than the other the it will gripp more than the other which means some sideways actions depending on how happy u are with the right foot ... so i think it definitely effects the ride ... however i think that there isn't much difference in handlin when the tyres are the same for the backs and same for the fronts .. i dont' think it matters if the front and backs are different ... eg people with wider wheels at the back ...

[51jay]

He is asking about putting a PAIR of different brand tyres on the back

"so i think it definitely effects the ride" ride is usually associated with comfort......handling is all about performance through corners usually you lose the first as you gain the seccond ie replacing stock springs/shocks with Jap coilovers

"i dont' think it matters if the front and backs are different ... eg people with wider wheels at the back ..." try punting through a corner with 205's on the front and 265's on the back then swap them front to back and punt through the corner again !! still think it doesn't matter if the fronts and backs are different. (exagerated example to make point) similar thing applies if you have grippier tyres at one end than the other. We are assuming of course that you have matching tyres on each axle.

[CR34TION]

thanks for the advice, i've got dodgey malaysian tyres on which are near new, but they are hopeless even in the dry. I don't even bother trying to drag with them. I'm thinking of just sticking some Yokohama A539's or Dunlop FM901's on just the rear. Both front and rear are 235/45/17.... why the hell would the tyreman tell me my steering will be off centre and that the steering being off centre has nuthing to do with the wheel alignment??? maybe he's trying to make me spend more....

Anyone here with different tyres on front and back.. i know that with grippier tyres on the rear, i will get more understeer.

[51jay]

I don't know why he'd say that but I think I'd buy my tyres somewhere else.

There's nothing wrong with what you propose to do but be aware that the difference in handling between VERY good tyres at the back and VERY sh*tty tyres at the front will be a lot greater

especially in the wet and your fronts take the brunt of your braking. You dont mention size and width of your wheels.

I run 18x9 rear with 265 35 and 18x8 front with 235 35 and my car has a bias towards understeer

[R31Nismoid]

Originally posted by CR34TION

Anyone here with different tyres on front and back.. i know that with grippier tyres on the rear, i will get more understeer.

mmm i JUST got a set of dunlop 3000A's... they are farking awesome.

225's i've got... and pretty decent power (over 200rwkw) im making and no sh*t, i'm totally happy and wouldn't put another tyre on for price.

I only loose a bit of traction in second in the wet now as opposed to stupid wheel spin with my other tyres i had on.

I high recommend these.

Also, if you put two newie on the rear, i'd agree with 51Jay, it shouldn't change a thing. Just grip depending on tyre choice

[CR34TION]

51Jay.. i'm not exactly sure what size the wheels are 17"x8" front and 17"x9" rear i think.... damn i was thinking of getting grip on take off, i forgot about braking which depends on the fronts.....

well i will get the rears first, but damn tyres are so expensive.

[51jay]

Well with 9" rears your looking at 255 35 or 265 35 I personally will not in future be using more than 225 on the front for street use, too much tramlining and stress on the steering with bigger ones

[CR34TION]

though i have wider rear wheels do i really need wider tyres on the back... i know many people have same tyres front and rear even though rear wheels are wider.... this car has always been set up like that. Is the reason i have no grip in the rear cos the is not wide enough for the wheel???