Mix and match tires... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

recycledsixtie · 08-20-2012, 09:44 AM

or not? My 2001 Boxster base has Pirelli tires - I think all season. The rear have about 10-15% wear left and the front have have about 30% left. I want to get Michelin Pilot summer tires put on the back but is it okay to put them on the back only? I don't race but just use for street use only. Or should I wait till the rear have no tread left and and change all 4? Thanx in advance!

Ghostrider 310 · 08-20-2012, 09:47 AM

I would not mix tires unless 1) I absolutely had no other viable options or 2) I planned on getting the corresponding replacements within a very short time. I know buying four is a kick in the crinklesack but if you really want to enjoy any sports car good rubber is vital.

shadowprincess25 · 08-20-2012, 10:33 AM

I'd wait until you didn't have any left. Or if its a matter of money, buy 2 now and 2 when the tread is gone. Then you can mount 4 brand new ones at the same time.

jb92563 · 08-20-2012, 10:48 AM

I am in the same boat, where I need 2 rears.

I want to put Hankook V12's on the back and leave the Michelen Pilot Sports on for a while longer that are perhaps 50% tread left up front.

With standard new tires the 986 is supposed to under steer but since my rears are nearly gone I get the back end letting go before any understeer can take place, so I figure new rears will fix that and when I replace the fronts in another year I'll go to 225 wide Hankooks instead of the standard 205 and the fronts will then be closer to neutral and they should all break traction at nearly the same time and cause drift instead of under/over steer.

For racers and tuning I can see how rubber consistency is important so you can tune properly but for street use I don't see any reason for a major impact since they are all performance tires.

Yes the ride will feel different but that gets corrected on the front tire change out to the same brand/type as the rears.

I doubt it will cause any nasty behavior on the street unless your really pushing hard or racing.

My 2 cents

tonycarreon · 08-20-2012, 10:41 AM

ghost: crinklesack! HAH!

recycled: generally the rears wearout twice as fast as the fronts. so by the time you need all 4 tires, it'll be that time again. if you can, just get 2 of the same as the front and replace all 4 later. if i were in your situation, i'd just do the rears now (same as what's already on there) or replace all 4 now.

Ghostrider 310 · 08-20-2012, 11:03 AM

I used to do it out of necessity in high school and because we had junk cars to strip which frequently had decent rubber left on them. I guess my only issue is each tire has a specific tread design, rubber compound mix and therefore they have differing qualities. In the rain or a hard corner, they wouldn't cause an accident per say but they sure as hell wouldn't add to the prevention of one. As for "pushing hard" we get so used to the superman qualities of these cars we don't even realize when we do that because that's why they are Porsche cars.

mountainman · 08-20-2012, 12:59 PM

I'd throw them all away and put 4 hankook V 12's on. Half the price of pilot sports and a better tire. Try discounttiredirect.com for the best price and free shipping

Bruce Wayne · 08-20-2012, 01:19 PM

Quote:

I used to do it out of necessity in high school and because we had junk cars to strip which frequently had decent rubber left on them. I guess my only issue is each tire has a specific tread design, rubber compound mix and therefore they have differing qualities.

i have to agree with that!

different tyres, tread patterns and compunds react differently at different temperatures and circumstances, which can in a performance car that has excellent handling characterists slightly unpredictable.

sure if your going from stop light to stop light in the 'burbs it wont make a jot of difference, but if you drive on winding roads some moisture on a higher speed bend could very well give you a the 'gotcha' you dont need.

sometimes changing tyres can alter the cars handling performance

personally, i keep with the P-Zero Rosso's and have found the car handling excellent and predictable to the limits of tyre friction and have only spun the boxster once (my bad, took the set up into the bend a little too fast and wide and got the rear offside onto the grit that accumulates and the tyres let go ).

but then again, the main road in the area is the one that the racing driver Mike Hawthorn was killed on.

Quote:

Mike Hawthorn, from Mexborough in Yorkshire, will forever have the distinction of being Britain’s first F1 world champion. Hawthorn was the dashing blond hero who started to put Britain on the motor sport map. His title came with a second place at Casablanca in 1958, behind the man he was fighting for the crown – Stirling Moss.

Originally Hawthorn was disqualified for pushing his car but, in an age of gentleman sportsmen, Moss intervened on his behalf. The promising Stuart Lewis-Evans died as a result of injuries sustained in the race and that, added to the earlier death of Hawthorn’s close friend and Ferrari team mate Peter Collins, persuaded Mike to hang up his helmet at just 29. Three months later he was dead after crashing his Jaguar on the Guildford by-pass.

Mike Hawthorn | Influx Magazine

it's really down to your choice and the kind of driving you do and the conditions you drive in, tyre choice is equally as important and brakes.

Topless · 08-20-2012, 01:46 PM

I do it all the time but... The tires must be of very similar design, compound, wear rating, and sidewall stiffness or you will get very ugly handling in this car. Mixing Hankook V12s and Pilot Sports will be very compatible. Mixing Italian All Season tires with fresh max performance summer tires will likely turn into a very spooky and unpredictable ride.

A/S tires on the front: Massive understeer and front tires hitting ABS quickly under braking.

A/S tires on the rear: Turns a mild mannered Boxster into a tail happy Viper. Backing the car into a guard rail will be very easy to do.

I currently have Hankook RS-3s on the front and Nitto NT-05s on the rear. 9/10ths compatible but I will go Hankook on all 4 when the rears are done.

MikenOH · 08-20-2012, 01:49 PM

I've been using NT05's as track tires for 2 years--for money a good tire. How do the RS-3s compare? I've thought about getting them but they are another $200/set in 18" sizes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topless

I do it all the time but... The tires must be of very similar design, compound, wear rating, and sidewall stiffness or you will get very ugly handling in this car. Mixing Hankook V12s and Pilot Sports will be very compatible. Mixing Italian All Season tires with fresh max performance summer tires will likely turn into a very spooky and unpredictable ride.

A/S tires on the front: Massive understeer and front tires hitting ABS quickly under braking.

A/S tires on the rear: Turns a mild mannered Boxster into a tail happy Viper. Backing the car into a guard rail will be very easy to do.

I currently have Hankook RS-3s on the front and Nitto NT-05s on the rear. 9/10ths compatible but I will go Hankook on all 4 when the rears are done.

BYprodriver · 08-20-2012, 10:14 PM

[QUOTE=Topless;302429]I do it all the time but... The tires must be of very similar design, compound, wear rating, and sidewall stiffness or you will get very ugly handling in this car. Mixing Hankook V12s and Pilot Sports will be very compatible. Mixing Italian All Season tires with fresh max performance summer tires will likely turn into a very spooky and unpredictable ride.

A/S tires on the front: Massive understeer and front tires hitting ABS quickly under braking.

A/S tires on the rear: Turns a mild mannered Boxster into a tail happy Viper. Backing the car into a guard rail will be very easy to do.

+1 this is the key. Never drive your vehicle beyond the capability of the driver or the vehicle. The weakest link will fail if you exceed it's capability. You are usually safe when you are just replacing the rear tires with tires compatable with the front tires. Now as long as you don't exceed the capability of the front tires there's no problem.

dbear61 · 08-20-2012, 08:46 PM

Just purchased my 01 S in May. Put 2,200 miles on it driving home, and using it as a DD. Having put 3K on it since May, rear were at 90% wear, front at 75%. I was at the point of being worried about traction in the rain (although with the Summer we've had, rain driving has only happened twice; last one was the cautious one).

After researching at Tirerack.com, I replaced all four Michelin PS with Hankook V12. At their price, figured I would start fresh all around and get my own feel for what to do when the next set are due. But that's my newbie approach.

Bear

Ghostrider 310 · 08-21-2012, 04:52 PM

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

MikenOH · 08-21-2012, 05:03 PM

Cute--care to elaborate? Let me guess--they're made of wood?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

tonycarreon · 08-25-2012, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostrider 310

And if your thinking of these

Sumitomo****HTR Z III

then these should be on your list too

i could not agree more! tried the sumitomo's (the 3, not the 2) and they are bad. the flat spots were not my main gripe, they work themselves out after 10 miles or so. it was the fact that they were spongey in the corners (the sidewalls flexed a lot, but only let go a few times) and they were near impossible to keep balanced. had to get them rebalanced every 5k miles or so. the ONLY thing they had going for them was their longevity. nearly 25k miles on the set (rears worn, fronts still had decent tread left).

boxster7614 · 08-26-2012, 02:04 AM

Pothole is correct when he mentions the different tires sizes. To clarify this please pick up any high school physics book (or Google) and read the chapter on friction.

So lets talk about a little myth that is based on partly to keep you safe and mostly to sell you tires. lets look at a statement on the tire racks website talking about mismatched tires.
" it's best to have a set of four tires that are the exact size, brand and model. While matching the tire size and performance category is a step in the right direction, without an exact match of rubber compound, speed rating and tread design you can be risking unpredictable handling and braking performance...... In some cases, the safest option may be to replace all four tires instead of mismatching models that would not be close enough."

Whoa what about friction? If this statement were 100% correct it would read.... exact size (width), brand, model, exact match of rubber compound (manufactured on the same day and out of the same batch of rubber), speed rating, tread design, and then apply the same amount of force (weight of your car) to each tire.

So we have 2 things right off the bat that make it impossible for our cars to have "matching tires"

#1 The tires are not the same size- the surface area of the rear tires is greater than the front, this alone will change the friction between front an rear tires. Also just because the tires are of the is the "same" tread design putting it on a skinnier tire will change the characteristic of the design. Even changing the width of the tire can vary the wall height and diameter of the tire, which can drastically have an affect on the performance of the tire.

#2 They do not have the same amount of force (weight) applied to them- even though our cars have a very good 46/54 front to rear weight distribution ratio, There is still a difference. Even if you could put the same size tires on all four corners it is impossible to apply the same amount of force to each one.

So even when you think you are buying matching tires because they have the same name on the side of them.......you are not! Sorry blame science.

Ghostrider 310 · 08-21-2012, 05:09 PM

No but they feel like they are if they sit for a day or two for the first five miles of every trip. I'd rather pay the extra cheese and upgrade.

recycledsixtie · 08-25-2012, 11:03 AM

To continue this tire talk. Those with Hancook v12 tires - just how good are they?
They are less than half the price of Michelin sports. I am leary but those who have had them a while, how is the handling for street purposes, the wear rate, the warranty? Do you think they will last as long as Michelin sport tires. Any comments?

Topless · 08-25-2012, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recycledsixtie

To continue this tire talk. Those with Hancook v12 tires - just how good are they?
They are less than half the price of Michelin sports. I am leary but those who have had them a while, how is the handling for street purposes, the wear rate, the warranty? Do you think they will last as long as Michelin sport tires. Any comments?

Try a set, you will like them. I am currently running the other Hankooks (RS-3s) but I have driven many cars with V12s. Very good grip wet or dry and a good ride with slightly softer sidewall than PS2s. Best bang for the buck right now in Max performance summer tires IMO.