Can I use mismatched or mixed tires? A matched tire set is best Whenever possible, it's always best to use identical tires with the same tread pattern, size, and construction. This helps you maintain optimum control and stability for your vehicle. Generally speaking, you shouldn't use a mixed or mismatched set of tires on your vehicle, unless the tire and/or vehicle manufacturer specifies that this is acceptable. (Some vehicles have what is known as a “staggered fitment" -- different-sized tires on the front and rear axles.) A few examples of mismatched tires include mixing: Winter tires with all-season or summer tires Tires with different tread patterns Tires from different manufacturers Run-flat tires with non-run-flat tires Tires with different construction characteristics or sizes Matched tires = more even wear In addition to maintaining control and stability, having a uniform set of tires lets you rotate them regularly. This helps the tires wear evenly, extending their life and making the most of your investment.

But even with regular rotations, your tires can still wear unevenly if your vehicle has different-sized tires on the front and back (the “staggered fitment” we mentioned earlier), has an alignment or other mechanical problem, or if you don't keep up with maintenance. Even driving conditions can cause uneven wear. motorcycle parts mission viejoYou could also lose an individual tire to puncture or other irreparable damage. cortech motorcycle jackets closeoutIn this case, you may need to decide whether to buy one or more new tires to replace the worn and/or damaged tires, or whether to buy a complete set, forfeiting the remaining life on the non-damaged tires.motorcycle track days croft

So is it okay to replace just one or two tires -- or do you need a whole new set? It's always going to be best to replace all the tires at the same time, because it will restore the vehicle's handling and traction to optimum levels. However, this is also expensive, so we know it's not always possible.rent scooter phuket town If you decide to replace one or two of the tires, the best choice is to replace them with the exact same brand, style, and size that are already on the vehicle. If this is possible, the dimensions, internal construction, materials, and tread design will be nearly identical to the tires you are replacing. If it's not possible (for example, if the tire is no longer available), the next best option is to choose tires in the same performance category with equivalent load ratings, speed ratings, handling, and traction characteristics as the original tires. The third option -- choosing alternative tires that don't match any of the characteristics of your original tires -- should only be used as a last resort or in an emergency.

Using tires with different performance characteristics, load ratings, speed ratings, or sizes can cause the vehicle's handling to become unbalanced, especially in bad weather. Need to replace one or more of your tires? We can help you find the perfect tire, or tires, for any situation. Do you have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System? Find out what TPMS does for you, and how to care for it. Top ten tire storage tips If you think storing tires is as simple as stacking 'em up in the garage -- check out these helpful tips. Breaking in your new tires Just like new shoes, your new tires need to be "broken in. Find out why it's best to go easy at first. This simple task can keep you safe on the road, save you money, and keep your warranty valid. How and why to buy tires online works, and if you even need new tires. Tire pressure and performance Checking your tire pressure is one of the easiest ways to keep your tires in good shape. The 3 Rs of eco-friendly tires

Tires are getting greener, thanks to new raw materials, lower rolling resistance, and improved recycling. I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like: Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one direction when used in the front, and the opposite when used in the rear. This is counter intuitive to me - I would have expected tire tread to face the same direction on both wheels - like cars. If so, is this true in all cases? For example, road bike tires with tread to handle rain? The tires have more traction in some directions than in others. Your front wheel does most of the braking; your rear wheel does all of the propulsion. Tires are oriented to give the most traction to the primary fore-and-aft forces. The < > layout is the most common. As Jay Bazuzi pointed out, the forces on the tires aren't from the same directions. Some tires it doesn't matter, some it does. Also, road bike tires typically have essentially zero tread, and it doesn't matter which way they are mounted.

They'll almost always have a "rotation ->" printed on them though, but thats really just so people don't get confused, especially mechanics that are so used to looking for those when mounting tires. Lastly, bike tires don't need tread to handle rain. If you ever drove a farm tractor you'd understand. Some tires have a "directional" tread -- effectively >>>>> or <<<<<<. Now, you might expect that a tread of <<<<< would have better traction if you were attempting to pull it to the right (and it were resisting the pull by trying to go left), but that's not the case. The <<<<< tread will "load up" with mud/gravel/whatever when pulled to the right (and traction will be reduced to near zero), but if pulled to the left it will be "self cleaning" and traction will be an order of magnitude better. On the rear tire, obviously, you want the best traction when pedaling -- to move the bike forward. On the front tire, on the other hand, you want the best traction when braking. Thus the tires would be installed in opposite directions.

This is a much debatable topic, but some "facts" should be considered. First, as Grant Petersen (from Rivendell Cycles) pointed out in his text, for hard, paved roads the best tread pattern is zero, because the tire rubber deforms around the asphalt or concrete texture, and so the zero-thread offers a greater total area of rubber-pavement surface to interlock. The extreme opposite, the super-knobby MTB tires, are intended to use off-road, where the surface deforms, having a visco-plastic mechanic behaviour. Instead of only the tire rubber conforming to the road texture, actually the soft terrain is indented and "flows" around the tire knobs, which are required to transmit reaction forces to the ground without slipping, while tractioning, braking and cornering. In the middle, we have all other kinks of pavement (sand, gravel, hard-pack) and thread patterns (grooved, semi-slick, etc.) In my experience the directional pattern is only found in Mountain Bike tires intended to be used off-road or in specific kinds of trail terrains.

There are tires with a single directional pattern that should be inverted between front and rear. There are tires whose rear-front pair are dedicated counterparts. My favourite ones were the IRC Mythos Kevlar 1.95 and the Pararacer Smoke/Dart 2.2 (beware kids, this last one is VERY OLD!). Also I found out sometimes it doesn' matter that much if you put a rear tire in front (Specialized Cannibal, a typical rear tire, was great in the front), or commit other heresies. In the end, the general thread pattern, knob size and spacing, overall tire width, and MOST IMPORTANT, rubber characteristics, count more than the orientation of the thread. But that's not what Ritchey's "vector analysis" line of tires would try to say to you. By the way, those tires were KING!! (mostly because of their structure and rubber, I'd say). Well, this is a lot of chatting, but the bottom line would be: In the front, always watch for the direction of the tire; In the rear, you can choose, depending if you traction more (uphill) or if you brake more (downhill);

Don't believe in magic too much. My road tires with a light tread have the sense of direction indicated much like a car tire, so that water gets channeled outwards from the center to the outside. I guess theoretically mounting your tires the wrong way round may slow you down? Concerning if tread has any effect on bicycle handling, when it is cold and there is loads of crap on the road (slushy snow) it certainly does make a difference as I found out when I swapped my old tires for new ones (same make/model). An easy answer directly from Schwalbe website: "Many MTB tires are marked with a “FRONT” and a “REAR” arrow. The “FRONT” arrow indicates the recommended rolling direction for the front wheel and respectively the “REAR” arrow is the direction for the rear wheel." I actually mount my tires in reverse of the recommended direction sometimes, depending on the tire. Especially in the rear. What I've found is that when a tire has directional tread, it is has more grip in one direction.

Thinking in terms of the rear tire, I find most manufacturers will put the rotation direction in the way that would provide better grip when braking. So if you are trying to control a slippery decent, you don't want your back tire locking up easily. However that means there would be less grip for slippery climbs, so the tire would spin-out easier. I usually orient my rear tire whichever way I think will climb better, and compromise my downhill braking if needed, since the front tire can handle braking too, but does nothing on a climb. Speaking of heltonbiker mentioning old tires, my favorite all around tires are the old Yeti Claws. They shed mud very well, are non-directional, and work front or rear. IRC later made them as and called them "Claw Comp"s. I still have a pair on a bike, but the tires are from like 1998 or so :) Not sure this is even still an issue for the original poster, but I didn't see the answer I would have given to his actual question: ["I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like: <----------front rear-------------> Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one direction when used in the front

, and the opposite when used in the rear. No, the tire stamp is pointing in the direction of the front/rear of the bike. Almost assuredly the stamp is actually <---- Rear/Front ------> (rather than Front/Rear) since the industry standard is to stamp this on the right side of the tire. This will put the stamp and colored logos on the same side as the sprocket (not sure if that means anything but that is how I was taught). This is how the manufacturer felt their tire would best be used with air flow and grip, but you can flip it either way depending on your purpose. (I use the logo/direction arrows to mark the tire at the air valve so that when I find a hole in my tube, I can find the thorn easier in the tire as well) On a side note, if there are 2 direction arrows on the same tire, one says something like "Direction Front" and the other says "Direction Rear" then you would flip the tire depending on if you are using it on the front or rear wheel.Browse other questions tagged tire mountain-bike or ask your own question.