Different brand tyres front/back

[walm]

I have tried to search, sorry.

If you have totally respectable Potenzas on the front of an S2 111s but bald rears, is it a problem to replace the rears with Yoko AD07s?
Or should you do all 4? Really?

[Arun_D]

You'll be fine

[kambites]

AD07s seem to me to have marginally more grip so it'll generally make the car a bit more prone to understeer, but not dangerous.

In my experience the Yokos don't clear standing water quite as well though, so it might be a bit of a handful in the wet. Probably no worse than the car is at the moment though, if the fronts are good and the rears are on the legal limit.

[walm]

Excellent.
Thanks chaps.

I would like to have the same all over but I am not sure that I can justify binning perfectly good tyres purely for aesthetical reasons.

[Arun_D]

Indeed, it's not like you've got semi-slicks on one axle, and general summer tyres on the other. The Bridgestones and AD07s aren't a world apart, and the slight difference in outright grip shouldn't cause any issues in everyday driving.

[TIPPER]

The advice on tyres over the years has been to NOT mix brands front to back. Given the handling balance of the car it makes sense to me. I binned three sets of front with plenty of tread on them to ensure I always had the same rubber on both axles.
Also worth bearing in mind that what may appear to be 'perfectly respectable' tyres may be past their best due to age related hardening.

[walm]

OK, so what you are saying is really that I should find some age-hardened second-hand rears with half the tread left.
Then wear them down and replace all 4.

---

> off to eBay.

The car will be new to me and I won't be tracking it. I strongly doubt that I will be driving the car even close to 90% of its capabilities.

[TIPPER]

walm said:

OK, so what you are saying is really that I should find some age-hardened second-hand rears with half the tread left.
Then wear them down and replace all 4.

---

> off to eBay.

The car will be new to me and I won't be tracking it. I strongly doubt that I will be driving the car even close to 90% of its capabilities.

I'm saying quiet the reverse: you've asked for some advice and I've offered you some based on my own (and many other's) experience) - take it or leave it. Alternatively you can penny pinch and put your fingers in your ears and sing 'la, la la'

[walm]

TIPPER said:

I'm saying quiet the reverse: you've asked for some advice and I've offered you some based on my own (and many other's) experience) - take it or leave it. Alternatively you can penny pinch and put your fingers in your ears and sing 'la, la la'

My reply sounded facetious but I really didn't mean it! Sorry.

I am genuinely thinking that perhaps I should put some older rubber on the back while I learn more about driving the car.
I am not going to be pushing it for at least 6 months (happy to wait for dryer roads!).

The rears are actively dangerous right now.
But the fronts have LOADS of tread.
You are absolutely right that I need to check exactly how old they are.

Perhaps it is penny pinching but if I was really into that couldn't I just stick on some Kumhos or something?

Am I REALLY going to notice the difference coming from an A4 estate into this? (Previous mid-engine RWD experience was Boxster S.)

[Ireland]

Different tyres should be fine so long as the same brand and size are on the same axle so long as you don't push it.

If you push it then you will probably end up going backwards into a ditch.

[jfrf]

I have run yokohama tyres on the front and toyos on the back
No issues

[zebedee]

I have AD08s on the back and AD07s on the front, it is fine. It does feel slightly different at each end when you are really pushing it and the 7s are definitely grippier but you should be fine.

[dr p]

TIPPER said:

The advice on tyres over the years has been to NOT mix brands front to back. Given the handling balance of the car it makes sense to me. I binned three sets of front with plenty of tread on them to ensure I always had the same rubber on both axles.
Also worth bearing in mind that what may appear to be 'perfectly respectable' tyres may be past their best due to age related hardening.

Hi all. I completely agree with Tipper. Had a 2 year old set of bridgestones on the front of my S2 with loads of tread, but rubber was hard and kept locking up under even moderate braking. As there is so little weight over the front end, even heavy braking (road, I can't speak for track) doesn't wear the tread much.