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Mixing brands

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Well my one of my rear tires ( P-Zero) has a cut/crack I just found. I don't want to go with P Zeros again but since the fronts are still 85% I was thinking of just getting just two new rear's for now. So I don't see any issues with using different brand on the rears. This would be for stock wheels and limited street use only. Anybody tried this?
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
If you took it to a skid pad, then you could see why it's a bad idea.

How much of a bad idea just depends on how you drive it, or expect it to behave in a panic situation, and how different the new tires are.
 
Grant 302 said:
If you took it to a skid pad, then you could see why it's a bad idea.

How much of a bad idea just depends on how you drive it, or expect it to behave in a panic situation, and how different the new tires are.

So your saying having better rubber in the rear (say Pilot Sports) than those not so great P Zeros' would be a problem? I would think the reverse would be more the case. Car is not driven aggressively on street, have other wheels/tires just for track.
 
For just normal street driving purposes it shouldn't be much of a problem. But it's not ideal either, and for any type of performance driving, or for sure any track work, absolutely it's not a good idea.

And, geez, our cars aren't el cheapo beater crap wagons. So, why cheap out on tires, which are the primary connection between your car and the road, and therefore the single most important part of your suspension?

Do it right, buy 4 new tires.
 
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I'm not trying to be a jerk but the Pzeros are absolute crap from new (I've had them on my 2012 Boss and also my SRT Jeep so I speak from experience). Do yourself a huge favor and buy something, anything, better. You will be amazed at how much better the car is with better tires, especially in cooler weather.

EDIT: I see on tirerack that the new Firestone Indy 500 is available in OE Boss sizes. That tire is sold as the Bridgestone RE003 in the rest of the world and gets excellent reviews. My cousin in Houston replaced the OE PZeros on his 2016 Mustang GT PP with the Firestones and LOVES them. They are cheap, too.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
k98dave said:
So your saying having better rubber in the rear (say Pilot Sports) than those not so great P Zeros' would be a problem? I would think the reverse would be more the case. Car is not driven aggressively on street, have other wheels/tires just for track.

No, that's *not* what I'm saying. I only meant *exactly* what I put in my post.
 
dabossinne said:
For just normal street driving purposes it shouldn't be much of a problem. But it's not ideal either, and for any type of performance driving, or for sure any track work, absolutely it's not a good idea.

And, geez, our cars aren't el cheapo beater crap wagons. So, why cheap out on tires, which are the primary connection between your car and the road, and therefore the single most important part of your suspension?

Do it right, buy 4 new tires.

Cheap? Who said anything about cheap tires? And as I said car is not driven hard on street, I have no need for that. I have other wheels and R rubber for track. I would not get P Zeros again but its just stupid to throw away 2 front tires that are at least 85% tread life remaining.
 
2012Boss302 said:
If he puts better tires on the rear in the same stock Boss size, just for example Michelin PSS, with the OE Pirellis on the front, wouldn't it just magnify an understeer situation?

Geeze why does everyone on here always default into the "full track performance" driving mode. As I said this is for limited use normal street driving.
 
While mixing brands (or different models of the same brand) is probably not the best idea due to differences in traction another consideration is the age of your tires. Your front tires, if OEM, are losing grip due to wear and age. That will amplify the differences in traction. Another option is to look for a set of take offs or slightly used tires. Post a WTB ad here on TMO or check ebay as there are several reputable sellers of used tires.

I have a line on some SVT 19x10 and 19x9 wheels with Yokohama AD 08 tires for sale if you or anyone else is interested.
 
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k98dave said:
Cheap? Who said anything about cheap tires? And as I said car is not driven hard on street, I have no need for that. I have other wheels and R rubber for track. I would not get P Zeros again but its just stupid to throw away 2 front tires that are at least 85% tread life remaining.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think your focused on the wrong issue here.Mixing tire brands is not recommended for any vehicle regardless of application. I would just pony up and full set of tires and move on. I don't think it's stupid to get rid of the front tires regardless of what tread is left especially since they are more than likely several years old. Remember, tread wear is only one factor in determining when tires should be replaced. If your fronts are only a couple of years old, than the best option would be to get a set of matching P-zeros (not your favorite tire).Good luck and I hope you get this sorted out.
 
I Enjoyed the skid path and other women Analogies for the question. But I THINK the OP is just looking for something major why he shouldn't use different brand/compound tires for DD and some spirted driving.
I see no harm in mixing brands of tires to fill your need, as long as you are FULLY aware that this does not give you the green light to go out and push your pride and joy to the limits. You can still have fun on the 1320' roads but buyer beware on the corner carving roads.
The best advise I can provide is: Try to match your new tires up as CLOSE as you can to the P-0 and enjoy them. Knowing that you have different tires and compounds out back. To me its not the end for the world as some may think. I'm a Make do with what you have person ($$) and it will work for you.
Bottom line is...If you have the cash buy 4 tires. If your looking to just get the most out of what's left on your factory setup. Then purchase a tire that will fit your need so down the road you can get 4 new fresh rubber of your liking.

Now if you are looking at running on the track, then by all means do not mix tires..
 
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302 Hi Pro said:
Or, Buy a new set of 4, (qualifies for rebates), and sell the 2 front P-Zeros in the TMO Classifieds.

2HP
This.

If making do ($) is what this is all about than getting just 2 new OE rear tires is the actually the most economic dercision. That's assuming that the fronts still weighing thief usable lifespan.. If you hate the P-0 then it sounds like a set of four of a different make is the best option. It would be impossible to determine which brand is "closest" to the Pirellis. And since they pretty much suck, why even try?

If one has the resources to keep a set of dedicated track wheels and tires the additional $ for 2 more tires should not be out of reach.

Mixing brands and saving about $400.00 makes no sense. None of us should advising to do so. The skid pad comment is not an overkill comparison. An emergency lane change could result in disaster with mixed up tires.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
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8,356
Exp. Type
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Blair, Nebraska
Real Options ....

1. Just buy one P Zero and be done with it since you are just doing street driving
2. Consider buying a whole new set since the other issue is you essentially have 5 year old tires.
3. Do not mix brands for a variety of reasons, even on the street.
a) Caught in a rainstorm with tires in the front shedding water one way and rears another.
b) Differing tire compounds and materials used by each manufacturer, differing grip levels.

My recommendation would be to just buy a new set, as even using one new Pirelli ( plus is same tread pattern) it will still have better adhesion than the other three , and you have older tires that could be due for a change from age in the near future anyway. Bingo, you have four fresh tires , and aren't going to stagger over the years even with similar tires of who knows what age.

Bridgestone makes a killer street tire with the RE71Rs and there are others -- Michelin Super Sports for example.

When you call Tire Rack , don't forget to mention TMO!! #4362 for Luke is a solid call to a guy who will sell you the tire to meet your needs. He will be in on Monday.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
k98dave said:
Geeze why does everyone on here always default into the "full track performance" driving mode. As I said this is for limited use normal street driving.

Nobody is talking about 'full track performance' here. In different conditions any two different makes of tires will behave very differently. And that's worse on the street vs. on the track. A panic swerve is a good example. With mixed tires, it will behave very differently in cold, wet, cold and wet, different temps, pressures, etc. because of the different properties of the tires.

Lots of good suggestions above to either sell newer 255s or ditch them if they are as old as the car.
 

Mad Hatter

Gotta go Faster
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Santiago, Chile
People down here (Chile) mix and match tires all the time..... And can be plainly seen as a very bad idea... Weird handling cars that go out to the track with lots of oversteer and 5 min later they have a ton of understeer.. (things like A7/R7 combos or A7/S100 or all of the above)
 

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