Checking the tires to see if they’re extremely worn, mounted incorrectly, or have any other relevant issues is essential before purchasing a used car.
But…is it okay to have mismatched tires? Would having different tires on car be an issue? Technically, you should look for all your tires to match in both wear and type. However, under some particular circumstances, a set of mismatched tires isn’t really the worst thing.
Moreover, your needs will vary depending on what you plan to do with your vehicle. For instance, preparing dirt track racing tires is a completely different genre of tires you may need than regular tires.
Despite having four different types of tires on a car isn’t advisable, having different brand tires on front and back isn’t such a big issue. It all comes down to how much you trust the seller. If someone is selling sets of Honda tires or Kia tires, you’ll need to do your due diligence when checking them out. Should be safe driving a car with one mismatched tire if you bought the vehicle from your uncle and you still remember when he got that new tire a couple of months before. But another provider, not so much.
Is It Okay to Have Mismatched Tires on Front and Back?
Yes, especially if it’s a two-wheel-drive vehicle. As tires wear out at different rates, to prevent further wear you can just rotate them if one is more damaged than the other. However, if the car has three or four mismatched tires, this could be more problematic, as tires can’t be rotated with the same effect. Other problems you could find are related to inflation, alignment, or your vehicle’s suspension.
Is It Bad to Have Different Brands of Tires on Car?
Having different brands of tires are commonly a sign of a careless owner, especially if the tires are the cheapest brands from the cheapest manufacturers. If so, chances are the rest of the car is in poor condition. Also, different sizes will cause different types of tire wear, which will require replacing all four of your tires much sooner than expected. For example, if the used car you recently bought was used for dirt track racing, and you’re not familiar with the concept, you can expect considerable tire wear, and you should get new tires right away.
On the other hand, if what you bought was actually one of the different types of dirt track racing cars, chances are you know exactly what you’re doing and what you’re looking for.
Basically, mismatched tires will wear out at different rates. However, if all four tires are the same model and size and the owner has rotated them correctly, they’ll wear out at roughly the same time. Therefore, you’ll be able to buy four new tires, avoiding mismatched tires and eventual damage.
Is It Okay to Have Mismatched Tires If They Don’t Seem Too Old?
Knowing how old your tires are or when they should be replaced is another problem that comes with mismatched tires. It’s difficult to know precisely when replacing them is necessary, except by examining the wear. However, remember that some tires will last longer than others, so the best thing to do to be sure of the tires you have, is to replace all of them right after you buy a used car. Better safe than sorry! If you don’t have time to go to a tire retailer, shop cheap tires online by shopping the best place to buy tires online to save you time.
