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Tomp4801 · 11-11-2013, 07:40 AM

Two years ago, I replaced 6 out of 8 tires with new Goodyear G670 tires. I left the two older tires on the tag axle, which still had plenty of tread, and still do, however they are 9 years old and I don't want to push it anymore. I can get 2 Michelins for a great price...... I need to put the two new tires on the front and move the front tires to the tag axle because I had some uneven wear due to mis-alignment, which has recently been fixed by having the front end aligned.

My question is.......is there any issue with having a different brand of tire on the front. I have spoken to a couple of tire dealers who say it does not matter as long as the front two match each other, and that the same tires should be used on an axle. I grew up with the teaching that you should not mix tires on a car, but I am told that a motorhome is a different "animal" in this regard. I know there is probably a lot of "opinion" on this topic, but I would really like to have some factual feedback.

Thanks in advance.....this forum is my "go to" source for any needed information related to my MH and I appreciate the feedback.

Ed-Sommers · 11-11-2013, 08:06 AM

It is not uncommon at all to see exactly what you are proposing to do.

The reasoning behind this procedure is due to the fact that RV tires are installed, and stays, for the life of the tire, in one place, and retired due to age, not wear.

A car, on the other hand usually has it's tires rotated in trying to have even wear until the tires are replaced due to that wear.

Ed

wa8yxm · 11-11-2013, 10:22 AM

The basic rule is all tires on the same axle need to be identical

Having different front and rear is usually OK, having different tires on the drive and tag axles is clearly OK.

But having different (Brand, size or age) on the right and left, NOT ok save for very short trips to the tire store.

Route 66 · 11-11-2013, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

The basic rule is all tires on the same axle need to be identical

Having different front and rear is usually OK, having different tires on the drive and tag axles is clearly OK.

But having different (Brand, size or age) on the right and left, NOT ok save for very short trips to the tire store.

Tomp4801 · 11-12-2013, 08:45 AM

Great......thanks for the good feedback.... It is always appreciated.

Hikerdogs · 11-12-2013, 09:07 AM

Tire size designations are now standard so a 235/80R22.5 tire is the same Physical size no matter what the brand. It didn't always used to be this way. I have seen tires in past decades (1970's and 80's) that had the same size printed on the sidewall that weren't even close to the same physical size. In one instance 2 tires carrying the same size designation were as much as 2" difference in overall height.

The "rules" for using the same brand tires, size, and construction on the same axle still apply. Different brands have different tread patterns and will handle very differently in wet and otherwise adverse conditions. Mixing different construction types (radial VS Bias Ply) on the same axle will certainly make handling "interesting" to say the least, and different sizes will complicate things on a whole new level.