A simple question: I have four matching Continental ExtremeContact tires on my car. One now has a flat-spot due to a caliper lockup at speed and must be taken out of service. The spare is in good shape, but it’s a Pirelli P4000 with a totally different tread pattern. Does that matter? Is there …

I’ll second Jad2007’s advice.

The dangerous thing is having a tire on the back of your car lose traction while the front keeps gripping, which will cause your car to fishtail or even spin. This is why you want to but the tires with the best traction on the rear, but the trouble is that if you’re comparing two different tread pat…

If you want to be as safe as possible, you want to match tyres. You did not tell us what car you have. If you have AWD or 4WD, it can cause damage to the car driving on tyres that don't have the same circumference. It does not take much difference so one or two tyres that have been worn and oth…

“Are differing tire tread patterns dangerous?” Probably not. No one here knows for sure. It might be possible to go out to the test track and create extreme conditions (heavy rain, high-speed turns) in which different tread patterns could affect the car’s ability to manuever. Or maybe not. Since n…

zuper the AWD or FWD question needs an answer to get accurate info.

The car is a '94 Jaguar XJ6. Rear-wheel drive, with ABS. Tire sizes are identical, so I would think the diameter is too. I would think the ABS would compensate for differences in braking adhesion, if there is any, but maybe not. The Pirelli spare is relatively unworn; the Contis are about 3/4 go…

I’ll third Jads’ advice but add: Buy another matching Continental tire and keep the Pirelli as a s[are for emergency use only. Cappy makes a strong point. Accurate info on the AWD is needed. Check with a Jag dealer about the necessity of four matching tires due to the AWD system.

Mismatchng tread is only a minor concern. If they’re on the front you MIGHT slightly feel a difference but still advised to match two per axle. My biggest concern here is the AGE of the spare. Rubber ages and deiving on a twelve year old spare, even with zero miles on it, can be asking for a blowout…

There are some unknown variables here. Is the Pirelli rated the same in load rating, speed rating, and application (summer vs. all season, for example)? Is the vehicle AWD? Do you expect to drive the vehicle in bad weather with these 4 tires on it? How Bad? Snow & ice?

Are differing tire tread patterns dangerous?

Maintenance/Repairs

Jad2007 June 27, 2008, 5:44am 2

I don’t know of any studies done on this topic, but personally I would buy another Continental ExtremeContact tire instead, or replace both tires on that axle with tires that are the same brand/size/tread pattern. I feel there would be a safety concern as the two tires will react to an emergency situation differently due to the different tread pattern.

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Are differing tire tread patterns dangerous?

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