I guess I made a mistake in my earlier post (my understanding was wrong). The new tires are the Michelin Defender 88T. The older tires are the V-rated ones. The shop swears that there will be no difference because we are not driving at speeds higher than 85 mph (which is true).
Ok, so definitely keep them on the same axle. Donât mix tread patterns or tire types on the same axle. Personally, I donât do it on the same car, but many do without problems.
OK, thanks! So, there are expected to be no major issues then. The shop said that it recommends the newer (T-rated) tires on the front and the older (V-rated, 20k miles old) tires in the rear. All this because the Michelin Primacy MXV4 88V is discontinued â I was only able to find them on Amazon.
The T-rated tire has a 90k mile warranty while the V-rated tire had a 60k mile warranty.
I was about to say no difference H vs. V, but now youâve said itâs a different model and a T vs. V. I wouldnât do it, Iâd want the same model tire, Iâd be fine if it was an H.
^ I agree, but the cost might be prohibitive for him. Still, donât mix them on the axles.
In bad weather, that shop is incorrect. You want the better tires on the rear. But donât just believe me (and the several others here whoâve said it for years):
http://blog.allstate.com/new-tires-rear/
These are just a few of many articles covering this issue. I could post more, but Iâm pretty sure you get it, at this point.
Thanks! But isnât the better tire the V-rated one? It is also the older tire.
Darn! I gave them the go-ahead, guess I will have to live with the consequences for the Michelin Defender T and the Michelin Primacy MXV4 V.
Thanks! But isn't the better tire the V-rated one? It is also the older tire.Not necessarily. It depends a lot of the build of the tire, and what it's meant to be used on (road surface). In general, the "V" tire will be more expensive. But as you know, more cost doesn't always mean better. It also depends on just how old. Pull the tire codes and see just how old those are. You may be running up against the age limit for them.
After a certain amount of time, rubber will begin to deteriorate, resulting in tire degradation. You cannot always see this (itâs not always the visible cracking on the tread). Sometimes itâs internal, and a blowout can occur.
I think you said earlier they were about 10 years old. How old were they when you first installed them? Did you even know how to look for that? Most quick-change places will try to get the oldest stock off the shelves first. Your tires might even be as old as 12-15 years. Read onâŠ
Iâm not trying to scare you. Just make you aware. There are plenty of articles on this, too.
http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-old-and-dangerous-are-your-tires.html
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=138
How to determine tire age:
Here, âbetterâ means âhas more treadâ, assuming theyâre not too old. The problem I have is that different tire models with large difference in speed ratings can handle differently, resulting in unexpected behavior. Might it be OK? Yes, but I wouldnât do it.
Here, 'better' means 'has more tread', assuming they're not too old. The problem I have is that different tire models with large difference in speed ratings can handle differently, resulting in unexpected behavior. Might it be OK? Yes, but I wouldn't do it.I agree with you on using those differing tire types, but not on his selection of better. He was thinking that because they're V rated, they're better tires. I didn't read any suggestion that the new tires were better.
But, IMO, they are, indeed, too old. As stated, 10 years, plus whatever shipping/shelf time they had before being installed. He may (or may not) come back with a date code, and we can all see what they actually are.
Hi, Sorry for the confusion. The V-rated tires that are on the car were installed in 2012. The older tires (before the new ones were installed) ran for 10 years (from 2002-2012). I said this in the context that some people were, of late not getting the distance that they were supposed to get.
I guess TireRack is pretty clear â put the new tires on the rear and the older tires on the front. And no rotations for life. Is my reading correct? In which case, if the shop puts the old tires in the rear, I should just get them rotated once and that is it?
Thanks again! I am really grateful â this will help me in understanding what I should look out for, with the T-rated and V-rated tires in the mix.
Thatâs what I would doâŠand then replace all 4 when the fronts do wear out. YMMV
Thanks again! I will keep you all posted with the results of 4-wheel alignment, etc. as they become available.
Hi,
I got the work done, and also the four-wheel alignment (was charged for that). The shop said that there were no issues with the rear wheels. However, the following are the results and they donât seem to include the rear wheels. Is that not strange?
The shop said that the front toe had been misaligned in the same direction (however) /-----/ as opposed to /------\ which usually happens so they fixed that to |-------| and that the camber and caster where within range.
Anyway, here are the readings:
Camber Preferred 0 Degrees
Camber Tolerances 1 Degree Negative to 1 Degree Positive
Actual Camber reading Left Front .5 Negative
Right Front .2 Negative
Caster Preferred 3.33 Degrees Positive
Caster Tolerances 2.3 Positive to 4.33 Positive
Actual for Left Front 3.25
Right Front 3.75
Toe in Preferred .16
Toe in Tolerances .11 To 2.1
Actual Toe In Total Toe Adjusted to .16
Many thanks!
I have a new problem with the car after the wheels were changed, etc. The car drifts to the right. This started immediately after I left the shop so is directly connected to the repairs. I am not exactly sure how this has happened, but it never drifted in any direction before or just after I ran into the curb. I will be going back in to the shop on Tuesday but I wanted to let you all know and see if you could provide additional light and make additional suggestions.
A drift to the right can be caused by tire bias. If this started after new tire installation the 2 fronts could be swapped from side to side to see if the problem corrects itself; assuming the tires and wheels are not directional.
Caster and camber can also cause a pull or drift. Normally, the right front should have more positive caster and negative camber as compared to the left front.
From the specs, you should be ok on the caster but note the LF has more negative camber than the RF. IF those figures were reversed the drift may also go away.
Dialing in more positive caster and negative camber on the RF is usually done to offset any pull caused by the road crown.
Hi, Thanks again!! I just wanted to clarify that the front wheels, not just the tires in the front are now replaced. The front wheels (pre-owned) and tires are new, but the left front and rear wheel were replaced (with the left front wheel swapped with the front right at installation.)
Are there mechanical readings that the shop can be asked to take which will ensure that it is fixed correctly?
What causes a more negative caster for one wheel to relative to the other?
Any other diagnosis I can ask them to run?
Many thanks atgain!
Best wishes!!
To start, I would check each tire to make they are all the same size. Then measure each rim (diameter, width, offset.) If that all checks out (the shop should have done it, but maybe they assumed too much) at least you have the basics covered.
Thank you. The tires are branded to be the same size (195/60/R15). I can measure the diameter of the wheel, but how do I measure the rim width or the offset? What is the offset term, in particular?
Btw, the new used wheels came from the same car make (Volvo 850, base sedan, is it possible that it would be different than the original and each other)?
Many thanks!
Are there holes in the wheel big enough to poke a stick or ruler through? If so, you could use two sticks no longer than the diameter of the wheel: hold or tape one on each side of the rim, then measure the distance between them. Thatâs the wheelâs width.
Offset is the is the distance between the plane thatâs one-half the wheelâs width and the plane that is the mounting surface of the rim against the hub. Use one of your sticks and a ruler.
Itâs possible that somewhere along the route from Sweden to your car one or more wheel differs from your carâs originals.