tires mismatched front and back

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whc03grady
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Location: Livingston Montana
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tires mismatched front and back

Post by whc03grady » Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:40 am

How much do we care if the tires astern are of one brand and tread, and the tires at the bow or of another? Same size and everything, just different wear, treads, and brands.

I ask because Ludwig's fronts are worn on the inside pretty badly, but the rears are fine. I don't want to buy four new tires if I don't have to, and would like to just put the current rears on the front, and get new tires for the rears (or putting new on the front and leaving the rears where they are). But I'm not as enamored of the Hankook RA08s as I once was, given that these seem to have worn pretty quickly--six years and only about 10,000 miles, poor alignment or no, seems pretty quick.
Ludwig--1974 Westfalia, 2.0L (GD035193), Solex 34PDSIT-2/3 carburetors.
Gertie--1971 Squareback, 1600cc with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection from a '72 (E brain).
Read about their adventures:
http://www.ludwigandgertie.blogspot.com

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sped372
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Re: tires mismatched front and back

Post by sped372 » Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:20 pm

I don't think it's as critical on a 2WD vehicle. I think that so long as the two tires on each "axle" match you're good.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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dtrumbo
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Re: tires mismatched front and back

Post by dtrumbo » Tue Oct 30, 2012 8:16 pm

I too have been less than impressed with the wear on the Hankooks that are on my wife's bus. On my Riviera camper, I have traction tires on the rear and brand new Thunderer tires on the front. Love 'em! Got 'em at Les Schwab which has locations in Montana, but I don't exactly know where you are to know if they're nearby or not.

x2 on what sped372 said.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Amskeptic
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Re: tires mismatched front and back

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Oct 31, 2012 7:45 am

whc03grady wrote: I don't want to buy four new tires if I don't have to, and would like to just put the current rears on the front, and get new tires for the rears

I'm not as enamored of the Hankook RA08s as I once was,
That is how you do it. Newer tires on the rear.

Inner wear on the front tires > add positive camber and make sure you have enough toe-in.

You can feel the toe by rubbing your palm across the tire.
If smooth from outside to inside, but rough inside to outside,
that is too much toe IN.
Your symptoms would suggest too much toe-OUT,
rough from outside to inside, and smooth as you rake your palm back from the inside to the outside.

Hankooks are black crayons in the heat.

I am still happy with my big ol Maxxis 751s on Chloe.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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