Replacing front tires without replacing back?

HardDrive · 02-04-2008, 07:03 AM

My front tires have worn considerably faster than the back. Tires are Continental ContiSportContact 2. If I have a good 3-4k left in the back tires, is there any reason I can't simply replace the fronts? They are different sizes, so they are sold seperately anyway.

I don't track the car.

DRACO A5OG · DRACO A5OG's Garage

I did and tracked my baby too. Mine got a nail in the side wall in the rear and I had no choice to replace the two rears to an updated version of the Eagle F1's. No Issues

cgarr · cgarr's Garage

Makes cents to me

tonythetarga · 02-04-2008, 07:17 AM

Should not be an issue as long as the tires will be the same brand as the rears. If you swap brands, you want to be able to at least match compounds/wear ratings for a compatable grip level.
I'd look into why the fronts are wearing faster. You might check the corner balance of the car and alignment. (unless the rears have already been replaced once and the fronts have been on for the equivalent of 2 sets of rears)

911s55 · 02-04-2008, 07:25 AM

First of all were you satisfied with their performance, will you be getting the same tires as your replacing and do they match the rear, ( make and type ). I wouldn't mix.

If it's your daily driver ( what car is this ) and there's only 3K left on the rears, I'd pitch em, lot's more rain comin!

David

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

I've done the same (change either fronts or rears only). Previous tire was NLA, so I just purchased whatever on the market was as similar as possible compound-/gripwise (like that's ever possible) to try not to upset the balance too much. Even on matching tires, my car (a Turbo) understeers quite a bit, so I tried to select tires that would lessen that tendency.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 02-04-2008, 07:30 AM

You'll want to match speed rating, load index and temp. rating with your existing rears.

HardDrive · 02-04-2008, 08:47 AM

Thanks guys. The tires will be replaced with the same type. It may seem weird to not bother replacing the backs, but I drive the car less than 3000 miles a year, so those backs will easily last me into next year.

old man neri · 02-04-2008, 10:11 AM

I would just be careful in the rain. You might get into an ugly situation where the fronts grip but the rears don't, in a turn.

KTL · 02-04-2008, 12:26 PM

Mixing and matching brands, treadwear ratings is not critical- car won't burst into flames or crash instantly if you drive it in the rain. Feel the car out and you'll be fine. And fresh fronts, whether they be same type/brand or different, will likely increase front grip (after they break-in) and make the car oversteer. So feel it out

I've run differing brands front-rear on the track (I know you don't track your car) with R compound tires without ill effects. Only reason I mention it is to present an extreme example of using differing brands & grip levels. To take it a step further, a friend (who drives like a stolen car thief) used Bridgestone S-03 front and Toyo RA-1 rears on his car at the track for a 2 day DE event. I was shocked to hear he actually liked the way it handled.

I'd take this as a good opportunity to try another brand of tire if you so choose. If you like them, you can add the rears when they wear out. Definitely look into the front alignment. If your front & rear tires are the same age, the rears should definitely wear faster than the front. Typical 911 rule of thumb is rears last 1/2 as long as fronts.

tonythetarga · 02-04-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KTL

If your front & rear tires are the same age, the rears should definitely wear faster than the front. Typical 911 rule of thumb is rears last 1/2 as long as fronts.

I made the same assumption when I responded but then noticed he is driving a Boxster. I am not sure what the wear rate is front to rear on the mid-engine car, but I still think the rears should wear first.

Miguel Antonett · 02-04-2008, 12:44 PM

Normally the rear wear faster than the front - about twice faster.

I have mixed them w/o problem. Just be sure you go by pairs of the same, both front and/or both rears.

KTL · 02-04-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonythetarga

I made the same assumption when I responded but then noticed he is driving a Boxster. I am not sure what the wear rate is front to rear on the mid-engine car, but I still think the rears should wear first.

Thanks for the correction. I did notice the Boxster was the car and the 82 has been sold, but didn't make the connection that I should go back and edit my post.

3.2 CAB · 02-04-2008, 02:21 PM

I had a friend that won a Boxster at one of the casinos on the Gulf Coast. We were both finalist in a car key, give away drawing. He got the key that worked, I didn't. Lucky ba$tard!! He owned the car all of 20 minutes, and sold it to one of the New Car Dealers, that were always at the contests. I already had my car, and he already had a new Viper. We both had previously made arrangements with the dealer to sell the car. O-well!!
Back to the topic, I don't think that there would be any real adverse effects, being you are replacing with the same type tires. I would use a little more caution after they are installed, just to make sure that the car still "feels" the same, or if it is grabbing, or pushing through corners or turnouts. A lot of tires that are the "same" tire, except for sizing, the tires have somewhat different "specs" due to the sizing differences. With the mileage that you drive, like myself, the problem is more in the form of dry-rot. I have only driven about 1800 miles, since I had my speedometer/odometer refurbished and re-calibrated in June, 2003. Be careful, and enjoy, your own, "Little Bastard" Good luck!! Tony.