Hey Everyone,

I've got a question about mixing tires front and rear:

My Father's C4S has brand new OEM Pirellis up front, but the rears got punctured (again!) and so we decided to switch over to a pair of Bridgestone Potenza S02-A's ... I think those were the ones.

Anyway, I was just wondering peoples' opinions regarding the pros/cons (if any) of wearing the Pierellis up front and the Bridgestones in the rear. I generally would prefer to have the same tires all around, but given the present situation, and that we really didn't want to use the lesser Pirellis -- the Bridgestone's are rated higher for dry and wet AND get longer treadlife! -- we thought we'd just go ahead and get them.

The need for this knowledge is of especially high importance given that we'll be tracking the car on May 10.

Thank you,

--Marc

 

I have michelin's in the back and Pirelli's in the front...don't notice the difference...
I got a 5 inch nail in one of my rears, so had to change both, but the fronts are good for another 15K..

 

Haha that's exactly what happened to us: TWICE within about a month or two!! Anyway thank you for the feedback......

 

Don't mix, not on these cars.

 

Ditto that.

 

Mixing bad idea unless you just want to see what it'll do. I did it but I used cheap rear tires (295/30YR-18 Kumho ECSTA SPT) with the OEM Michelin Pilot Sport Rib N1 fronts. Turned the car into a wacky ride. PCM would kick in on turns near 60mph and all sort of drifting on straight flat roads. I wanted to put cheap tires on the rear for a couple of months till I puchased 20's all around (needed save some cash). Tire Rack was cool and let me return the tires for 295/30ZR-18 Michelin Pilot Sport Rib N1 @ double the price of Kumho's. Yes I know the Kumhos are crap but I had them for years on my Audi TT 255AWD. Everytime I got a flat it was only $105 for a new tire and it had great traction. Learned my lesson on the C4S. Don't mix and match accross brands and types. Maybe works good......maybe PCM no likey ......your choice.

TTKEN 02'C4S
Thanks Tire Rack

 

Some cars will take mixed tires without problems. The 911 is not one of them.

Why buy a great (and expensive) sports car - and then put crappy tires on it?
Better to buy a Mustang...

 

Now thats not what you wrote to me 2 weeks ago....I'm getting ready to do the Kumho rear/Pirelli front thing as well.

 

i'm not mixing and matching "crappy tires" -- they are Bridgestone Potenza S02-A's (again i don't remmeber the model number, but they are VERY high-end). in fact everything i've read suggests they are better than the stock pirellis.

 

Take the C4S into a condition that make your heart race and if the PCM doesnt kick in and you live, then your probaly OK. Its not the price of the tires, its the diference between the tire types and tread. Every single person has a preference with tires, wax and every other item associated with cars. Just make sure your tires are safe and react the way you want them to in extreme situations.
TTKEN 02C4S

 

just so you know-----you say that you are planning to track the car.
at least at my home pca region, northern nj, you MUST have a matching set of tires.
different levels of grip i would think.

 

I wouldn't mix tires on a 996, especially an AWD model. It's not going to do the center differential any favors.

 

ok well i appreciate all the feedback. but tell me now, the dye has been cast: my father's got brand new pirellis up front and brand new potenza s-02s in the rear.

what to do? toss the front pirellis and get potenzas up front? honestly, the potenza's are rated as better than the pirellis in every category (again, according to tire rack)

 

you just answered your own question.
get the potenzas and just drive the car.
i assume that the two of you are novices at this drivers ed thing.
do not obsess about the tires; not yet at least.
learn how to drive the car first, keep it bone stock, then start asking questions after a half dozen de events.
by that time you'll have some idea where you want to end up.
until then, relax, listen to your instructor, and enjoy the ride!
remember - rule #1---keep your instructor alive.
rule #2--- see rule #1.
have fun.

 

Never mix tires if you can avoid it, especially on a 4S. Just asking for trouble. Run S02's all around or my favorite Pilot Sport Cups.