Superseded tyres!

[Richard Stevens]

My 2006 C5 hatch has a pristine Michelin Pilot Primacy tyre on the steel spare in the boot.
I thought it should start to earn its keep and have been trying to buy a single tyre so that I
can put it and its new twin on the road, and a worn tyre in the boot.

I find that the Primacy is now either a Primacy 3 or Primacy HP, both of which have a very
different tread pattern to mine. Why do they do this?

I've only had the car 18 months, and only now need to change anything, and it's a bit
annoying, as I am stuck with a useless spare.

I can't be the first with this problem, but what's the answer? Can't think it would be good
to fit a Primacy 3 or HP on the same axle as my Primacy.
I dare say someone else has an identical situation, and a solution would be possible if we could
get together, but I'm in darkest Norfolk, miles from anywhere!

Answers on a postcard please.......

[Northern_Mike]

My 2006 C5 hatch has a pristine Michelin Pilot Primacy tyre on the steel spare in the boot.
I thought it should start to earn its keep and have been trying to buy a single tyre so that I
can put it and its new twin on the road, and a worn tyre in the boot.

I find that the Primacy is now either a Primacy 3 or Primacy HP, both of which have a very
different tread pattern to mine. Why do they do this ?

Progression? Finding new tread patterns that disperse water better, or are quieter, or grip better.. or all 3?

If they didn't do this, we'd all still be driving sideways on 1950s crossplies.

Just use the tyre, it will be fine on the same axle as a later one.

[Peter.N.]

Yes but they gave a much more comfortable ride.

[Northern_Mike]

Yes but they gave a much more comfortable ride.

They did, but that's because they weren't really attached to the road very well! I drove a Commer Van with crossplies on it once. Once was enough.

[daviemck2006]

I have just put the unused Michelin tyre in my boot onto an alloy and put it on the front and put, on a tyre fitters advice a new Nexen on the other side with it. Got them to put the best of the two that came off onto spare wheel. I've had to go back twice within a week to get the Michelin rebalanced. I had ran it for about 200 miles on the steel wheel first. I nearly bought a used Michelin the exact same off eBay, it said 6 mm left it was £55 + postage then I would have to pay £15 for fitting, so that's why I got a new tyre with same ratings etc. The new tyre cost £74 fitted. Apart from the problems getting it balanced I find no problems with them being different tread etc and on the front. I would have put them on the back, but they are 225/50 16 instead of 215/55 16 and need to put the wider ones on the back.

[Richard Stevens]

Thanks for the response, maybe I was being too cautious about putting tyres with
different tread patterns and therefore different characteristics on the same axle,
but it's always been a no-no for most drivers I know.
Of course, if it's okay, why are there so many different patterns? It wouldn't be
brand protection, would it?

[Peter.N.]

Yes but they gave a much more comfortable ride.

They did, but that's because they weren't really attached to the road very well! I drove a Commer Van with crossplies on it once. Once was enough.

All my cars had crossplys for about the first 10 years of motoring, that' all there were, I much preferred the ride, not really bothered about the handling, don't drive fast enough.

Peter

[daviemck2006]

This is the first time i have put odd tyres on the same axle, although I have bought cars like that before. I only did it just now cos I'm a bit skint being off work and the new Nexen seemed a better deal than buying the used Michelin which would have cost more by the time it was delivered and fitted.

[qprdude]

When I checked my steel wheel with new tyre, I fount the wheel was a smaller size, with a bigger profile tyre to bring the diameter up to the same as my 19" alloys!

[Peter.N.]

I have Nexen tyres, they give the best ride I could find although the mileage isn't quite as good as some others. They have a nice soft tread, gripping the edge you can press it in with your thumbs quite easily.

[myglaren]

Merged the two similar threads.

[SwissSPEC]

I personally try not to mix & match tyres & maintain that it is a safety issue, others disagree vermantly, i personally would want to have 4 matching tyres so that if i had to do an emergency maneouvre with my family on board, we've got the best chance of surviving the incident. It's annoying when you can't locate an older tyre design, i can only suggest you try looking on the internet to see if anyone has got some left on the shelf, that way you'd at least have a matching axle set.

[Northern_Mike]

Yes its much safer to put an ageing "new" tyre that's been treated who-knows-how and sat around for years than a brand new tyre of a slightly different tread pattern on your car..... or perhaps NOT.

Your advice is bizarre. If it weren't, it would be illegal to mix tread patterns, all the tyre companies would say you couldn't, and your car would fail it's MOT.


Enviado desde mi GT-I9505 usando Tapatalk

[qprdude]

Most tyres have a shelf life of 6 years maximum, so it doesn't really make much sense to shop around for one that has been lying around for God knows how long. If a tyre is no longer available, it's most likely that it has been replaced by a more advanced design or it was crap in the first place.

[Northern_Mike]

Most tyres have a shelf life of 6 years maximum, so it doesn't really make much sense to shop around for one that has been lying around for God knows how long. If a tyre is no longer available, it's most likely that it has been replaced by a more advanced design or it was crap in the first place.

Well, exactly.