i have 2 michelin pilot sport ps2 tires that are brand new which i got a great deal on($150 each) so i couldn't pass up, but i still need 2 other tires. is it ok if i get a different set of tires in the rear-like the regular michelin pilot sport tires? would that make much of a difference? i know that the price difference is only around $10-$20 between the pilot sport ps2 and the regular pilot sport, but my cousin has 2 of the pilot sport which has like 8-9/32 tread left so i wouldn't even have to pay for them. will it make any difference having 2 different kinds of tires on the car?

 

as long as all the tires involved have the same aspect ratio (ex. 40 , 45, 50 series) , then it would be do-able. Also, if there is a difference in width between the two tires, keep the wider tires on the rear. Otherwise, you should be good to go. Keep in mind, it is fall/winter time is approaching , so mixing tires like this is not a optimal thing to do ... so take it easy out there, and those 8/32 tread tires.. I'd run them 3-4K miles.. then ditch them. Come to think of it, the cost of mounting them($20-30) ... would they still be worth it to you to mount, and use for 3-6 months ?

 

yes, it will make a difference because different tires have different tread patterns and different handling characteristics and different chemical compositions so they are designed for optimal performance under different conditions.

now you can get away with something like have different pair on the front and a different one on the back, but this can be conducive to behavior like oversteer and understeer depending on which tires have the best grip.

for all intensive purposes, it is generally best to have matching tires of similar treadlife on all four corners.

 

i was gonna mount the ps2's which are brand new in the front and the ps with 8/32 in the rear. i realize that i may have some issues with oversteer, but couldn't i fix that by adjusting my hotchkis sway bars? my sway bars are set at medium on the rear and then softer on the front. both tires have a starting tread depth of 10/32s. michelin told me that there shouldn't be any real problems with the cornering, but they've generally recommended that the tires with greater tread depth be placed in the rear to precent oversteer. their concern was oversteer, but i figure with tightening or loosening the settings on my sway bars i could correct that a little bit. what do u guys think the optimal settings would be on the sway bars to give me the least oversteer would be? should i change the front to the tightest setting and keep the rear in the middle, while placing the ps2's in the front? keep in mind that they also told me that the ps2's are the better handling of the two tires-not by much, and they are both symmetrical tires.

 

well, your going to have to rotate your tires in 5000 miles anyway, so then the balance will be reversed. as for minimizing oversteer, the rear one on the softest setting. i'd rather just get two tires to make it right on all four corners.