Fitting of passenger car tyres in different seasons
By different or mixed season mounting is meant; Different seasonal categories on one axle and on front or rear axle.
Examples are: a front axle with summer tyres and a rear axle with winter tyres / front axle with all-season tyres and rear axle with summer tyres / front axle with all-season tyres and rear axle with winter tyres. Various additional combinations are possible.
Why choose mixed fitment?
A group of vehicle owners in the Netherlands choose tyres from a different seasonal category when replacing them. They usually do this because they want to change from their current summer tyres to all-season tyres. They only have two tyres replaced for financial reasons or for reasons of sustainability.
What happens all the time?
Cars are usually fitted with four identical tyres ex-factory. The brand and type of tyre are the same. The seasonal category (summer, winter or all-season tyres) is the same. The front and rear sizes may differ, however.
During use, the tyres do not wear out at the same rate. The best known example is that tyres on the driven axle wear faster than the tyres on the other axle and therefore need to be replaced sooner.
The advice
Summer tyres, all-season tyres and winter tyres differ in the rubber composition of the tread and profile. The properties of tyres of a different seasonal category differ so much that a mixed seasonal fitment is not recommended. In the countries surrounding us, there is different legislation to drive with mixed seasonal tyres.
The different characteristics influence the vehicle behaviour, can even influence the electronic control systems and thus the traffic safety. The extent to which the properties differ is also dependent on temperature. Therefore, it may even be the case that the vehicle manufacturer and tyre manufacturer recommend fitting four identical tyres.
Source: Vaco
