Need to buy new tyres? Always fit in pairs! Thursday, May 17, 2018

Tyres represent your vehicle’s only point of contact with the road. In a sense, tyres are your vehicle’s shoes. When we purchase shoes for ourselves, we don’t buy for the left foot on one occasion and then buy for the right separately – we purchase pairs. The same should be true for tyres.

Our experts explain in more detail about why tyres should always be fitted in pairs…

Why should tyres be paired?

Tyres should fitted in pairs because that is exactly how they work – in pairs. Each axle on your vehicle is (in most cases) designed to support two tyres. If the tyres are identical, having been bought and fitted at the same time, then your vehicle should be well-balanced and perform as it is supposed to.

If your tyres are not matching, however, your tyres will stop working together and be forced to operate independently. As a result, your vehicle will experience imbalance. An unbalanced vehicle is more susceptible to wear and tear, and will also lower your fuel efficiency; with non-matching tyres, you could end up spending more on fuel and maintenance than you would spend on a matching couple in the first place.

Furthermore, the unbalanced vehicle will be more difficult to control on the road (e.g. pulling off to one side due to varying tread depths) and may not be able to respond effectively in an emergency situation.

What should you look for?

To guarantee optimum handling and control on the road, and to avoid excessive fuel and repair costs, drivers should fit new tyres that are the same. But what do you need to look for in a matching pair? Our experts say that there are four main criteria you need to know about:

The Brand

It may surprise you just how varied tyres can be. Different brands will have their own designs, materials and manufacturing styles. Pair your tyres by brand to avoid creating an imbalance.

The Size

Fitting tyres that are of different sizes will put unnecessary stress on the vehicle chassis. In order to avoid damaging your vehicle, tyres on the same axle should always be the same size.

The Tread

The importance of tyre tread is often overlooked. Having identical tread on coupled tyres is vital for your vehicle’s performance and safety. You can read more about tyre tread here.

The Type

Al Naboodah Autocare strongly advises that you do not fit tyres designed for different purposes – for example, avoid mixing winter tyres with all-season or summer tyres. The varying design and performance capabilities can negatively impact your vehicle control.

Expert advice meets professional services

Al Naboodah Autocare a leading automotive retail chain in the UAE – from parts, repairs and services for tyres, batteries, lubricants and car detailing, we’ve got your covered. If you’ve got any questions about your vehicle, our “products or our services, then come along to one of our stores – our ace auto experts are ready to help.