different tire brand front and back

[sgtsandman]

Make sure the DOT numbers match if you get all new tires. Some tire models have different tires for different car manufacturers and the only way to tell if they are different is by the DOT number.

There is an thread on this in the archives or the old site but I can't find it. I will continue to search and see if I can give you the url for the thread.

Edit: FOUND IT! http://www.hondasuv.com/crv/viewtopic.php?t=179

And here is the post by wildswing:

While replying to new member JoesCRV2002's thread entitled "Rear Diff problems" I realized that my own thread about my experience with differing tire sizes and it's effect on my rt4wd dual pump system had been zapped by the last server crash. I'm just reposting it here...

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I just went through an amazing adventure that involved my tires and RTAWD system. It was a real eye opener for me about the design and marketing of tires. Sorry for the length of this post but a lot has gone on over the last couple of months and I wanted to see it to conclusion before posting. The tires in question are my original oem 205/70R15 BF Goodrich Touring T/A SR4. Four originals are on the pavement (incl. the original spare) and a new tire, purchased last summer due to an irreparable flat, is the spare. The new tire is the same make, model and size as the originals.

A couple of months ago we brought the V in for it's 32k km service which includes a tire rotation. I found out that my dealership normally only does 4 wheel rotation, so I asked for the spare to be included. It was new so I wanted to get it into the rotation. See, we had an irreparable flat about a year ago so the original spare was already on the car. This spare tire was purchased from a local BF Goodrich dealer. Since the flat happened shortly after my first rotation, the spare was still brand new. Anyhow, I marked the spare just in case they didn’t do it and turns out they only did 4, so I returned the next morning and had them put the spare on the left front (shoulda put it on the right rear but that's another discussion). Immediately after that we took off on a weekend road trip. About 3 hours into the drive I started to hear a wining noise when lifting off the accelerator. No noise when accelerating, keeping an even speed or braking. Just when lifting.

When we returned I brought the V back to my dealership. Later that day I spoke to the tech. He said he test drove it and heard the noise. Put it up on the lift and found the rear end to be unusually warm. He changed the oil and tested it again. Same noise and same heat. He swapped the tires again and the noise and heat went away. Their verdict was that the difference in circumference, thus rotational speed, between the new tire and the rest was enough to drive the rear diff front hydraulic pump on the RT4WD system at a different rate than the rear pump under normal dry driving conditions. That's what caused the excess heat and noise from the rear diff.

Ok, I'll buy that, but why. No way would any car company design a car that can't handle a little difference in tire wear. I then went home and reread Honda's RTAWD technical paper posted by member gueb on the Quebec CR-V site. It says that Honda has built in a 2.5% tolerance to account for uneven tire wear.

I then returned to the dealership to continue questioning them on my options. "So what do I do if I get another flat?” I asked. They said that after having driven so far on the original rubber, I may have to treat the spare as temporary and get the flat fixed. I didn't buy that. Why would Honda give you a full size tire (other than it being needed for the rtawd) and mount that spare on an alloy rim if it wasn't intended to stay on the car? It would otherwise be on a cheap steel rim, right? What if the next flat was beyond repair? I'd be forced to use the spare permanently then. In that event they suggested buying 2 new tires and having them mounted on the same axle. I knew now that they too were grasping at straws and I suggested that they call Honda's tech line and I would do the same.

I spent a lot of time talking with tech line, sending email back and forth about tire wear and it's effects on the RTAWD system. I even went to the extent of measuring the tread depth on all 5 tires with a digital vernier caliper. I measured in 8 spots along either side of the center tread and averaged it for each tire. The overall average of the 4 original tires was 0.258" with the original spare, now on the right front, having the most tread at 0.284". Tread depth on the new tire was 0.292".

Huh? Wait a sec. My dealership was telling me that if I get another irreparable flat I need to buy 2 new tires and put them on the same axle, but I just had the new tire (0.292" tread depth) on the left front and the original spare (0.284" tread depth) on the right front. That's only a difference of 0.008" in their tread depths. That's within the variation in my measurements so they could be even closer than that! It’s as if I had 2 new tires on the front.

I brought that info back to my dealership and they were stumped. The technician said that Honda tech told him that a variation of 1/8" to 3/8" in circumference could have an effect on the RTAWD system. I countered by saying that we were basically talking about the same thing, tread depth (overall diameter) and circumference. My smallest tire, on the right rear, had a tread depth of 0.235". That's a difference of 0.4 inches in calculated circumference between the smallest and largest tire at the time of the problem. Ok, so that's above the 3/8" tolerance my tech gave me, but I still wasn't buying it. It was just too hard to swallow the concept that Honda did not design their system to deal with a new tire. Eventually Honda tech line simply referred me back to my dealer because they could not come up with a reasonable explanation for what was going on.

I was about to give in, but since the only tolerance limit I could get out of anyone was expressed as a variation in circumference, I decided to measure the circumference of my tires. All of the original tires came out to between 81 13/16" and 81 9/16" around. The new tire's circumference was 83 1/8"! That's nearly 1 1/2 inches bigger around than the average of the 4 original tires! I checked again and had a friend double check my measurements. No doubt about it. That new tire was much larger than the others even after accounting for tire wear. Now my attention turned to the tire manufacturer, BF Goodrich.

Here’s where it gets interesting. I checked the BF Goodrich Canada website. The spec sheet for the 205/70R15 Touring T/A SR4, shows 3 separate part numbers for that same model of tire and get this; they're all different! I immediately went out and check the tires. Sure enough, the 4 original tires have the same printing pattern on the sidewalls and have the same DOT number (APM0B0914301). The new tire has a different printing pattern and DOT number (APM0B0212502) on the sidewall. Humph!

I immediately fired off an email to BF Goodrich Canada tech support. After a couple of days, one of their engineers calls me back. He explained that the same size and model tire was used for the CR-V, Chevy Lumina and Pontiac Grand Prix that year and all got their own model specific versions of the 205/70R15 BF Goodrich Touring TA SR4; each a little different from the other. The one used for the CR-V in 2002 has a diameter of 26.1 inches while the other 2 models are 26.3 inches! Big lesson learned here, at least for me. Tires having the same manufacturer, model name and size can be physically different!

So after all that, it turns out that the local BFG dealer sold my wife the wrong tire last summer when she got the flat! They're replacing it with the proper tire (unfortunately prorated, but at this point I'm just glad to get this over with)! FYI...the correct BFG part number for the 2002 CR-V is 57956.

[Carbuff2]

Originally Posted by ctevans1

Agreed. The dealer is no place to buy tires!

Beg to differ.

Honda dealers carry the EXACT type of tire ("tyre" in other parts of the world ) that came on your car from the factory. Tire dealers may not sell you the exact same item, but the dealers will. And they often have them in stock at reasonable prices.

(I see that Wildswing's story has been posted here so I'll not repeat it.)

[wildswing]

You guys beat me to it.

For the OP, I'd recommend measuring tire circumference and checking the specs on rotations per mile. Just because two tires say 205/70R15 on the sidewall doesn't mean they're the same size.

My new GY TripleTreads wore a lot faster on the front. The rear's still look almost new. I just rotated them front to back. No issues either pre or post rotation. The RTAWD tolerance allows for tire wear.

[roadster]

If you refuse to listen to reason. then live and learn. We can only give opinions and you may go from there.

Your manual has all the info required for a tire Purchase as well as the Door jam. It will tell you the size tire pressure and what to do?


You may rotate the spare on and that is where we say if the spare can be rotated in with a different radius then it is okay for a different company or other tire to go on?

well we can place 5 different treads on and geta ride from point A-to-B-and back, but how safe would it be when you come into road conditions?
Like snow rain, sand and dry pavement?

under 500.00 vz 25 thousand, I think 500.00 is a drop in a bucket for a new set, then dishing out 25,000.00 for a new car?

[electronics4life]

What would the board's thoughts be on have 4(including spare) Yokohama Avid Tourings and 1 Yokohama Avid TRZ on a rt4wd 2002 crv? My wife got a flat and they replaced the 5th tire with a different model.... I am currently steaming mad.

[Racoon]

I replied to your other post.

It depends on the actual physical difference in the sizes of the Touring and the size of the TRZ (not just the numbers on the side of the tires). If it's more than 3% I'd return the TRZ.

JM2C

[wildswing]

Diameter & revs per mile [assuming 205/70R15]
Avid TRZ 26.4 787 ( from http://www.yokohamatire.com/pdf/AvidTRZbulletin.pdf )
Avid Touring 26.3 789 ( from http://www.yokohamatire.com/pdf/avidtour.pdf )

I think you're safe (on tire size) but I would not want to be driving around on one oddball tire. I recommend you give the tire shop a call and insist that they change it.

[XRing]

So, if I get rid of my rear diff, I only have to worry about having the same size tires on the front.?.

Heck, I could get a mini spare and stick it under the picnic table!
Then I could convert the spare tire bracket into a custom bike carrier.

[Racoon]

Yes.


If that's what you wanted to do.

[XRing]

I'm just kidding about the spare.. Too much trouble and expense.
Besides, my new 3 bike carrier fits right on the nakid spare like a glove.

When I still had the cover on the spare last summer, I noticed it would slip around sideways a little, while carrying bikes.
Getting rid of the cover provides a real good grip for the carrier.

And, I think nakid looks neat too. Since my V is inside a garage 95% of the time, the sun doesn't get a chance to bake the tires much.