Is it safe to mix normal and reinforced tyres on different axles?

I have recently bought a 2010 Honda Civic 1.8 on 225/45 R17 wheels. It came with a mixture of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres - reinforced/XL on the front and normal on the back. The ride is rubbish and noisy on rough roads. Is this exacerbated by the XL tyres and/or that they are at end of their life? The fronts need replacing soon and looking at tyre choices I'm confused by the variations - non-reinforced 91Y are the specified spec but many retailers offer 94W reinforced tyres. Do these XL tyres have any benefits on a normal low car? Is it safe to mix normal and reinforced tyres on different axles?

Asked on 31 July 2019 by blimp

Answered by Honest John

Don't mix different load rated tyres on the same axle. If you need new tyres on this nine-year-old car it might be better to source a set of 16-inch wheels and go with tyres of a more comfortable profile. The size for them is 205/55 R16 which gives you a very wide choice, including all-weather tyres that are more compliant than summer tyres whatever the load rating.

Check Tyres On The Drive (bit.ly/2ZlEVaR) and Blackcircles.com (bit.ly/2JM6bqG) for sizes and prices and read our Tyre Buying Guide (bit.ly/2wsFHBU)

Tags: wheels and tyres tyres

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