On our recent trip out west, I picked up a nail in the rear DS outside tire. Long story short, I ended up having to replace it with a different brand. The service guy measured the existing tires diameter and told me the new tire would be ok...something about tire skip? Anyway, I now have 3 Hankook and a new Goodyear. Is this going to be problematic down the road?
After the cost- $650 +, I would sure like to carry my own spare but have no idea how/where to carry it.
I know it wears both tires out faster from experience but this article explains mismatched tires better than I can.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2010/01/mismatched-duals.aspx
Big question is what standards the service guy used to say the mis-match was OK. May have been a considered answer, may have been that he was not going to drive back and shop for another tire.
Best answer is to raise that wheel position off the ground and measure the circumference of each tire. The danger of mis-matched tires is that the taller tire will carry the majority of the load and therefore be way overloaded.
He did take the old tire to his shop to measure it. He said it was within 3/32 of the new tire which sounded minor to me, so I let him put it on.
Mike's Tire Shop in Ranger, TX. sent out by GS roadside.
If that 3/32" is the difference in circumference, you are in great shape.
Even if that is diameter (i.e. height) you are OK per the article in the link in craneman's post.
thanks craneman and Brett....
I am now a little more "tire-smart".
The other thing I figured out was not to try and patch a nail hole in a tire that ran flat at highway speeds. Even if the inside of the tire looks good. The patch held but the sidewall did not. During re-inflation the side wall blew out, embedding sand in my shin.
I put mine in the basement area laying down,you can manhandle it in there and let the tire change guy change it,cheaper than $650.
Bought a $50 tire to toss underneath for the inevitable. Blew a tire, and limped to the rest stop and coach-net sent a guy to change it out for me for free. Since then I've aquired two more tire/wheel so I carry a mounted.
Also, I use cross-fire on my rears to keep pressure equal.
I've seen several RVs with a spare on the top. I always wonder how far that sucker bounces down the road when they roll it off.