zsalino

I had a blowout on a road trip so I replaced the one tire and then when I got home I put on another of the same new (Cooper Zeon Sport) on the opposite side. Should I have put 2 more of the same on the fronts??? (2001 E320 - NOT 4matic). Thanks!

saintz

Does it drive ok? Do the tires all exhibit similar handling?

If so, honestly, probably not the end of the world to have them not matched. On a symmetrical AWD system, it's important to have all tires the same size. If you're racing, important to have tires break away predictably. On a street car, if it drives ok, it's probably ok.

ejsheltra

Tires must be the same height and tread design and width for each axle pair to be safe, otherwise you will feel a tendency to pull one way or the other. The ride height should be the same all the way around but the rear can be a wider tire by two to three sizes with a matching lower ratio like 235-40-18 frt and 265-35-18 rear. Tire Rack.com recommends that tires on the same axle be within 3-4/32", maximum, of each other in tread depth. On AWD vehicle the ride height must be the same all the way around. That is measured as the distance from the center of the hub to the ground. This can also be adjusted by air pressure. This is for optimum performance of an AWD system and is critical for on road travel and less so for off road due to the ability of the tires and axles to slip on broken or uneven road or trail surface and not bind up.