Brought to you by AASA There are differences between OE tires
and their"identical matching"replacements. It can be a very subtle difference or
it can be very noticeable. Meeting OEM Needs It wasn't too long ago that the
general consensus was that the only reasons a carmaker chose a particular tire
as OE was appearance and cost - it had to look good in the showroom and it had
to be cheap. Even if that was true then,things are different today. As vehicles
have evolved,original equipment tires have changed too. Tire weight and rolling
resistance have been reduced and handling has improved. Pressure from auto
manufacturers has forced tire companies to make better tires. Original equipment
tires may be fine-tuned versions of existing tires or brand new tire designs. In
either case,the tires are part of every new vehicle's engineering process,and a
big part of a car or light truck's overall feel,directly impacting its comfort
and performance. Making the OE tires part of the vehicle development process is
essential to achieving the desired ride and handling qualities. Because the OE
tires are such a critical part of a driver's overall satisfaction with his or
her new vehicle,every vehicle manufacturer prioritizes different
characteristics. The manufacturer looking for higher performance will look
primarily for dry traction and responsiveness. Another,looking to maximize fuel
mileage,may place greater emphasis on low rolling resistance.
Unfortunately,because of the limitations of available materials and
manufacturing techniques,many of the characteristics the vehicle manufacturers
want are obtainable only by sacrificing other characteristics. Tread designs
that result in better snow traction and reduced hydroplaning are noisier.The best tires go to
the vehicle manufacturers for fitment on new cars,and the rest go straight to
the replacement market. The differences that make a downstream are minor. There
may be cosmetic defects,but rarely do they have any real world performance
problems. Most have slight uniformity issues that keep them from meeting the
vehicle manufacturers' specs. Force variation (the spring rate of the tire) or
roundness (how quickly the tire changes rolling radius) are the most common
problems;aligning torque variations also are frequent. Sometimes,downstream
tires are simply overstocks: the tiremaker made more than the carmaker really
needed. Because most OE specifications are extremely stringent (some by a factor
of three times what a driver is likely to perceive),the variations in most
downstream tires are unlikely to meaningfully degrade performance or be felt by
the consumer. The condition of the vehicle's suspension system and mounting
problems are more apt to cause problems than a downstream tire Autolink
AL519 Scanner. Time for Replacement When the customer asking for an exact OE
replacement tire comes into the shop,it's important to remember that new tires
are going to feel different. Typically,the replacement will provide a smoother
ride. It will probably also be quieter,and offer better traction on wet or
snow-covered surfaces,along with better balance and uniformity.That's why it's safest to install the new tires in the rear - to get the best
control in inclement conditions. Some consumers will complain about this
policy,thinking that newer tires should always go on the drive axle. But"new to
the rear"has been proven time and time again,and plenty of YouTube videos exist
to reinforce this fact. Some dealers are even refusing to make the sale if
customers insist they install tires to the drive axle maxidiag
md802. To avoid complaints,it's important to advise the customer that
replacing two tires is going to make the car feel different. It also may be a
good time to remind them that regular tire rotation evens out wear,reduces noise
(freewheeling exacerbates heel/toe wear while driving torque evens out tread
blocks) and keeps handling consistent. Customers may be surprised to learn that
many tire wear warranties include disclaimers that cut the warranty in half if
the tires are not rotated.
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