Different tires, front and rear (new on rear)

[steveni]

I would appreciate any advice.
Not sure if I should believe the statement that "You need to replace all 4 tires to match the tread direction, thread depth, handling, etc" when I could just replace two rear tires.

Here's my situation. We have a 2023 Model Y LR that we took possession of in January. Since it's relatively new, we have close to 9700 miles on it.

However there is sidewall damage to the right-rear tire. I would like to replace the two rear tires with Michelin CrossClimate2 which I have seen good things about. Tire warranty is 60,000 miles on that (although I realize I will not get close to that).

We have the 19" Gemini wheels and the original tires are Continental Procontact RX. So replacing the rear tires means that the front would have 9700 mile Continental tires and the rear would be the new Michelin CrossClimate2. All tires would be the same size 255/45 R19 of course.

Will the Model Y drivetrain be damaged in any way -- or any other ill effects?
Tire Rack wants me to believe nothing short of 4 new tires will do. What would you do -- or maybe some of you have faced this same situation.

Also, I guess an option would be two rear tires to match the Continental Procontact RX. However in the end I don't feel that the Procontact will last a long time and I prefer not to invest more in tires that do not wear well.

Thanks!

 

[MSJack]

I would appreciate any advice.
Not sure if I should believe the statement that "You need to replace all 4 tires to match the tread direction, thread depth, handling, etc" when I could just replace two rear tires.

Here's my situation. We have a 2023 Model Y LR that we took possession of in January. Since it's relatively new, we have close to 9700 miles on it.

However there is sidewall damage to the right-rear tire. I would like to replace the two rear tires with Michelin CrossClimate2 which I have seen good things about. Tire warranty is 60,000 miles on that (although I realize I will not get close to that).

We have the 19" Gemini wheels and the original tires are Continental Procontact RX. So replacing the rear tires means that the front would have 9700 mile Continental tires and the rear would be the new Michelin CrossClimate2. All tires would be the same size 255/45 R19 of course.

Will the Model Y drivetrain be damaged in any way -- or any other ill effects?
Tire Rack wants me to believe nothing short of 4 new tires will do. What would you do -- or maybe some of you have faced this same situation.

Also, I guess an option would be two rear tires to match the Continental Procontact RX. However in the end I don't feel that the Procontact will last a long time and I prefer not to invest more in tires that do not wear well.

Thanks!

You have the option to change the tires to all the same size but only if you go to Tesla, You would need the car towed in fact since it's dangerous to drive on a damaged sidewall, It needs to be inevitable that the tires are the same brand and model since Tesla originally designed the cars with tires they know are safe and meet their requirements for safety and traction. If you don't rotate the tires in time you require replacement of 2 new "Front" tires which would be put on the back if all are the same size.

 

[ATPMSD]

Ideally, all tires should be the same and you should be doing cross-rotations. But it is common to need to replace just one tire and in such a case, if all four are not replaced I suggest you will find most people will replace just two tires. In this case you will need to limit yourself to front-to-back rotations. You can also do side to side rotations.

There is no need to stick with the tires that came with the car. They just need to be the same size with the same, or better, weight, traction, speed and temperature ratings. The original Tesla tires that came with my first Tesla were crap and I was only too happy to replace them with better tires.

 

[fiehlsport]

The CC2 and original Continentals are wildly different tires. Get a set of 4 Crossclimates and call it a day.

That's like putting 2 snow tires on the back, and two eco tires on the front. It would make more sense to just get 4 of the same tire at that point.

Diameter between brands can (and will!) vary as well. Not all 255/45-19 are the same. So even if all 4 are new, but 2 are a different make/model, you still might find yourself in a situation where the fronts spin at a different rate than the rears, making the car think there is an issue. (Low tread, or otherwise)

 

[fholbert]

Replacing the two rear tires isn’t a problem.

Having different brands or new tires on the back isn’t an issue.

 

[fiehlsport]

Replacing the two rear tires isn’t a problem.

Having different brands or new tires on the back isn’t an issue.

I agree completely, this gets overblown here, BUT - It's the most non-sensical thing you can do for the car's handling if you go with OP's plan. Do you want an eco tire or a snow tire? People should generally stick with one product line, not both. The front will be slipping and engaging ABS in the snow with Contis up front, while the back will have grip, and you'll still be left with poor stopping distances.

 

[steveni]

Thanks for all the advice. For those wondering, I was not driving the Tesla on a daily basis with sidewall damage.
I will be replacing all 4 tires.