Mixing tire brands

Jim K

Jim K

Final Approach
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Had a flat on the lance this morning. It was just about bald anyway, so no big loss, and thankfully it didn't go flat on the runway, discovered it as I was putting her back in the hangar.

Scheduled her into the shop Monday; as expected they keep Condor tires in stock.... that's what the flight school uses, and I'm fine with that. The plane currently has goodyear flight custom iii's on it. Mechanic said he didn't see a problem, but seemed hesitant, like maybe it's unusual.

Is there a reason NOT to mix tire brands?
 
I have mixed tires. My plane had cheap ones that were functional and hold air well. I’m slowly replacing with the FCIII’s as they need individually. No issues.
 
Jim K said:
Had a flat on the lance this morning. It was just about bald anyway, so no big loss, and thankfully it didn't go flat on the runway, discovered it as I was putting her back in the hangar.

Scheduled her into the shop Monday; as expected they keep Condor tires in stock.... that's what the flight school uses, and I'm fine with that. The plane currently has goodyear flight custom iii's on it. Mechanic said he didn't see a problem, but seemed hesitant, like maybe it's unusual.

Is there a reason NOT to mix tire brands?
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I'll think you'll be fine. Your aircraft tires log less than 100 miles a year.

Honestly though, there is no reason the tires have to match brands. As long as they meet the manufacturer's specs, you're good to go. I'm not aware of any aircraft that specifies a particular manufacturer.
 
I don’t have concerns about mixing brands, but usually when one goes the other isn’t far behind. I’d rather replace them both at once and avoid another unplanned maintenance.

assuming the other one isn’t newish
 
I ran my Commander for a few years with a FCIII on one side, Condor on the other. I had no problem at all. Front tire was a FC.
 
Unless you’re on a runway with standing water or under max braking I doubt you’ll ever see a difference. If installing retreads on an RG I would swing the gear to make sure the retread fits.
 
Yes, it makes a huge difference. I don’t think I could sleep at night knowing I didn’t have matching tires on my plane. Now a flight school beater...they will have to answer for that one day.
 
For what it's worth I put the same brand of cheap tires on both wheels at the same time. o_O
 
Thank you all. I couldn't think of any reason it would matter, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

I suspect the previous owner had to replace the left side to get it through annual before he sold it as it's almost new while the right has almost no grooves left. I don't want to replace a nearly new tire, and I have a hard time buying that the fc is worth double what the cheaper tires are. I imagine they'll dry rot before I wear them out.
 
Radar Contact said:
What’s an extra hundred bucks in the grand scheme? :)
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I just seen your video on your recent annual. You no doubt spent a few dollars but I was quite impressed with how comprehensive the inspections and repairs were!

The really good news is that you won't have to make that "nose gear collapsed on landing" video now. :D
 
Jim K said:
I have a hard time buying that the fc is worth double what the cheaper tires are. I imagine they'll dry rot before I wear them out.
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If they dry rot first, there’s no problem. Personally I saw a difference in longevity, but I wore mine out.
 
Brad Z said:
I'll think you'll be fine. Your aircraft tires log less than 100 miles a year.
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You made me go calculate. I have 101 landings in the last 10 months. With takeoff and landing and taxi time, I bet I'm well over 100 miles. :D
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
You made me go calculate. I have 101 landings in the last 10 months. With takeoff and landing and taxi time, I bet I'm well over 100 miles. :D
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I suppose it depends on how long your runway is. Mine is only 2400 feet and I have a landing about once every 2 flight hours.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
You made me go calculate. I have 101 landings in the last 10 months. With takeoff and landing and taxi time, I bet I'm well over 100 miles. :D
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I've done 96 in this plane since I brought her home oct. 26, and the nearly bald tire looks the same now as it did then, apart from being flat. At the rate these things are not wearing, I can't imagine wearing them out in less than a decade.

The club archer goes through a set of tires a year, but it flies 500+ hours in that time, and does thousands of landings. I used to get 10 touch-n-go's in an hour.
 
Jim K said:
I've done 96 in this plane since I brought her home oct. 26, and the nearly bald tire looks the same now as it did then, apart from being flat. At the rate these things are not wearing, I can't imagine wearing them out in less than a decade.

The club archer goes through a set of tires a year, but it flies 500+ hours in that time, and does thousands of landings. I used to get 10 touch-n-go's in an hour.
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All this IR training.....I never get to land!
 
Miles isn't really a relevant metric. If it was, our tires would last the life of the plane, and then some. Tires get worn out by hard braking, side loads, and going from zero to 100mph instantly. We've all seen smoke coming off airline tires at touchdown. Never seen the stats but I'd bet tire life is directly proportional to landing count, with a speed multiplier. I stall at 55mph and am based on grass, so my tires will probably die of dry rot long before I wear them out.
 
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