Putting different tires on front and back?

Toxic

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Wondering if it is hard on a 4X4 quad to put different tires on front and back as long as they are same size?, Am considering buying a Artic Cat XC450 for the wife to ride and want to give it some decent mudding ability, thinking of putting mud bugs on it but they chatter a bit in the steering on non EPS bikes. So I a considering if I go with the XC 450 putting some Mud Bugs on the back and Mud Lites up front but I have personally never done it. I know people who run different tires front and back but just because one person does it doesn't mean its a good idea.
(Either 26" or 27" tires depending on what fits)
 

Trashy

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I don't think that that would be a good idea..... Your front tires would be rotating at a different speed then the back tires. Or grabbing more or less traction. I think there would be an eventual failure of some sort? I have never done it, and I have never seen it done. So this is jmo.......
 

neilsleder

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As long as they are the same size using a measuring tape. Cause one 26" tire of one brand and 26" tire of another brand probably won't measure the same size.


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Toxic

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in general though I would assume different tires always have more or less traction just being the nature of riding and most bikes come with wider rear tires, just really unsure of stress seeing as 27"s that run 27" likely still have slight diameter differences.
 

Trashy

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I had swamp lite's 27x10/12's all the way around on my old H1, and a Dalton clutch kit. I was happy with the way it worked.

IMG_0010.jpg
 

Krazey

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As long as they are the same size using a measuring tape. Cause one 26" tire of one brand and 26" tire of another brand probably won't measure the same size.


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This^^^. And Toxic is right too. Often in riding one wheel will have more traction than the others. So that part isn't so much of a problem. But they need to be the same diameter, or else the drive axles will be rotating at different rates, and that will build stress in your transfer case. Enough stress and things break.
 
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