My 2 year old Focus was serviced last week and needs a replacement tyre - caused by ill adjusted tracking (possibly taken out by speed humps - but thats another problem !!!) - anyway my local Ford dealers offered me a cheaper alternative to the Mitchelins fitted (from new) - a Dunlop !!

I had always assumed that the same axle should have identical tyres fitted and am extremely surprised that a Ford main dealers should suggest such a thing - any comments welcome .....

My understanding is that you shouldn't mix cross ply and radial on the same axle. I should think that a Ford main dealer chap would have enough knowledge about such things, but you are probably right to seek another opinion. Safety is all.

you will be paying through the nose by having a ford dealer supply you with either tyre, check out the price at ATS and QUICKFIT first, i would personaly stick to same make all round.

Thats what I would have assumed - but in this case - Ford are cheaper than any of the "on-line" tyre suppliers that I have used in the past - as for Quick fit and ATS - they want £113 for one tyre !!!

Ford are quoting £82 inc vat, balancing and disposal of the old carcass

That sounds like s deal to me!

Twee --- Try http://www.mytyres.co.uk/start.html for the tyres that you require, their prices take some beating and they have a network of nationwide fitting stations.

By the way it is not illegal to mix different brands of tyres on the same axle as long as they are of the same size, rating and construction. However it is not really desirable for handling characteristics & roadholding purposes...tyres on the same axle should ideally be of the same identical brand and specification.

conmankiller: ...it is not illegal to mix different brands of tyres on the same axle as long as they are of the same size, rating and construction...

Not that conmankiller needs me to say so, but he is of course quite correct.

However, I'm posting just to give you a tip that might be useful in these circumstances... if you find you want to change brands (and in fact even if you don't!!), buy tyres in pairs and always put the two new ones on the front.

"Rotation" is simply a methodical way of evening out the wear, with the disadvantage that - if it works properly - you end up having to buy 5 tyres at once (because of the need for a legal spare)! Of course, even that has an upside... very few suppliers will refuse to offer some sort of discount for buying five at once, but what a whack in the wallet... :-(

The very clear safety advantage of "two new on the front" is that you then get maximum water displacement through the new treads, and hence maximum anti-aquaplaning grip for the steering, particularly in the case of sudden braking in the wet (but you do reduce your speed for that very reason in driving rain, don't you...?) :-)