In this interesting article, a former FCA automotive engineer advocates using an OEM tire as a replacement tire, when the original set is worn out:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2...-for-oem-replacement-tires/#more-1682718
Some excerpts:
Quote
The ... thing to understand is that tires are the largest tuning element on the chassis for ride, steering, handling, acceleration, and braking. Literally everything that the vehicle does in regard to its motion is filtered through the tires. Therefore, it is critical that tires are tuned to the vehicle and the vehicle is tuned to the tires.
...Changing out the OEM tires is undoing an extensive amount of tuning and development work that cost the OEMs hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars to complete. The process started with vehicle program leaders determining functional attribute targets for the vehicle. From there, engineers worked with tire manufacturers to develop the tires. While "off-the-shelf" tires may sometimes be selected, in most cases the tires are tuned specifically for the vehicle...
...With the tires selected, the OEMs can proceed with development and tuning of the rest of the vehicle around them. While the vehicle dynamics areas of ride, steering, and handling might be most obviously impacted, there are many other functional areas that are tuned around the tires. Braking performance, fuel economy calculations, and powertrain tuning are all impacted. The "active chassis" group will be developing the stability control, ABS, and traction control around the tires, as will the ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) group. The NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and durability groups will also be conducting their work around the tires......Consider for a moment that, from a ride perspective, a tire is essentially an undamped spring. You can then see how varying that component would affect things such as impact harshness and shake and how that would need to be accounted for in the damper tuning......
...In regard to steering, almost every tire had a unique electronic power steering calibration for its application in each model variant........Based on how the tires differed, changes to EPS tuning were usually required in a few areas of the calibration. The "on-center" feel, or how "positively" the car would steer straight-ahead, was critical to driving comfort, especially over long distances. The response characteristics of the tire would alter the linearity of the effort build in the wheel as the driver steered into a corner. In other terms, as you steer, you want the wheel to communicate with a continuous build in effort as you turn harder. Not having the effort build well-matched to the tire and vehicle response could result in a car feeling anywhere from nervous and hyper-active to sluggish and unwilling to turn....
...So, if you value the performance and feel of your car as it came new from the factory, it would behoove you to replace your tires with the original ones when they're due for it. And, not just the same brand and model, but the exact OEM tire that was tuned for your car. The aftermarket replacements look the same, but if you're not buying the OEM part from a dealership, it is not likely to be the same OEM tuning....
...Changing out the tires is almost akin to changing the engine in the car. You can do it, but you'd better know exactly what you're doing, because the whole car was designed around it. If you're satisfied with the performance of your vehicle, stick with the OEM tires when it comes time to replace...
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2...-for-oem-replacement-tires/#more-1682718
Some excerpts:
Quote
The ... thing to understand is that tires are the largest tuning element on the chassis for ride, steering, handling, acceleration, and braking. Literally everything that the vehicle does in regard to its motion is filtered through the tires. Therefore, it is critical that tires are tuned to the vehicle and the vehicle is tuned to the tires.
...Changing out the OEM tires is undoing an extensive amount of tuning and development work that cost the OEMs hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars to complete. The process started with vehicle program leaders determining functional attribute targets for the vehicle. From there, engineers worked with tire manufacturers to develop the tires. While "off-the-shelf" tires may sometimes be selected, in most cases the tires are tuned specifically for the vehicle...
...With the tires selected, the OEMs can proceed with development and tuning of the rest of the vehicle around them. While the vehicle dynamics areas of ride, steering, and handling might be most obviously impacted, there are many other functional areas that are tuned around the tires. Braking performance, fuel economy calculations, and powertrain tuning are all impacted. The "active chassis" group will be developing the stability control, ABS, and traction control around the tires, as will the ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) group. The NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and durability groups will also be conducting their work around the tires......Consider for a moment that, from a ride perspective, a tire is essentially an undamped spring. You can then see how varying that component would affect things such as impact harshness and shake and how that would need to be accounted for in the damper tuning......
...In regard to steering, almost every tire had a unique electronic power steering calibration for its application in each model variant........Based on how the tires differed, changes to EPS tuning were usually required in a few areas of the calibration. The "on-center" feel, or how "positively" the car would steer straight-ahead, was critical to driving comfort, especially over long distances. The response characteristics of the tire would alter the linearity of the effort build in the wheel as the driver steered into a corner. In other terms, as you steer, you want the wheel to communicate with a continuous build in effort as you turn harder. Not having the effort build well-matched to the tire and vehicle response could result in a car feeling anywhere from nervous and hyper-active to sluggish and unwilling to turn....
...So, if you value the performance and feel of your car as it came new from the factory, it would behoove you to replace your tires with the original ones when they're due for it. And, not just the same brand and model, but the exact OEM tire that was tuned for your car. The aftermarket replacements look the same, but if you're not buying the OEM part from a dealership, it is not likely to be the same OEM tuning....
...Changing out the tires is almost akin to changing the engine in the car. You can do it, but you'd better know exactly what you're doing, because the whole car was designed around it. If you're satisfied with the performance of your vehicle, stick with the OEM tires when it comes time to replace...