Tire change problem!
 

Just bought hankook v12's for the rear. My wife complained about the car not feeling the same. I drove to work today and noticed a big difference in the way it handles. Borderline dangerous and feels loose. I checked the torque on the lugnuts and the air pressure. I am assuming the problem is because I have the oems on the front and hankooks on the rear. Anyone of you guys experienced this. Please tell me if I buy new fronts I will be be okay. Thanks in advance.

those are not the 5 year old ones are they?

negative

Are they directionals? Maybe they are running the wrong way. I wouldn't think it would drive like that though.

The v12s are directional so check to see if they were mounted correctly. Still, you're going to feel a difference in handling with two different makes of tires on the car. You really shouldn't mix and match sets like that.

Also, as with all new tires, you're going to have to go about 500 miles with normal driving to completely wear away the mold release coating on the tire, so traction will not be optimal initially. Also, since you are going from a worn tire with little tread to a fresh tire with a lot of tread you are going to notice a bit of squirm because of all that extra tread.

+1 to that. I thought the OEM Bridgestones felt squirelly when I first bought the car. It smoothed out after awhile. Unidirectionals are probably going to feel different than the bidirectional tires.

My car felt crappy with re50a's up front and nt05s in the rear but they are two completely different tread patterns and not at all similar, Id give it a few miles and see, putting the fronts should fix it it if it doesnt get better.. too many people have them on here and havent complained so they cant be that bad.

I checked the direction at the shop. I watched those guys like a hawk. I have never changed just one set before. I will get new fronts this week. I am assuming from now on i can change a pair as long as the pair being changed matches the one remaining on the car? Live and learn, I guess. Thanks for the help guys.

those tires have a soft sidewall...there going to feel a bit more loose and squirly.

As mustang said, you probably need to break them in. Id do a quick burnout. :D

If this is the case, I'd rather have the potenzas.

I find that the Hankooks are only "squirely" when cold. Once they warm up they are fine. I think you will find that they will be fine once you get matching tires up front.

AZ

The Ventus does have slightly less traction than the Potenza so putting them just on the rear would give you that. Best to replace as a whole set when going to something in a different tire class. Of course as already stated the problem is going to be amplified by the mold release reside that takes a couple hundred miles to scrub off completely. On the plus side they will last twice as long.

The rear end feels loose, almost like really low air pressure. Fronts will be changed tomorrow. I will update soon.