Different tires front/rear?
 

I've searched thread after thread across several Land Rover forums and have been seeing answers from both sides of the spectrum...

I have two brands of tires on the fronts and rears (F: Michelin Latitude, R: Nitto NT850). They are ALL the same size (255/55/18), although the rear tires do have slightly more tread remaining than the fronts. My question to you is, will this pose a threat to my car? Premature diff wear? Death to transfer case? Rheumatoid arthritis??

Side note, the truck does emit a slight "whine" noise during overrun however, I believe this began before the mismatching of the tires. I'm unsure which diff is the problem. I'm also unsure if I'm making matters worse with my tire combination. Any suggestions/advice is appreciated. Please help me put a nail in this coffin. Thanks in advance.

FYI: It is a 97 4.0SE with 71k miles.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejoshtan/8967067076/http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejoshtan/8967067076/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/thejoshtan/, on Flickr

It shouldn't hurt anything.

The most important thing is that they are the same size. You are probably ok but whenever possible try and get a matching set all the way around. All-time four wheel drives can definitely be stressed by different tire diameters.

unless there is a drastic difference, like 2 new off road tires and two bald street tires, I wouldn't worry about.
look at it this way; if it did make a difference Land rover would have sold Original owners for 4 spares.

nice truck

Thanks for the replies. All very helpful.

With regards to "diff whine", the noise seems to be coming from the rear although it is difficult to confirm. Does the front or rear endure a substantial amount of stress over the other? Others have told me "it's most likely the front diff" or "it's definitely the rear diff". Such strong opinions about opposite ends leaves me confused.