Where do you fit your new tires?.

[Claud]

Nowadays most cars are front wheel drive, the front tire have the task of transferring drive to the pavement, steering and most of the braking duties and mostly carry a greater part of the cars weight than the rears, which don't do much more than hold the rear of the car off the road.
Yet all the tire makers recommend fitting new tires to the rear if you are only replacing a pair.
This seems bizarre to me, I would want the best tire where most of the work is being done.
Any tire Gurus able to shed some light on this for me?.

Claud.

 

[strongt]

 

[UncleS2]

It's because, in general, a blowout on the rear causes more loss of control(hence more danger) than a blowout on the front.

 

[Quest]

depends on how well "worn" your set of tires are. If the front pair exhibits more wear than rear, consider installation of new tire pair on the front set of rims and then ask for tire rotation (front pair (now new tires) to back, back to front).

as much as most internet lurkers /ole tymers on RWD would want you to believe that front tires are more important on FWD cars, truth is: rear tires on FWD cars (I call them "Trailing tires") plays a very important role RE: keeping the car on it's tracks .....worn tires on the rear of the FWD car will easily induce "breakout" effect especially on slippery (rainy/slippery/low-Mu roads) roads during high speed.....causing spinouts.

Other than acceleration and braking on front tire on FWD, almost all FWD automobiles are designed to understeer ...so steering correction on FWD cars during front breakout is relatively easy...as long as the breakout is not coming from the rear tires...

Q.

 

[old1]

I know that by the book and all the experts, they say to put the best tires on the back to prevent oversteer, but I grew up with rear wheel drive cars, and learned to turn corners on ice and snow using the accelerator and hardly any steering. Understeer just scares the s*** out of me. Makes me feel like I have lost all control. That is the only thing I don't like about FWD cars. Just me I guess

 

[HTSS_TR]

Ideally all tires should have the same tread dept for optimal handling for both FWD and RWD.

Since FWD wear out front tires at much faster rate than rear tires, when you install a set of 4 new tires you should rotate at around 3k miles for the first time then every 5-6k miles after. That way no tire will wear out too much more than the others.

 

[johnachak]

I rotate my tires religiously so when it comes time for tires I need all 4.

 

[beast3300]

Best on rear. You can't steer the rear and you definitely don't want a 360 on an exit ramp.

 

[JHZR2]

I only ever replace in sets of four.

 

[michaelluscher]

I thought they recommended the new tires on the rear cuz
"DA n00bs don't got no lift off oversteer"
Because racecar

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I only ever replace in sets of four.


+1

 

[michaelluscher]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I only ever replace in sets of four.

Well, I'm not one to buy in pairs either; but sometimes financial or mechanical needs force you into only a pair.
We can't all afford M1 0w-40 and Pilot Sport A/S 3's.
You comment reeks of this attitude

 

[147_Grain]

Originally Posted By: johnachak
I rotate my tires religiously so when it comes time for tires I need all 4.


+1

I also agree about putting the best tires on the rear, but my tires all wear the same with frequent tire rotations (from front to rear - diagonally).

 

[eljefino]

If my rears are above 5/32 I don't expect them to come around (oversteering), so don't feel bad about new in front, where they'll catch up to the rear in wear. Once you're chanelling water or light snow and not hydroplaning, more tread isn't that much better. And my car is set up for tons of understeer anyway-- it can lose a little.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: johnachak
I rotate my tires religiously so when it comes time for tires I need all 4.


Same here....

 

[IndyIan]

If all you ever drove on was dry pavement, the lower tread depth actually gives you more grip given equal tires otherwise. Perhaps on wet pavement too when there's no standing water to deal with.
Anyways as long as the back tires have reasonable tread and aren't age hardened, I don't think it matters too much which end gets the new tires. I guess if you always drive to fast for the conditions then you should make your car as idiot proof as possible...

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I only ever replace in sets of four.

Well, I'm not one to buy in pairs either; but sometimes financial or mechanical needs force you into only a pair.
We can't all afford M1 0w-40 and Pilot Sport A/S 3's.
You comment reeks of this attitude

And?????

Relevance?

 

[RF Overlord]

I don't think there IS one correct answer here. All the "experts" at Tire Rack (et. al) say put the best on the rear, but they don't know your skill level at driving in adverse conditions and they are going to cover their heiny. Perhaps for the majority it's marginally safer that way, but for a skilled driver it may not matter. Most people shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place...

 

[kkreit01]

I would never replace 2 tires. Rotate, and they should all wear at the same rate. Replace 4, or none. The only exception would be for staggered sizes.

 

[Lolvoguy]

I think you have that mixed up.

And no, that's not the reason why you put the new ones at the back. It's to retain the directional stability when on icy roads.

Ever been in a car that was fish-tailing uncontrollably?