Which Axle should new tires be put on?

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Which axle should a pair of new tires be put on for:
2wd front drive
2wd rear drive
4wd
Awd

I'm just wondering in general. I'm going to be getting a full set so this won't be a concern for me. Just wondering which is better for certain vehicles or if they always go on a specific axle.
 
Perform search, multiple threads on this topic.


Long story short, tire manufacturers generally say best tires on the rear.
 
Usually, they say the new tires should go on the rear. This is to prevent the rear from "coming around".

However, on FWD, I prefer to put them on the front since this wears them down the most. If they are GREATLY mismatched, I stop rotating them.

4WD and AWD tires should match each other closely. They should be replaced in all fours. This is to prevent wear of differentials and clutches.
 
Originally Posted By: Corvette Owner
Usually, they say the new tires should go on the rear. This is to prevent the rear from "coming around".

However, on FWD, I prefer to put them on the front since this wears them down the most. If they are GREATLY mismatched, I stop rotating them.

4WD and AWD tires should match each other closely. They should be replaced in all fours. This is to prevent wear of differentials and clutches.


^ This.
 
Originally Posted By: JasonTL
I'm going to be getting a full set


Drive gingerly for the 1st 100 miles...
The following is my standard procedure as my front tires always wear at the shoulders more than the rear pair does...and I run tires 20% higher PSI than the door jamb specifications and get even wear across the tread from outer shoulder to inner shoulder.

1. 1st rotation @ 5000 miles...
the front will start wearing more on the front outer shoulders because of turns...wear increases more after 5k
2. after another 5k miles the 2 pair should now be about equal...
run them for another 5k miles and the front will now show more wear than the rear...
3. 2nd rotation @ 15000 miles
4. rotate every 5k miles beyond 15k miles to get the most tread-life from your tires.
 
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Originally Posted By: JasonTL
Which axle should a pair of new tires be put on for:


Since the lawyers got involved in the question, the only correct answer is the rear.

But for those that actually know how to drive a car, it depends. For foul weather, I'd put the good ones up front because it's better to be able to turn and stop than making sure the back end doesn't come around. If you live in a nice climate, there may be an argument for either axle where each has its own reasons.
 
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Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Originally Posted By: JasonTL
Which axle should a pair of new tires be put on for:


Since the lawyers got involved in the question, the only correct answer is the rear.

But for those that actually know how to drive a car, it depends. For foul weather, I'd put the good ones up front because it's better to be able to turn and stop than making sure the back end doesn't come around. If you live in a nice climate, there may be an argument for either axle where each has its own reasons.


FWD drive cars are more difficult to correct when over-steer occurs than a RWD car in my opinion [this is from a performance driving perspective]. With that aside, at my work, we put on the tires with the most tread on the rear, however, if the existing tires are within 2/32 of the new, we can put the new on front at request, but it is preferable to have the most tread on the rear for AWD/FWD/RWD. Proper rotation intervals and inflation will go a long way in keeping the tread wear even between the front and rear. And of course without saying the vehicle's alignment; just because it's all green does not mean it is good. Staggered tire fitments, well, that's a whole different animal.
 
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Originally Posted By: JasonTL
Which axle should a pair of new tires be put on for:


Since the lawyers got involved in the question, the only correct answer is the rear.

But for those that actually know how to drive a car, it depends. For foul weather, I'd put the good ones up front because it's better to be able to turn and stop than making sure the back end doesn't come around. If you live in a nice climate, there may be an argument for either axle where each has its own reasons.


This. The always put the new tires on the rear is a result of lawyers and a (fivrolous) lawsuit.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
This. The always put the new tires on the rear is a result of lawyers and a (fivrolous) lawsuit.


But it should also be pointed out that there is a technical basis for such a stance - and there is a ream of data supporting the "New Tires on the Rear" position, but very little (if anything) supporting contrary positions.
 
Shouldn't stability control, now mandated on vehicles, negate any possible advantage of putting the "good" tires on the back? It seems to me that the "back coming around" should be fairly difficult, but the chances of the front needing more traction fairly common.

Just thinking aloud here.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Stability control only works if the tires being controlled have traction.

Exactly. ESP can help some, but it can't defy the laws of physics.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Stability control only works if the tires being controlled have traction.


I understand that, but if you've ever taken a car with ABS and stability control on a frozen lake, you'll see that they make it nearly impossible to spin out, be it from accelerating or braking and turning. As long as two of the tires have decent traction (the two you've replaced, in this case) the stability control should be able to keep the car fairly well in line.
 
Buy 4 new and sell the 2 used tires? Higher grip in the front can slide the back (oversteer), higher grip in the back could have you plow forward (understeer) at turn in and slide off the road.

Just for kicks i installed two new snow tires on my wifes's jetta and left the 5 / 32nds all seasons on back, took it for a drive. In snowy parking lots i could drift that car like it was a RWD just due to the traction difference. it was very easy for the rear to slide. Fun to play with but i had to bolt the other two snows on before i let my wife have the keys back.
 
I just can't see why it matters when wheels are rotated 2 times a year. You end up with the old tires on the back half the time.
 
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