new tyres on front or back

[John81]

Front..

 

[unimatrix1]

When changing tyres id personally get all 4 corners done at the same time if possible if not then i would opt for the rears to be done.

 

[sludgeguts]

I will put a tyre on whichever wheel needs it.
In all my years (and miles) I've never lost or struggled with a car on a bend. Even in thick snow I still manage to get the car going where I want it to.
Mind you, I don't think I'm Stirling Moss and tend to adapt my driving to conditions.

 

[Tris Harris]

This is where I have always stood, and was confirmed 3 weeks ago when a friend smashed up her 2003 Fiesta.

Going around a damp corner (tad to fast but that niether her nor there) new tyres on the front, yanked the steering in, and rear end slid out, smashed the rear off side pannel of the Fiesta into the front of a Megane at 40, and then went head on into a tree.

Convinced that this could have been avoided if she had put some recently new tyres on the back and not the front.

sorry MEP, but i honestly dont think it would of made that much of a difference- she's entered a corner much too fast and she wasnt able to control it! And the back end stepping out was probably due to her slamming on the brakes, transferring all the weight to the front of the car (thus making the back of the car lighter/ slippier) and then the back has slipped out!

Don't think it was the fact she had new tyres on front and older on back tbh!

I put new tyres on the back btw

 

[Dan89]

Yeah put the new ones on the back, after all they need the traction and take most of the braking effort and steer the car.....hang on.

New ones on the front, then about half way through their wear, put them on the back and get new ones for the front.

Never had a FWD car oversteer in 35 years. If that happens it's already "good night."

Some interesting opinions on this one. I'm a college Lecturer in Motor Vehicle Studies and not many people consider me a 'retard'. It is generally considered within the industry that understeer is safer than oversteer. Most of the time extreme manouvering usually takes place under braking. Weight transfer forward on a car that understeers starts to bring the steering characteristics to a more neutral feel. Therefore with new tyres tending to have a greater slip angle than worn ones they will produce understeer on the front and oversteer on the rear. Also new tyres when produced have an oily/waxy coating on them that is a releasing agent to allow them to seperate from their moulds. This in damp conditions is extremely slippy. I once had a new tyre fitted to the rear of one of my cars and it rained later. As I travelled around a traffic island the back of the car started to drift with considerable ease. In my opinion, if you want safe, on the front. If you want exciting, put them on the back but don't say you weren't warned!

This, this and this.

For me having the newer tyres on the front makes absolute sense as two thirds or more of your braking is done with the front brakes and therefore front tyres. Seeing as braking is the most safety critical aspect of your car maybe this should be the number one consideration? Putting new tyres on the back to stop oversteer in a front wheel drive car is ridiculous. If you ever start to understeer (which is pretty likely at some point in a fwd) you want as much grip as you can at the front to regain traction as soon as possible. Nevermind that but you do all the accelerating and steering with the front tyres so it helps in every situation.

I'm not a massively experienced motorist at about 60,000 miles but in that time only once has the back end stepped out in a front wheel drive and even then it was by a tiny amount, even in the rain with naff tyres on the back. If you're spinning your car out of control like in the videos you are going too fast and that's what happens regardless. Anyway where is the understeer test with new vs. worn? I wouldn't trust the VBH video as she is promoting putting new on the back.

My proof is a degree in automotive engineering and a good understanding of vehicle handling and performance prediction before anyone pulls that.

Putting your new tyres on the rear in a fwd is more dangerous end of.

 

[andys cinq]

best tyres on front
best tyres on back
or don't really matter
some people like grandad says but em on front
while my mechanic says michelin recommends new tyres on back
i can see both sides

back may stop read coming loose
and vise verse michelin may want there tyres to look better

so what do you think?
oh base it on a fwd car

been a mechanic and tyre/exhaust fitter for over 26 years and new tyres should ALWAYS go on the back

 

[babbo umbro]

been a mechanic and tyre/exhaust fitter for over 26 years and new tyres should ALWAYS go on the back

Thank goodness for that comment.

 

[Dan89]

been a mechanic and tyre/exhaust fitter for over 26 years and new tyres should ALWAYS go on the back

What is the reasoning behind this mate.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

What is the reasoning behind this mate.

Prevents the rear end over taking the front in the event of going round a roundabout to fast, or performing an evasive manovour like done in Sweden in the 'Elk' test

Jon.

 

[babbo umbro]

What is the reasoning behind this mate.

Oh no - don't start this up again. Back is right.

 

[Palio]

been a mechanic and tyre/exhaust fitter for over 26 years and new tyres should ALWAYS go on the back

I agree definitely back. Anyone who's driven a Coupe hard with fairly worn rear tyres will confirm the logic too!!

 

[sludgeguts]

I agree definitely back. Anyone who's driven a Coupe hard with fairly worn rear tyres will confirm the logic too!!

Surely anyone driving a car with fairly worn tyres deserves everything they get?
I still cannot understand the reasoning behind putting new tyres on the back on FWD cars.
The reason for giving the driving force to the front wheels was because that is where all the weight is (unless you're driving a beetle or similarly afflicted motor) and therefore, where you want the traction.
In wintry conditions, do they put the snowchains (or similar) on the driving wheels or non-driving wheels?

 

[burtz]

According to a poster i saw in merit tyres, always put new tyres on the back