Tyre Safety : New Tyres Should Go On The Rear

[steve_earwig]

http://www.etyres.co.uk/flashmovies/new ... etyres.htm

An interesting vid with that Vicky Bumhole-Richsnob bird.

[Doggy]

Interesting, but no entirely sure I agree. They assume that you have a better chance of instinctively doing the right thing when the front end runs wide than if you get sudden oversteer. There is some logic in that, but consider that the front wheels have to do about 80% of the braking, all of the streering and, for the majority of us cursed with front wheel drive, the traction. These factors tend to argue for the contrary.

I generally try to get the maximum mileage out of my tyres & rotate them to try to equalise wear. On powerful rwd cars, the centre tends to wear on the rears & the edges on the fronts, making it sensible to swap them when about half worn. On fwd cars the rears have very little to do & can potentially last so long they fail catastrophically through old age rather than tread wear, therfefore it makes sense to 'use these up' on the front as well.

Previously, I have put the new ones on the front and moved the others to the back, now I'm not so sure - what do the rest of you think?

[mjb]

I'd be more inclined to say "don't enter flooded corners too fast then start throwing the steering wheel around"

That vid was definitely a case of them setting out to try to prove something. Note the first run entered the corner slowly then accelerated up to understeer speed which was still nowhere near as fast as she went in the second time. Wouldn't surprise me if a second before the external view cut in, the nose dipped as she came off the gas to induce the oversteer

I'm not arguing that it couldn't happen in real life, I'm just saying the video's BS. She clearly entered the corner much faster the second time. Given it was produced by people who want you to buy 4 new tyres instead of 2...


With more powerful and heavy FWD cars, you need the best rubber on the front otherwise you understeer everywhere there's a hint of damp. Oversteer can be controlled and recovered from fairly easily on FWD cars anyhow with gentle throttle control. I know because I tend to induce it whenever a safe opportunity arises. Heck most days when the road's wet I'll enter the car park at work sideways as it's greasy as hell and has a sweet bank. It's been great in the snow when I've been first person in too

[steve_earwig]

It's a conspiracy!

I'm getting these links off Honest John where it started out as "I've already been doing that" and has come around to agree with mjb.

I've always understood that it's better to stick the new tyres on the front as this is where you do the steering and most of the braking, these days it's where the driving's done too. Now they're basically saying if you have two tyres nearing the legal limit they should go on the front, which is obviously mad.

I can'r see what they've possibly got to gain from this, I don't think it's a conspiracy to get us to destroy our cars, so what's the game? Maybe if you drive like a complete corpse, take no notice from what you're tyres are saying and are likely to sling it into bends regardless of road conditions then this is for you. It also assumes the two part worn tyres still have plenty of tread left, which is unlikely if you've just had to replace a pair. For me, the new tyres are going on the front until someone gives me a reasoned, coherent argument why they're better on the back, rather than "because I said so" or because Vicky Bottle-in-Handbag can sling a car round a bend and loose it if she wants.

[Welly]

I've heard this too (from a tyre place) and they said that better rear tyres give stability under braking

On my 406 though when my car started to feel 'oversteery' with worn fronts then this was instantly cured with new front tyres and the rears stayed where they were.

Another thing to consider is that when Mr Rozzer pulls up behind you at this time of year he'd prefer to see a nice deep tread on your rear tyres rather than your part-worn old fronts you swapped over last weekend

[Welly]

You still would though, wouldn't you....


image source = iceposter.com

[steve_earwig]

[Welly]

I wander what Old Ma TV would say if she knew she was an 'Internet Phenominon'

[mjb]

I can'r see what they've possibly got to gain from this,

Switching a decent front pair for a worn pair will be very noticable, so you'll want to buy a second pair asap

[Welly]

Are we still talking tyres?

[steve_earwig]

I wander what Old Ma TV would say if she knew she was an 'Internet Phenominon'

Probably "what's "Internet" mean? Can you eat it?"

[puggy]

Who's that welly ?? and would you like to swap or sell her ?
I have a used air dozer you maybe interested in

[Welly]

I'm sure the keeper of this lady would be *very* interested in a trade-in for any such car parts.

[steve_earwig]

I already said how much:

[puggy]

As tempting as that offer is Steve i shall have to pass on it, i have
just got over a vomitting and diohrea virus i've had for 3 weeks
and dont want to start again and have you seen the price
of spuds ? think you should be looking more round the 5kg mark