I went to Firestone to have my rear tires replaced on my all wheel drive SUV and the mechanic disagreed with me when I told him to take the front tires off and put them in the back and put the New tires on the front of the car. I thought this was common practice. I ended up buying 4 brand new tires, but I was wondering if I was wrong and what the reasoning is behind putting New tires in the rear.
It actually shouldn?t matter as long as all the tire heights are the same.
Cheers
On any SUV, 99% + of the time the power is going to the rear wheels and this is where the majority of tire wear will occur. I've been driving 4wd trucks and SUV's (as they are now called) for over 40 years and I've never seen one yet that wore the fronts out first. Ever.
In rain, tread will effect traction. Who cares in the dry. It is in the wet you want the best traction.
You a surely joking....but I sadly supect not.
What does your vehicle's owner's manual say about mixing new and used tires on an AWD model ??
*Most* AWD units will be damaged by mixing the two. The mismatch in tire diameters causes the AWD unit to be overworked. There may be a few types of AWD that may withstand such mismatch, so consult the manufacturer. (the variations by model are endless !)New on front or rear, etc makes no difference re AWD unit damage. IIRC, the old rule of thumb was new on front for best braking & steering action. YMMV.
If you have ever had a blowout in the rear at hwy speeds you would always put the new/better tires in the rear. It's damn hard to control the rear blowout walking you across 3 lanes while you havve a little more control if a front blows out.
Dan
I would much rather have a rear blowout simply because in the front I would loose steering ability.........
I have had both front and rear. Believe me, you have more control with a front than a rear. Somehow, I don't think you have had the expeience of either. Good luck, it appears you're going to need it.
When you lose a front tire your steering gets loose anyway. Regards, JR
So when you loose your steering and most of your braking power and are heading for that tree - Good LUCK!
If you only have two new front tires....they should go in the front. Does not matter if you have good traction in the mud on the rear if you hydroplane on the pavement trying to get to the mud hole...
Of course this assumes your truck is driven on the pavement which I'm sure it is, as you made no mention of a dedicated off-road vehicle.
Of course I generally would run far away from a firestone dealer....
----------- Elbert snipped-for-privacy@me.com
If you already know everything why are you asking people what to do? You appear to be lacking in knowledge about many things includinf steering and braking. I won't wish you luck, but I will wish the people around you good luck. They are the ones that are going to need it!
Ploink the twit.
Dan
From:
Thank -you very much for the links - I stand corrected in my thinking
You're welcome, those links validated what I'd been trained in over 35 years ago. On a related note I'll add my vote for running from Firestone. I didn't think much of them way back when and nothing has changed my thoughts about them since. On the other hand, if you've had good luck with them, carry on.
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