BFG AT's

See the thread "Tyres.........." in uk.rec.cars.4x4.

I definately think that (all other things being equal) that new to the rear is the way to go. I do feel that new on the front was a contributary factor in a recent wall and flip incident. YMMV.

Would anyone suggest swapping the new tyres for the rears, and

The fronts wear before the rears, so I'm told, because LR have a cunning system of different diff ratios front and rear which allows more of the drive to go to the front than the rear unless you diff lock. Therefore, I always put my new tyres on the front and the best of the rest on the back.

TonyB

In message , TonyB writes

Or maybe it's because the fronts do more work going round corners?

Nothing to do with the fact that the front spend rather a lot of time making a couple of tonnes plus change direction? As well as being driven...

I used to as well but I don't think I will from now on. The wall 'n flip and front/back swap have recently convinced me that more grip at the back is preferable.

I always understood it (college taught) that it is preferable to have maximum grip on the driving wheels for reasons that are obvious in my mind? There is a good case for maximum grip on front in all cases if its raining with puddles on a motorway etc.

You flipped etc in a front wheel drive car? how do you think max grip on rear would help you?

Of course in a real world all grips should be good anyhow, but I'm interested to know what you think?

Ta

Nige

-- Subaru WRX (The Bitch)

Series 3 Landrover 88" (Albert)

"If you tolerate this then your children will be next"

Yes, on a slippy road surface. More grip at the back end may have stopped the said back end wagging about like a dead fish in the seconds preceeding the wall 'n flip...

In message , Nige writes

grip on the driving wheels

So where does that leave you with permanent four wheel drive?

It's a question of whether you can best handle sudden gross over steer or under steer.

I obviously have a problem with sudden gross over steer... Would applying power rather than trying to correct via the steering have helped? I think it would by dragging the recalcitrant back end into line behind the fronts but I have no wish to try the experiment again.

You'd just have crashed going faster...

On an advanced driver course about a year ago I was told that the best course of action in the real world (i.e. if you're not McRae and not on a race track) is to brake firmly and look at the gap, not the thing you are about to hit. Pure theory in your circumstances would suggest releasing the brakes and steering into the skid, which is great when you're expecting trouble and / or have had 10 minutes to think it over.

Every car handbook I have seen says put the best tyres on the back. The lightly loaded axle is more prone to aquaplaning, and that is the main thing that tread depth gives you protection against. In the dry, tread depth doesn't help at all.

Tim Hobbs composed the following;:

That's why I'm thinking of putting the 2 new tyres on the back axle and moving the still good rear tyres to the front. I was just looking for others opinions. My thinking is also that as I tow a caravan every weekend in season and we're getting there soon, the load on the rear is greater and when I'm towing it off a muddy field I would get slightly better traction with 'the best' tyres at the ack.