Switch Tyres

I would. Except I would get them to swap em for a drink.

Sorry mis-read that - I would have the best tyres at the front.

In message , Paul S writes

You don't say if its FWD or RWD but on a FWD I would personally put the new tyres on the front.

It' FWD (04 Clio 1.2)

Coward!

New tyres should always go on the driven wheels.

There! I've said it!

Chris

Paul S ( snipped-for-privacy@anyone.plus.com(Paul S)) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Having had a brown trouser moment in a Fiesta once, where new rubber was on the front and the rears were worn, I'd put the good rubber on the back.

On a FWD car, if the back lets go there's not a lot you can do about it. If the front loses grip, at least you have the steering and throttle at your disposal to be able to sort it out.

Chris Whelan (Chris Whelan ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Yup.

Yep, I'll agree with that. But as far as sweeping generalisations go, I'm going no further.

Depends.

Worn tyres on the front, understeer, your car won't turn when you want it to, you'll go straight on into the hedge, usually correctable by lifting off.

Worn tyres on the rear, oversteer, your car will spin and you'll go backwards into the hedge, at least you won't see it coming.

Ah, now I'd put them on the back as otherwise the ones on the back will die of old age before they wear out, so it's cheaper to rotate them to the front & wear the tread off them.

Just had 2 new tyres on the C5, supplied and fitted by Costco. They were to replace worn tyres on the front but Costco policy is to always rotate so that new tyres are on the rear, for the reasons given above. I think they claim it is the recommendation from Michelin too.

JC

:-)

TBH, unless any of the tyres are near (or below!) the legal minimum, I really don't think it makes a big difference from a safety point of view.

In one situation, having the new ones on the front might be very marginally better, in another situation the reverse might be true. How do you predict what type of accident you are going to have?

I try never to have tyres below 3mm on the front, or below 2mm on the rear.

My preference for having new on the front (of a FWD car) is purely based on the fact that over a number of years it seems to be the most cost effective way for me.

Chris

Lol. Two completely opposite answers. How's a guy supposed to decide. I should add the rear tyres have about 4-5mm of tread, but they are Nankangs

- ughh (bought by previous owner, not me).

I know the best place to put the Nankangs...

Chris

Chris Whelan (Chris Whelan ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Oooh, that reminds me. I _must_ get another pair of Michs on order for the Saab to replace the TeflonFreds it's got on the back at the mo.

Having weighed up all the pros and cons, for a few years now, I've subscribed to the 'better to under steer in a crisis than over steer opinion. However, recently a chap I know who's a Police fatal accident investigator told me in no uncertain terms to*put the best tyres on the rear*. With his vast body of grim experience, I'm tempted to think he is the ultimate authority on such matters - as far as road driving is concerned.

If the worn tyres are so bad as to adversely affect the performance of the car when put on the front, they should be replaced regardless.

Zathras (Zathras ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I'm not sure that front or rear is specifically relevant to that otherwise bob-on statement.

Will the car 'feel' better to drive with the Conti's on the front rather thn the Nankang's ? I've slowed down a lot since my younger days, so I'm thinking more about in everyday driving than in extemis.

I once put slightly worn tyres from the front, on the rear of my old cavalier, which is notorious for understeer, and it then used to lose the back end like a bastard. The fronts had worn rounded on the shoulders so when cornering it really upset the rear end, in every which way.