FWD cars: best tyres on front or back

[mugenrr]

hey guys just having an argument with a mate who is insisting that i should be putting my newer tyres on the back on a Fwd instead of the front,

would like to know your opinion and experiences on this

thanks

[beeza]

I would have always said the front,but after the other night,the back :)

For my car/driving,the rear,I know now.

Bald tyres suck.

[aaronng]

Best at the rear. Understeering is (slightly) safer than oversteering.

[beeza]

^^ True true.

Well said Aaron!

[xclusive_eg8]

i noticed my rear tires wear down faster than my front, and only did like 1 handbrake turn...

but yeah thought it was very awkward

[string]

Edit: IMO there's merits for both cases. A better option is replace all 4 and rotate regularly to avoid the problem completely.

[timofytit]

Front if you can't replace all 4.

You can drive to the conditions (i.e. slower around wet bends) to account for less rear tread. You can't do anything to give you more wet braking performance in an emergency situation if you chose to put the new tyres on the rear.

Stock FWD Honda's have such incredible understeer. Getting one to oversteer or spin takes effort. To do this in normal day to day driving requires an idiot driver who will be dangerous no matter how good his or her tyres are.


Hrrrrrmmmm???

[string]

Hrrrrrmmmm???

Glad you agree.

[tinkerbell]

Stock FWD Honda's have such incredible understeer. Getting one to oversteer or spin takes effort. To do this in normal day to day driving requires an idiot driver who will be dangerous no matter how good his or her tyres are.

yep, stock Hondas are understeer city.... :thumbsup:

even a modded Honda with big rear sway bar, you have to be misbehaving to get it to rotate on the street under normal conditions...

put the best tyres on the end that does all the work - i.e. turning and braking...

[baeshin]

in unforseen or difficult emergency situatuions

New tyres fitted in front :

- The behavior of the car will change, because the front / rear balance will be reversed.
The driver, used to a car with less grip at the front, will therefore be taken unawares.
- On a slippery road, the rear will lose traction before the front of the vehicle.
The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect.

New tyres fitted at the back :


- The handling of the vehicle will be similar to that known by the driver before the tyre change, because the traction balance will be the same.
- Rear traction will be better, and the driver will be able to control and steer their vehicle without a problem by decelerating and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the bend.

taxed from google.. proof that best tyres on the REARS ftw!

[eg5civic]

my rears have barely worn and my front as aboput 50% tread

i might move the rears to the front and put 2 new ones on the rear

[wynode]

I think the OP should also advise:

1. What car
2. What situation (ie daily driven, track or drag ?)
3. Difference in front and rear tyres

That might help get a better answer (or select the response that applies to you most appropriately)

[NORBY]

in unforseen or difficult emergency situatuions

New tyres fitted in front :


- On a slippery road, the rear will lose traction before the front of the vehicle.
The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect.

New tyres fitted at the back :

- The handling of the vehicle will be similar to that known by the driver before the tyre change, because the traction balance will be the same.
- Rear traction will be better, and the driver will be able to control and steer their vehicle without a problem by decelerating and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the bend.

taxed from google.. proof that best tyres on the REARS ftw!

they are all for a RWD, in a FWD rears are mostly along for the ride, as long as there is a bit of tread on the rears most definately put the good tread on the fronts!!!

[tinkerbell]

in unforseen or difficult emergency situatuions

New tyres fitted in front :

- The behavior of the car will change, because the front / rear balance will be reversed.
The driver, used to a car with less grip at the front, will therefore be taken unawares.
- On a slippery road, the rear will lose traction before the front of the vehicle.
The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect.

New tyres fitted at the back :


- The handling of the vehicle will be similar to that known by the driver before the tyre change, because the traction balance will be the same.
- Rear traction will be better, and the driver will be able to control and steer their vehicle without a problem by decelerating and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the bend.

taxed from google.. proof that best tyres on the REARS ftw!

how can a driver steer if there is no grip on the tyres that he is using to steer? unless it is a rear-steer vehicle?

there is a lot wrong with what you have quoted,

but as you have quoted *google* as the source, i will leave it up to our readers to decide how much credence to give it... ;)

[tinkerbell]

they are all for a RWD,

even for a rear wheel drive, it is dodgy advice...

[wynode]

Comment in Bold below.


in unforseen or difficult emergency situatuions

New tyres fitted in front :

- The behavior of the car will change, because the front / rear balance will be reversed.
The driver, used to a car with less grip at the front, will therefore be taken unawares.
- On a slippery road, the rear will lose traction before the front of the vehicle.
The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect.

Not necessarily. Your 'average' driver will back off the accelerator resulting in less downward pressure on the rear tyres. Hence less grip and more likelihood of the rears losing traction (lift off oversteer)



they are all for a RWD, in a FWD rears are mostly along for the ride, as long as there is a bit of tread on the rears most definately put the good tread on the fronts!!!

Wow that is a very strong statement. I would dispute the comment and believe good thread is still required at the rears in order to provide balanced braking.

Edit: tinkerbell just beat me to it!

[aaronng]

how can a driver steer if there is no grip on the tyres that he is using to steer? unless it is a rear-steer vehicle?


Partially worn tyres still have some degree of grip. We are talking about mixing new tyres (100% tread) and partially worn/used tyres (say 50% tread). Not really about running 2 bald tyres with zero grip and 2 new tyres.

[tinkerbell]

Partially worn tyres still have some degree of grip. We are talking about mixing new tyres (100% tread) and partially worn/used tyres (say 50% tread). Not really about running 2 bald tyres with zero grip and 2 new tyres.

ha ha!

if they still have "grip" - it will matter NOT AT ALL where they go...

does it? unless you are being a hoon?

it will matter not in an emergency either - if they have still have "grip"... that is what the proportining valve is for... oh and ABS...


i would still PREFER to have the tyres with the most tread at the front, as these are the ones that wear out at a faster rate than the rears... plus they do all the hard work like steering and braking...

[Benson]

To the OP, ill put the new tyres on the fronts

[string]

Less tread doesn't mean less [ambiguous word alert] "grip". It means you need less standing water to lose traction with the road (i.e. start sliding). So long as the tyre isn't aquaplaning it should behave. A worn tyre doesn't mystically change it's coefficient of friction - a change in the linear range brake balance or handling characteristics is absurd.

[baeshin]

they are all for a RWD, in a FWD rears are mostly along for the ride, as long as there is a bit of tread on the rears most definately put the good tread on the fronts!!!

wtf.. you full changed my post wen you quoted me..

btw the reference is for FWD cars.
it states that drivers who have predominately used FWD cars
are used to (or better understand that) the front wheels have less grip than the rear..
naturally as the fronts wear quicker than the rear

and if you happen to put the better tyres at the front and the less grip ones
on the rear..
in case in a situation eg. in the rain and you unexpectedly lose control of your fronts (where the best tyres are)
and since the rears have the more worn out tyres
you will lose control of the rear aswell which is not what you are primarily used to in a FWD car.. (ie since you MORE understand the behavior of a FWD setup)

unless your a more than average skilled driver..
therefore best tyres at the rear for safety.

both Bridgestone and Michelin state this on their websites.

[mugenrr]

yeh id put em on the front, i work in a dealership and we're even told to rotate the best tyres on front whether it be fwd, 4wd or rwd,

fronts will wear out quicker, hence to save tyres.. better tread on fronts.

ive had pretty crap tyres on my rears for years now on my old fwd eg civic and the back never kicked out or anything,


my question was stated just for daily driving.

fair enuff bridgestone and other tyre companies stating that rears should hav better treads since theyve done all the testing, but from the videos ive seen on their websites, the cars are going pretty hard out on a track which wouldnt realy apply for everyday motorists wanting to get the longest tyre life out of the vehicles.

[tinkerbell]

eg. in the rain and you unexpectedly lose control of your fronts (where the best tyres are)

if you "unexpectedly lose control of your front tyres", you are ****ed anyways...

having new tyres on the rear ain't gunna help!!!

[tinkerbell]

fair enuff bridgestone and other tyre companies stating that rears should hav better treads

i highly doubt that any tyre manufacturer would state this...

happy to be proved wrong though :)

weblink away baeshin :thumbsup:

[Sleepy.]

Front

[baeshin]

http://www.michelin.co.uk/michelinuk/en/car-4x4-van/less-worn-tyres-rear/20070314172074.html

for tinker

[tinkerbell]

http://www.michelin.co.uk/michelinuk/en/car-4x4-van/less-worn-tyres-rear/20070314172074.html

for tinker

thanks,

it is still hard to know why tyres, unless bald, would like they are suggesting...

[rahul]

the article suggests understeer is easier to control for the average joe compared to oversteer.

it makes sense because the tendency of the avg driver is to back of the accelerator under loss of control and this action is favorable for controlling an understeering car than an oversteering car

[gumus89]

^But it takes a fair bit of effort to oversteer a stock road car. Even with lift off of accelerator most cars will not oversteer.

"The driver will have no chance of controlling the rear, and will be tempted to accelerate further, which will amplify the spin effect." What bullshit.
In a FWD, accelerating will cause the front to lose grip and stop you spinning.

"The driver, used to a car with less grip at the front, will therefore be taken unawares."
Who here drives to the limits of their cars on public roads? The common person will not know the limit of their cars grip so it would make zero difference.

"Rear traction will be better, and the driver will be able to control and steer their vehicle without a problem by decelerating and turning the steering wheel in the direction of the bend."
Are we ignoring the fact that IF the front have less grip you have most likely just ploughed into a guard rail? How will you steer then?

[4age8u]

I thought front as its a fwd but after last night (just testing my wet braking skills) eg non abs..I jammed it on the wet about 60ks...re050a on front cheap shit on rear car just went sideways and back end slid out of controll fu** it woke me up! lol need good tyres on the rear now

[jords]

good tyres all round, better tyres for the front..... without the ability to brake or steer correctly in a fwd car your pretty stuffed, understeer and loss of traction under braking is not fun, especially in an emergency situation.

[4age8u]

correct oversteer on a small wheelbase car like and ek or eg...your preety much stuffed..know your limits before you go spending money on tyres

[fatboyz39]

Best tyres on the rears. They should really be all round tho.