Put better tire infront or back?

[tron07]

I did a quick look thru this area, quickly skim thru the Wheel and tire bible
http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbi...yre_bible.html
which is very informative, but didnt really find much mention about this....


I doubt many people know this.... I didnt know it earlier too and always thought its better to put the better tire infront, but I guess I was wrong.


http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-eve...ck-to-front--/

Motorists get their tyres “back to front”!
24 May 2007


Most drivers think that new tyres should be fitted to the front wheels...
A car tyre is often a distress purchase, but even when replacing one in the course of normal vehicle maintenance, it has long been believed that the new tyres should be fitted on the front wheels. Research by TyreSafe, Britain’s foremost tyre safety organisation, has indicated that over 50% of motorists believe this to be the case and 30% of motorists did not know.

However, recent demonstrations have indicated that it is more beneficial to fit the new rubber to the rear wheels, regardless of whether the vehicle is front or rear wheel drive. Industry research suggests that if the new tyres are fitted to the rear wheels, water on the road surface is better dispersed, which improves straight line braking ability. Conversely, if the rear track is fitted with part worn tyres, the car often has a dangerous tendency to oversteer.

As the majority of the cars on the road are front wheel drive, it seems to make sense to have the new tyres up front. The demonstrations also showed that there is often a greater loss of control when a rear tyre suffers a puncture, so in fact it makes greater sense to fit the fresh, less vulnerable rubber to the rear wheels.

Rear tyres are subject to relatively low wear rates as well, meaning that the new tyres will have a longer lifespan on the back rims. Fitting new tyres to the rear and moving part worn rubber to the front each time also means that the rear tyres will be less prone to age-related deterioration from prolonged exposure.

For further information please contact Chris Wakley or Simon Wittenberg at TyreSafe, 21-25 St. Anne’s Court, London W1F 0BJ Tel: 020 7494 8050 mobile 07970 674612



http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/au...b_pqr_neuf.jsp

Why put new or less worn tyres at the rear ?

Whether you have front or rear wheel drive, we recommend that you use newer tyres for the rear set, for extra safety in unforeseen or difficult situations (emergency braking, tight bends etc) particularly on wet surfaces.

Numerous tests have shown that it is easier to control the front wheels than those at the rear.

Front tyres generally wear quicker than those fitted at the rear, particularly on front wheel drive cars, which are currently in the majority.

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. Only an experienced driver will be able to recover from this dangerous situation...


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.

That's why Michelin advises you to reduce the risks you take by fitting new or less worn tyres at the rear of the vehicle for:
- better grip on bends
- extra safety.

[d15z1SUX]

yeh that makes sense hey... coz ur rear tyres wouldnt b very worn anyway i guess.

[Sir_vtec]

Front tyres generally wear quicker than those fitted at the rear, particularly on front wheel drive cars, which are currently in the majority.

- extra safety.

i disagree if its a lowered honda.

[bennjamin]

it is advised to "rotate" tyres front to rear every X amount of k's. Every 10,000 here or less if your car is lower than stock (IMO)

[aaronng]

^^ yeah, if you rotate your tyres regularly, you won't end up having to prematurely change 2 of the 4 tyres.

[tron07]

i disagree if its a lowered honda.

Well, I doubt they will do research for a defact honda.... Slam to the ground with highly cambered wheels

[Dreams]

downside of directional tyres. $_$ no use to rotate, you need FLIP

[McChook]

Far out!
Height doesn't affect tyre wear. Camber does.

So if you have a very lowered FWD, and it has more rear tyre wear than front, fix your damned camber.

[bennjamin]

Far out!
Height doesn't affect tyre wear. Camber does.

So if you have a very lowered FWD, and it has more rear tyre wear than front, fix your damned camber.

Camber is proportional to height. So it is true , the lower you go the more camber and hence more wear

BTW excess TOE is the real tyre killer. Not camber.

Make sure , whatever the setup guys , to get a full alignment to make sure everything is set straight

[dc2dc2dc2]

ummm i had pretty shit tyres at the front
and good tyres at back
i was drifting around in went

swapped it around
goes good as anything
so new tyres up front i say.

[McChook]

Camber is proportional to height. So it is true , the lower you go the more camber and hence more wear

BTW excess TOE is the real tyre killer. Not camber.

Make sure , whatever the setup guys , to get a full alignment to make sure everything is set straight

The last line fixes everything else Ben....

Height does NOT affect it, the alignment results after you lower it will.

I can;t believe how many people lower their cars and think 3 degrees of negative camber is "cool" and "makes it handle good, look at race cars".
Moronic

[bennjamin]

Moronic

gotta agree there. Everyone goes thru the "gotta be dumped" but there is stylish and then stupidly dumped/damaging to the car.



Anyway as people have mentioned , ONCE you are happy with your ride height (legal , and safe) get a full alignment to correct your toe settings and camber if need be.
And rotate your tyres.

http://www.yokohama.com.au/tyretips/tyre_rotation.aspx

Tyre rotation

Regular tyre rotation will help to lengthen the life of your tyres as well as reduce any uneven wear. Tyre rotation is important for all vehicles, but especially for front-wheel-drive models where the front tyres have to do a lot of work. Remember to consider the spare in rotation. The spare should go to the right rear position; then the tyre in the diagrams shown as moving to the right rear should become the spare. Tyre pressures need to be checked after rotation.
The recommended rotation is illustrated in the diagrams below for both front and rear-wheel-drive vehicles. It is much easier for your tyre specialist to perform this for you than for you to try it with limited equipment. It's also a good opportunity for them to keep an eye out for any signs of mechanical problems before they get worse.