New Tire on Front vs Rear

[Kaliel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPC3imIdI8 @ 3:15 Scotty Kilmer suggest best tires on the front, for a FWD car.
In this video a alignment shop suggest the viewer, that the new tires should be put on the front, and Scotty Kilmer calls him crazy. I have also worked in a alignment shop, and had suggest and was told that new tire should go on the rear because of wet/snow cover roads causing cars to fishtail(spin-out). I comment that new on rear is better, he reply with new on front is better because of blow outs.
————————————————————————————————–
A blow is worst on the front that true, but a fishtail(spin-out)is worst on the rear on rain/snow roads.

I would go with new on rear and on the front if better then 3/32″ on the front. If the front are under 3/32″ then u need Four new tires.

Would You put new tires on the Front or Rear?

Topic

[Stephen Bowen]

1st: Put the new tires on the drive axles.

2nd: Learn how to drive on ice/snow covered roads.

ANY tire can fishtail and spin out on snow/ice. Yes worn tires can cause it to happen in more cases on the non-drive axle. But I would contend that without traction, you’ll loose a lot more control.

And this comes from a user in Upstate NY/Central NY where we get beaten with a snow shovel (Think Lake Effect…..x2)

S-

[Matt]

New tires on the front for better steering on a FWD or RWD vehicle would be my thoughts.

[Kaliel]

I also live up north (Wisconsin)100% agree on #2. If is snowing or icy drive super carefully (2mph) i learn that the hard way. All my car without ABS. I skidded into cars for going to fast in bad weather, I’ve Fishtail 180^ half way during a left turn from a stop. The day I got four new tire and enter the highway i almost span out (little to the left and right(rear end) but the car recover(fwd no gas no brake keeping it straight) Seen a Dodge 3500 speeding in snow cover road go off the highway.
——————————————————————————————————-
I look at it as if, u have the worn out tire on the front(not bald) Most people that understand tires would know to drive more carefully, knowing that the tires up front ain’t as good as the back tires.
I still agree with #2, know the road conditions, know your car, know your tires, and drive slow with space for a airplane to land in between you and the car ahead.

[Lorrin Barth]

Back when cars were rear wheel drive only put two new tires on the rear for traction or at the front for blowout protection – your choice. Usually when snow tires were installed they were only put on the rear wheels.

When front wheel drive cars came along the engineers at first hadn’t figured out the special braking requirements of a vehicle’s with most of its weight on the front. Then there really was a good reason to put the good tires on the rear. Even so you still probably were going to spin in a panic stop. Hard braking in these first front drive cars was near suicidal.

With improved brakes and abs it doesn’t much matter so long as the old tires have some tread left. Well, you would probably achieve the shortest stopping distance with new soft rubber at the front.

[Dave]

The Tire Industry Associations’ rule on this

When putting only two tires on a car the new tires ALWAYS go on the rear.

This question constantly comes up and the T.I.A. rule should be on the home page

[Bill]

There is really a lot of debate on this subject. Almost as much as conventional VS Synthetic oil. I don’t know if I agree but the people in the know say that the best tires should be on the rear.

[Lorrin Barth]

[quote=”wysetech” post=110172]There is really a lot of debate on this subject. Almost as much as conventional VS Synthetic oil. I don’t know if I agree but the people in the know say that the best tires should be on the rear.[/quote]

I think the tire industry is covering their behinds due to older cars with bad brakes. For those cars I agree, two new tires should go on the rear. The best advice is to buy tires in sets of 4.

[Stephen Bowen]

And of course the best advice is to keep your tires correctly inflated and rotated for even wear.

Nothing comes close to also “Knowing” what your car/truck is really capable of and not exceeding that. Case in point is that I’ve spent my entire life in the land o’ lake effect snow. And I for one? HATE ABS!!! I can control stop a car/truck right on the mark on snow. (Ice is another story…get on ice and you’ll wind up where you wind up. That’s where common sense and skill come into play)

The number of times I’ve skidded through a stop light because the ABS system was trying to brake for me? Pretty sad. Because I can disable the ABS and stop the car on a dime in the same conditions. Get the ABS pump fighting me? And it’s a lost cause.

It’s experience that matters. And let’s be honest–You want to be a good driver on snow and ice? Learn it on a 70’s car or truck with RWD. Then I’ll be impressed 🙂

S-

[EricTheCarGuy]

Especially on a FWD vehicle I’d put the new tires on the front wheels. I’d also put them on the front of a RWD vehicle to maintain directional stability.

Now the question comes in what about traction? To that I say, traction is nothing if you can’t point the vehicle where you want it to go. Also, I’d rather have a blow out on a rear wheel than a front one, but that’s just my personal opinion. In practice, I think mounting the best tires on the front wheels is the best way to go.

As for wet/snowy roads, that’s easy, get 4 new tires suited to the conditions you’re driving in for the best traction.

[Author]

Replies