Best order in which to use these tyres to replace worn tyres?

dopester

I need two new tyres fitted to my car, to replace both front tyres which are nearing minimum legal tread limit.

I don't want to rotate the rear wheels/tyres to the front on this occasion. Reason being, one of the rear tyres is a budget tyre bought to replace a 1year-old premium tyre which failed MOT on a tyre bulge on the inner wall. Probably my own fault for parking and leaving car parked up on kerb too many times. So don't want an questionable brand budget tyre on the fronts.

Imagine this scenario...

You've already got 3 part worn tyres. (I don't want to get into an argument about about using part-worn tyres. I trust my source and the tyres' integrity.)

1) A Goodyear tyre with 8mm tread.

2) A Firestone tyre with 8mm tread.

3) An identical Firestone but which has 6mm tread.

Would you fit the two Firestone tyres (8mm and 6mm) to the fronts? (And keep the Goodyear tyre as a reserve in the shed)

Or would you fit the Firestone 8mm and Goodyear 8mm to the fronts, (And keep the 6mm Firestone in reserve)

I'm not a tyre guru. Both Firestones feel like quite a soft rubber compound whereas the Goodyear feels like quite a hard rubber compound.

mikey72

dopester wrote: »

I need two new tyres fitted to my car, to replace both front tyres which are nearing minimum legal tread limit.

I don't want to rotate the rear wheels/tyres to the front on this occasion. Reason being, one of the rear tyres is a budget tyre bought to replace a 1year-old premium tyre which failed MOT on a tyre bulge on the inner wall. Probably my own fault for parking and leaving car parked up on kerb too many times. So don't want an questionable brand budget tyre on the fronts.

Imagine this scenario...

You've already got 3 part worn tyres. (I don't want to get into an argument about about using part-worn tyres. I trust my source and the tyres' integrity.)

1) A Goodyear tyre with 8mm tread.

2) A Firestone tyre with 8mm tread.

3) An identical Firestone but which has 6mm tread.

Would you fit the two Firestone tyres (8mm and 6mm) to the fronts? (And keep the Goodyear tyre as a reserve in the shed)

Or would you fit the Firestone 8mm and Goodyear 8mm to the fronts, (And keep the 6mm Firestone in reserve)

I'm not a tyre guru. Both Firestones feel like quite a soft rubber compound whereas the Goodyear feels like quite a hard rubber compound.

I'd put the two firestones on the front.
What's your spare like, and is it premium or budget.

custardy

best tread on the rear

mikey72

custardy wrote: »

best tread on the rear

Never liked that on fwd.

custardy

you would like the rear end losing grip even less then

dopester

mikey72 wrote: »

I'd put the two firestones on the front.
What's your spare like, and is it premium or budget.

Thanks. I was leaning more towards that from the options.

The spare tyre in the well of the boot is a Firestone too. The spare has never been used, but it's 9 years old now... and... does that make it a bit of a risk to use if needed? The age of a spare wheel/tyre? Maybe I should have the fitter put the Goodyear on the spare wheel?

mikey72

dopester wrote: »

Thanks. I was leaning more towards that from the options.

The spare tyre in the well of the boot is a Firestone too. The spare has never been used, but it's 9 years old now... and... does that make it a bit of a risk to use if needed? The age of a spare wheel/tyre? Maybe I should have the fitter put the Goodyear on the spare wheel?

Tyres shouldn't be fitted if they are over five years old as a rough guide.
I've had ones that have been ok at ten years though, but others that haven't.
I'd be inclined to have a good look at it, check for cracks, bulges etc, then if it was ok swop it for the budget and check it again for a few weeks. If it was shot, I'd put the goodyear on, and put it on the car.
Either way I'd retire the budget to the spare.

mikey72

custardy wrote: »

you would like the rear end losing grip even less then

I'd like the front end locking up and losing braking and steering even less than that.

custardy

mikey72 wrote: »

I'd like the front end locking up and losing braking and steering even less than that.

well drive within the conditions,learn how to feather and control your brakes
the front wheels are connected to a big round steery thing in the cabin
the rears aren't

mikey72

custardy wrote: »

well drive within the conditions,learn how to feather and control your brakes
the front wheels are connected to a big round steery thing in the cabin
the rears aren't

I quite agree, if you follow your own advice, the back will never break free on you, so put the new tyres on the front.

jase1

I've lost both the front and back end in the past.

Neither is exactly ideal, but I'd say two things.

On the one hand, losing the rear end is much more 'entertaining' than the front, and considerably more scary.

On the other, if you have your wits about you you can correct losing the rear end. If the front goes, all you can do is brace yourself, and hope that the fronts regain grip.

Not really sure which is better.