New Tyre

thecoffeehouse204

Booked in my car to have a tyre replaced tomorrow, front passenger side. Last had a tyre done about 10 months ago on the rear driver side.
Am I best asking them to swap the front and rear passenger wheels over so I have both the newest tyres on the back? Or does it not really make a difference? The remaining tyres have both been on since I bought the car in 2011, one replaced for me buying it and the other of unknown date but still in very good condition.

redux

It might start some argument here (it has before), but yes, tyre manufacturers and fitters recommend the better tyres go on the back

thecoffeehouse204

Great thanks - thought that was the case but being a woman going to the garage on my own I thought they might try to take advantage if I didn't seem sure and convince me to get two new tyres instead.

Gloomendoom

Whenever I take my cars to be serviced, FWD cars get the better tyres swapped to the front and RWD cars get the better tyres swapped to the back.

OddballJamie

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Whenever I take my cars to be serviced, FWD cars get the better tyres swapped to the front and RWD cars get the better tyres swapped to the back.

That's just general tyre rotation so your tyres wear evenly. However new tyres should always go on the rear to provide better stability.

Ultrasonic

It sounds like we're talking about a car here that will end up with four different tyres with different levels of wear, so putting the new tyre on the rear will also lead to more even levels of wear on each side of each axle.

As others have said, tyres with most grip on the rear is recommended for safety by all tyre manufacturers and safety groups as far as I'm aware.

I'm inclined to wonder what is happening to this poor car that it's ended up with four different age tyres though!

OddballJamie

Ultrasonic wrote: »

It sounds like we're talking about a car here that will end up with four different tyres with different levels of wear, so putting the new tyre on the rear will also lead to more even levels of wear on each side of each axle.

I'm inclined to wonder what is happening to this poor car that it's ended up with four different age tyres though!

I think it gets parked next to a bottle bank every night.

Iceweasel

As long as it's not a Freelander, or some other 4X4 with sensitive transmission parts, a mixed bag of tread depths wont matter too much.

Best treads on the back is the advice of all tyre manufacturers even for FWD cars.

KTF

Whats wrong with the one thats being replaced?

If its still legal, why not just get them to swap it with the spare (assuming it isnt a space saver). No point having a brand new tyre sitting around in the boot never to be used and then you dont need to buy a new tyre.

BeenThroughItAll

KTF wrote: »

Whats wrong with the one thats being replaced?

If its still legal, why not just get them to swap it with the spare (assuming it isnt a space saver). No point having a brand new tyre sitting around in the boot never to be used and then you dont need to buy a new tyre.

Apart from the fact that when you come to sell the car, any sensible buyer will check the spare and realise that it's virtually on the TWIs, which gives the impression the car's been run (as it has) on a shoestring budget.

If the owner doesn't want to spend money on decent rubber to keep them on the road, what else did they skimp on? Servicing, brakes, MOTs?

Alt

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Apart from the fact that when you come to sell the car, any sensible buyer will check the spare and realise that it's virtually on the TWIs, which gives the impression the car's been run (as it has) on a shoestring budget.

If the owner doesn't want to spend money on decent rubber to keep them on the road, what else did they skimp on? Servicing, brakes, MOTs?

I don't think (legally) you can skimp on MOT