Tyre swap

Slowly_does_it..

As someone who has recently had the rears let go, put the better ones on the back.

Once the rears have let go of the road, you are stuffed, if the fronts let go, you have a little more time and chance to get control before the ditch. Also you are more likely to have ABS on the front.

Ultrasonic

tberry6686 wrote: »

If on the other hand you lose the front end then it doesn't matter a jot whether you have any traction at the back. You will be completely out of control with little you can do to recover it. Bit different in RWD though.

As I said above, part of the point is that you feel through the steering wheel that you are starting to lose traction at the front and so react in time to prevent yourself losing control.

DUTR

To answer, I have just been out to check, fronts are 5.9-6.5 ,whereas the rears are 7-7.8mm (checked across various points ) so going on worst case 5.8 fronts 6.9 rears, all tyres were on from new 6720 miles, and no handbrake turns (EPB, plus too old for that sh*te) , LSD on the front, but car driven like a granny on the whole.
I guess, that in say another 7k, the rears would be down to 6mm and the fronts 3.5mm ish. Whereas after a swap they would all be around 3.5-4mm in 7k miles time, but maybe with a slight advantage on snow (should we get any).

Slowly_does_it..

Ultrasonic wrote: »

There's another relevant video here:

http://www.etyres.co.uk/tyre-new-on-rear/

I agree, new tyres on the rear is better for the environment - less cars in ditches! :beer:

Ultrasonic

DUTR wrote: »

...but maybe with a slight advantage on snow (should we get any).

I guess that would depend on the tread pattern? Deeper circumferencial grooves probably wouldn't help in snow but deeper transverse grooves might?

Strider590

Swapping front to rear is pointless, your not saving anything, you still get through as much rubber, your just prolonging the inevitable.

For winter you need as much grip as possible on the driven wheels and if the rears don't have enough grip GET NEW TYRES.

JustinR1979

Strider590 wrote: »

Swapping front to rear is pointless, your not saving anything, you still get through as much rubber, your just prolonging the inevitable.

For winter you need as much grip as possible on the driven wheels and if the rears don't have enough grip GET NEW TYRES.

It's not pointless if you've a car that is light on rear tyre wear and you don't do many miles, as it means you get full use out of them, as opposed to changing them half way through their wear due to cracking.

bod1467

FWIW, I rotated my wheels front to rear at the service a year ago in readiness for winter, as I was (and maybe still am) in the "best grip on the driving wheel for winter" camp.

The car has now done 31k miles and is still on the same tyres. I've not checked tread depth but it looks like 3-4 mm on all tyres.

Strider590

JustinR1979 wrote: »

It's not pointless if you've a car that is light on rear tyre wear and you don't do many miles, as it means you get full use out of them, as opposed to changing them half way through their wear due to cracking.

Whilst some people do this, I personally don't like it. When driving the forces applied to the front tyres are different to the rears, they wear differently, typically the fronts will be worn around the egdes, edges which are required in situations where the rears are pushed slightly too hard.
The best every day comparison is shoes, try wearing the shoes of someone who wears the sides of the heel unevenly.

JustinR1979

Strider590 wrote: »

Whilst some people do this, I personally don't like it. When driving the forces applied to the front tyres are different to the rears, they wear differently, typically the fronts will be worn around the egdes, edges which are required in situations where the rears are pushed slightly too hard.
The best every day comparison is shoes, try wearing the shoes of someone who wears the sides of the heel unevenly.

So what would you do with a 4x4 that required all tyres within a mm or 2 of each other?