Michelin tyres need replacing after 4k miles ?

Joe_Horner

To a point, but you'll still have a turning moment of some magnitude.

Assuming all other things like tyres, brakes and loads being equal, the resultants of the forces on the fronts (as a pair) and the rears (as a pair) both act through the centrepoint of the respective "axle", so when you're crabbing they end up parallel but offset, with neither acting through the centre of mass of the car.

It tends to show up more with RWD because the moment created by both axles are in the same direction as the "crab", which tends to increase the turn, whereas with FWD the moments are in the opposite sense and tend to reduce it. Essentially the same reason that RWD cars tend towards over-steer and FWD to under-steer.