Costco and tyre rotation

[Fer]

A quick question for those in the know. I went to costco a few weeks back for some tyres for the wife's bus. I needed to replace the front tyres, and their tyre supplier (Michelin IIRC) had told them that they could only fit new tyres to the rear of the car, since that was the way least likely to result in unformiliar handling, and putting them on the front could result in oversteer. They said they were not allowed to fit them to the front of the car, and if I wanted that, I would have to go somewhere else and get them rotated afterwards.

This meant they had to swap front for back, and put the new tyres on the back.

Has anyone else ever come across this? I have been buying tyres for many years, and this is the first time I have ever been told this... but since I had my wife with me, and she tends to believe everything a sales person tells her, we went ahead and fitted them on the rear (No, I don't want to buy a bridge!)

[Fer]

I guess this was not as strange as it seemed then.

[PetrolTed]

Never heard of it before. What would happen if all four tyres were worn and needed replacing. In fact what happens when the car is new?

Will it oversteer because it has decent tyres on it. The more I think about this the more it seems barmy.

[CarZee]

Sounds like total cack.. but you never know in these days of EU weeny laws & the safetee numpties..

I suppose that it's not inconceivable that putting fresh rubber on the front when rear tyres are well worn could result in interesting handling on the limits for a short period, but it doesn't seem bizarre & I've never come across it before..

Sounds like their lawyers have been eating too many guarana Boost bars...

[andymadmak]

I was told the same thing when I went to Kwik Fit for some Michelins for my wifes people carrier.
I did query it, and they relented and put the new tyres on the front. Apparently some people reckon that because the larger FWD cars and people carriers chew their front tyres so regularly compared to the backs it's not uncommon to gradually get to the point when rear grip is marginal. Fitting the new tyres to the front then exposes this big stylee.
Personally I'm a bit suspicious still. I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't actually a ploy to get a second pair of tyres fitted in the next 6 months (after all, a used set of rear rubber switched to the front is going to wear out quicker than a new new front set)
Andy 400se

[TheLemming]

It does sound as if the legal department has been smoking something rather interesting...

Although I must admit to being rather suprised that they would REFUSE to fit new tyres to the front.

Yes, in theory putting new tyres on the front with worn tyres on the back could result in a grip imbalance that could provoke oversteer in some situations, that the drivers of various numptymobiles wouldnt be used to or prepared for, but its not going to be a regular occurence!

Im lucky enough to have found a tyre / exhaust place near me that is not only competent, friendly and great to deal with, but they will even fit tyres or exhausts etc sourced elsewhere (if your fitting advans to an elise for example).

[MoJocvh]

Yep had the same from costco in edinburgh.
They had a letter from their association stating that it was due to part worns on the rear being more likely to have a puncture resulting in unfamiliar oversteer. Funnily enough ALL my punctures have been on the rear caused by mostly discarded screws/nails being picked upright by the front tyre and catching the rear tyre.
Bikers seem to have the same front/rear tyre problem too apparantly.MoJo

[raceboy]

Seem to remeber a while ago seeing some motoring programme drive a corsa around a test track with new fronts and worn rears, and the handlinglooked very tail happy, which may well surprise a lot of mus on the school run
But what if the fronts and rears are different sizes and can't be rotated?

[davidy]

My Saab owners handbook says that if you are putting on a pair of new tyres, these should go on the rear to prevent oversteer, since the fronts (FWD) will wear out faster this means that the rears should be put on the front and the new ones put on the rear. Makes sense to me.

davidy

[jimbro1000]

So what about us peeps that WANT their FWD car to show a little oversteer. I regularly have to use off-throttle oversteer to nudge the rear of the car round - especially in wet weather where the car naturally tends to understeer even more.

Infact I was so impressed by the improvement in handling when I got a slow rear puncture that I actually made a point of reducing rear tyre pressure by about 6 psi. The only time it goes back up is when I'm towing my trailer fully laden (about 1 tonne).

The whole things sounds like typical nanny-state decisions made on our behalf because we're too dumb and/or uneducated to decide for ourselves. It is fine to recommend to fit the tyres to the rear - but totally out of order to refuse to do otherwise.

[Fer]

Costco were not entertaining any other options. They told me they had been instructed to do it that way, and if I did not like it, I could take them somewhere else to get them swapped back... which was too much like hard work.

Thanks for the comments, perhaps it is not as mad as I first thought it was.

[fergusd]

Hmmm, let's see, where do you want the best tyres on your motor . . . on the steering and primary braking wheels ? or on the back . . . and, frankly, how many non enthusiast drivers ever experience over or understeer . . .

Sounds like legalistic BS to me.

I'll have the newest tyres on the front every time (on the bus), and if someone won't do it that way for me I'll go elsewhere . . .

Fd

[MoJocvh]

Oh and I have it on good authority (from someone who knows someone etc who used to spanner in the old BTCC)that the fastest fwd ROAD cars were the ones with the most stable rear ends......MoJo

[deltaf]

Well this is a strange scenario.
I was always taught to swap tyres front to rear in diagonal sequence by my college lecturer (clever guy) to even out the tyre wear.
Obviously ya cant do this diagonal switch if yer tyres are directional tread pattern.
I suspect that theyre shitting ya to get ya to replace the other two as well, it wouldnt be the first time ive seen that done.
Tell em to blow it out their pants.

[CarZee]

MoJocvh said: Oh and I have it on good authority (from someone who knows someone etc who used to spanner in the old BTCC)that the fastest fwd ROAD cars were the ones with the most stable rear ends......MoJo

well the rear of my Primera couldn't more stable...

[littlegearl]

probably aload of old shite, where i got my last set of tyres from said it doesn't matter whether you put your tyres on the front or the back, as long as they're both on the same axle.

i personally stuck my two new tyres on the front as i prefer oversteer to understeer, but put the two tyres i bought for my mum's car on the rear because although she may experience understeer occasionaly she doesn't even know what oversteer is!!!

though when i was having my exhaust checked at kwik fit the guy said "your tyres a little worn, would you like some new ones?"
i replied that i knew they were worn but can't afford any new tyres until the end of the month when i get paid, so he said "yeah, know that feeling mate"...

and promptly took my wheel (which was off the car) and put it on the machine and was just about to lever the tyre off before i intervened... reminding him that I DON'T WANT NEW TYRES UNTIL NEXT MONTH!!!

chuffing numpties!

[MoJocvh]

[dennisthemenace]

they might have put the rears on the front to help them wear out , as they are nearer the end of there life than two new ones ,meaning tyou will pay another trip to them sooner for new tyres KERCHING ! rather than later , if i wear the front tyre out on the kwack they cant exactly put it on the rear plus ive done hundereds of thousands of miles in lease cars and never had the fronts replaced for the rears and the rears would last anything up to 65k