New tyres fitted to the rear of FWD cars
Discussion
Out of interest, in what year did the recommendation change for new tyres to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars?
Secondly, what was the research/statistics that initiated this change?
I’m familiar with the reasons why new tyres are recommended to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars. I’m not looking to reopen that debate, just understand when it began and what initiated the change in best practice.
Secondly, what was the research/statistics that initiated this change?
I’m familiar with the reasons why new tyres are recommended to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars. I’m not looking to reopen that debate, just understand when it began and what initiated the change in best practice.
From what I've generally read, the opinion still seems split. I always assumed it'd be best to put the newer tyres on the front of a FWD car, as they're the wheels taking by far the most stress and therefore wearing down the quickest, but then the other side of the argument (easier to deal with understeer/aquaplaning on the front rather than the rear getting out of shape) makes a great deal of sense too 
Has any motoring magazine/car show/whatever ever done a test on this?
Has any motoring magazine/car show/whatever ever done a test on this?
Pretty sure 5th gear did one a few years ago, This might be it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvAJSMT5jc - can't check properly at work.
There was a test (5th Gear ?) that had a car going round a tight circle and they tried various tyre combos. I *think* the conclusion was FWD, new tyres on back, RWD new tyres on the front.
Something to do with the fact that you can control breakaway with the throttle on the driven wheels but once the undriven wheels let go you are less likely to be able to recover.
Something to do with the fact that you can control breakaway with the throttle on the driven wheels but once the undriven wheels let go you are less likely to be able to recover.
wemorgan said:
Out of interest, in what year did the recommendation change for new tyres to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars?
Secondly, what was the research/statistics that initiated this change?
I’m familiar with the reasons why new tyres are recommended to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars. I’m not looking to reopen that debate, just understand when it began and what initiated the change in best practice.
Sorry, but WTF???? Secondly, what was the research/statistics that initiated this change?
I’m familiar with the reasons why new tyres are recommended to be fitted to the rear of FWD cars. I’m not looking to reopen that debate, just understand when it began and what initiated the change in best practice.
Dodsy said:
Something to do with the fact that you can control breakaway with the throttle on the driven wheels but once the undriven wheels let go you are less likely to be able to recover.
^^ This. Although as far the opinion being split, I've NEVER met anyone who agrees with me on the above point. People that know next to nothing about the subject (or simply don't put much thought into their driving) believe that the new tyres should go on the driven wheels, which is certainly understandable logic, but it frustrates me that people who you can normally have a decent conversation with about cars/driving will always argue the same. At the end of the day, a FWD car will typically naturally understeer, and you can do something about it with the throttle, but snap oversteer due to buggered tyres on the back, and you're most likely gonna be along for ride!! Obviously the inverse applies to RWD. Dodsy said:
There was a test (5th Gear ?) that had a car going round a tight circle and they tried various tyre combos. I *think* the conclusion was FWD, new tyres on back, RWD new tyres on the front.
Something to do with the fact that you can control breakaway with the throttle on the driven wheels but once the undriven wheels let go you are less likely to be able to recover.
IIRC it is new tyres on the back regardless of drive. This is because understeer is easier to deal with than oversteer.Something to do with the fact that you can control breakaway with the throttle on the driven wheels but once the undriven wheels let go you are less likely to be able to recover.
300bhp/ton said:
Sorry, but WTF????
To put it another way:For 'many' years I was led to believe for a FWD car it wa best to put new tyres on the front. On the assumption that the front tyres drive and steer the car.
But today and for a 'few' years now it's widely said that the best tyres should be on the rear, for a FWD car.
My question is simply - in what year did the recommendation change, if at all?
Watch pretty much any video where a car looses control (especially at high speed like on the Mway) - and you will see how it's the back end that let's go and swings round into an oversteer.
Hence, the best tyres go on the rear of the car. I doubt anybody will argue this, but I'm sure they'll try
No idea when the 'obvious' became obvious though.
Hence, the best tyres go on the rear of the car. I doubt anybody will argue this, but I'm sure they'll try
No idea when the 'obvious' became obvious though.
I beleive the theory is :
Emergency stop where there is greater grip at the rear and the car is controllable.
Emergency stop where there is greater grip on the front tyres and the rear may overtake the front, spinning the car, making it far less controllable. Everyone dies in a ball of flames.
It's not about corner grip as no-one should be driving on public highways at the limit of their traction.
Of course we're all driving gods on here and would no doubt drift the car in a safe arc around the issue, but Aunty Doris in her Toyota Auris may not possess such natural talent.
Emergency stop where there is greater grip at the rear and the car is controllable.
Emergency stop where there is greater grip on the front tyres and the rear may overtake the front, spinning the car, making it far less controllable. Everyone dies in a ball of flames.
It's not about corner grip as no-one should be driving on public highways at the limit of their traction.
Of course we're all driving gods on here and would no doubt drift the car in a safe arc around the issue, but Aunty Doris in her Toyota Auris may not possess such natural talent.
wemorgan said:
To put it another way:
For 'many' years I was led to believe for a FWD car it wa best to put new tyres on the front. On the assumption that the front tyres drive and steer the car.
But today and for a 'few' years now it's widely said that the best tyres should be on the rear, for a FWD car.
My question is simply - in what year did the recommendation change, if at all?
I didn't realise there was ever an "official" recommendation either way, so on this basis I don't see how it could change from one to the other.For 'many' years I was led to believe for a FWD car it wa best to put new tyres on the front. On the assumption that the front tyres drive and steer the car.
But today and for a 'few' years now it's widely said that the best tyres should be on the rear, for a FWD car.
My question is simply - in what year did the recommendation change, if at all?
Surely if the rear tyres are knackered, then replacing them is a benefit, regardless of what you do with the fronts? And even if fwd, if its wearing the rears out quicker it wouldn't make sense to put them on the front for example.
And while less common on fwd cars, it is possible that the front and rears won't be the same size, so if you replace the rears, they'd have to go on the rear.
Overall I don't see that it matters that much, so long as all the tyres are legal an in good usable condition.
300bhp/ton said:
I didn't realise there was ever an "official" recommendation either way, so on this basis I don't see how it could change from one to the other.
Surely if the rear tyres are knackered, then replacing them is a benefit, regardless of what you do with the fronts? And even if fwd, if its wearing the rears out quicker it wouldn't make sense to put them on the front for example.
And while less common on fwd cars, it is possible that the front and rears won't be the same size, so if you replace the rears, they'd have to go on the rear.
Overall I don't see that it matters that much, so long as all the tyres are legal an in good usable condition.
Yes agreed, I know there's no official line. But would you agree that today if you go in to most tyre fitting garages they will repeat this 'best practice' of new tyres on the rear. This hasn't always been the case from my experience. I'm just curious when the switch over began and what started it.Surely if the rear tyres are knackered, then replacing them is a benefit, regardless of what you do with the fronts? And even if fwd, if its wearing the rears out quicker it wouldn't make sense to put them on the front for example.
And while less common on fwd cars, it is possible that the front and rears won't be the same size, so if you replace the rears, they'd have to go on the rear.
Overall I don't see that it matters that much, so long as all the tyres are legal an in good usable condition.
wemorgan said:
Yes agreed, I know there's no official line. But would you agree that today if you go in to most tyre fitting garages they will repeat this 'best practice' of new tyres on the rear. This hasn't always been the case from my experience. I'm just curious when the switch over began and what started it.
But was there ever a switch over? I'm not convinced there ever was, and any advise of recommendation is likely to vary from place to place and person to person.Although tbh whenever I get new tyres I decide and say what goes where, and that's if I take the car to them. Sometimes it's easier to just pop up with the rims in the boot.
Interesting, I wondered why the hell they recommended this as my car recently needed new tyres so I moved the almost new fronts to the back and the brand new ones to the front. Like others I assumed this would be the most sensible option due to braking etc being weighted towards the front.
wemorgan said:
To put it another way:
For 'many' years I was led to believe for a FWD car it wa best to put new tyres on the front. On the assumption that the front tyres drive and steer the car.
But today and for a 'few' years now it's widely said that the best tyres should be on the rear, for a FWD car.
My question is simply - in what year did the recommendation change, if at all?
My understanding is that there has always been differing trains of thought. The safest option will be the one which prevents high speed pirouettes on the motorway ; these rarely end well therefore the advice of tyre manufacturers is the replace rears first.For 'many' years I was led to believe for a FWD car it wa best to put new tyres on the front. On the assumption that the front tyres drive and steer the car.
But today and for a 'few' years now it's widely said that the best tyres should be on the rear, for a FWD car.
My question is simply - in what year did the recommendation change, if at all?
The alternative is to keep the front, driven tyres with the new rubber, giving an enthusiastic driver / ph driving god the option for adjustability. As this comes at the expense of safety albeit in an extreme situation, the official advice will be the former.
A question whilst I write this though, if 80/90% of the braking on a FWD car is made by the front, doesn't the 'official' advice increase the chance of an accident caused by being unable to stop in time?
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