New Tyres

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Sun 10 Nov 2002 15:00
New Tyres - peteH
I am sure this has been asked before but...

Front tyres 3mm(average)
Rear Tyres 6.5m (average)

From a previous post it was suggested that tyres should be changed at 3mm (also matchs the advice from Continental who suggest to take summer tyres out of service when the tread depth is down to 3mm and do the same with winter tyres from 4mm (at least for winter use) Therefore the time has come to replace the front tyres.

So am I right in replacing the tyres now, and putting the 6.5mm tyres to the front, and fitting new rubber to the rear. There is no mention on the conti site of fitting new to the rear?
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Sun 10 Nov 2002 15:42
New Tyres - Keith S
Fleet companies refuse to replace tyres until they are 2mm max.

I personally think this is about right.
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Sun 10 Nov 2002 17:56
New Tyres - blank
Pete:
It is a matter of personal preference, though some will vigorously one side or the other. If you put the new rubber on the back, the front will (in the wet) be more likely to lose gtip before the back, leading to understeer, or, in the extreme, loss of steering if you aquaplane. If the new rubber is fitted to the front, the opposite is the case - the rear will tend to lose grip first, leading to oversteer.
Your choice, but 6.5mm isn't that far from new, so it'll probably not make a lot of difference in your case.
There is another point to consider though. If you don't do a lot of miles, rear tyres on a front wheel drive car might last a very long time, too long for safety, so it might be worth swapping them to the front to wear them out faster.

hth
Andy
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Mon 11 Nov 2002 16:34
New Tyres - Mike H
This has been covered a number of times on this forum in the past. Best tyres on back. The point about aging being a good reason to move rear tyres to the front was covered recently and is excellent advice.
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Mon 11 Nov 2002 16:39
New Tyres - blank
Mike:
As I alluded to in my earlier post, others have the opposing view.
Personally I leave the tyres on the back until they wear out. Because I drive 25k miles a year the age of the back tyres, 2 years tops, is never a problem.
Another, equally valid point is that tyres moved from back to front and vice versa can bring balancing and tracking problems due to the way they have worn in their original positions.

Andy
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Tue 12 Nov 2002 12:16
New Tyres - Mike H
Valid comments Andy, my post came across a bit black and white! I know there has been quite a lot of discussion about this. I'm not sure I agree with your point about potential balancing and tracking problems - I think the wear pattern is the potential issue which could lead to poorer roadholding after moving the tyres to the other end. As you say, age doesn't really become an issue on high mileage cars. However, I had thought that the general consensus was that best tyres always go on the back (but accepting that those who made this consensus are not necessarily experts in their field). I think the main thing is be aware of the debate, read the arguments for and against, and make your own mind up based on the information provided - bit like a general election really!
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