My offside front tyre is about due (2mm tread left) to be replaced. However, the nearside front tyre still has 5mm tread left. Should I replace the offside only, or is it safer to replace both?
(Why the difference, you ask? Well, I had to replace the nearside wheel and tyre following an unplanned severe kerbing and off-road excursion last winter in the snow. I will exercise more discretion in future.)
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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<< I will exercise more discretionin future.
I wonder how many times I've said that before!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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L'escargot,
Tracking was seriously out on mine which resulted in one tyre being shot to hell but the other one looked like new. I thought I needed to replace both, but the tyre place (who seem to know what they're on about) said as long as it was the same type of tyre (Radial etc...) then there was no problem whatsoever.
That was months ago and I haven't encountered any problems. This is on a Focus which I believe you drive as well.
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Adam
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L'escargot, Tracking was seriously out on mine which resulted in one tyre being shot to hell but the other one looked like new. I thought I needed to replace both, but the tyre place (who seem to know what they're on about) said as long as it was the same type of tyre (Radial etc...) then there was no problem whatsoever.
Thanks Adam aka Adski, that's what I wanted to hear. (Had the tracking checked when I had the new wheel/tyre and it was OK.)
Thisis on a Focus which I believe you drive as well. -- Adam
Yep ~ 2 litre Ghia bought new April 1999. Comfortable, totally reliable and fast enough for me. 79,000 and still going strong ~ might have a look at a Focus2 next spring.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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That's good to hear - Mine's the 1.8 Ghia with about 60k on the clock so I'm glad yours is reliable.
Like I said, I've not had any problems with the new tyre. I like my country roads home so it's fair to say they get good use and they are fine.
might have a look at a Focus2 next spring<<
Not so struck on the Mark 2 - it would have to be another saloon if in years to come I did get one.
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Adam
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Replace the front tyres with the rear ones.
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Al long as there's over 2mm of tread it doesn't really matter as long as the tyres are of the same type (i.e. would recommend you fit the same manufacturer and spec if possible) as different tyres use different rubber compounds etc so may affect the handing under extreme conditions.
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Yep ~ I always buy the same tyres as the originals/
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Replace the front tyres with the rear ones.
Best tyres go on the BACK.
The tyre with only 2 mm left must surely stay on the front.
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>> Replace the front tyres with the rear ones. >> Best tyres go on the BACK. The tyre with only 2 mm left must surely stay on the front.
The Focus is front wheel drive, so you want the best on the front. Remember you are trying to steer with the driven wheels. This puts more load on the tyres than on a rear wheel drive car.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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.. front wheel drive, so you want the best on the front ..
is "best tyres on front wheel drive" not a myth that has been debunked many times previously on this site ??
iirc, the experts agree that all cars should have best tyres on the rear ??
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>> >> Replace the front tyres with the rear ones. >> >> >> Best tyres go on the BACK. >> The tyre with only 2 mm left must surely stay on the front. The Focus is front wheel drive, so you want the best on the front. Remember you are trying to steer with the driven wheels. This puts more load on the tyres than on a rear wheel drive car. --
Dunlop say
Where on a car should a pair of replacement tyres be fitted?
In general, they should be fitted on the rear axle, irrespective of whether the car is front or rear wheel drive. This will help to keep the car more stable, particularly in wet conditions.
Pirelli say in
www.pirelli.co.uk/en_GB/tyres/car_suv/utility_serv...l
New Tyres to the Rear
An analysis of technical enquiries received through the Pirelli Technical "Hot Line" has confirmed the belief that many customers - dealers and users alike - are of the opinion that, when only two tyres are replaced on a car, they should be fitted to the front "axle". This was undoubtedly the case a number of years ago when it was felt that the retention of vehicle control was more critical with front wheel deflations and, therefore, that the new, and thus less vulnerable tyres should be fitted to the front.
However, the current recommendation on the part of the tyre Industry is, as a general rule, New Tyres to The Rear. This applies to both front and rear wheel drive cars.
Plus more info.
Goodyear say
When buying just two new tyres, should they be put on the front or rear?
When radial tyres are used with bias or bias belted tyres on the same car, the radials must always be placed on the rear axle. Never mix radial and bias-ply tyres on the same axle. When you select a pair of replacement tyres in the same size and construction as those on the car, we recommend you put them on the rear axle. A single new tyre should be paired on the rear axle with the tyre having the most tread depth of the other three.
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Have you checked the spare tyre?
I once chucked a just-legal tyre only to remember later that the spare was bald.
If yours has 5mm tread stick it on the offside to create a matching pair and buy a new one for a spare.
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Have you checked the spare tyre? I once chucked a just-legal tyre only to remember later that the spare was bald. If yours has 5mm tread stick it on the offside to create a matching pair and buy a new one for a spare.
Unfortunately the spare is one of those revolting skinny space-saver thingies. It stays where it is ~ out of sight!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Well, its one of those things where it is best practise to replace all 4 tyres, second best to replace an axle pair, and economical to just replace one.
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As far as I know, from have talked to people in the trade, the current advice to put the new tyres on the rear is really related to the motor industries opinion that people are incapable of handling any oversteer (discuss!). Having said that the weight distribution of modern cars is usually much better than early fwds, where the rear tyres often have almost the sole function of holding the back up and thus the state of the tyres at the back has little effect and good ones are vital at the front.
If you get pronounced understeer as a result of putting new tyres on the read of a fwd car the front tyres won't last very long.
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As far as I know, from have talked to people in the trade, the current advice to put the new tyres on the rear is really related to the motor industries opinion that people are incapable of handling any oversteer (discuss!).
Once the back end comes around, there's very little that *most* people can do about it!
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>>Unfortunately the spare is one of those revolting skinny space-saver thingies. It stays where it is ~ out of sight!
Now is your chance to get rid of the "skinny". Buy a secondhand wheel, fit a new tyre to it, fit a new tyre to the 2 mm one you've got and use the 5 mm one as a spare (I think you'll find that a normal wheel will fit ok where the "skinny" was).
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Not to sound cynical but the tyre industry wants us to but more tyres.
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Not to sound cynical but the tyre industry wants us to but more tyres.
Frankly when I'm barrelling along with my baby daughter in the back I want my tyres to be as good as is practical. The brakes only stop the wheels, after all.
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