I recently had a flat so put the new spare on the front. I then went to the local Costco fast fit here in the US to get a new tire on the other front and make that the spare (replacing the flat one). The fitter told me they don't fit new tires to the front (unless doing all four). I just didn't have the energy to argue or question this bizarre policy so I just got him to replace the flat spare with the new tire, came home, and swapped it myself.
Can anyone suggest why they have this policy?
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Hi, I use Costco UK alot for their Michelin Tyres and I too noticed their policy but havent you seen the little TV running on their order desk showing why they insist on fitting new tyres to the rear?? It shows that in the wet at least when cornering at speed with new tyres on the front you skid off and then they show a clip with the tyres on the back and the car gets through the corner normally. I leave the tyres on the back.
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When I last had a flat (passenger side, rear) I went to a local UK garage and they advised that I buy 2 tyres so that there is equal tread either side. The argument being that one side (the new tyre) could be more efficient and getting rid of water than the old tyre (the existing tyre) so could result in a skid.
I'm sure they were holding this line more out of their interest in a healthy profit margin rather than my safety, but the argument was convincing none the less.
I purchased two new tyres.
Cheers.
TT
--
Top Turkey - the fastest hands in Brum
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AFAIK Costcos (and some others) is based on the idea that cos the back will then grip more, so it will understeer "which is good". The opposite will lead to oversteer "which is bad".
There are more than a few flaws in this argument of course, and I for one think the opposite.
But - ideal is change all four tyres at a time, for matched abilities and handling (if it understeers, adjust the suspension, I did). Match across axle if you can't do this - behaves same on left and right turns. Horrible to drive if it does not.
I have purposely fitted very different tyres from and back to one car, but the handling of vintage three wheelers is another game entirely.
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Actually, when new tyres are first fitted, they have less grip until they are bedded in, so increasing the risk of the back end breaking away. This happened to me when I last fitted new tyres to the back of our Xantia. Recently I have had new tyres on the front and have had no problems whatsoever.
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First 100 - 200, or until scrubbed in, but thereafter, what I said is true. I doubt however that tyre places with this policy are thinking of these few miles, but thinking of the overal picture.
I did not say this as it complicated an already long post, and anyway the sensible advice with lots of of new parts is "take it easy at first".
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Here's an earlier version of this discussion... tinyurl.com/c8k9v
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First 100 - 200, or until scrubbed in, but thereafter, what I said is true. I doubt however that tyre places with this policy are thinking of these few miles, but thinking of the overal picture. I did not say this as it complicated an already long post, and anyway the sensible advice with lots of of new parts is "take it easy at first".
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The overall picture is surely that eventualy the front tyres will be just as grippy as the rear ones. In fact, with front wheel drive cars they will soon have less tread than the rear ones.
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Actually, when new tyres are first fitted, they have less grip until they are bedded in,
It's not so much to do with them bedding in; it's the releasing agent they use when they take them out of the mould that you have to wait to disappear.
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then went to the local Costco fast fit here in the US
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the key part of your question is that you are in the usa.
remember that their culture for suing for anything that goes wrong means that companies will always insist on following what is generally safest accepted procedure.
that is why you find all those little stickers everywhere in your car - including " objects in the mirror ..... nearer than they appear"
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Just as important, is using different combinations of tyres. The handling of a car can be altered quite noticeably by fitting two different types of tyre. Until I had new Avon tyres on the front of the Xantia, it had Michelin Energy on the front and Avon on the back. Even when the rear tyres were bedded in, the handling always felt somewhat unbalanced. Now that I have Avon tyres back and front, the handling is much better and was right from the start, even though they are ZV1s at the back and ZV3s at the front.
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And don't forget an old tyre is just as good as or better than a new one in the dry... it's only in the wet things get pearshaped.
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"Now that I have Avon tyres back and front, the handling is much better and was right from the start, even though they are ZV1s at the back and ZV3s at the front."
Inspect your Avon ZV1's at very regular intervals. I have had no less than 3 pairs of ZV1's on different vehicles go faulty. Tread separation and cracking sidewalls on all of them. Completely cured of buying Avon now as they didn't care, as a manufacturer, in the slightest when I raised the concern.
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Thanks for the warning but they are fine at the moment and they have been on a few years already. The main complaint I have had with Avon tyres before was that they didn't wear very well.
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There wasn't any video or other explanation of this policy in the store.... thought it would have something to do with legal liabilities...... thanks to all who responded, very useful!
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I have driven a Ka which had one new tyre on the front, the company I worked for were cheap and wouldn't change both, anyway, I had to do an emergency stop and was quite suprised to find that the front end veered off to the left, pulling the back with it and causing me to come to a stop at an angle in the dual carraigeway with clouds of smoke everywhere.
The new tyre was on the left and had more grip than the old but still just about legal one on the right which had less stopping power, hence the right side of my car trying to carry on down the road.
When I change the tyres on my 3 series I will be putting two new ones on the rear and the old rears on the front.
Blue
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The problem is that I have found that rear tyres last four times as long as front tyres so you have to put new ones on the front. When putting new tyres on I have never been asked if I wanted to swop rear to the front.
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