mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 09:21 AM |
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Tyre experts reverse theory on Dad's wisdom
Tyre experts reverse theory on Dad's wisdom
Ever since your bought your first car your Dad and the guys at the tyre fitting centre told you new tyres must go on the front wheels, right? Wrong!
according to a British tyre safety organisation.
Research by TyreSafe has indicated that more than half of all car owners still believe it, though 30 percent didn't know one way or the other so
those folks' dads have a lot to answer for.
Now, it is claimed, it is better to fit new tyres to the rear wheels – and it doesn't matter whether that is a front or rear-wheel drive car,
because industry research suggests that if the new tyres are fitted to the rear wheels then water on the road is better dispersed, which improves
straight line braking
Better water dispersal, better straight-line braking
.
Conversely, if the rear track is fitted with worn tyres, the car often has a dangerous tendency to oversteer. The studies also showed that a blown
rear tyre often results in loss of control. But wait, there's more…
Rear tyres wear more slowly than the front because they carry less of a load and are not involved in the driving process, the new theory says, so
fitting new tyres to the rear and moving worn rubber to the front each time also means the rear tyres will be less prone to age-related deterioration
from prolonged exposure.
Me? I think I'll stick to what my Dad told me and the gainsayers can do what they want as long as they don't crash into one of my cars.
# What do you think?
tyre experts particularly welcome.
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bilbo
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 09:32 AM |
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Hmmm,
I've heard both sides of this argument before.
What's not mentioned is that the more worn your front tryes are, the more prone you will be to understeer in the wet.
6 of 1, half a dozen of the other I guess.
---------------------------------------
Build Diary: http://bills-locost.blogspot.com/
Web Site: http://locost.atspace.com
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SixedUp
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 09:49 AM |
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The other thing that is not mentioned is that manufacturers have been supplying cars that have been (predominantly) set up to understeer, on the
premise that that's much easier for joe-public to cope with than something that can oversteer, or even spin. I guess this is also in part driven
by the move to front-wheel drive in the 70's and 80's (for "packaging" reasons) too, as they have more of a natural tendancy
to understeer anyway.
So, I suspect this new advice is at least partly to ensure that the cars handling remains in the envelope that the average driver expects - ie
understeering rather than oversteering.
Cheers
Richard
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MikeR
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 10:57 AM |
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yep, heard that, read that and believe it.
Still just got new tyres fitted to the front. The rears do that little that in 15 months i've gone through a set of fronts and the rears have
hardly worn. The difference in capability between the brand new fronts and rears will be so small i doubt even lewis hamilton can tell.
(yeah i know, 15 months, i'm chuffed, a whole year of trying to be a good boy driving and i gain almost 3 months extra tyre life!)
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Johnmor
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 11:23 AM |
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Costco will only fit new tyres to the rear of the vehicle if you buy them two at a time.
Its rather annoying as i tend to buy new tyre near the winter period and as we get a bit of snow I have to allways swap them when i get home.
They wont budge even if you ask them .
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Simon
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 04:01 PM |
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My Zt is rwd, and tends to wear out rears across pattern, and front cos of the weight (on the sides).
My worn rear Avons will be binned soon and replaced with OE, which will be put back on front as I detest the feel of Avons on the front.
If fitting centre won't do it my way, they won't get my custom.
Customer is always right
ATB
Simon
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mark chandler
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 04:29 PM |
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4x4's you split across the axles to stop the centre diff running....
Another piece of wisdom was never buy second hand tyres, they are dangerous ! however he never purchased a second hand car and replaced all the tyres
the next day 
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Peteff
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 04:30 PM |
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My new tyre goes on where the worn one came off. It makes sense to me. My dad never had a car.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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StevieB
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 05:20 PM |
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If in coube, keep the old one's on the back.
At least if something goes wrong, oversteer is more fun for your last few moments!
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cossey
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 06:23 PM |
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assuming the tyres are all in good nick and with legal tread then the new tyres on the front sounds far safer. the front brakes do the vast majority
of the work on most modern cars and with abs becoming more and more common then i cant see why they would want the front end grip reduced.
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iank
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 06:56 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Johnmor
Costco will only fit new tyres to the rear of the vehicle if you buy them two at a time.
...
They wont budge even if you ask them .
Yep, they wouldn't even rotate them for me. The fronts were down to close to minimum, the rears still only half worn. Pretty obvious which
ones needed changing. Drove home rotated them and they were happy to replace the now knackered rears.
Though if you want Michelins they're a good price fitted - Costco don't sell any other kind.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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Macbeast
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 10:09 PM |
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When you brake, the weight transfers to the front and the front tyres bite into the road surface, while the rears become lighter, have less grip and
round and round you go. So maybe you want the new ones on the rear ?
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 21/4/07 at 11:41 PM |
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Heard all this several years ago and having been the manager of a tyre company I put my new tyres You have guessed it .. On the front . My
opinion of course
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t.j.
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| posted on 22/4/07 at 06:33 AM |
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I always put new tyres in the back.
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