2 New Tires... Front or Rear???
05-08-2005, 04:04 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
05-08-2005, 06:06 PM
#2
Hey EPIC Vette, are you asking the same question as in your linked thread?
Sorry, not sure, but if you are, I would put fresh tires up front.
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
Sorry, not sure, but if you are, I would put fresh tires up front.
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
ing, but since it's me, I made an exception! 
05-09-2005, 04:07 AM
#4
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Originally Posted by 86C4EVER
Hey EPIC Vette, are you asking the same question as in your linked thread?
Sorry, not sure, but if you are, I would put fresh tires up front.
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
Sorry, not sure, but if you are, I would put fresh tires up front.
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
Brakes and steering is more important than acceleration.
05-09-2005, 03:57 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
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Sorry but I've heard just the opposite. You should always put new tires on the rear so that you do not run into uncontrolable overstear. This is particularly true when it's wet. 
05-09-2005, 09:43 PM
#7
Team Owner
I always always put new tires in the front if I have a choice. it is more important (to me) to have better steering and traction up front. Better tires up front will also aid in channeling water away from the path the rear tires cross through immediately after.
05-09-2005, 09:58 PM
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Most vehicles are equipped with the same size tire at every wheel position. Ideally all of these tires should also be of the same type and design, have the same tread depth and be inflated to the pressures specified by the vehicle placard or owner's manual. This combination best retains the handling balance engineered into the vehicle by its manufacturer.
However due to the front tires' responsibility for transmitting acceleration, steering and most of the braking forces on front-wheel-drive vehicles, it's normal for front tires to wear faster than rear tires. If the tires aren't rotated on a regular basis, it's also common for pairs of tires to wear out rather than sets. And if the tires aren't rotated at all, it's likely that the rear tires will still have about 1/2 of their original tread depth when the front tires are completely worn out.
Intuition suggests that since the front tires wore out first and because there is still about half-tread remaining on the rear tires, the new tires should be installed on the front axle. This will provide more traction, and by the time the front tires have worn out for the second time, the rear tires will be worn out too. However in this case, intuition isn't right...and following it can be downright dangerous.
When tires are replaced in pairs in situations like these, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the worn tires moved to the front. The reason is because new tires on the rear axle help the driver more easily maintain control on wet roads because new, deeper treaded tires are more capable of resisting hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead). Understeer is relatively easy to control because releasing the gas pedal will slow the vehicle and help the driver maintain control.
However, if the front tires have more tread depth than the rear tires, the rear tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the fronts. This will cause the vehicle to begin to oversteer in which the vehicle wants to spin. Oversteer is far more difficult to control, and in addition to the initial distress felt when the rear of the car starts sliding, quickly releasing the gas pedal in an attempt to slow down may actually make it more difficult for the driver to regain control, possibly causing a complete spinout.
Members of The Tire Rack team had the chance to experience this phenomenon at Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds. Participants were allowed to drive around a large radius, wet curve in vehicles fitted with tires of different tread depths — one vehicle with new tires on the rear and half-worn tires on the front, and the other with the new tires in the front and half-worn tires on the rear.
It didn't take long for this hands-on experience to confirm that the "proving grounds" name for the facility was correct. The ability to sense and control predictable understeer with the new tires on the rear, and the helplessness in try ing to control the surprising oversteer with the new tires on the front was emphatically proven.
And even though our drivers had the advantage of knowing we were going to be challenged to maintain car control, spinouts became common during our laps in the car with the new tires on the front. Michelin advises us that almost everyone spins out at least once!
Experiencing this phenomenon in the safe, controlled conditions of Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds rather than in traffic on an Interstate ramp in a rainstorm is definitely preferred!
In case there is any doubt, when tires are replaced in pairs, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the worn tires moved to the front.
Most vehicles are equipped with the same size tire at every wheel position. Ideally all of these tires should also be of the same type and design, have the same tread depth and be inflated to the pressures specified by the vehicle placard or owner's manual. This combination best retains the handling balance engineered into the vehicle by its manufacturer.
However due to the front tires' responsibility for transmitting acceleration, steering and most of the braking forces on front-wheel-drive vehicles, it's normal for front tires to wear faster than rear tires. If the tires aren't rotated on a regular basis, it's also common for pairs of tires to wear out rather than sets. And if the tires aren't rotated at all, it's likely that the rear tires will still have about 1/2 of their original tread depth when the front tires are completely worn out.
Intuition suggests that since the front tires wore out first and because there is still about half-tread remaining on the rear tires, the new tires should be installed on the front axle. This will provide more traction, and by the time the front tires have worn out for the second time, the rear tires will be worn out too. However in this case, intuition isn't right...and following it can be downright dangerous.
When tires are replaced in pairs in situations like these, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the worn tires moved to the front. The reason is because new tires on the rear axle help the driver more easily maintain control on wet roads because new, deeper treaded tires are more capable of resisting hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenge a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.
Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires will hydroplane at lower speeds in a heavy downpour than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.
If the rear tires have more tread depth than the front tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rears. This will cause the vehicle to begin to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead). Understeer is relatively easy to control because releasing the gas pedal will slow the vehicle and help the driver maintain control.
However, if the front tires have more tread depth than the rear tires, the rear tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the fronts. This will cause the vehicle to begin to oversteer in which the vehicle wants to spin. Oversteer is far more difficult to control, and in addition to the initial distress felt when the rear of the car starts sliding, quickly releasing the gas pedal in an attempt to slow down may actually make it more difficult for the driver to regain control, possibly causing a complete spinout.
Members of The Tire Rack team had the chance to experience this phenomenon at Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds. Participants were allowed to drive around a large radius, wet curve in vehicles fitted with tires of different tread depths — one vehicle with new tires on the rear and half-worn tires on the front, and the other with the new tires in the front and half-worn tires on the rear.
It didn't take long for this hands-on experience to confirm that the "proving grounds" name for the facility was correct. The ability to sense and control predictable understeer with the new tires on the rear, and the helplessness in try ing to control the surprising oversteer with the new tires on the front was emphatically proven.
And even though our drivers had the advantage of knowing we were going to be challenged to maintain car control, spinouts became common during our laps in the car with the new tires on the front. Michelin advises us that almost everyone spins out at least once!
Experiencing this phenomenon in the safe, controlled conditions of Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds rather than in traffic on an Interstate ramp in a rainstorm is definitely preferred!
In case there is any doubt, when tires are replaced in pairs, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the worn tires moved to the front.
05-09-2005, 11:00 PM
#13
Originally Posted by 86C4EVER
Hey EPIC Vette, I would put fresh tires up front.
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
The only exception would be if the tires are really close. Like within 5%. Then, it should not make a huge difference.
Fred
I promise to never
put the new tires on the front of any car I drive. I'll put them on the back and burn them off 
Seriously, that is one of the reason I like this Forum, because I always get the opportunity to learn.
Sorry for the bad advice EPIC VETTE
Fred
05-09-2005, 11:47 PM
#14
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: To the tirerack article. That only applies when you drive your vette in the rain.Fresher rubber up front (whether or not it has more tread depth) is a good idea under all dry conditions. More traction up front is where you need it most for braking, and cornering under braking.
I doubt you'll ever be in a panic situation that requires flooring it coming out of a turn, which is where rear traction most becomes an issue (on dry roads).
Last edited by CentralCoaster; 05-09-2005 at 11:51 PM.
05-10-2005, 12:37 AM
#15
Drifting
Thread Starter
Well....
I'm going to the track Wednesday
, and given the weather we've been having in the SF Bay Area today (showers to hail to blue sky to showers to hail to... 
), I might be switching the new skins to the rear.
Part of me wants the track conditions to be wet & rainy
; it'd give me a chance to test the theories in a controlled environment, switching tires back & forth.
The way it's been explained, I'm sure for everyday driving it's better to put new rubber in the rear. Especially in wet conditions. But in dry conditions, in a vehicle prone more to understeer, I'm gonna try 'em up front first. I can always switch 'em!
Thanks, all!
-Eric
I'm going to the track Wednesday
, and given the weather we've been having in the SF Bay Area today (showers to hail to blue sky to showers to hail to... ), I might be switching the new skins to the rear.Part of me wants the track conditions to be wet & rainy
; it'd give me a chance to test the theories in a controlled environment, switching tires back & forth. The way it's been explained, I'm sure for everyday driving it's better to put new rubber in the rear. Especially in wet conditions. But in dry conditions, in a vehicle prone more to understeer, I'm gonna try 'em up front first. I can always switch 'em!
Thanks, all!
-Eric