dregsfan

Bought my '13 AWD Tech in Oct. with 27k miles. It had been a 3 year lease. Apparently the first owner never bothered to rotate the tires, since as part of the dealer's CPO prep they replaced the 2 front OEM Michelins with the same model tire. The rear tires' tread depth still looks fine.

When I'm turning corners under power on wet roads it feels like the rear outside tire struggles a bit for grip and then when it does grip the turn tightens more than expected, if you know what I mean. Obviously I don't appreciate this behavior.

Would moving the new tires to the rear, and the existing rears to the front eliminate this behavior? I don't want to buy 2 more of the OEM Michelins to match the new ones the dealer installed, as at some point I will replace all 4 tires with UHP all seasons, but I don't want to have to do that 2 months after buying the car.

wreak

The SH-AWD is front bias under normal driving so if you have two better tires I'd run them up front.

The only way you're going to gain that traction back is if you put some tires on that have really good wet weather grip. What you're explaining is the moment that the torque is being transferred to the rear outside wheel to help push you through the corner. It just sounds like you're flirting with the limits of that particular tire, the OEM tires are not known to be all that grippy.

dregsfan

So this is a common issue with all SH-AWD with the OEM Michelin tires, or with the OEM Michelin tires when they wear down to a certain (but still decent tread depth) point?

herbert6368

That sounds like the behavior of shawd

RDX10

Check your tire pressure and make sure they are all up to par. I had a nail in my MDX's rear tire and it was low on air (wasn't aware) and I remember when trying to turn it would act so odd like you explain. Also if the tread is that bad, that may cause an effect.

Also I don't knkw how sensitive this AWD system is, but I know on other full time AWD systems it can cause A LOT of issues if tires are not similar tread.

csmeance

Sounds like the SH-AWD system is pushing the rear tire past it's grip limit, reducing power and then applying it. Upgrading your tires to better ones, or putting the new tires on the rear (like should always be done) may help.

dregsfan

Tire pressure is spot on. Yeah I thought the dealer should have put the new tires on the rear. I'll rotate the tires and see if that helps.

carbonTSEX

With AWD you're suppose to replace all the tires to keep the tread depth identical. The dealer should have replaced them all. You have uneven grip with your current setup.

dregsfan

I moved the new tires to the rear, and the grip when turning corners on wet roads is better now. Not as good as I'd like it to be, but tolerable.

LNJ

I haven't rotated my tires since 2014 and the thread depth is the same on all 4.
The SH-AWD may be front biased but when you accelerate, power shifts to the back so really it shouldn't wear more on the front than in the rear.
How often has someone chirped their front tires during acceleration from a stop?
I've never done it even when I've tried to push it hard!

2Blueyam

With the forward weight bias of the TL and SH-AWD I would think the front tires would wear a bit faster if you are someone that enjoys higher cornering loads. This would be even more true if you are using trail braking techniques, as that would transfer even more weight to the front.

VanyDotK

iTrader: (6)

Actually it's the opposite, you should be running newer/better tires in the rear of your car not the front. I thought the same thing since our cars make most of the power in the front wheels I figured new tires should be mounted in front to help wear them evenly.

See this video


On another note, OP if you're looking for tire recommendations, I recommend Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. They're probably the best tires I've ever had.

carbonTSEX

It is possible to chirp the tires while shifting. My buddy has done it on his 6spd manual, however that is with traction control off on his SHawd.

KarKraze

With the stock tires (practically brand new) my car will chirp the fronts easily. With the Pilot Super Sport, not at all. Type of tire will make a big difference.

CurrentDraw

The video is correct that new tires should be put on the rear regarding safety. Honda and a few other manufacturers have news articles recommending installing new tires on the rear as it can deliver the best overall handling on wet roads but has nothing to do with tire wear.

On a fwd vehicle the powered axle will always wear the tires at a faster rate than the tires on the dead axle at the rear as it is disconnected from the drivetrain. Simply driving the fwd powered axle in a normal fashion will wear the fronts faster as it happens to be under load/torque as compared to the rear tires which are free rotating. One doesn't necessarily have to do a peel out - burn out to wear out tires any faster, they will wear out at different rates even under normal driving conditions.

This is a common argument in the automotive industry. Do you wanna be safe or keep your wallet safer

As mentioned in the previous posts by members above, on shawd vehicles which are front biased will wear the fronts at a quicker rate so it would be wise to rotate them regularly.

dregsfan

As of now I have no plans to buy 4 new tires. Moving the new tires to the rear made the wet cornering under power acceptable.

I would consider the Michelins, but I'd probably go with the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus, for their better ride quality and superior wet road ability, according to Tire Rack's testing.

Tire Rack comparison test:
Tire Test Results : Does the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ Have What It Takes to Be a Top Performer?

simplemonk

There is a Technical Service Bulletin from Acura which talks about cars pulling to the right on flat straight road in spite of being properly aligned and with good tires. I have the problem and have been to Acura to solve the problem. Despite them having done the recall, my car continues to pull to the right. Acura blames the problem on the fact that I have directional tires on the car (New General G-Max) and suggests that I buy 4 new tires which aren't directional. I have sent the case to the PA. Attorney General's Office as nobody wants to own this one. IMHO, I believe that it will come down to unusually touchy front end tire hypersensitivity which is essentially a design flaw.

fryrice

^ mind providing that TSB about the car pulling to the right?

dregsfan

A couple of months ago I replaced the OEM Michelins, with had front and rear pairs at 2 different tread depths when I bought the car, with 4 Pirelli PZero All Season Plus. The squirrely wet cornering, which I suspected was caused by the different tread depths front and rear, is gone. The Pirellis are an excellent tire. Considerably better cornering ability than the OEM Michelins, maybe a bit quieter, and don't seem to have more than a slight, if any, increase in rolling resistance. Plus they are much less pricey than the OEM Michelins, and a little cheaper than the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. My local tire shop even had them for a few $ less than Tire Rack