NICKTL

my front tires are balding and i was wondering if i should switch the better back tires to the front. was reading on here that it is best to keep the better tread tires in the back even though we have fwd. is this true? thanks

Bareback

Never heard that for a FWD - it is always better in cases like this to move the better tires to the front. If the current front tires are balding (in bad shape) I would suggest getting new ones.

NICKTL

if the wallet could i would by new ones. trying to hold out till the winter time and then i am going to get some winter rubber and then get some hp summer tires next year.

Bareback

Putting the weight over the drive wheels in front wheel drive cars cause there is more to traction than straight-line performance. Tires can only provide a finite amount of grip. This grip must be divided between acceleration, braking and cornering. Whenever some grip is used for accelerating, there is less grip available for cornering traction. With front wheel drive cars, the majority of cornering traction and all acceleration traction must be carried by the front tires. Try to accelerate too hard on a corner and the car will understeer (balding tires? you in trouble) - the front end tries to push straight ahead.

Bareback

This should be in the: Tires, Wheels & Suspension Forum

NICKTL

thought so too about the good tread on the front tires. but i read on here that even the manufactures state to put new tires on the back. maybe i read it wrong. can someone enlighten me?

NICKTL

opps my bad forgot that we had that forum.

BloodFart

Sooo incredibly incorrect.

In ANY drivetrain configuration, such as AWD, 4WD, FWD, RWD, one logic stands true; the front tires provide steering and the rear tires provide stability.

With balding rear tires and good front tires, imagine a situation where the vehicle is entering a curve. As the front tires point the car in the desired direction, the rear tires MUST provide appropriate traction, thus stability, through the corner.

If the rear tires can not provide optimum stability, then the rear of the vehicle will snap out. Ever had the ass-end snap out on you? It doesn't happen gradually, especially in FWD vehicles, not to mention it's a lot harder to control the spin-out. 99.9% of the public will NOT be able to catch this spin-out in time, much less control it.

Now imagine good tires in the rear and balding tires in the front. Same situation, going into a corner. The front tires can not provide enough traction to point the car in the desired direction. In this case, the driver can feel the car plow into the corner, which is understeer. The majority of the public, contrary to a sudden rear-end snap-out, CAN feel this and control it much more easily -- simply by braking input and slowing the car down to a speed where the front tires CAN provide enough traction to enter the corner.

With stability from the rear tires, you can control undesirable steering characteristics in the front tires. However, without stability, there is no cornering.

Simple as that. New tires ALWAYS go in the back, regardless of drivetrain configuration.

Bareback

I stand corrected

NICKTL

thanks BloodFart (love the name) for the clarifying that for me. i guess i will just ride it out till i get my snow shoes.