Tyre Rotation

[Scuba_do]

I've just had two new tyres fitted to replace the worn ones on the front. However, the dealer insisted on swapping the back tyres to the front 'for safety reasons'. Since the two back tyres are mismatched - one of the tyres was shredded by a piece of metal on the road last year and I was unable to get a matching tyre at the local tyre dealer who responded to the call, I can't see how this could possibly be safer.

Any ideas why the dealer should insist on doing this?

[Chrispb]

Don't know what planet he's on
Always have the matching tyres on the front.

[insanitybeard]

I think it's got something to do with the new tyres on the back having more tread and being in better condition than old/ part worn tyres and therefore being less likely to aquaplane/ skid in wet conditions than worn tyres, the reasoning being that loss of traction at the back end and the resulting oversteer is more likely to cause loss of control and a crash than a bit of understeer from the front.

[gregers]

i too was recently told this,i thought it was a load of bolder dash,but when i went and got my new tyres put on over christmas there was a big ole notice with all the info plastered up on the wall.

[Mirez]

That's good advice although insisting it be done is a little weird!

Ideally tyres of the same make would be on the axle but what you really don't want is a high grip front and a low grip back. With a front wheel drive car and a real world loss of control situation, under-steer is much more controllable than oversteer.

[Chrispb]

Its not all about grip though, low tread or close to the limit tyres have to be more prone to puncturing and wall damage, high speed blowouts on the front can be pretty frightening, on the rear hardly noticeable.
I know where I'm keeping my best tyres.

[Scuba_do]

There's still plenty of tread on the rear tyres but I was concerned that they are of two different makes.  When I had to replace one tyre due to damage, I was told that both tyres on an axle should be replaced if there was a need to replace one of them - at Ã,£150 each! Not something that I could afford at the time.

The recent tyres were replaced at Costco and it is company policy to always move rear tyres to the front when replacing front tyres.

[bigdave982]

There's still plenty of tread on the rear tyres but I was concerned that they are of two different makes.  When I had to replace one tyre due to damage, I was told that both tyres on an axle should be replaced if there was a need to replace one of them - at Ã,£150 each! Not something that I could afford at the time.

The recent tyres were replaced at Costco and it is company policy to always move rear tyres to the front when replacing front tyres.

Rubbish!!so long as they have the correct load rating and the numbers are right you can have 4different makes if you like
There is a case for sticking new tyres on the steering/drive axle ,obviosly depending on tread level, but i always suspect its got more to do with wearing tyres out quicker and selling more

[Tezerez]

Costco's insistence on putting new tyres at the rear lost them me as a customer.
The rear tyres last so long on front drivers you can see how hard they (don't) have to work.

When it is snowing, I know where I need the best tyres with the best tread, and it isn't following along at the rear!