In the line up to my stage 2, I have been going around and trying to sort things out. One thing I need to address is the tyres.

 

On the front I have rainsport 2's and on the rear I have mix match which are terrible. So the idea was to get another set of rainsports and put them on the front and the older ones on the rear.

 

But is this the best tyre for the power? and what would the balance be like if I mixed matched?

Rule of thumb. Always put new tyres on the rear. Rain sports are excellent.

Rule of thumb. Always put new tyres on the rear. Rain sports are excellent.

 

interesting you say that, as my tyre guy always put the new rubber on the front....

 

I try to never mix match tyres as a rule, and definitely not on the front.

Edited 15 July, 201312 yr by mac11irl

I have rainsport 2s in a 215/35/19

Very pleased with them.... Maybe a little let go in the dry on take off but nowt major

But damp and wet they shine... ( dave knows )

Either way

Car has remained up rite and intact lol

For now

Why put the new rubber on the rear? Since it doesn't ware as quickly I thought it would be the new stuff on the front?

Maybe cos the rears ud pop on the front are scrubbed in and then ware down

In a weird way keeping u from needing 4 at a time as ud always rince ur fronts ?

Thats what im guessing

The reason to put the new tyres on the rear is this. It's much safer to have more rear end grip. With new tyres on the rear this is what you will get. With the new tyres on the front you will push harder with the new found grip. Until such time as oversteer rears it's ugly head. Can be exiting and fun. But often ends in tears !

Yup as above!

Better to understeer at the front than the back end snap out!

Buy them 4 at a time?

Then fresh shiny rubber goodness on all corners.

Just rotate the wheels to keep the wear even across the four.

I've seen so many (Front wheel drive) cars with ancient tyres on the rear

discoloured, cracked, dry & brittle looking. Yet on the front the tyres are

much newer looking. Just laziness imo, doesn't take much effort to switch

the wheels around or if you CBA then chuck a tenner at a tyre fitter on a day  

when they are quiet and get them to switch the wheels around.

Otherwise your rears will most likely out live the fronts 3-1

leaving you with crusty old perishing tyres on the back.  

In my younger days most cars seemed to be rwd (My first 5 cars were) and

we had rears that wore quicker. I used to go down to tescos car park and

switch wheels around about twice a year.   

Blow outs on the rear are harder to keep control of. New tyres on rear less chance of a blow out from fatique.

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I personally always run new branded up front for grip steering etc & cheaper or mid range tyres on the rear & never had an issue. I do run a summer & winter set now as all rounders can struggle with the colder winters we have. 

 

But, like you guys I have been told the best way to run tyres in always put the newer tyres on tyres rear, most is down to personal preference.

I will go with the group bias and swap the new ones to the rear. Just ordered them so they will go in on Wednesday.

The new tyres on the rear idea is to help maintain back end grip when the rear tyres are unloaded under braking.

Plus, you keep rotating through tyres by placing the older ones on the front so that they then wear their tread out before they get old and cracked.

Admittedly the last last paragraph doesn't apply to RWD cars but the braking bit still does.

I've had front tyres replaced and the new ones have been out on the back but a lot of places don't bother, I guess simply because in practice it's not really going to put you in a ditch.

Blow outs on the rear are harder to keep control of. New tyres on rear less chance of a blow out from fatique.

Sent from my iPhone 4s

 

I'd say you have that the wrong way around. A blow-out on the rear of a FWD car isn't that dramatic, but a blow-out on the front is scary as hell (steering and braking is severely effected).

 

I understand the theory behind putting new tyres on the back to reduce over-steer, but personally I'd prefer to have better front end grip (better braking performance, better traction while accelerating, more responsive steering etc).