I will be getting two new tyres for my 2000 A3, as the front wheels treads
are wearing. A friend said that new tyres are best on the rear wheels (even
irrespective of whether FWD or RWD). Is this true or a myth?

Cheers

 

> I will be getting two new tyres for my 2000 A3, as the front wheels treads
> are wearing. A friend said that new tyres are best on the rear wheels
(even
> irrespective of whether FWD or RWD). Is this true or a myth?
>
> Cheers

it's true.

if you're running e.g. at 40mph on the freeway and your rear wheel breaks,
ther is no way avoiding a serious accident. If It's the front wheel, you
have at least a chanche handling with the new sitiation...
so best wheels belong to the rear!

HTH
Rainer

 

> I will be getting two new tyres for my 2000 A3, as the front wheels treads
> are wearing. A friend said that new tyres are best on the rear wheels
(even
> irrespective of whether FWD or RWD). Is this true or a myth?
>
> Cheers

it's true.

if you're running e.g. at 40mph on the freeway and your rear wheel breaks,
ther is no way avoiding a serious accident. If It's the front wheel, you
have at least a chanche handling with the new sitiation...
so best wheels belong to the rear!

HTH
Rainer

 

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 11:48:30 +0200, Rainer Hausbach wrote:

>> I will be getting two new tyres for my 2000 A3, as the front wheels treads
>> are wearing. A friend said that new tyres are best on the rear wheels
> (even
>> irrespective of whether FWD or RWD). Is this true or a myth?
>>
>> Cheers
>
> it's true.
>
> if you're running e.g. at 40mph on the freeway and your rear wheel breaks,
> ther is no way avoiding a serious accident. If It's the front wheel, you
> have at least a chanche handling with the new sitiation...
> so best wheels belong to the rear!

I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
(i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?

--
Juhan Leemet
Logicognosis, Inc.

 

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 11:48:30 +0200, Rainer Hausbach wrote:

>> I will be getting two new tyres for my 2000 A3, as the front wheels treads
>> are wearing. A friend said that new tyres are best on the rear wheels
> (even
>> irrespective of whether FWD or RWD). Is this true or a myth?
>>
>> Cheers
>
> it's true.
>
> if you're running e.g. at 40mph on the freeway and your rear wheel breaks,
> ther is no way avoiding a serious accident. If It's the front wheel, you
> have at least a chanche handling with the new sitiation...
> so best wheels belong to the rear!

I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
(i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?

--
Juhan Leemet
Logicognosis, Inc.

 

Juhan Leemet wrote:
>
> I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
> American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
> (i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
> However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
> much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
> that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?

I would agree with this. I've had blowouts on both front and rear
tires, and the front-tire blowout was much more difficult to control.
I'd say you want your best tires on the front with any kind of car, but
*especially* a front-wheel-drive.

--
Mike Smith

 

Juhan Leemet wrote:
>
> I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
> American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
> (i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
> However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
> much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
> that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?

I would agree with this. I've had blowouts on both front and rear
tires, and the front-tire blowout was much more difficult to control.
I'd say you want your best tires on the front with any kind of car, but
*especially* a front-wheel-drive.

--
Mike Smith

 

Mike Smith wrote:

> Juhan Leemet wrote:
>
>>
>> I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
>> American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
>> (i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
>> However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
>> much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
>> that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?
>
>
> I would agree with this. I've had blowouts on both front and rear
> tires, and the front-tire blowout was much more difficult to control.
> I'd say you want your best tires on the front with any kind of car, but
> *especially* a front-wheel-drive.

No way José. Losing traction on fronts may cause problems with
direction, but you'll stay pointed roughly where you want to go. Losing
grip on the rears can easily cause you to swap ends when trying to stop.

The positive side of this is that rally drivers exploit the phenomenon
in order to corner faster - they set the brake bias more to the rear so
that the back end becomes unstable under braking (and threatens to spin
the car). This allows the car to be (quickly) pointed in the right
direction much earlier in the corner than is usually possible with
"consumer-type" brake balance. You have to be used to it, of course, if
you want to keep the car on the road

/Robert

 

Mike Smith wrote:

> Juhan Leemet wrote:
>
>>
>> I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on an
>> American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
>> (i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
>> However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
>> much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
>> that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?
>
>
> I would agree with this. I've had blowouts on both front and rear
> tires, and the front-tire blowout was much more difficult to control.
> I'd say you want your best tires on the front with any kind of car, but
> *especially* a front-wheel-drive.

No way José. Losing traction on fronts may cause problems with
direction, but you'll stay pointed roughly where you want to go. Losing
grip on the rears can easily cause you to swap ends when trying to stop.

The positive side of this is that rally drivers exploit the phenomenon
in order to corner faster - they set the brake bias more to the rear so
that the back end becomes unstable under braking (and threatens to spin
the car). This allows the car to be (quickly) pointed in the right
direction much earlier in the corner than is usually possible with
"consumer-type" brake balance. You have to be used to it, of course, if
you want to keep the car on the road

/Robert

 

"Mike Smith" <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> wrote in message
news:10i4mv64ucrv821@news.supernews.com...
> Juhan Leemet wrote:
> >
> > I guess I don't understand this. I've experienced a flat rear tire (on
an
> > American rear wheel drive car many years ago): the car started to "swim"
> > (i.e. oversteer?). I guess it's like throwing an anchor out the back?
> > However, if a front tire/wheel were to go I would think you would be in
> > much more trouble? When the car slows down, it pitches forward. Wouldn't
> > that cause the car to spin? Does FWD or AWD make it work differently?
>
> I would agree with this. I've had blowouts on both front and rear
> tires, and the front-tire blowout was much more difficult to control.
> I'd say you want your best tires on the front with any kind of car, but
> *especially* a front-wheel-drive.

The precise opposite.

While I've only experienced one blow-out (FWD car, braking heavily at 60mph
down a 1:6 hill on a tight right-hand bend, left front blew. Fun..), the
whole idea of a car swapping-ends while I'm trying to work out what's going
on is.. frightening.

Having had the equivalent happen to me (stuck brake bias valve in a new
Citroen AX GT), I can confirm that wrestling a car with locked rear wheels
(same as bald tyres, if you see what I mean!) while some part is doing a
720* in front of you is.. distracting, at best.

If you want a /really/ fun afternoon, add a throttle that stuck to the floor
the first time that it was used in anger (I was still running/"breaking"
in..)

Anyway.

In general, understeer (even unexpected) is easier to deal with than
oversteer. If you fit grippy tyres to the front, and skates to the back,
then you're going to get oversteer. Even in an [old] Mini, where the rear
wheels are then solely to stop you scraping the chrome off of the bumper.

*Always* fit new tyres to the rear, then (as soon as money allows) replace
the front. Particularly on FWD cars, where the weight transfer under braking
will leave the rear *seriously* light.

--

Hairy One Kenobi

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this opinion do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the highly-opinionated person expressing the opinion
in the first place. So there!