Do any of you rotate your (car) tyres?

Forums › Off topic › Do any of you rotate your (car) tyres?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#742130 9-Jan-2013 11:39

New tyres on the front or back has already been extensively discussed on GZ

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=107923

Personal opinions abound, the majority consensus amongst the industry and 'experts' is that the new tyres should for the average motorist best be placed on the rear.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/choosing/basics.html#tyres

"Most tyre manufacturers recommend placing the tyres with the best grip and cornering power - new tyres - at the rear, whether the car is front or rear wheel drive. Fitting new tyres to the front can result in oversteer and loss of control."

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742132 9-Jan-2013 11:40

They also say our driver training is adequate

Hammerer

2480 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 802

Lifetime subscriber

#742133 9-Jan-2013 11:42

I have always rotated from front to rear and paired tires on each axle. The front tires wear more on the outer side due to more of the cornering pressure being on the outer edge of the tire on the outside of the turn. When I move them to the back axle I can get many additional months of use as the wear is spread more evenly there.

The only reason I don't rotate is if I have cheap tires on the front and expensive tires on the back. I hated the feel of cheap tires on the front as I can feel the lower traction which can lead to wheelspin on my 3.5L FWD. But I've got used to it and it has saved us a lot of money.

For safety, I put the best quality tires on the back rather than the newest. I'm not concerned about the front tires losing traction while cornering as they're taking most of the weight of the car. I am concerned about the rear end floating across the road.

If a pair have worn differently, I often keep the better casing to later use it to replace a tire that has worn out faster than the other in a pair. In general, the right front tire tends to wear faster as it is usual for left hand turns to be sharper than right hand turns.

I always inflate my tires at daytime temperatures to a couple of kPa over the recommendation. I like a firmer ride. It reduces tire wear particularly on the outside edges. A small pressure loss from a leak or drop in temperature will mean that I won't drop too far below the recommended pressures where tire wear, noise, etc rise substantially.

RunningMan

9186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4840

#742137 9-Jan-2013 11:47

From my reading of this thread, it would appear the new on the front vs rear situation relates to two quite different driving situations.

The new on back seems to relate primarily to the scenario of moderate to high speed driving in heavy rain and/or heavy standing water. It is generally accepted that the average driver can recover easier from understeer than oversteer (hence why modern cars are generally set up to understeer at their handling limits), so ensuring that the rear stays gripping the road helps with ensuring understeer.

On the other hand, having your best performing tyres on the front, doing the driving, steering, and braking would also appear to have merit, albeit in completely different driving situations and weather conditions. In an urban environment, the ability to stop or manoeuvre quickly at low to moderate speed places more of the load on the front tyres (as the weight moves forward under deceleration), and there is a reduced likelihood of rear aquaplaning or oversteer due to the lower initial speed.

It would appear that each setup has pros and cons, and whichever is chosen will be a compromise in some areas.

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742138 9-Jan-2013 11:47

If your are wearing the outside all the time you need to alter either your pressure or alignment. Factory does not suit all

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#742147 9-Jan-2013 11:54

TheUngeek: They also say our driver training is adequate

It was just a local example. Google the topic, you will see most agree that new on the rear is typically best for the average motorist.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742150 9-Jan-2013 11:58

And you will also find many disagreeing

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#742198 9-Jan-2013 12:39

TheUngeek: And you will also find many disagreeing

...suum cuique (to each his own)

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#742225 9-Jan-2013 13:19

TheUngeek: Can't call it fact if it can't be backed up.

More weight on the front is yet another reason for having newer tyres there.

I'm not going to spend time simply rehashing what a Google search will tell you. You clearly don't share my view or the industry view - you're welcome to your opinion, and it doesn't look like you'll be changing it no matter what any of us say.

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742228 9-Jan-2013 13:21

Correct. Unless a proper test and study can be shown. As stated before all the ones I've been shown before have nothing applicable to nz

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#742250 9-Jan-2013 13:41

TheUngeek: Correct. Unless a proper test and study can be shown. As stated before all the ones I've been shown before have nothing applicable to nz

Seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSz7cm6MwH0

I have picked up countless dead bodies from the side of the road, some because they couldn't follow some basic common sense and recommendations about their tyres (including crap tyres fitted to the rear).

I respect your opinion, and I trust you will not have to ever discover differently first hand, but I have seen the results of bad rear tyres, the vast majority of experts in my field (following practical testing such as in this video) and the vehicle industry now agree, new on rear is now considered best industry practice.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742256 9-Jan-2013 13:43

So you have specifically seen lots of crashes cause by rearwards exit of the car?
I'd be keen to see investigation reports of such incidents

TheUngeek

924 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 35
Inactive user

#742259 9-Jan-2013 13:47

I've seen that clip. Please explain to me how it has any resemblance to nz conditions.
As I mentioned before America is quite different.

DoggNZ

437 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 9
Inactive user

#742272 9-Jan-2013 14:10

TheUngeek: I've seen that clip. Please explain to me how it has any resemblance to nz conditions.
As I mentioned before America is quite different.

Jeez, what decade is that vid from? It's hard to tell with Americans sometimes. Also...is that a male or female??

Hammerer

2480 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 802

Lifetime subscriber

#742312 9-Jan-2013 15:08

TheUngeek: If your are wearing the outside all the time you need to alter either your pressure or alignment. Factory does not suit all

Yeah, I know what you mean. If I drive sedately then I never see any difference.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4