For a FWD car, if you replace just two tires, should the new tires be mounted on the front axle or rear?

[OS]

every reputable vendor/manufacturer I've ever seen says to put the newest tires on the rear no matter what the driven wheels are.


"When tires are replaced in pairs in situations like these, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the worn tires moved to the front."

tire rack article


"Next time you buy two new tires, insist that they go on the rear, not the front of your car. It doesn't matter if it's an all-, front-, or rear-wheel-drive car: Always put the fresh ones on the back."

motor trend article

 

[MixMasterTang]

Goodyear says the following on their website:

When radial tires are used with bias or bias belted tires on the same car, the radials must always be placed on the rear axle. Never mix radial and bias-ply tires on the same axle. When you select a pair of replacement tires in the same size and construction as those on the car, we recommend you put them on the rear axle. A single new tire should be paired on the rear axle with the tire having the most tread depth of the other three.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Sphexi
FWD cars are very front heavy, most cars are actually. If you start to slip on ice, if you let up off the gas/brakes the car will naturally straighten out, as long as you have traction in the front. I've driven in the NE for years, on FWD and RWD vehicles, if you have crappy traction in the front you won't be able to stop, go forward, or steer properly, no matter how awesome the back end sticks to the ground.

Yeah, I'm sure Michelin, one of the largest tire manufacturing companies in the world, has it all wrong and that you are correct. :roll:

I'm sure Michelin never makes mistakes

Yeah, especially when it comes to investing millions and millions of dollars in racing R&D in all kinds of weather and driving surfaces. I'm sure that a lifer from ATOT, who may have driven a few years on prepared (i.e. salted) roads in winter weather, has much more driving/racing experience.

 

[ub4me]

Here is one more article to support. Read under "Tire Placement".

 

[thomsbrain]

if you can drive, put them on the front.

if you can't drive, put them on the rear.

some places refuse to put them on the front for liability reasons. i can understand their concern, but i take my buisness elsewhere if they won't put them on the front.

my commute takes me up and over what is essentially a Pacific coast rain-forest, and it RAINS there, and sometimes snows, too. the road is fast, steep, sharp, dangerous, and doesn't drain well. you get rivers running length-wise down the road, where at 50 MPH the front tires can lose traction just pulling you up the hill. steep downhill sections lead into decreasing radius turns with no visibility and uneven grades that frequently put even passenger cars on their roofs. the roadway is covered on every turn with deep ruts from roofs scraping.

you do this for a couple years and you learn to drive miles at a time flirting with the edge of adhesion. and i'm here to tell you, as long as you are capable of riding the limits of adhesion, you'll want the tires on the front. you'll get there faster and safer. if you have ABS and stability control, i'd put them on the front, too. you'll be better able to control the car using the steering and gas, and, because most cars UNDERSTEER, you can AFFORD to have "less" traction at the rear without actually sacraficing total grip. you get the most average grip for all situations by putting them on the front. however, if you either drive a car that doesn't communicate well, or you can't deal with a car that is actively hydroplaning, then you'll want them on the rear, because you'll be less likely to lock the brakes when you panic, the one instance where having them on the rear helps. yes, for the average fool, the rear will be safer, and companies have no way of knowing who is a fool and who isn't. so obviously they will recommend that tires always be placed on the rear. but personally, i'll take more grip, please.

 

[gsethi]

if you know how to drive, put them on the front otherwise put them on rear.

Companies will ofcourse say rear b/c they want to take the safest route and not have any liabilities and/or people suing them b/c they dont know how to drive properly.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Actually, you should put them on the rear. Newer tires should always go on the rear to prevent oversteer.

Just curious, how worn are the tires you aren't replacing?

Where do I install new tires if I only buy two?
If you're replacing only two tires, be sure to have them installed on your vehicle's rear axle. New tires will provide better grip than your half-worn tires and when they are installed on the rear that helps reduce the potential for your vehicle to fishtail or hydroplane in wet conditions.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: gsethi
if you know how to drive, put them on the front otherwise put them on rear.

Companies will ofcourse say rear b/c they want to take the safest route and not have any liabilities and/or people suing them b/c they dont know how to drive properly.

That and it is easyer to sell more tires that way because the 2 new ones on the rear are praticel pointless.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you can drive, put them on the front.

if you can't drive, put them on the rear.

some places refuse to put them on the front for liability reasons. i can understand their concern, but i take my buisness elsewhere if they won't put them on the front.

my commute takes me up and over what is essentially a Pacific coast rain-forest, and it RAINS there, and sometimes snows, too. the road is fast, steep, sharp, dangerous, and doesn't drain well. you get rivers running length-wise down the road, where at 50 MPH the front tires can lose traction just pulling you up the hill. steep downhill sections lead into decreasing radius turns with no visibility and uneven grades that frequently put even passenger cars on their roofs. the roadway is covered on every turn with deep ruts from roofs scraping.

you do this for a couple years and you learn to drive miles at a time flirting with the edge of adhesion. and i'm here to tell you, as long as you are capable of riding the limits of adhesion, you'll want the tires on the front. you'll get there faster and safer. if you have ABS and stability control, i'd put them on the front, too. you'll be better able to control the car using the steering and gas, and, because most cars UNDERSTEER, you can AFFORD to have "less" traction at the rear without actually sacraficing total grip. you get the most average grip for all situations by putting them on the front. however, if you either drive a car that doesn't communicate well, or you can't deal with a car that is actively hydroplaning, then you'll want them on the rear, because you'll be less likely to lock the brakes when you panic, the one instance where having them on the rear helps. yes, for the average fool, the rear will be safer, and companies have no way of knowing who is a fool and who isn't. so obviously they will recommend that tires always be placed on the rear. but personally, i'll take more grip, please.

I've seen a guy hydroplane out of control in a pickup truck and smash into a gaurdrail at 50+mph. When a car loses the rear end it is much more difficult to control.

Personally, if there's that much difference between the tread on the new tires and the old ones I'd just replace them all.

 

[getbush]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you can drive, put them on the front.

if you can't drive, put them on the rear.

some places refuse to put them on the front for liability reasons. i can understand their concern, but i take my buisness elsewhere if they won't put them on the front.

my commute takes me up and over what is essentially a Pacific coast rain-forest, and it RAINS there, and sometimes snows, too. the road is fast, steep, sharp, dangerous, and doesn't drain well. you get rivers running length-wise down the road, where at 50 MPH the front tires can lose traction just pulling you up the hill. steep downhill sections lead into decreasing radius turns with no visibility and uneven grades that frequently put even passenger cars on their roofs. the roadway is covered on every turn with deep ruts from roofs scraping.

you do this for a couple years and you learn to drive miles at a time flirting with the edge of adhesion. and i'm here to tell you, as long as you are capable of riding the limits of adhesion, you'll want the tires on the front. you'll get there faster and safer. if you have ABS and stability control, i'd put them on the front, too. you'll be better able to control the car using the steering and gas, and, because most cars UNDERSTEER, you can AFFORD to have "less" traction at the rear without actually sacraficing total grip. you get the most average grip for all situations by putting them on the front. however, if you either drive a car that doesn't communicate well, or you can't deal with a car that is actively hydroplaning, then you'll want them on the rear, because you'll be less likely to lock the brakes when you panic, the one instance where having them on the rear helps. yes, for the average fool, the rear will be safer, and companies have no way of knowing who is a fool and who isn't. so obviously they will recommend that tires always be placed on the rear. but personally, i'll take more grip, please.

Hi. Most american commutes do not involve a rally stage-like mountain climb through a coastal rainforest. We don't drive "at the limits of adhesion" day in and day out, and I shudder to think what would happen if a signficant number of people did so on a daily basis. We all applaud your driving experience and skills though. The 99% of us who are "fools" by your definition need the new tires in the back, or better yet 4 new at the same time. Thanks

edit: oh and the answer to the problems you describe on that stretch of road would probably be, slow down to a speed appropriate for road conditions

 

[Kenazo]

Wow, I sure didn't know that the new ones should go in the back!

Learn something new every day.

 

[randay]

As long as the engine is spinning its squirting in gasoline to the cylinders!