Worn tires to the front?

[Sal Lubrano]

I was reading an article in Road and track about a woman who went to get three tire replaced (the other was replace two years ago) and her husband told her to have the older tire moved to the rear. This is on a front wheel drive car. Michelin told her that the worn tires are supose to be placed in the front which is the industry's standard. The explaination was if you had a rear blowout you will have an unpredictiable oversteer but if a front tire blows out you will have a heavy understeer which can be controled better. Does everyone agree with this article? I would think your steering tires should be the best always and a front wheel drive car is even more reason to have your good tires in the front. You learn something new every day even if you don't agree with it.

 

[Boost231]

i think worn tires should go in the rear on a front wheel drive. i would like to keep my good tires up front.

 

[GNTIM]

I used to always put the new tires on the front, even if it was not FWD... unless the car had a posi.

 

[TurboDave]

I have seen on many automotive related test programs that a rear blowout is far worse for car control than a front one. When a rear one blows the rear starts swinging around (same affect as severe oversteer) and is extremely difficult to control.
Front blowouts can be steered through.

 

[RUQWKNF]

I've also always been told on FWD cars, to put the more worn tires on the front, unless the tread depth is so bad that the car will easily hydroplane in the rain. Then it's just time for some new tires period. Agreed, on the rear tire blow out severe over steer issue.

Years ago coming back from Hub City after drag racing my Sunbird GT Turbo, I got into a nice hwy encounter with a CBR600. Thankfully the bike rider was cognizant enough to look at my car while we were playing at 135 mph (No speed limiter on the Bird) and notice that my right rear tire was almost flat. He flagged me down and as I was slowing down and getting ready to pull over, the tire completely went flat and the rear end started to come around. Thankfully I got it stopped after some very good driving corrections and pulled over just in time. That was definitely a feeling I've never forgot. Someone was really watching over me that day. The Sunbird was only a 14.20 car at the time but it was enough to really surprise the mess out of the 600s' driver. He was cool tho, even stopped and helped. That was back in '93.

Patrick