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Tyre Rotation



Eddie.

Eddie.

I did a quick search but all I could find was a rotation question regarding track-day tyres.

More of a general wondering than something I need/want to do, but tyre rotation on a FWD car, good or bad idea?

I was having a quick check of tyre tread depth today, and I have about 3-4mm across the front wheels (very approximate). When checking the back I naturally had more, about 5-6mm of tread, I know some manufacturers actually recommend tyre rotation, but could I swap the front and rears without any adverse effects?

Would the more worn tyres on the rear cause excessive/any oversteer (under normal driving conditions, I don't hoon it everywhere!) or would it cause any other issues?
 
Ian_s

Ian_s

  E46 M3
I swap mine every couple of months. This means theres never a big difference between two to avoid any possible oversteer issues.


I think you'll be fine swapping them but don't come running to me if you've parked it in a hedge!
 
Pete.M

Pete.M

  Ph1 ITB'd 172
TheKid said:
Your point being?

I have tread on both, I was asking about rotation to keep the tread wear equal front and rear?
Click to expand...

You were but you also asked...

TheKid said:
Would the more worn tyres on the rear cause excessive/any oversteer (under normal driving conditions, I don't hoon it everywhere!) or would it cause any other issues?
Click to expand...

And it shouldn't make a difference (in the dry) is the answer.


And I have and would rotate my tyres happily.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

TheEvilGiraffe said:
Tread is there to displace water.........
Click to expand...

Pete.M said:
What he said. The level of 'tread' on a tyre (from new to 1.6mm) should make no difference to grip on a dry road.
Click to expand...

I forgot we live in Arizona!!! FFS :banghead:

This is England people! I appreciate in dry conditions, it will effect me in almost no way, but dry conditions are not all we get in case you havn't noticed.

Normal driving conditions to me is wet/dry/damp

Extreme is very hot/very cold/icy/snowy

So my original question stands, will it have a profound negative effect on the cars handling over day to day driving?
 
Pete.M

Pete.M

  Ph1 ITB'd 172
TheKid said:
I forgot we live in Arizona!!! FFS :banghead:

This is England people! I appreciate in dry conditions, it will effect me in almost no way, but dry conditions are not all we get in case you havn't noticed.

Normal driving conditions to me is wet/dry/damp

Extreme is very hot/very cold/icy/snowy

So my original question stands, will it have a profound negative effect on the cars handling over day to day driving?
Click to expand...

It won't make a difference unless you are driving through standing water just do it and quit your b**ching! :)
 
MRBILLYUK

MRBILLYUK

ClioSport Club Member
  FF Jeden Osiem Dwa
The best tyres should always be on the back . If you had to brake hard , especially in the wet and your rear tyres had little tread then the back end of the car will want to overtake the front of the car as the front tyres will grip and rears will want to slide due to lack of grip . I know from experience lol . But it's also recommended by tyre manufacturers . When i buy new tyres , in a pair , i always move the rears to the front and have the new tyres fitted to the back . This way it also prolongs the interval that you change the tyres .

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/4243992
 
Last edited:
Eddie.

Eddie.

MRBILLYUK said:
The best tyres should always be on the back . If you were to break hard and your rear tyres had little tread then the back end of the car will want to overtake the front of the car . I know from experience lol . But it's also recommended by tyre manufacturers . When i buy new tyres , in a pair , i always move the rears to the front and have the new tyres fitted to the back . This way it also prolongs the interval that you change the tyres .

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52
Click to expand...

The interval between changing the tyres isn't a problem, but cheers mate.

Nick172Cup said:
With your tread depth no it won't..
Click to expand...

Thankyou, simple question, simple answer.

All that was needed.
 
Gally

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
Maybe for safety but not for handling on a FWD car. Anyone who says otherwise is just being silly. Grip is required at the front of a FWD car.

Oh I would also add that the shape of the tyre on the front after considerable mileage is different to the shape on the back. I'd love to find that report/programme I watched on that by Michelin. Superb watch.
 
G

Goodj

  Listerine & Poledo
Tyres rotate under normal use anyway

Especially JK Tyres, they're the premier rotational tyre opf the Indian subcontinent IIRC
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

gally said:
Maybe for safety but not for handling on a FWD car. Anyone who says otherwise is just being silly. Grip is required at the front of a FWD car.

Oh I would also add that the shape of the tyre on the front after considerable mileage is different to the shape on the back. I'd love to find that report/programme I watched on that by Michelin. Superb watch.
Click to expand...

You mean the overall diameter of the tyre & wheel is smaller due to reduced tread?!

Or is that not what you mean?
 
Gally

Gally

Formerly Mashed up egg in a cup
ClioSport Club Member
TheKid said:
You mean the overall diameter of the tyre & wheel is smaller due to reduced tread?!

Or is that not what you mean?
Click to expand...

Just the shape of the tread, I can't remember the in's and out's of it.
 
Jon.G

Jon.G

Like Mr Billy said, I'd always have the better set on the rear, unless for some reason the car tramlines with a certain pair being on the front. IE mine.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52

That suggests that tyre rotation on a FWD car is a bad idea, the vehicle may lean on the oversteer side of things, I would sooner have understeer on public roads tbh!

Yet some people are saying there should be more tread on the front as it's the driving axle...

I think it would be fair to say that I should leave it as it is, and replace the front set when they wear out. Then put the new set on the rear and the part worns on the front. (Although I can't do this as PE2's are no longer available so I would have to replace the entire set)
 
recaro182

recaro182

  BMW M6 & 172 Phase 1
TheKid said:
That suggests that tyre rotation on a FWD car is a bad idea, the vehicle may lean on the oversteer side of things, I would sooner have understeer on public roads tbh!
Click to expand...

Christ you make it sound like you are taming a wild rwd beast that could step out on you at any given moment. People rotate tyres front to back to get the most life out of them, it's as simple as that. You will do well to notice any difference at all between a couple of mm tread depth unless you drive at the limit in the rain, which I imagine you won't.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

recaro182 said:
unless you drive at the limit in the rain, which I imagine you won't.
Click to expand...

Didn't you know?....

senna.jpg

:cool:

Nah I know what you're saying, but my drive to and from work is down some pretty twisty country roads, and I just want to make sure rotation isn't going to make the car unstable. I'm well aware the car isn't a monster, but I'm just asking to try and stay responsible on the road and all that.
 
G

Goodj

  Listerine & Poledo
Seeing how I've only ever needed to change my rears once in the last, what, 5 years, I find the whole issue a moot point.

Tyres getting ropey? Best change 'em

Why rotate them around, just so you need 4 at a time instead of 2? Makes sense if you're going to change brand I guess, but I've always gone with 1 brand on any of my cars (Goodyears on the Mazdas, Conti on the Toledo & Clio) I wouldn't know about this either.
 
Pete.M

Pete.M

  Ph1 ITB'd 172
TheKid said:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52

That suggests that tyre rotation on a FWD car is a bad idea, the vehicle may lean on the oversteer side of things, I would sooner have understeer on public roads tbh!

Yet some people are saying there should be more tread on the front as it's the driving axle...

I think it would be fair to say that I should leave it as it is, and replace the front set when they wear out. Then put the new set on the rear and the part worns on the front. (Although I can't do this as PE2's are no longer available so I would have to replace the entire set)
Click to expand...

I think the problem I was having earlier was that I was thinking of it in respect to myself, I am obviously a driving God so I can happily drift round corners in my front wheel drive car with less tread on the rear than the front.

For your ability though Ed you are better of leaving the better tyres on the rear otherwise it will definately end in a fireball.


With my more serious hat on now you shouldn't be driving to the absolute limits of the car on the public roads anyway, and as a result I think the difference would be insignificant and unnoticeable under normal driving conditions. Why not try it, change them over see what its like, if you have any problems/feel its any different then change them back.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Pete.M said:
I think the problem I was having earlier was that I was thinking of it in respect to myself, I am obviously a driving God so I can happily drift round corners in my front wheel drive car with less tread on the rear than the front.

For your ability though Ed you are better of leaving the better tyres on the rear otherwise it will definately end in a fireball.
Click to expand...

:lolup: FLOL that's brilliant!

No srs... don't kid yourself, not in front of all of CS! ;)

Goodj said:
Why rotate them around, just so you need 4 at a time instead of 2?
Click to expand...

That's exactly why, I obviously want the best life out of them but being discontinued PE2's I will need a new full set anyway, so instead of binning the 2 rears that would be in decent nick, I would get the life out of them while it would be still safe to do so with the fronts being put on the rear.

Pete.M said:
With my more serious hat on now you shouldn't be driving to the absolute limits of the car on the public roads anyway, and as a result I think the difference would be insignificant and unnoticeable under normal driving conditions. Why not try it, change them over see what its like, if you have any problems/feel its any different then change them back.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know what you mean, I don't push it on the roads, but it's easy to get caught out even at normal speeds, I might try it, I might just leave them as they are.
 
kenzo9990

kenzo9990

  clio 1.2 16v campus
you should be careful when rotating your tires check that they are not directional arrows and inside and outside on the side wall will show you the snipes not tread are what pushes the water out and away from the tyre if they are facing the wrong way they will push water infront of the trye and you will aquaplane
 
G

Goodj

  Listerine & Poledo
I'd have thought keeping the freshest rubber at the front would be the best bet.

We've got to balance this out, it's a road car, and unless you're about to start posting in "Road driving stories" on a daily basis, I can't imagine many situations where a responsible road user will need to push the limits of their hatch.

Kid goes into turn 7, onto the A166.......
Brundle adhesion.jpg
 
Last edited:
Pete.M

Pete.M

  Ph1 ITB'd 172
kenzo9990 said:
you should be careful when rotating your tires check that they are not directional arrows and inside and outside on the side wall will show you the snipes not tread are what pushes the water out and away from the tyre if they are facing the wrong way they will push water infront of the trye and you will aquaplane
Click to expand...

Yeah we aren't talking about swaping his N/S front with the O/S front - so that's not an issue.



The other thing is if you do rotate them you will then probably have to replace all 4 tyres at once.

If you don't you can then replace the fronts and move them to the back and put the then lower backs on the front. Changing 2 tyres every 6 months rather than 4 every 12 months (obviously timescales will vary dependant on useage). I think that would also mean you always have a pair of 4-5mm+ tyres on the rear.
 
Eddie.

Eddie.

Pete.M said:
Yeah we aren't talking about swaping his N/S front with the O/S front - so that's not an issue.

The other thing is if you do rotate them you will then probably have to replace all 4 tyres at once.

If you don't you can then replace the fronts and move them to the back and put the then lower backs on the front. Changing 2 tyres every 6 months rather than 4 every 12 months (obviously timescales will vary dependant on useage). I think that would also mean you always have a pair of 4-5mm+ tyres on the rear.
Click to expand...

Yeah but when the tyre change comes I'm going to need all 4 anyway, because PE2's are not made anymore, and I don't want mismatching tyres.

Goodj said:
Kid goes into turn 7, onto the A166.......Ambition over adhesion.....straight to the scene of the accident
Click to expand...

LOL!!! Don't worry, my time in road driving stories is only ever to laugh at some of the stories!!!
 
G

Goodj

  Listerine & Poledo
Good man.

Bundlememe is now complete for the next 1.2 sucker who thought some cheap coilovers turned them into Schumacher
 
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