NI 82 - Half of drivers think a new pair of tyres should go on the car's front wheels, but they are WRONG 

New tyres must go on the rear axle, with part worn treads moved to the front - whether the car is FWD, RWD or 4x4

Up to half of UK drivers – and more worryingly, a significant proportion of the tyre trade – don’t know whether to put new tyres on the front or back of cars, potentially putting themselves and others at risk.

That’s the verdict of Michelin UK’s technical manager Brian Porteous, who told Auto Express that tyre trade and garage staff, plus workshop and fleet managers, are asked the question before participating in the firm’s periodic safety demonstrations – just like the one Michelin invited Auto Express to take part in recently at the Horiba MIRA test track.

“The ones who get it wrong have a belief based on what they think are reasons related to the braking or traction of a vehicle,” he adds. “But industry advice is that it’s most important to keep the vehicle stable in a straight line, because that’s where the risk is greatest.”

In case you are wondering, that industry advice says new tyres, or those in the newest condition, should always be fitted at the rear of a vehicle, and not at the front. The same guidance covers cars with front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive layouts, and for the vast majority of vehicles on the road, Michelin’s demonstration proves the evidence is clear cut. Having participated in the demo ourselves, we think it would be foolhardy to ignore the guidance. 

“Once the vehicle is stable, then you can start thinking about braking and traction,” says Porteous. “And what you actually find is there is sufficient braking and traction from the part-worn tyres at the front. We’re not talking about ‘worn out’ tyres, so they still have a level of capability. If they’re insufficient for braking and traction,” he adds, “then of course the fronts should be replaced as well”.

What about RWD or 4x4 cars?

And in case you were wondering whether different rules apply for different powertrain layouts such as front-wheel drive (FWD), rear-wheel drive (RWD) or 4x4, Michelin’s top technical expert is keen to point out that the ‘new rubber on the rears’ advice remains exactly the same.

“FWD, RWD and 4x4 all respond in a similar way at the limit of lateral adhesion,” he says.” I have demonstrated the same thing using powerful 4x4 SUVs. Once sliding, the characteristics and the requirements of the driver to regain stability differ slightly between the different vehicles, but the advice to maintain the best grip at the rear to avoid the possibility of oversteer and lift off oversteer remains the same for all. 

“This is also important for vehicles with different front and rear tyre sizes,” Porteous adds. “In such cases the advice in the owners handbook for the car should be followed to maintain the recommended maximum differences between front and rear tread depths. Of course the action of moving rear tyres to the front also means that the wear life of those tyres is optimised, rather than them perhaps being removed from the rear axle owing to age, but with tread wear left.”

View the full Auto Express article here

View our Winter Driving Tips here

NOW DRIVE SAFELY.

Post date: 4-June-2025 21:04:04