Replacing Tyres Question

[ScottishA4B9]

Hi All,

I'm replacing my tyres on my front wheel drive A4. Is it best to have the tyres with the most tread on the front?

Thanks

 

[DrSasso]

Statement retracted as been proven wrong


ignore/wrong:
(given that it's a FWD I would say yes want the most grip for traction and turning so deffo the front would have preferance in my opinion )


correct: back tyres put onto the front and new tyres put onto the back.

 

[SI-W85]

I've got a set of pirelli p zero rosso tyres only done genuine less than 400 miles 235/35zr19 y rated, only want £250 for the pair they cost that each so a bargain for someone who wants some good tyres...

 

[hades-]

so you have a set or a pair ?

 

[SI-W85]

Oh sorry I have a pair of 235 the others are 295s my mistake

 

[ianv5]

given that it's a FWD I would say yes want the most grip for traction and turning so deffo the front would have preferance in my opinion

Wrong answer!

New tyres need to go on the back!
Just Google it.

You need more grip on the back incase the front does go the back will hopefully keep you on the road.

 

[Zafi]

Wrong answer!

New tyres need to go on the back!
Just Google it.

You need more grip on the back incase the front does go the back will hopefully keep you on the road.

Not the case with modern cars like the A4. ESP takes care of any grip problems at the rear. So fit your new tyres to the front for maximum traction.

 

[ianv5]

Not the case with modern cars like the A4. ESP takes care of any grip problems at the rear. So fit your new tyres to the front for maximum traction.

Most tyre/car forums sites suggest new on the rear, can't find many posts suggesting you fit new to the front?

However my car being a Quattro I will probably have to change all 4 at once!

 

[Audi Dynamik]

I found with my Quattro that all the tyres worn out evenly ian :thumbsup:
Just as long as you don't scrub the front tyres while stationary like the wife has a habit of doing

 

[kanecullen89]

I've always been told that best tyres go on the rear. Theory being that understeer is a lot more easy to control than oversteer. If your fronts lose grip and you're not going to fast for the road conditions you can normally regain control quite easily. If you lose grip on the rear it's a lot harder to control and you'll probably end up in a ditch. ESP can only help you if your tyres can actually grip. With low grip conditions the 'power' of the systems abilities are limited

 

[enoliver]

When I did a Traffic Patrol Course with the police, we had some input from the Transport Research Laboratory, at Thatcham.
They showed us video footage of exactly this problem. When you brake heavily, the weight of the car is pushed forward, over the front wheels. This makes the back of the car lighter, and the front heavier. If you have less tread at the back, it is more likely to let go, particularly in the wet, when aquaplaning is more prevalent. It is therefore always better to have the best to the back, regardless of whether it is front or rear wheel drive. I would stress that this has been proven, and isn't just an opinion.

 

[DrSasso]

well I got schooled xD I retract my previous statement....maybe I remembered it wrong.

 

[ScottishA4B9]

Well I have 2 tyres that are 8mm and 2 that are just over 7mm, so it makes no odds really. I will put the 8mm on the front as they wear quicker.

 

[desertstorm]

Regardless of the amount of tread the most important thing is to buy quality tyres with grip . Fit ditchfinders with 8mm of tread all round you will be worse off than somebody with part worn decent make tyres. All tyres are not equal.
When I bouight a car a few years ago it had nearly new Accelera tyres on the front. They were truly awful in the wet regardless of the fact they were nearly new. I had wheelspin when accelerating from roundabouts and junctions without a great amount of throttle and prolific understeer on roundabouts. I bought some part worn Continentals to replace them after about 2 weeks of owning the car.
The car was so much better dry and wet, especially in the wet.
To have fitted those tyres on the back would have been mad, they shouldn't have been on the car in the first place.

Karl.

 

[ScottishA4B9]

I've got Continental Contact Sport 5P's to put on all round.