car experts!! please advise!!

@victorywp (3524)
United States
July 31, 2009 4:17am CST
if we are driving on a road & had a tire blown out, which tire blow out will be more dangerous to us? the front tire blow out or the rear tire? i think that a front tire would be more dangerous, since the steering and a majority of braking comes from the front. what do you think? on another hand, i heard that if we are going to install a new pair of tires, they should go on the rear because worn-out tires on the rear could cause the rear end to slide out when we try to turn or stop. since we can steer the front wheels, we have a better chance to control our car if the front wheels slide than if the rear wheels slide. is this true? my points are:- 1) if we install a new pair of tires on the front, we get the risk of sliding out when we turn or stop. 2) if we install a new pair of tires on the rear, we get the risk of having the front tire blown out. so, if you are going to install ONLY a new pair of tires, where would you choose to be installed? on the front or on the rear? why? experts, please advise, i really want to know! thank you very much!:)
5 people like this
22 responses
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
31 Jul 09
My mechanic son says you should put the new tires on the drive wheels. I said it like that because some cars are front wheel drive where others are rear wheel drive. He said that a blow out is dangerous either way but if it blows the front tire you would some control with the steering.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
31 Jul 09
that was supposed to read 'have' some control.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
2 Aug 09
You are quite welcome. While I know quite a bit about cars myself it is always nice to have someone else give an opinion. That is one of the reasons I am so glad we finally convinced my son to join us here in Tennessee.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
say thanks to your mechanic son, savak03. also thanks to you for sending the message over to me. i appreciate your contribution in this discussion.:)
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Hello Victory. While I am no expert, I have read and heard quite a few times that it is more dangerous to have one of the front tires blow than a rear tire. It has something to do with the steering. I don't know about placement of new tires, but I do know that the tires should all be "rotated" on a regular basis so that they wear evenly through time. Karen
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
hi PeacefulWmn9! i appreciate your contribution in this discussion. i watched a video showing how dangerous to have old tires as the rear tires. it could cause a great crash in cornering or on wet roads especially during raining.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
3 Aug 09
if you would like to watch the video, you can search in youtube with the keywords "new tires on rear". it's from michelin test proven by engineers.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Aug 09
I did not know this, so thank you for the information :)
1 person likes this
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
31 Jul 09
I think they are both dangerous at high speed. The rear could fishtail out... and it would be very hard to control for an inexperienced driver. At least with the front... you can control it by holding on to the stearing wheel. It does not affect the braking and all four brakes are equal on the cars of today. Yes it is better to have new tires on the back... particulary if your car is a rear wheel drive. A lot of the new small cars are front wheel drive. With the tires of today... blown out should not occur. Particulary if you use steel radial. I have not had a flat tire in almost 30 years. And you should not drive a car with worn out tires. It is against the law and you putting everybody at risk... including yourself.
1 person likes this
• Australia
31 Jul 09
The rear tires are very important on a rear drive vehicule as you get wheel spin under acceleration if you have no grip. On a front drive car like yours... it is not so much an issue because the front of the car has more grip due to the weight of the engine on it. Your tires on the back only need to be better than the front when you drive over 60 miles an hour or drive in the rain. And in both cases it only affect cornering.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
1 Aug 09
hi Aussies2007. your advice helps a lot for me. i have seen some videos regarding the test of the new tires mounted on the front & back. it seems really affecting us in rain or cornering.:)
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
31 Jul 09
thanks, so you would rather mount your new pair of tires on the back than on the front for the reason you explained. i think that i'm really unlucky because i had 3 flat tires in the last 2 years. but still lucky for me as all the blown out tires are at the rear position so my car did not spin. that's why i have been mounting my tires at the front all these while.
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
31 Jul 09
Hi victorywp, I'm no car expert, but I 'm pertty sure if oue of the front tires blew out, you would have less chance of controlling the car, than if a rear one blew. For much the same logic, I'd put new tires on the front.
1 person likes this
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
31 Jul 09
No, I haven't heard of that, and it seems to defy logic. I hope you get a response from some people with knowledge. Good luck.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
1 Aug 09
i appreciate your advice. thanks a lot!:)
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
31 Jul 09
actually i have been doing the same for years already. until recently i heard that if the rear tires lose grip first, your vehicle could spin. for this reason, there is a certain insurance policy that only allow new tires to be mounted on the rear. have you heard of that?
1 person likes this
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Personally, I would put the new ones on the front. Steering is more important to me. If a front tire blows it is too late to worry whether the back slides, you need to steer the car so you can reach the side of the road. Of course replacing all 4 tires is the best option, but if that's not possible then the front ones are more critical in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
31 Jul 09
hi nova1945! that's what on my mind too. but from a video regarding mounting new pair of tires on the front (with old tires at the back), it could cause a great crash if the road is slippery especially when it is raining.
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
that's really a clever way to test. great! thanks!:)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I belive that the issue with loss of traction is in that worn tires do not have enough tread. If you are within the legal tread depth you should be fine. How to tell: get out a penny (U.S.) and slide Lincoln into the tread (right side up), if you can see any of his head then replace the tires.
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I'm by no means an expert but I'll tell you what I think. As far as the tire blow out...it would depend on whether the car is a front wheel drive or a rear wheel drive. The steering control area would be the most dangerous. I think that the most important tires to be replaced would be the ones in the worst condition. I think you are always supposed to replace them all at once but if it were me, it would be the ones with the less tread. Take care.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
31 Jul 09
mine is a front wheel drive, so normally the front tires will wear out first. i know that we should replace the ones with the worst condition. but still, we can rearrange the position of all the tires right? so where would you arrange your tires? the new pair on the front or on the rear?
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I suppose I would replace the front ones if I were you. Since it is a front wheel drive.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
1 Aug 09
thanks!:)
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
1 Aug 09
Always the front one! AS so little control over stearing when front ones blow! but I would soon get back one as soon as you can
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
2 Aug 09
your welcome1
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
great! thanks, Lakota12. i do have the same thinking as you.:)
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
2 Aug 09
Hi victory...I recently had 2 new tires installed and I was talking to the mechanic about replacing the older ones at the back and he told me that the newest tyres usually go on the front. That meant that the tyres I bought 8 months ago go to the rear and the 2 new ones go on the front. So there you go...straight from the horse's mouth , so to speak.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Much of it depends on whether you have front or rear wheel drive. Anti-lock brakes also play into the equation. Most of the time your front tires are much more important. If I can only afford two new tires, I will have them put on the front and have the front ones moved to the back. Then once the back ones start to look worn, I will do it again. It has worked well for me in the past.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
4 Aug 09
thanks, actually i did the same like you too all these years. what really makes me think again is that i came across a video of a certain test & proven by engineers that new tires should be put on the rear.
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Well I'm not an expert but my husband is, he's a mechanic and deals with things like this everyday. He says the New tires should go on the front, because the front is where you do all your steering and they're the tires that get worn the most, if you keep old ones on the front they will keep getting more worn and your at higher risk of having a blowout or a flat. So you need to keep your best tires on the front always. Hope that helps...
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Aug 09
That's weird because we've always put our best tires on the front, it makes more sense, the front tires do most of the work so therefore they get worn faster which means you need to keep your good ones up there all the time. I don't know why they would say the opposite.
• India
15 Aug 09
Hello my friend victorywp Ji, As I am wife of a retired Enginner, and many things I picked up just like that. I do understand , I proper rotation chart should be maintained while dealing with tyre maintenence on vehicles to get best results. For example, people forget to change over inner and outer, as inners get earlier worn out. However, I bring you followiing site wjere you can find all your querries . http://www.tyres4u.com.au/tyretips_page-TyreTipsPassengerCar_show.aspx D. MAINTENANCE 1. Tyre inflation pressure 2. Tyre rotation 3. Cleaning 4. Loading 5. Balancing 6. Alignment 7. Care while driving May God bless You and have a great time.
• India
17 Aug 09
Hello my friend victorywp Ji, So nice of you for positive comments and quickly detection. In real sense as well, I am her shadow. May god bless You and have a great time.
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
17 Aug 09
hi maygodblessu44! i can see the shadow of your dear husband in this response again. LOL! thanks for the information in the site you posted. that helps.:)
1 person likes this
@kprofgames (3091)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Kind of the rule of thumb I've always lived by is replace the front wheel ones first (because mine is front wheel drive), but to keep your tires from blowing out you need to rotate them. Meaning put the front tires on the back and vice versa - this is what what increases the longevity of the tire and also helps with wearing out in a certain area first.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
thanks for the advice, kprofgames. rotation is good for the longevity of the tire.:)
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I am not sure on this one. I typly have all four tires replaced. this I think would be the best. I am no expert but the rear of the auto is most inporatn if the car is rear drive, but if is front wheel drive, the front replacement is the best.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
6 Aug 09
thanks for your response. i appreciate that you shared with me on how you think in this matter.:)
• Philippines
1 Aug 09
I think it will be the front tire which is more dangerous than the rear tire.Coz the front tire controls the steering wheel...
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
that's true, vzerocool. that's what i think too.:)
@smileonstar (4007)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Hello, First I am not expert but my husband is good with car... here what he told me before. It is depend how much you use them and how ball are they. He also said, we should which them as well... to make it balance. Another thing, you should make sure the mechanic is doing a good job to your car too. Front tire is more dangerous when it blows out. If you are not sure about this, you can also talk to anyone working with tire... they will be able to help.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
thank you very much, smileonstar! good advice.:)
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
31 Jul 09
hehe ^_^ I"m not a car expert as well, but i think, no matter it's the rear or front, it does not really help much if they blow out.. The car will be skidding for sure, and it all depends on how u stop the car.. Even it's a back tire blown, it does not mean that u will not skid because all the weight and momentum are being thrown to the front, thus resulting the car to overturn instead.. That's what i think only, might not be right.. hehe If i were to be installing new tires, i guess i will be changing those i'm always applying the brakes on.. haha =D
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
actually i had my rear tires blown out 3 times in the past 2 years. twice were when i'm driving at 85 miles per hour but nothing serious happened. the mechanic told me that if it was the front blow out, serious crash might had happened with that speed. he said that if the front tire blows out, you are unable to control your wheel but if the rear you can slow down & move to the side.
1 person likes this
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
31 Jul 09
I am not exactly an expert on these things but here is my opinion based on what I have heard from friends of mine. I copied your questions and pasted it here. Below your questions are my response. 1) if we install a new pair of tires on the front, we get the risk of sliding out when we turn or stop.- I do not think it will slide considering that the new tires have better hold on the road. In fact it is safer to install the new tires in front considering that the front tires controls the movement from left to right. Having an explosion on the front would be quite dangerous and you easily get out of control. 2) if we install a new pair of tires on the rear, we get the risk of having the front tire blown out. - well if your new tires are at the back, this does not mean that your front tires will blow up. Regardless if you have a new tire or old tire at the back, if your tires in the front are worn out, they are always in the risk of explosion. so, if you are going to install ONLY a new pair of tires, where would you choose to be installed? on the front or on the rear? why? - I have already answered this on the first question, the best place for your new tires would be in the front. But of course it would be better to replace all tires, front and back so that you have better balance and movement. So if you have the budget, then might as well replace all the tires. When the new tires are in place, then you should have it balance. Usually there are tire suppliers that offer wheel balancing for free. And from time to time, you should rotate your tires. This will actually level that worn out. Remember that its usually the front tires that worn out first considering that more pressure is on the front tires since its the one that handles the maneuvering. Best to you and be safe always.
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
thanks a lot for the advice, jpso138! i think i will continue to choose mounting new tires on the front base on all advices given including yours. appreciate it.:)
@jazzsue58 (2666)
31 Jul 09
I've had blowouts front and rear and, in my opinion, front is both more likely and more dangerous. When I've had tyres changed, the mechanic always puts the new ones at the front - if it was a rear blowout, he puts a front wheel there and puts the new one at the front. Front tyres wear quicker and are more likely to blow out than rear, is what I was told(mainly because most blowouts in the UK are caused by potholes, which is generally a front wheel collision, though)
1 person likes this
@appleit (104)
• United States
31 Jul 09
Suggest to change the front tyres if your car is front-wheel-drive. First, the front wheel is a power wheel,its friction with the ground is greater than the rear wheel,can be found out from the pace of wearing and tearing of front wheel is greater than the rear wheel; second, the engine compartment is in the front, the lasting load-bearing of the front tire is greater than the rear wheel; third,the front wheel is the guide-wheel, if tyre burst, the direction will lose the control, far endanger than the tyre burst of the rear wheel; fourth, the front tyre is close to the engine, its temperature should be higher than the rear wheel numerously, possibility of the tyre burst increase; fifth, front brake undertakes heavier efforts when braking,friction temperature is higher than the rear wheel, can be found out from the radius of front brake disc, the front brake disc is greater than the rear disc. If you care about the security problem of the tire, can install the detection system of the atmospheric pressure of a tire(TPMS),can know tire pressure and tire temperature at any time, TPMS can report an emergency and remond you in real time if meeting slow leaking, fast gas-leaking,over-high tempeture. It does not matter that the rear wheel uses the older tyre, and can be mounted the older tyres from the front wheel.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
31 Jul 09
thanks for your valuable information. but if you search in youtube with the keywords "new tires on rear" you could see the video (with drive test) explaining why new tires should be mounted on the back. this has slightly affect my concept of mounting new tires on the front.
• United States
31 Jul 09
I usually hear front tire. If the front tire blows out you still have a chance of controlling the vehicle, however, if the rear blows, you have a greater chance of losing control. Statistically when rear tires blow most people slam their breaks, this unfortunately leads to spinning out of control. Why people insist that you lose control of the front when you hold the wheel that controls the front I will never understand, and what are you holding that controls the back..... NOTHING.
1 person likes this
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
2 Aug 09
this is something in contrast with what i heard. what i heard is that if the front blow out, your car will imbalance & makes you unable to control your wheel properly. if you are driving fast (at the fast lane) at the moment it blow out, it might just crash the sidebar of the road before you could even control your wheel. but if you had your back tires blow out, you just slow down & the car still can follow the direction of your wheel to the side of the road.