change wheels front to back !

[jpliddy]

hi all
i have been putting michelin energy tyres on my 940 TDI for many years now at about 23000 miles covered i change front wheels to the back is this a job you guys woud recommend i get about 45000 miles out of all 4 tyres then replace all 4 at same time also i seem to get a good deal from tyre garage IE. ATS. all comments welcome!

[classicswede]

I normally try and replace in pairs, putting the front wheels at the back and then using the new tyres for the front.

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by classicswede

I normally try and replace in pairs, putting the front wheels at the back and then using the new tyres for the front.

That's interesting as some people reckon that the new rubber should go on the back to even out braking grip. Perhaps it depends on which end is driven.

FWD cars usually wear out the front tyres long before the rears, which are only there to keep the fuel tank off the ground, whereas the mileage differential with rear-wheel drive is less as one end steers and the other propels.

[Jebus]

Conventional wisdom has always been new tyres on the back to help braking grip and reduce the chances of oversteer.
It Might have started back in the day of drum brakes all-round, crossply tyres and apply less in modern times with significantly better tyres and modern stability control systems but it is still sound advise, better tyres on the back will help the rear grip better under heavy braking reducing the chance of the back end wanting to come around, reduce lift-off oversteer and stop the rear spinning up in the wet etc.

Yes proper driving technique/driving to conditions etc all reduce risks like this but for that time something unexpected happens every little helps and the rear having a lot less weight on it means it will always have less grip.

Could also look at tyre rotations, which will even out the wear and mean that time between changing tyres is longer but you do 4 at a time

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by jpliddy

hi all
i have been putting michelin energy tyres on my 940 TDI for many years now at about 23000 miles covered i change front wheels to the back is this a job you guys woud recommend i get about 45000 miles out of all 4 tyres then replace all 4 at same time also i seem to get a good deal from tyre garage IE. ATS. all comments welcome!

If you look in your handbook Jim you may find Volvo recommend it every 12k miles or you may find it's no longer recommended.

It's one of those things where i think it's down to personal preference, also if you do continue to do it, i'd suggest doing it at 12k miles instead of 23k so that the wear takes place more evenly across all 4 tyres.

It will pay dividends in more consistent handling/roadholding.

As for your choice of tyre, i've found many tyres get different reviews in different parts of the country, generally Michelins seem to get good reviews round the Midlands and Pirellis, Falkens and similar seem not to.
Round this neck of the woods, the opposite seems to be the case in general. Having driven most of the mainland at some point or another, i can definitely say the road surfaces can vary considerably from one county to the next and a tyre that grips and performs well in one area isn't as good in another.

[ksmi]

Originally Posted by jpliddy

hi all
i have been putting michelin energy tyres on my 940 TDI for many years now at about 23000 miles covered i change front wheels to the back is this a job you guys woud recommend i get about 45000 miles out of all 4 tyres then replace all 4 at same time also i seem to get a good deal from tyre garage IE. ATS. all comments welcome!

Morning JP, Your 'good deal' is probably because Michelin are their parent co.

In my opinion,for what it is worth,Michelin are a Very Good All Round Tyre,maybe not outstanding at anything in particular,but over the years I have never been let down by them,on and off road.

Regards,Keith.

[Dippydog]

FWIW I saw a TV programme a few years ago that stated that while the ideal was to change all 4 tyres at once if you were replacing just two then the new rubber should go on the undriven wheels.The reasoning was that if you put new tyres on the driven wheels the extra grip could then "overpower" the undriven end,so putting them on the undriven wheels was the safer option.

[Zebster]

Best/grippiest tyres should always be fitted to the rear to minimise the risk of oversteer.
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/car-tyres

[classicswede]

No 100% best tyres at the front. The front wheels do most of the braking and point you in the right direction. All the rear wheels do is put the power down.

In very slippy conditions you can drive with near to no grip at the rear and good grip up front. Turn that the other way around and you will head directly into the first wall you see.

[Dippydog]

That's the gist of what the programme I saw was saying that grippier tyres on the rear[of a rwd car]could outstrip the performance of the less grippy front tyres which of course are doing the steering.I'm no tyre expert or educated in dynamics merely stating for debate what this programme was pointing out.