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Tire Placement Myths?
Front Wheel Drive cars - This is a tricky situation, because it is natural to assume that the wheels that have to do the pulling (front wheel on front wheel drive car) should have the best traction. The natural assumption is the wrong one and the likely reason that the installation of two new tires is done wrong on so many front wheel drive cars.
All Wheel Drive vehicles - The rule is the same. Best tires on the back.
Snow Tires - The Rule is the most tread on the back. If you need snow tires in a front wheel drive, because those are the tires that do the pulling, then you must put snow tires on all four wheels. See Bridgestone recommendation on the page:
It makes a difference what season - This is likely a corollary of the front wheel drive/snow tire myth. Since people are most concerned about traction in the winter snow conditions, the argument for wanting the best traction on the wheels doing the pulling seems strongest. Yet, the front wheels slipping, even if it is the tires doing the pulling, is far less dangerous than losing control of the back end of a car. This is the reason that all tire manufacturers, say “best tires on the back. “ If you need better traction on the pulling tires, then get four new tires.
The blow out risk - Of course you'd rather have a blowout on the back as opposed to the front, but if you are going to have a blowout at highway speeds, the tread depth is not going to be the cause. It will be caused by something like a nail, a pot hole or other foreign object or hazard. If a nail goes into the tire, it doesn't matter if you have 4/32 or 14/32 of tread depth. Further which is a greater likelihood of happening? A blowout or driving in rain on the interstate? Definitions: Oversteer - Oversteer (losing control of the rear wheels outside the path of travel) Understeer (losing control of the front wheels)
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©Gordon S. Johnson, Jr. 2008