In an ideal world, we would buy new tires only in sets of four that exactly match the original rubber because all four tires wore at exactly the same rate.
Yeah, right. You can stop laughing now.
The world we actually live in is one where a couple of tires wear out prematurely while two have thousands of miles left on them, or unfortunate situations leave you with a damaged tire which is not covered by insurance or the manufacturer’s warranty. It’s also a world where tires have to be purchased exactly when tuition is due or the hot water heater decided to die in a lonely corner of the basement.
They’re all reasons so many people look to save money at TireMart.com, and why many of us buy just two tires at a time. But, what can you do to ensure the newly purchased pairs perform in a desired manner? We’re going to tell you not only where these tires should be mounted, but also why it is necessary to do so.
So, what to do if you purchase two new tires rather than four? How should you put them on your vehicle?
2 New Tires: Installing Tires on the Rear Axle
New tires will have more tread than your other two older tires, so they should ALWAYS go on the rear axle.
Now, you’re probably thinking: Yeah, but my car is front-wheel-drive, and the front tires don’t just steer the car, they deliver power. On my car, the new tires should be upfront.
While that is a good way of thinking, unfortunately, the traction needed by the front and rear tires disagree. Front tires tend to go where they’re pointed and where the driver intends to steer them. Rear tires, however, can lose grip in corners if they’re worn, especially if the road is wet. Rear tires also can lose their straight-line stability if one fails. Therefore, rear tires need to have better traction to ensure their surface grip throughout their performance.
Issues with Worn Tire Pairs
Worn tire pairs are especially susceptible to hydroplaning—riding atop standing water or accumulated heavy rain. A front tire that hydroplanes will react less to steering inputs—that is, it will understeer. But backing off the throttle will usually return control to hydroplaning front tires. That’s not the case with hydroplaning rear tires, which will allow the rear of the car to slide to one side or another, a condition much harder to correct. Accidents caused by hydroplaning are ranked among the most dangerous road hazards. It is important that the tire sets are mounted on your vehicle in such a way that can easily maintain the surface contact in wet weather situations.
On snow-covered road surfaces and curves, a worn rear tire also tends to lose traction faster than a worn front tire. Winter weather conditions require a high number of biting edges to allow the tire to securely perform. Even if you use winter tires, their worn tread can lessen their ice and snow traction during the drive. This can easily lead the vehicle to sliding to one side or another, and in worst case scenarios, it can steer your vehicle off the road in a matter of seconds. When you use all season models, the danger intensifies. In any case, in snow and on ice, use extreme caution.
The bottom line is, whether your vehicle is front-, all-, or rear-wheel-drive, mount the new tire pair on the vehicle’s rear axle.
Where to Mount One New Tire?
Most manufacturers recommend changing your tires at least in pairs. This is due to the difference in the tread depth can cause unwanted issues with the vehicle. Unfortunately, sometimes it is unavoidable. So, what should you do in such cases?
When you only change one tire, it is important to rotate your tire set. In this manner, you can match the new tire with the old tire that has the most tread depth left. This minimizes the difference between the tires, enabling the vehicle to even out its pressure distribution. Furthermore, mount this newly paired couple on the vehicle’s rear axle, due to the aforementioned reasons.
2 Used Tires: It All Depends on the Tread
Used tires might be better on the front or the rear axle. This greatly depends on the condition of the other tire pair mounted on the vehicle. If the used tire pair you just purchased has more tread than the other models, place them on the rear axle. That goes for any drive-train for the same reasons explained above.
If the used tire pair you just purchased have less tread than your other tires, place them up front. This is to ensure the better tire pair is at the tail end of the car.
Exception to the Rule
Some cars, usually ultra-high-performance sports cars, such as the Corvette and Porsche 911, have different-size front and rear axle tires. They also often sport different-size wheels. Because these vehicles are typically rear-wheel-drive, the rear tire pair and wheels are wider to keep the back end of the car under control at speed. And often, all the tires are directional—that is, made to roll in one direction. We cannot rotate directional models front-to-back if there’s a size difference, or side-to-side because of the directional requirement.
On these cars, you must buy models to replace the worn pair in the correct size and style. These should be mounted on the correct wheels. Then have the wheels mounted to the correct axle.
If you really do drive the car at speeds far in excess of highway speeds, such as on a closed track, you might want to seriously consider buying four at a time if all four are worn, even though two are worse.
And remember, TireMart.com has a wide selection of new, never-mounted tire sets for you to choose from. Our selection varies from touring to highway and high performance tires. We offer these tire types for passenger vehicles, SUVs, light trucks and other specialty vehicles. You are sure to find a set or pair that will fit your needs.
