Front to Rear Tyre Fitment

For decades, it has been drummed into the motoring consumer that when a pair of new tyres is purchased and fitted to a car that they should be fitted to the front wheels.

Thought, at the time, was that the best possible grip should be provided to the steering wheels and that the rear tyres were very much just 'trailing' wheels which actually did very little.

Times, of course change, and proper research has been carried out over the years to create a new set of rules and recommendations.

Convincing those that have deep rooted beliefs over many years of tyre purchasing can prove a little difficult - but we are very keen to provide all the facts and figures to support the correct and safe procedure for the fitment of your new tyres. Naturally, the choice will always remain with you, our customer.

So, firstly the recommendation:

• Where two new tyres are supplied, they should always* be fitted to the REAR of the vehicle irrespective of the orientation of the driven wheels i.e. front/rear wheel or all wheel drive.
  *where applicable

And the reasons......

1. Traction is most important on the rear as the driver has no actual control of these wheels.
    
2. Front tyres provide instant feedback through the steering wheel and oversteer/understeer can very quickly be detected and corrected.
    
3. Where newer front tyres may successfully turn into a corner and maintain traction in wet/adverse conditions, lower tread rear tyres may not be able to adequately disperse water and loose grip. Most drivers are unable to correct rear end slide as the centre of gravity shift causes the vehicle to swing out like a pendulum. If this were to take place both at speed and in adverse weather conditions, the results could be severe.
    
4. The WORST place to suffer a blow-out (sudden loss of pressure and instant delamination) of a tyre is one located on the REAR of the vehicle. Again, without both instant feedback and physical control of the rear wheel/tyre, a vehicle will rapidly loose control when the wheel comes into contact with the road surface. A front wheel blow-out is felt instantly and the vehicle can be controlled through careful steering to a safe roadside position.
    
5. 90% plus of punctures occur in REAR tyres. This is because a foreign body such as a screw or nail lying flat on the ground is lifted by a front tyre and then absorbed by the rear. An old rear tyre will have less elastic rubber and much weaker bonding than a new product. Consequently, the likelihood of a sudden failure or blow out is far more likely than that of a newer tyre which would absorb the puncture  and slowly allow the exit of internal pressure and increase the chance of a safe repair.
    
6. Rear tyres last longer as they are placed under less stress from steering angles. A high quality rear tyre could last tens of thousands of miles and actually degrade through age and perishing before wearing out the usable tread. When all of the other facts listed above are considered, it would clearly be sensible to have the oldest tyres fitted to the FRONT of the vehicle.

For further information and clarification please talk to your tyre technician at time of fitment. We will always move your wheels/tyres to the safest possible position where permitted/requested with pressures adjusted within the original price quoted. Hometyre do recommend that wheels/tyres moved from front to rear are rebalanced prior to installation on the vehicle. This service will be offered and a small charge will be made upon agreement.