New tyres - Fitter has 'Interesting' Theory

Bl4ckGryph0n

You are correct, it’s grip

nvingo

So in a nutshell, the 'official' advice to 'put the best tread on the rear axle' is;
Average driver fronts up to tyre shop with nearly-worn front tyres, they've been wearing faster than the rears due to performing most of the traction*, steering* and braking (* all of the traction and steering).
Driver has become accustomed to this setup.
Tyre shop takes worn tyres off the front and replaces with fresh rubber, rears are unchanged.
Average driver takes car with completely reversed tyre setup, drives away from tyre shop and into the nearest ditch because of the substantially changed handling.

By moving part-worn tyres from the rear to the front, when average driver leaves the tyre shop, he'll still have 'better' tyres on the back, like he did when he arrived.

un1eash

And when it rains heavy he aquaplane's into a ditch as the front tyres are not displacing enough water.

IronGiant

Sort of...

Bl4ckGryph0n

Ease of the accelerator, don’t brake, keep going straight. That way you can control the situation. You don’t generally have those options at the rear.

ashenfie

I drive both rear and front wheel drive car regularly. Front wheel drive cars have less grip from a standing start and under steer in corners. Something car manufacturers seam to like.

Rear wheel drive car quick off the block and sharp around corners. Hard to keep straight in snow thu.

Braking wise much better as engine braking thought the rear means all tyres help stop the car not just the fronts.

Handy for missing all those crosser drive text there friends!

mjn

Run a staggered setup, then you can remove yourself from this choice.

Over by there

Is a staggered set up like drink walking?

Bl4ckGryph0n

It’s for those who like driving

Over by there

Short winded. I expect most drivers to not even get close to the envelope of the cars capabilities. Tyres, though very important, are perhaps not as critical as the driver being aware of their limitations. No amount of safety features is a guarantee when stupid is involved.
Well, I appreciate people like tinkering but how many take their car away from a safe set up in the belief they are improving it. How many have the knowledge to mess around with the suspension and braking and take the ride height to silly extremes in the belief they will never fall off the road? Fitting race pads and monster disks cos it looks cool through absurdly low profile tyres with no give and upsetting the balance of the car (still on drums on the rear for some of them!). Big bore bean cans..... yeeeeeha...... (seriously, not many 4 pot in line wheezers can sound great even with the channel tunnel on the end) blowing out tyres on to bigger rims. The world is your oyster.

K N filter, yeah, that's where its at, despite the head(s) being restrictive as an asthmatic gnat and no amount of K N will shift any more air but it sounds good so must be better. But hey, you get a kool sticker for the car. (re chipping and mapping etc. aside)

Seriously though. There is pimping your ride for the McD experience (they grow out of it but get an interest) and serious modding from small alterations to full on race prep that can make a difference for better and worse, I hope the worse (safety wise) never see the roads because they muck up and others get hurt.

I hope that it is all safe and declared on insurances and the drivers are aware of the driver limitations more importantly, the old adage, the most important nut in the car is the one holding the steering wheel, that one is clued up and switched on. Hills climbs are superb places to see some well honed machinery avoid the bales.


I do find the mechanics and engineering interesting and the examples well prepared are to be admired, from a subtle tweak to a full on street sleeper. Not sure what gives this one away.
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