Tire change: where do the better tires belong?
Created: 09/27/2022, 16:30
By: Simon Mones
When changing tires, the question always arises: where to put the tires with more tread?
Front or back?
TÜV knows the answer.
There are things that are as certain as amen in church.
For motorists, this also includes changing tires, which is due twice a year - unless, of course, you drive all-season tires.
But even if you do this yourself instead of driving to the workshop, there is still one question: what to do with the better tyres?
A valid question!
After all, the wear on the tires on the drive axle is significantly higher due to the increased load.
Accordingly, they lose their profile more quickly and have to be replaced more frequently.
The result: Drivers are on the road with different tread depths.
Even a deviation of more than two millimeters can have a negative effect on driving behavior.
When changing tires, the tires with the most tread should always be fitted at the rear.
© Westend61/Imago
Tire change: where do the better tires belong?
The tires are therefore often swapped between the axles in order to keep the difference as small as possible.
Which brings us back to the question of which axle the tires with the better profile belong on.
In front or behind?
Studies and TÜV Nord provide an answer.
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The better tires therefore always belong on the rear axle, regardless of the type of drive.
This is crucial for the directional stability of the vehicle.
As the Auto-Zeitung reports, locking wheels on the rear axle mean that the car can no longer be controlled.
As a result, the rear breaks out and the car starts to skid.
The better the profile, the less likely the vehicle will skid.
Changing tires: Change tires regularly on both sides
However, the front tires should always have enough tread depth, because these are extremely important for steering precision, starting behavior and braking on wet roads, ice and snow.
They also play an important role in directional stability during aquaplaning.
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In order to avoid excessively different wear, the tires should be replaced every 10,000 to 15,000 kilometers, front and rear on the same side.
It is important that this does not happen diagonally and that the running direction is observed.
This should also prevent the so-called "sawtooth formation".
This can limit the ride comfort.
The tires should also be balanced regularly.
