Quote:
Originally Posted by whitevette
Since front tires wear out sooner than rear tires ( this seems to be the consensus), can we assume the front tires are also doing most of the work in steering, stopping, holding up the heavy end of the vehicle?
Based on this fact alone, why put worn tires where most of the work needs doing?
Seems kinda dangerous to me .... 
I'll go with new tires up front, thank you. |
If I understand the theory correctly, the danger is in low traction situations, such as wet or snowy road surfaces, and especially hydroplaning. In these situations - where more tread depth improves traction, and more speed hurts traction - having the better tires on the rear allows the vehicle to lose traction at the front first. When the vehicle slows down, traction returns and the vehicle can be steered away from potential obstacles.
The opposite - losing traction at the rear first - causes the rear to swing around. When the speed drops and traction returns, the vehicle is pointed in the wrong direction and can not be steered away from on-coming objects.