My recent MOT flagged up the front tyres on the Octy as being past their best, so I arranged for two new ones for fitting today at my local National Tyres depot.
I was expecting them to insist on fitting the new tyres on the back and moving the part worn rears to the front, but when I mentioned it the depot manager said that this was a common myth and he always makes sure the best tyres are on the front. As this is my preference anyway I went along with him.
Incidentally, I was pleased with both the price (£57.50 each, fitted, for Barum Bravuris 2s via tyre-shopper.com) and the service. Corrected the tracking for a reasonable £20 too.
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>>was a common myth
When courses in vehicle dynamics form a part of the required education for those working in tyre depots....
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I know you feel strongly about this debate NC and we've sparred on it before so I promise not to resurrect all that but a question does arise in my mind.
If if was actually such a real safety issue would not all the major tyre fitting chains insist upon fitting new tyres to the rear of vehicles to protect themselves from litigation at the hands of ambulance chasing lawyers?
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N_C thinks most drivers can't cope with oversteer. He's quite right, but very few drivers ever unstick their cars at all even in the wet.
Seems to me that the need to stop as quickly as possible in a more or less straight line on a wet road is going to be a lot more frequent than someone's tail going away because they are going too fast. That is my not inconsiderable experience. And for that you need the best and newest sipe-rich boots on the front.
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>>N_C thinks
Thanks for telling me what I think.
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>> Thanks for telling me what I think.
I thought you knew already. But I'm glad it was useful.
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Yes, my point works either way - I'm just as angry at Costco, for example, insisting on putting the best on the rear.
Like most vehicle safety issues, you can get away with amazingly unsafe features / components / conditions for most of the time.
As an example, on road vehicles braking events or cornering events which go beyong about 0.4g are rare events - if you express this as a cumulative probabilty graph, over 9% of events happen at low levels of acceleration.
So, yes, any problem which might be caused by having the tyres fitted the wrong way round would be very rare. That's why it hasn't hit the headlines.
This logic extends much further than many imagine - I've pointed before to the evidence that the MOT, doesn't really affect road safety - it makes us feel like we're doing something though, and of course, it harmonises us with our friends in the EU.
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>> I've pointed before to the evidence that the MOT, doesn't really affect road safety
Perhaps you are too young to remember what cars could be like well before the MoT N_C.
No one minds a bit of mischievous polemic but I don't agree with you.
I do agree that any positive effect of the MoT would be very difficult to prove though.
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Although you'll probably only be able to get to the abstract without paying;
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457506001060
the abstract itself is interesting
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>> the abstract itself is interesting
Heh heh, it certainly is. It says proper drivers coped with the bald tyres, snatching brakes, knackered dampers and so on with elegant aplomb, while maniacs and idiots drove them up trees just as they would with new and perfect cars.
Jolly good sense in fact.
Indeed those raised on pre-test dodgy motors will often have a sort of failsafe caution.
What fun it all is.
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>>over 9% of events
Just seen this typo - should read over 99% of events
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I had no horn for a while. I never put myself in a position where I felt I might need to use it. I drove without ever wanting to use a horn. Now I have a horn, I have been grateful I had it and have used it - with gratitude.
Best safety device is a spike in the wheel.
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>> I was expecting them to insist on fitting the new tyres on the back and
>> moving the part worn rears to the front, .........
When I buy new tyres, they get fitted where I tell them to fit them or I go elsewhere.
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>> When I buy new tyres, they get fitted where I tell them to fit them
>> or I go elsewhere.
Same here, and it's new on the front.
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Me too, they go on the drive axle so might be approved might not, in practice i invariably rotate and fit 4 at a time when possible.
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Tyre Fitting - Number_Cruncher
