Experts warn that new Tyres Should Always Go on the Rear
Up to half of UK drivers and tyre trade professionals are unaware that new tyres should always be fitted to the rear axle, potentially putting themselves and others at risk, according to Michelin UK’s technical manager, Brian Porteous.
In a demonstration for Auto Express, Porteous showed the dramatic difference in handling between cars with new tyres fitted incorrectly at the front versus the rear. With worn tyres up front, the cars exhibited unpredictable oversteer and loss of stability, even at low speeds.
“Once sliding, the characteristics and the requirements of the driver to regain stability differ slightly between the different vehicles, but the advice to maintain the best grip at the rear to avoid the possibility of oversteer and lift-off oversteer remains the same for all,” Porteous said.
The industry guidance is clear: new tyres, or those in the best condition, should always be fitted to the rear, regardless of whether the car is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive. This keeps the vehicle stable in a straight line, which is where the greatest risk lies.
“That’s what I tell my family, and my advice to anyone else would be to insist on it,” Porteous added.
The demonstration used three identical Volkswagen Golfs equipped with Michelin CrossClimate tyres. One had new tyres incorrectly fitted at the front, another had new tyres at the rear, and the third had a mix of new and worn tyres. Only the car with new tyres at the rear exhibited the expected gentle understeer, easily controlled by lifting off the throttle. The other two cars showed alarming oversteer tendencies, with the car having just one new front tyre being the most unpredictable.
Porteous warned that oversteer is an instinctive response that most untrained drivers would struggle to correct, especially at higher speeds. He urged drivers to insist on having new tyres fitted to the rear, even if told otherwise by a garage or fleet manager.
In a demonstration for *Auto Express*, Porteous showed the dramatic difference in handling between cars with new tyres fitted incorrectly at the front versus the rear. With worn tyres up front, the cars exhibited unpredictable oversteer and loss of stability, even at low speeds.
“Once sliding, the characteristics and the requirements of the driver to regain stability differ slightly between the different vehicles, but the advice to maintain the best grip at the rear to avoid the possibility of oversteer and lift-off oversteer remains the same for all,” Porteous said.
The industry guidance is clear: new tyres, or those in the best condition, should always be fitted to the rear, regardless of whether the car is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive. This keeps the vehicle stable in a straight line, which is where the greatest risk lies.
“That’s what I tell my family, and my advice to anyone else would be to insist on it,” Porteous added.
The demonstration used three identical Volkswagen Golfs equipped with Michelin CrossClimate tyres. One had new tyres incorrectly fitted at the front, another had new tyres at the rear, and the third had a mix of new and worn tyres. Only the car with new tyres at the rear exhibited the expected gentle understeer, easily controlled by lifting off the throttle. The other two cars showed alarming oversteer tendencies, with the car having just one new front tyre being the most unpredictable.
Porteous warned that oversteer is an instinctive response that most untrained drivers would struggle to correct, especially at higher speeds. He urged drivers to insist on having new tyres fitted to the rear, even if told otherwise by a garage or fleet manager.
