Motorhome tyres. An idea. (1 Viewer)

[DP+JAY]

Glad you agree! Having the "worst" tyres on the front will give understeer.

which is why I have the new ones on the front.

 

[dave newell]

The advice to fit new tyres to the rear is a general suggestion due to not many drivers being practiced in controlling a rear end break away. Most modern vehicles are designed to understeer (front end breakaway) for safety and fitting new tyres to the front with worn ones to the rear may alter this aspect. It isn't always as black and white though, last year I bought a set of four real grippy tyres (Kumho V70s) for my race car, two had done two full seasons and the other two had done one event (about six miles total use), the newer pair were medium compound and the older, more worn ones were soft compound. I fitted the soft, worn tyres to the front and the much newer mediums to the rear and on the third corner of my first run I spun out with a full 360 rotation. Swapped the newer medium compound to the front and the older softs to the rear and the car now understeers slightly going in at full chat. In general terms I agree with the advice to fit new tyres to the rear but there are exceptions to every rule.

D.

 

[tonyidle]

Why, when It's front wheel drive? The fronts do nearly all the work.

The reasoning is simple: all road-going vehicles are designed to understeer - a condition that allows unskilled drivers to correct without thinking (steer more, ease off accelerator). Increasing the vehicles propensity for understeer is (in terms of safety) no problem. Decreasing it or, worse, setting the vehicle up for oversteer, means that the margin designed into the vehicle ceases to exist. Putting less 'grippy' tyres on the rear does just that.

Edit: Beaten to it by Mr Newell!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[joncris]

It is all to do with grip and breakaway, there are a few videos on you tube showing what happens it you fit the better tyres to the front it's quite an eye opener.

Quote from Mitchelin tyre safety advice:

New tyres to the REAR:
When replacing just two tyres, Michelin recommends that the new or least
worn tyres are fitted to the rear axle for improved vehicle control and safety.
This advice applies to front and rear wheel drive vehicles fitted with the same
tyre sizes front and rear. Ensure that the tyre inflation pressures are readjusted
to comply with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

When the fronts on our Fiat Punto need replacement yet the rears are still legal we have the shop fit the rears to the front and the 2 new ones to the rear ......always and we never ever fit them the other way round. It can be very dangerous to do otherwise

 

[Peter A Forbes]

I hold the belief than 'general' advice on fitting new tyres to the rear is fine if you are an 'average' driver in an 'average' car driving in 'average' conditions.

The problem is that motorhomes like ours, 6 tonne gross weight with rear wheel drive and twin wheels at the rear are nowhere near 'average' and that advice really should have a codicil to the effect that it is intended for cars and light vans only.

Weight distribution on the average car is heavily biased to the front, so the advice is OK there, but for a motorhome it is often equal or rear-biased, in which case the advice is not correct.

Treat the advice with caution and remember that it is a generalisation for the car market and for small commercials that run lightly loaded.

Regarding summer/winter tyres, I've not had the luxury in previous decades of having such things available, and have always managed through careful driving and reading of the conditions. Too many people are fitting winter tyres and driving like there's no tomorrow, and yes, if you get a breakaway in a big van you are going to be a passenger, winter tyres or not.

Peter

 

[iandsm]

I hold the belief than 'general' advice on fitting new tyres to the rear is fine if you are an 'average' driver in an 'average' car driving in 'average' conditions.

The problem is that motorhomes like ours, 6 tonne gross weight with rear wheel drive and twin wheels at the rear are nowhere near 'average' and that advice really should have a codicil to the effect that it is intended for cars and light vans only.

Weight distribution on the average car is heavily biased to the front, so the advice is OK there, but for a motorhome it is often equal or rear-biased, in which case the advice is not correct.

Treat the advice with caution and remember that it is a generalisation for the car market and for small commercials that run lightly loaded.

Regarding summer/winter tyres, I've not had the luxury in previous decades of having such things available, and have always managed through careful driving and reading of the conditions. Too many people are fitting winter tyres and driving like there's no tomorrow, and yes, if you get a breakaway in a big van you are going to be a passenger, winter tyres or not.

Peter

Thats interesting, I haven't seen a manufacturer giving a codicil that their advice is for cars and light trucks only. Certainly a motorhome may have more weight on the back and perhaps all the more reason for new tyres on the back to give better grip to avoid that weight breaking away, particularly in a four wheel motorhome, although the issue appears to be more about the loss of grip when cornering in the wet or aquaplaning.

Are to many fitting winter tyres and driving like there's tomorrow, I don't know of any evidence of that. Perhaps people simply fit winter tyres because they are designed to cope with winter conditions. I am fitting M&S marked tyres because I am likely to be in M&S conditions at some point, not so I can drive like there's no tomorrow. I do drive with care and read the conditions but I think the M&S tyres will perform better than non M&S tyres.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Phill D]

How do you apply this thinking on vehicles that have different size tyres front to rear??? and there are many of them!

if you are driving a motorhome sensibly for the weather conditions and when dry sticking within the speed limts then are you likely to notice any benefit from changing your tyres around?

IMHO i think unlikely ( we are talking motorehomes here not sports cars )

However; each to their own.

 

[Peter A Forbes]

I am fitting M&S marked tyres because I am likely to be in M&S conditions at some point, not so I can drive like there's no tomorrow. I do drive with care and read the conditions but I think the M&S tyres will perform better than non M&S tyres.

I don't think that commercial sizes have M+S markings?, our Discovery has Nexen Roadian A/T summer tyres, but still has M+S markings.

Confusing or what?

Peter

 

[Ranger]

What is the different markings for "four season" tyres as against "winter tyres"? Mine have the mountain plus snowflake and M&S markings (they also are commercial tyres).

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[iandsm]

I don't think that commercial sizes have M+S markings?, our Discovery has Nexen Roadian A/T summer tyres, but still has M+S markings.

Confusing or what?

Peter

I don't know about Nexen tyres but I expect they are M&S marked as suitable for mud and snow simply because they are an all terrain tyre and as such have a suitable tread pattern, Michelin Agilis camper tyres are M&S marked, and Michelin explain that the tyre is intended for use in occasional mud and snow conditions. Thats good enough for me.

 

[telsdog]

It would be interesting to see which of the two cars in the video performed better doing an emergency stop in the same conditions. I personally would prefer the extra grip on the driven wheels that new tyres would give for driving on wet grass etc. Also perhaps it's a good idea not to drive too fast in obviously treacherous conditions.

 

[Moodybrook]

Ok, you have all got me convinced but just to be a boring old fart, I have NEVER, EVER been advised to put my new pair of boots on the back.
Never too old to learn, I am going to delight in observing the the expressions of the fitters when I replace two this very week, I shall be looking them in the eye when I tell the idle sods (sorry that may be undeserved) that they have to put the rears on the front with all the ramifications that involves. If this thread is still going I will report back

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ufudu]

I did notice that in the video they were driving on a wet pavement.

 

[gus-lopez]

You could always just change the 2 on the nearside?

then next time the 2 on the offside .