Rotating tyres instead of replacing 'em
 

Sorry to be such a post whore but I prefer to ask local knowledge and its quiet in here anyway so I thought I'd ask another question.

My rear tyres are basically worn to replacement but I am a little low on $$ at the moment and can't afford to dish out some new tyres so was wondering if I could rotate them with the front tyres?

Sounds like a stupid question but don't want to take chances with my baby. :0

Thanks for your help

Independent of drivetrain, you should always have tires with the most tread in the rear.

If you don't want to take chances then go whore yourself out to fat chicks until you have enough money to replace your tires, since running on worn rubber is one of the most dangerous things you can do. It only takes a slightly damp road to give you enough trouble that you might find yourself experiencing anal seepage.

Regardless of your current situation you should periodically rotate your tires (wheels). With unidirectional tires, the front go to the rear and rear to the front.

should have been rotating them all along! Now you need at least two matching tires; same brand and series.
I just hope they weren't the stock Potenzas. Expensive and noisy.

Little advice for ya
 

Hey there mogley.... :wavey:

With your tyres it would be better for you to get into a place that can look at them and then try to match them with some second hand ones if $$ is tight. You really want good tyres all round....need tread on your steer tyres and then some on the back for grip etc.

If you have a good tyre outlet then ask them, go to one that does a lot of performance cars as they are more likely to have second hand ok tyres to tide you over. Don't go to Bob Janes or any major franchise as they are more likely to say no can't help you but here buy these!!

Don't forget that some insurance companies will look at overall condition of the car if crashed and they look at tyres no.1 as the likely cause. :confused: So this could put your new love at risk in more ways than one.

Then when you can afford to get new tyres make sure you get a wheel alignment done so that you can prolong your tyre life. Tyre pressures also play a huge part in wear so it's worth checking them every month with your own gauge as servo ones can be wildly inaccurate.....I go to the local race tyre guy here and say hi while he checks my pressures!! I'm lazy.... :rollingla

Good luck with your hunt.....wet weather coming can make the car a handful if you like to drive it like it should be....

Cheers

RC :wavey:

I think take a punch on the chin and buy another 2 (or even 4).

Put the worn tyres to the front it could understeer or aquaplane out of the road. That would be more costly in damage.

Remember you are having an expensive car ;) Don't not spend less to it.

Alternatively you can cycle to the nearest train station and travel in or cycle to work

Good luck
Taka

Dont forget if you smash your car the insure companies wont pay out if your tyres are worn as Taka said change all four , dont compromise with safety . :wink2:

Just buy some new tyres already! :p:

We've had this discussion on the forum in the past. I disagree with you on this.

You want the best tyres on the front. Always. Four wheel drive, front wheel drive, two wheel drive, rear wheel drive, three wheeler Morgan......don't care, best tyres to the front.

Why???? 'Cos the front wheels do the steering. If you can steer in the wet, you'll have a better chance of avoiding an accident.

Need another reason??? A huge proportion of your braking is done with the front brakes. When braking, the cars weight is thrown forward onto the front tyres. You want them bastards to grip.

Another reason maybe?? Worn tyres on the rear causes oversteer (arse swinging out when you've overcooked it with the loud pedal). Most drivers handle oversteer better than understeer (where the front tyres lose grip while trying to turn resulting in the car ploughing straight ahead....) Granted, this isn't such a major problem when you have DSC switched on.

Anyway, keep the good tyres on the front.

Cheers,

Gomez.

For a further reference of all the people coming to the track day later this year.
Please ignore the comment above.

It is much safer to have the car tuned slightly understeer for beginner. It is a safer car, since "your" natural solution when such understeer happen is to brake - which will slow your lap time but you will still have a straight car. If you have oversteer, most people just go "ahhhh" and spin out of track and hit something. ILIV48 and auzooom will just go around in dounts ;) I know that as a fact :lol:

If you are ploughing straight ahead (as the Mez suggested), you are going WAYYYYY too fast into a corner; there is nothing in the world of front tyre that will save that. Just hope for the best and brake hard.

Done. I had my go. I use my worn out front Michellin for Winton in semiwet and still do 1.52. It is much easier to do a fast time than when the car is putting power in the wet, not into a corner, and felt safer too. That is only in the wet though.

But still = Best tyre in front for DRY track and fast driving on public road :nono: and pay your cash for new tyres all the time.
Best tyre in rear for road, and drive conservatively. Rear wears out faster than the front simply because the rear "drives" the car.

For FWD car I will have the best in the front - Period.

I think we are on the same page, I'd just like to clarify something.

In my post I stated which end needed the best tyres to AVOID GETTING INTO TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Once you have lost control.....hit the picks hard and hope you stop before you hit something.

FOR THE ROAD, keep the best tyres on the front.

If you need mega traction at the rear on a wet track.....and you can handle a little understeer......and you are trying to get a semi-decent lap time......THEN, put the good tyres on the rear!!

I think the thing behind the steering wheel SHOULD BE the one to AVOID GETTING INTO TROUBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE, not necessary the rubber on the front wheel ;)

But what you said is true.

Ok..
 

So i need a new set of wheels.
What do you recommend?
I'm not a boy racer although I do like to put the pedal to the metal when she needs a good run so am looking for something affordable, reliable and not too flashy.
The Potenzas do seem expensive.

NB: I bought the car through a private seller and these are still the stock tyres.

Can't help you there. I'm refitting Potenza's soon. Got 46K on the current set.

Look around, you should be able to find 235/40 Potenzas somewhat cheaper than 225/45s, as they were a standard fit to some of the HSV cars (I think). I have them, and they are by far the best tyres I've had on the car so far

I fitted Falkens all round (got a good deal)....was really happy with them until last night in the wet, when I sat there listening to them spin when launching from a red light (@ 2500 rpm). Don't know what happened there ....but I'll be back on Potenzas next time round.

BTW I don't post often, but was one of the first to join this forum...my how it's grown! :grouphug:

I STILL love my PS2's. :angel: