The Tyre Fitting advice most people get wrong ! With disastrous results ! | 4K

I recently went to MIRA with Michelin and discovered the tyre fitting advice most people get wrong could end in disastrous result. We also had a fantastic demonstration about just how important correct tyre pressures are.

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#Michelin #Automotive #TyreFitting

[jovialgent]

As a 20 year tyre fitter I'd encourage everyone to check their tyre pressures once a week but also inspect the wear of each tyre. Thread depth gauges are readily available & don't be afraid to ask a fitter to look over your tyres if you're in any way worried. You can save a lot on fuel costs over a year & a regular check can stop you getting into a nasty avoidable accident! Tyres are your only contact with the road, don't skimp on them!!!

[Trebor]

You have simply confirmed what I already knew about tyres! Any responsible driver would already know this!

[kazhilly]

I recently bought a used car, 7 years old with just 30, 000 miles on the clock, and the Original tyres, dried out and cracked with No grip... My garage made a mistake, or let’s say this was a misunderstanding, and they only ordered 2 tyres instead of the 4 I asked for, so they fitted the 2 New tyres on the front,
And I now know exactly what you mean. Good video!!
I have Always been told for Many years to get rid of the Front tyres, move the rear tyres to the front, and fit the new tyres on the back. And your video confirms that that is the right way of changing tyres per pair of 2, Thanks.

[briangriffiths]

That was very useful and I now stand corrected after having got it wrong for almost half a century!

[neilwisnewski]

Thank you brother. Many years ago, I was doing 50, 000km per year in a lightweight FWD car with 60:40 (F:R) weight distribution. Every 6 months I would fit 2 new tyres to the rear and put the old ones on the front. My tyre shop asked where I wanted the new ones - they disagreed with me but did what I wanted anyway. My tyres were always fresh, and I never had any traction problems.

[andrewbrown]

I used to be a tyre fitter and have been trying to tell people for year what you have just shown. Great explanation.

[philipcardin]

Ped, great video. Over here in the USA, most reputable tire retailers won't sell a single tire anymore. They will only sell pairs or all 4, and as you found out, the new ones MUST go on the rear. Your test validated all of the rules that the tire sellers and manufacturers have preached for years. Good work on your part, and thanks to Michelin.

[stevenrotherham]

If we are talking about a typical FWD car, the other benefit of putting the old tyres on the front is that you can then wear them out faster before the rubber gets old, hard and even less grippy. Otherwise if you leave them on the back of some lightweight hatchbacks, they may never wear out until the rubber is so old it is actually dangerous

[bargibargibargi]

15 psi is huge, "most" people would notice that much of a difference. 5 and 10 less would be interesting to see

[Grant.G.Simpson]

i knew all this from being a fast fit centre manager years ago, really opened up my eyes about everything tyre related, makes me shudder to think back to being 17 when i went for the cheapest remould, 1 at a time only when really required (change it or 3 points stage) never checked pressures unless visably soft or even punctured, shoddy patch repair later and i drove like Ayrton Senna every road all the amazed i never took myself or anyone else out. Tyre safety/info and wheel changing should be a half day course as part of the test for learners to pass, it will reduce accidents and maybe worse

[peterb]

Thanks for this useful information. For many years I have driven front wheel drive cars and logic has told me that the best tyres should be on the front as these wheels handle the steering, acceleration and most of the braking.
Your video has certainly given me food for thought!
Excellent advice on tyre pressures, I check regularly and from new my 7 year old Prius has averaged 65 mpg and and some journeys on A & B roads I get 70 to 75 of correct tyre pressures, Bridgestone tyres and a light right foot.

[Slartyfartblarst]

From cycling, I know only too well how tyres can dramatically affect rolling resistance and handling. I check the tyres on my daughter's and wife's cars. By testing tyre pressures, I’ve discovered slow punctures. I normally change tyres in pairs. And I too used to put new tyres on the front, but not any more! An informative and fascinating video.

[warrmr]

Very good information, some of which is already known but nice way of presenting it.

I did find that the biggest difference in tyres was changing from some cheaper brand tyres to Michelin (or a known brand) made the biggest difference. I had Juno tyres on my car when I bought it. They were either a hard compound or very aged (getting on for 8 years when I replaced them). Those tyres would spin up in 3rd gear at 60mph, trying to get any kind of power to the ground was terrible they would spin up in the slightest bit of rain. As they wore down towards the limit they got even more sketchy, I could be doing 15-20mph round a small island in the damp and even without trying oversteer and that was with 2mm of tread.

Replaced with Michelin PS4 (NOT PS4S) only did the two at the rear first and massive improvement, firmly planted and very predictable nothing like the Juno tyres with the hard compound. You have to be pushing really hard or doing something silly to get oversteer which is how I like it. Front tyres started cracking in the treads (aged Juno tyres) so got another pair of PS4, handling upgraded even more lovely balance.
Now I have gotten through the tread on the rears in about 15k miles so decided to wack on a pair of PS5 now and I cant really tell the difference between the PS4 and the PS5 but will be upgrading the other two to PS5 when the time comes.

Another important thing is tyre rotation that many people overlook or just ignore completely. You will get much better wear out of your tyres by rotating them from back to front (RWD) or front to back FWD. You will get through 2 -3 pairs of tyres on the drive axel for every 1 pair on the non drive axel, if you rotate them much more balanced wear. IMPORTANT, cars with a HALDEX type and system like the golf will freak out/get upset if the tyre tread is more than 2-3mm difference between axels so tyre rotation is more important on those cars.

[jonnyabba]

Oddly I learnt this from a film that (I think) Mike Brewer did around 25+ years ago for channel 4. Been telling everyone for years, thanks for confirming it Ped!

[nekite]

My local independent garage owner told me years ago about putting new tyres on the rear. I've been a customer of his for 18 years. Zero bullshit, good advice and reasonable prices.

[paullomas]

Great video as usual.
About three years ago I had a discussion with a tyre fitter at Costco and he said they only fit new tyres on the rear. He tried to explain why this was and I got the general idea of why but this video is a lot clearer as to why it’s correct.
I always replace an axle at a time but I know plenty of people who don’t.
I only ever buy Michelin. Cannot scrimp on the only part of the car that touches the road.

[js-hlhv]

Before I start, I agree with the tyre pressure / rolling resistance (I am an engineer). However, the test itself is difficult to reproduce accurately. 1/2 mph difference equates to 10% longer to stop at 10mph. The normal way to do the test is at 3 different speeds, and curve fit. Aero is proportional to v^2, and rr is constant. 1/2 mph difference at 60mph is about 1.6% difference. OK, this is a nit pick - but it was a good demo. Really enjoyed this one.

[bobphillips]

I have a friend who never checks tyres OR oil level!!! He says, 'They do that at the annual service, don't they?'. This is SO wrong, obviously. He says he doesn't have much luck with cars - I wonder why... I was a tyre fitter in my youth, and at 67 I still spot cars with underinflated tyres, and will often leave a note, or speak directly if I can find the owner (admittedly only if that is relatively easy, but). It is clear to me that by far the majority of people rarely if ever check tyre pressures. It seems that is always, somehow, somebody else's job. Drivers seem to have forgotten, if indeed they ever knew, that they are the only person responsible for their vehicle's state of safety, ie, tyres - both wear and pressures - and engine functions (an engine seizing at any time is a disaster, and an alternator failure could be a real problem) as well as, basically, everything else! We have to assume, for practical reasons, that the steering/suspension joints aren't going to fail between services and-or MOT tests, likewise brakes. But people simply assume far too much about the state of the hundreds of moving parts that make their cars go, and stop. Caring about your tyres, if you are one of the majority of those who just don't care, makes you a nerd, a geek, somehow weird. I tell people that simply KNOWING your fuel consumption figures can give you the earliest indication that something isn't right. A binding brake caliper, a faulty fuel injector, seriously low oil, a slipping clutch, and tyre pressures all affect fuel consumption. Why people are so uninterested in such things is beyond my comprehension.

[shaunsmith]

Great video and demonstration. I work in an industry where company provided vehicles are normal with my type of role and I’ve had so many disagreements with lease companies and company vehicle coordinators about this subject. I even had a Ford service centre want to put one new dissimilar tyre (completely different brand, tread pattern and about 5mm of depth difference) on my van and flat out refused to drive the vehicle if they did that. Long story short, I ended up getting the company policy changed to same tread pattern and similar tread depth across an axle.

[tobysatch]

Such a useful video. Been driving for 45 years and always wondered about front v rear. My two schnauzers can sleep safely in the back - oh and of course the missus in the front!