If the tires of the car hit some sharp object and caused damage, and then we buy new tires to replace, we often encounter such a problem: it is too expensive to buy 4 tires, so let's buy 2 tires first. But the question is whether the newly bought tires should be placed on the front wheel, or the rear wheel?
There are many answers to this question on the Internet, some people say that it should be placed on the front wheel, and of course some people think that it is more appropriate to put it on the rear wheel. People who say that it is recommended to put new tires on the front wheels usually think that the front wheels of the car need to take on the task of turning the car, and if the front wheel has a puncture, then the direction of the vehicle is out of control. Those who think that it should be placed on the rear wheel mainly feel that a puncture on the rear wheel is more likely to cause a tail flick.
Should the new tires be put on the front wheel or the rear wheel? Different car manufacturers have different statements!
So which of these two statements is true? As a matter of principle, we tried to find the answer by looking through the car's "Owner's Manual", and we encountered something very interesting. This is because some car brands have "Owner's Manuals" that "new tires are recommended for rear wheels" (even for front-wheel drive vehicles, on the grounds that a puncture on the rear wheel may cause a tail spin).
Some car brands, on the other hand, insist that "new tires are recommended for the front wheels" (even for rear-wheel drive vehicles). Don't believe it, if you look at the "Owner's Manual" of the GM Cadillac sedan, you will definitely be surprised! It stands to reason that rear-wheel drive cars are more prone to tail flick (oversteer), so why does Cadillac "not care" about this? Today we will solve this mystery.
In fact, as to whether the new tires should be installed on the front or rear wheels, why different car manufacturers have different opinions. - The reason is that they really can't make a choice. - Because whether the new tires are placed on the rear or front wheels, there will be gains and losses. Let me explain to you for different situations.
A high-speed puncture of the rear wheel will cause the rear of the car to sway from side to side, and it is easy to lose control when the brakes are pressed.
First of all, for a high-speed car (such as a speed above 90km/h), if a sudden rear tire puncture occurs, it will directly cause the rear of the car to sway from side to side. And for the average driver (non-professional driver), this swing is very scary. In a panic, as long as the brakes are pressed, the degree of rear swing will instantly intensify to an uncontrollable degree, and the body may roll when it swings to 90 degrees.
The correct thing to do is to grab the steering wheel and hold it steady, and instead of applying the brakes, let the car slow down slowly (the tail sway will gradually diminish during the deceleration). - Of course, we can also see how important it is to maintain sufficient distance when driving at high speeds (otherwise you will collide with the car in front of you in the process of slowing down).
Because a puncture at the rear wheel will cause the body to sway, which is very dangerous, many automobile companies and tire companies recommend that users "put new tires on the rear wheel" to reduce the probability of a puncture at the rear wheel. - So is that the "standard answer"? Of course not! Let's look at the disadvantages of "putting new tires behind".
However, the front wheel shoulders 8% of the braking load of the whole car, and the front wheel puncture with a high flat ratio is also very dangerous.
First of all, whether it is a front-wheel drive car or a rear-wheel drive car, in the emergency braking (emergency braking), the front wheels bear about 70~80% of the brake load of the whole car, and the rear wheels only bear 20~30%, so the grip performance of the front wheels directly determines the braking performance (braking distance) of the vehicle.
The tires are getting older and older, the patterns are getting shallower and shallower, and the rubber is getting older and older. As a result, the actual grip of the tires becomes less and less, and the braking distance becomes longer and longer. But if you hand over the new tires to the front wheels, you can guarantee better braking safety. In addition, for tires with a high "flat ratio" (the sidewall looks thick), a puncture at the front wheel at high speeds can also cause a rollover.
This is because after a puncture, the rim (commonly known as the "hub") directly touches the ground, which is equivalent to a sudden decrease in the diameter of the wheel. The higher the "flat ratio" of the tire, the smaller the rim diameter. For example, if the left front wheel bursts, the vehicle will suddenly and violently shift to the left, and the left front of the car will instantly "sink". If the driver panics and is overwhelmed by a sudden puncture, the vehicle will eventually fall headlong to the left and overturn if it is fast.
Where is the best place to put the new tires? In order to make it easier for everyone to remember, here is the summary!
Of course, many of today's car tires, the flat ratio is getting smaller and smaller (the sidewall looks more and more "thinner"), when this tire has a puncture, because the rim diameter itself is about the same as the tire diameter, so the vehicle suddenly deviates to one side, and "the front of the car suddenly sinks to one side" will not be so exaggerated, and the driver can often grab the steering wheel for a while to stabilize the body.
So here comes the question: if the owner only changes 2 tires, do you say that the front wheel or the rear wheel? I think now that we understand the principle, it is naturally not difficult to give the answer:
1. If the vehicle is basically used for transportation in urban areas, and basically does not involve high-speed and long-distance transportation, the new tires can give priority to the front wheels to ensure the best braking performance.
2. If the vehicle is often used at high speeds and long distances, the new tires can be given priority to the rear wheels to reduce the probability of rear tire punctures.
3. If the model is an SUV and the tire to-flat ratio is very high, and you often go on the highway, if the economic conditions allow, try to change all 4 tires at the same time.