Do I need better tire tread on the front or the back wheels?
Every tire manufacturer, most reputable installers AND the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) advocate that when replacing only 2 tires the new tires ALWAYS be placed on the rear axle. On the Michelin Tire Co. web site you can even find a nice little video explaining why this is so. Loss of traction at the front will cause an understeering condition (“push” to you NASCAR fans) – a condition which is easily controlled by the average driver and typically gives some warning before it gets really bad. A loss of traction at the rear of the car (oversteer) is usually sudden and VERY DIFFICULT for even an experienced race car driver to control, let alone your average soccer-mom or Joe-sixpack. Basically the car can fishtail with little or no warning and can spin very rapidly, causing a serious accident. In the aforementioned Michelin safety video it shows 2 identical cars driving together on wet pavement at 45mph (hardly excessive speed for most driving conditions). One car has new tires
