Tires - older ones on front or back?

FWD= front wheel drive vehicle may be a four wheel drive
On my wifes front wheel drive (FWD) chevy Impala I keep tires with the best tread on front because of better traction in bad weather.

On both four wheel drive (FWD) trucks I keep the tires with the best tread on the rear for the same reason.
I've never heard of a rule but I have heard of recommendations from a tire maker.

Thanks for the discussion!

It is FWD. The older tire is not noticeably worn so no worries this winter, though it is setting up a situation where rotation can no longer be used to get more miles out of the tires and I will need to visit the tire store more often.

The tire guys are right. On FWD, best traction on the rear.

I've always heard/read that new tires should go on the back or rear axle.

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One year shouldn't matter too much unless your alignment is so far out the you're eating tires. That being said, you should rotate your tires anyway, so where you place the tire now will become a moot point.

In general, though, the tires with the best tread should go in the back.

as already said.


I like the best tires on the front... front or rear wheel drive.
steering/braking is more important to me then drive traction.

if you can not steer properly ... you crash.

Lesser traction in the back can lead to or exacerbate oversteer in bad circumstances. For many modern front wheel drive vehicles, there is so much natural biasing toward understeer (not to mention electronic stability control) that it's basically an academic concern rather than a real safety issue under reasonable conditions. I prefer to have the newer tires on the front on my car if I have two newer and two older because the difference in winter traction is not merely academic, but sometimes the difference between making it up a hill or not.

If it's a year old then it probably doesn't matter load wise. It's all about treadwear and on a minivan, if it's front wheel drive you'll wear the fronts quicker , in which case I'd put it on the back.
Rwd put in the front to get the most out of it.