Tire rotation neglected on 2000 Accord LX

Tire rotation has been neglected on the car since they were purchased
about 2-3 years ago. The front tires are worn down but the rear tires
are fine. Would it be ok to rotate the rear to the front and front to
rear since being FWD the front takes the most wear? or would that be a
bad idea?

 

Depends on how worn down they are. Do the tires still have enough tread to
pass a safety inspection? Then sure. If not, they're not safe front or
back.

Me, I don't rotate my tires either. When I get a new pair they go on the
front, what's on the front goes to the rear and what on the rear isn't worth
saving and get disposed of.

 

It's a BAD idea according to any magazine article, Click & Clack episode,
race car driver, or competent mechanic I've ever spoken to.

People think the good tires should naturally go on the front, since the
front does most of the work, but people are wrong.

Those rear tires are supposed to hold the rear of the car from swinging
around forwards during turns or in slippery weather. It swings, you spin
out of control. And most likely crash.

If the FRONT slides, all you do is keep going the way you were going, just
unable to stop in as short a distance as you think you should. You'll be
very quick to discover how little traction your fronts have and adjust your
driving accordingly.

This is why if you purchase only two new tires, they go on the REAR.

 

"Understeer is when the back end of the car arrives at the scene of the
accident first."

 

That's OVERsteer.

To put your quote another way, the rear of the car is OVERsteering
(going past) the front.

OVERsteer is very bad for a road-going car, which is why road cars are
invariably set up to UNDERsteer (plow straight ahead under heavy braking).

 

Good (new) tires are about cheapest way to make a car safe.
Especially if you live in an area where it rains or snows.

 

Oops--sorry, you're right. My mind was moving at a different speed than
my hands.

 

Then you were OVERtyping; your hands went past your brain.

Now if you were UNDERtyping, you'd never get anything done, since you'd
forget what you wanted to type by the time your hands got around to typing
it.

 

The tires in the front aren't super worn down but the tread is
noticeably less than the rear.

I'm still iffy on what to do especially with Elmo's info...I'm leaning
more towards just getting two new front tires, for safety reasons

 

I meant Tegger, sorry.

 

I meant Tegger's info. Looks like I will just wait until the front
tires get very worn down and replace those only. The rear ones have
alot to go.

 

How much tread is there on the fronts anyway? You may be worried about
nothing.

Place a penny in the tread with the top of Lincoln's head pointing into the
tread. Check at various places, and see how much of Lincoln's head shows.
Does the tread come up to the top of his hair? The top of his forehead? His
eyebrows? The end of his nose?

 

Then you were OVERtyping; your hands went past your brain.[/QUOTE]

Ya know, you went RIGHT where I was going--until I OVERanalyzed it, and
wondered if perhaps I was UNDERtyping.

Ah!

 

....and then there is the circumstance of mistyping...

JT

 

You wouldn't ask this question if you thought this was a good idea.
You're just looking for someone to justify your being cheap. No, it's
not OK. Your tires are shot. Replace them. Put the new ones onto the
rear.

 

Uh no. I'm asking for help, not being cheap. Why not get the most out
of my tires if I can? This is what this place is for, to get advice.

 

You have no way of knowing what condition his tires are in without
seeing them. You don't know how many miles a year he puts on the
vehicle, You don't know where he is located, you dont know if he
maintains the air pressure correctly or not. In short, you don't know
anything about his situation other than the little bit he mentioned in
the OP. Ask some questions or stifle yourself. :^)

 

Further, there's nothing wrong with being cheap. It is not the same as
being foolish, although cheaping out in the wrong places is one of the
ways of being foolish.

To the OP: what would you do with those tires if your daughter were
driving the car? That's how I would make the decision.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen

 

I offered advice. You never answered. To repeat my post of a few days
ago:

"How much tread is there on the fronts anyway? You may be worried about
nothing.

"Place a penny in the tread with the top of Lincoln's head pointing into
the tread. Check at various places, and see how much of Lincoln's head
shows. Does the tread come up to the top of his hair? The top of his
forehead? His eyebrows? The end of his nose?"

 

Exactly, being frugal in these times is a good thing. Tires however are
one of the most important components of vehicle operation and should not
be let go to the tread wear markers.

Excellent example Dave.