Advanced Driving Hub

Why do some FWD cars get through rear tyres quicker than others? I'm not talking about the absolute number of miles as that will vary depending on tyre make etc - but rather the fact sometimes they last much, much longer than the corresponding front.

e.g.

• Focus ST: front tyres ~ 14k miles, rears ~ 18k.
• Focus 1 litre 'Ecoboost' (don't laugh): front ~ 20k, rears est. ~ 30k.

What are the factors that govern rear tyre wear compared to front?

martine wrote:Why do some FWD cars get through rear tyres quicker than others? I'm not talking about the absolute number of miles as that will vary depending on tyre make etc - but rather the fact sometimes they last much, much longer than the corresponding front.

e.g.

• Focus ST: front tyres ~ 14k miles, rears ~ 18k.
• Focus 1 litre 'Ecoboost' (don't laugh): front ~ 20k, rears est. ~ 30k.

What are the factors that govern rear tyre wear compared to front?

My last half dozen cars have worn their tyres pretty evenly, meaning I replace the whole set at once. Perhaps it's down to driving style. I'm not necessarily saying it's means my driving style is superior in any way (even if it is ) but it's probably down to the fact that I don't really do the kind of driving that's heavy on tyres. My current car had its first change at around 50K. My A3 got through a set every 20K.

I don't know if it has any bearing, but even tyre wear for me seems to have coincided with the start of my AD journey. Before then, it would be something like 20K front, 60K rear. Different cars, so hardly scientific.

P.S. When you have a Peugeot 308, you don't laugh at an Ecoboost; at least not out loud.

Part of it will down to the geometry. An ST will be set up quite different to a shopping trolley.

Also the ST will probably have some form of stability control where it will be dabbing the rear brakes individually to steer the car. Drive it hard on twisty B roads and this could be your answer. My Civic used to use up rear pads quicker than front, and the rear wheels get more pad dust. However the early new generation Civics were known to have over sensitive/intrusive stability control.

I'm on my fourth Saab 9-5 estate and they are renowned for uneven tyre wear on the back which shortens the life. It is a setting thing and it happens even with factory recommended settings.

my z3 does about 6-8,000 miles on the rears - and probably 8-10,000 on the fronts
I enjoy driving it

the skoda is on 13,000 miles now and no sign of tyres needing to be replaced
I enjoy driving it less

I think there may be a logical link!

Alasdair

martine wrote:Why do some FWD cars get through rear tyres quicker than others? I'm not talking about the absolute number of miles as that will vary depending on tyre make etc - but rather the fact sometimes they last much, much longer than the corresponding front.

e.g.

• Focus ST: front tyres ~ 14k miles, rears ~ 18k.
• Focus 1 litre 'Ecoboost' (don't laugh): front ~ 20k, rears est. ~ 30k.

What are the factors that govern rear tyre wear compared to front?

The most obvious reason would be the fact the rear wheels are simply just rotating on the road, and so won't have as much wear as the front wheels which have a variety of different forces acting on them at different angles etc.

I could have worded that better, but I'm sure the gist is clear enough

martine wrote:What are the factors that govern rear tyre wear compared to front?

I reckon Mike's on the button; more spirited driving probably means more braking and the car is more likely to be leaning in the bends, so the rear tyres are doing more work.

martine wrote:Why do some FWD cars get through rear tyres quicker than others? I'm not talking about the absolute number of miles as that will vary depending on tyre make etc - but rather the fact sometimes they last much, much longer than the corresponding front.

e.g.

• Focus ST: front tyres ~ 14k miles, rears ~ 18k.
• Focus 1 litre 'Ecoboost' (don't laugh): front ~ 20k, rears est. ~ 30k.

What are the factors that govern rear tyre wear compared to front?

We owned a Focus for five years (never put a foot wrong, not even a light bulb) and it was a Spanish market model which had the ST suspension and the 1.8 diesel.
The tyre wear for what was not a performance car was pretty high and apart from regular servicing just about the only thing replaced.

The main problem with rear tyres these days is that they die of old age!

It depends on tyre forces.

In a front-heavy, front-wheel driven car you'd expect the front to wear at a much higher rate to the rear. The added load, as well as the majority of braking, accelerating and cornering forces being fed through them.

However, particularly with braking, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) system allow for a more balanced brake bias under everyday braking conditions, so tyre (and brake) wear tend to even out a bit more.

Anyhow, I find that most tyres, if properly inflated and aligned, degrade and lose performance to a degree that justifies replacing them, long before the tread reaches the 3-milimeter limit.