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its "illegal" to put new tires in front.

Thats a New one to me!  
If you were taken depends on what you paid for the tires!

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I don't know what laws are in your area, but we always put the best tires in front because they are what you would feel the most.  The drivers seat is closer to the front, and the steering wheel is connected to those tires.  We get less complaints about vibrations and such.

On the other hand, I work on real cars that have the correct wheels powering the vehicle (RWD).

Intuition suggests that since the front tires wore out first and because there is still about half of the tread remaining on the rear tires, the new tires should be installed on the front axle. This will provide more wet and wintry traction; and by the time the front tires have worn out for the second time, the rear tires will be worn out, too. However in this case, intuition isn't right...and following it can be downright dangerous.

When tires are replaced in pairs in situations like these, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle and the partially worn tires moved to the front. The reason is because new tires on the rear axle help the driver more easily maintain control on wet roads since deeper treaded tires are better at resisting hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning occurs when the tire cannot process enough water through its tread design to maintain effective contact with the road. In moderate to heavy rain, water can pool up in road ruts, depressions and pockets adjacent to pavement expansion joints. At higher speeds, the standing water often found in these pools challenges a tire's ability to resist hydroplaning.

Exactly when hydroplaning occurs is the result of a combination of elements including water depth, vehicle weight and speed, as well as tire size, air pressure, tread design and tread depth. A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires in a heavy downpour will hydroplane at lower speeds than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain.

If the front tires have significantly less tread depth than the rear tires, the front tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the rear tires. While this will cause the vehicle to understeer (the vehicle wants to continue driving straight ahead), understeer is relatively easy to control because releasing the gas pedal will slow the vehicle and help the driver maintain control.

However, if the front tires have significantly more tread depth than the rear tires, the rear tires will begin to hydroplane and lose traction on wet roads before the fronts. This will cause the vehicle to oversteer (the vehicle will want to spin). Oversteer is far more difficult to control and in addition to the initial distress felt when the rear of the car starts sliding, quickly releasing the gas pedal in an attempt to slow down may actually make it more difficult for the driver to regain control, possibly causing a complete spinout.

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Oh no you didnt

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so what happens if you needed 3 tires?
call the BBB on them

A lightweight vehicle with wide, worn, underinflated tires in a heavy downpour will hydroplane at lower speeds than a heavyweight vehicle equipped with new, narrow, properly inflated tires in drizzling rain

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can you change them yourself?

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Yeah, I have a full size jack and some stands. Most likely I'll do it this weekend. It will keep me from being all pissed off the rest of the winter every time I loose traction up front.

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Yeah, I have a full size jack and some stands. Most likely I'll do it this weekend. It will keep me from being all pissed off the rest of the winter every time I loose traction up front.

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You ALWAYS put the better tires on the back, even on a front wheel drive. It's even more important in the winter when it's icy or snowy.

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You ALWAYS put the better tires on the back, even on a front wheel drive. It's even more important in the winter when it's icy or snowy.

Don't know about the "legality" part but other then that, he is completely correct in that the new ones go on the rear due to the greater chance of a "breakaway skid" whipsawing the rear around. Understeer is far easier to control then oversteer/rear wheel skid on a slippery road.

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Uhhh... No... Unless it is a RWD car because that is where the tire wear will be greatest and in the winter you need traction for...  In this case a FWD car they should definitely be in the front.  Those are the wheels that are accelerating and turning. Both things you need the greatest traction for in snowy/icy conditions.

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So you are driving along and enter a curve with snow and ice and the rear end lets go because it does not have as much traction as the front. How does having more traction on the front help the average driver?

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This.

We inform our 2-tire customer's the new tires should go on the rear but will put them on the front if they request it. There is a pre-printed statement on the receipt the customer signs stating we advised them of this. We do not charge extra to rotate them.

This doctrine is fairly new to the tire industry. It came about as the result of Michelin getting sued for about 5 million dollars a year or two back for a wreck determined to be caused by the worn tires in the rear breaking loose causing the car to spin out.

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So you are driving along and enter a curve with snow and ice and the rear end lets go because it does not have as much traction as the front. How does having more traction on the front help the average driver?

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This is correct although "law" has nothing to do with it it is a company policy.

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Yeah, I have a full size jack and some stands. Most likely I'll do it this weekend. It will keep me from being all pissed off the rest of the winter every time I loose traction up front.

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On the other hand, I work on real cars that have the correct wheels powering the vehicle (RWD).

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Got a flat tire up front on my Acura, so I bought two new tires. I wanted them put up front; where the weight of the engine is. In addition, I wanted the new tires in front because its a front wheel vehicle and going into winter I want the traction to go to the new tires.

Tire shop said its "illegal" to put new tires in front. They transfered the old ones up to the front and put the BRAND new tires in rear –– where they do little work at all. So now I have used up tires up front and I'm not getting much benefit at all.

I was pretty pissed but they told me it was "the law" to put tires in rear only. Its no big deal, I have frame stands for the car and can swap them myself this weekend...I just find it hard to believe.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I have an Acura RSX. Its a front wheel drive car.

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This is correct although "law" has nothing to do with it it is a company policy.

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So you are driving along and enter a curve with snow and ice and the rear end lets go because it does not have as much traction as the front. How does having more traction on the front help the average driver?

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Pop quiz - what is the weight distribution of a front-wheel drive vehicle? There's your answer - new tires on the FRONT!