I have 4 General Altimax HP tires on my car. Two are 3.5 years old and two are 2.5 years old. What is the best way for me to arrange my tires such that the newer tires will wear faster than the older ones? My goal is to be able to replace all four tires at the same time, hopefully with all four tires at the same wear level. Btw, my car is a FWD 2005 scion tc.

Thanks.

 

It's generally accepted to want better tread on the rear of a FWD car, however, the drive axles will always wear faster. Assuming you have decent tread on the rear so you don't fishtail around on wet roads, you should be able to put the new ones up front.

 

New on the front should be OK if the old ones still have good grip and do well with rain. I definitely wouldn't put new tires on the front for driving in snow. I did it once and the car would 180 very easily if not careful. This becomes dangerous. I guess it depends on how worn the rears are.

 

thanks for the advice, guys. I didn't realize how important the rear tires are.

 

The rears are important because even on bald tires up front you have some level of control. All of the weight from the engine sits on the front and you are able to steer in and out of losing traction. On the rear, if it breaks loose, it's pretty much loose til you stop; this is why we suggest putting the best tires on the back, to reduce the chance of spinning out.