Tired with better tread

Should they go on the front or back? And why?
I normally put them on the back since those are the ones that push, but not sure if that’s the best thing to do, even though it makes sense to me in my head.

 

Always put the best tires on the rear. Front and rear wheel drive. It is better to push around a corner than to oversteer.

 

It will really depend on the situation and the vehicle. Being winter and slippery road season, you need all the traction you can get. You either can’t move, or can’t steer. Both are undesirable.

 

On the pavement the front wears faster. I’d put them on the front til they even out.

 

Even if it’s a rear wheels drive?

 

Always put the best tires on the non driven wheels, that is where you need the most traction, not on the driven wheels. it sounds counter productive but its not.

 

I mostly agree with this and in most cases it applies to front wheel drive cars. However, it is more important to keep the back of the vehicle planted than it is for the vehicle to steer. It is always better to hit something with the front than it is to slide sideways and possibly roll.

 

If replacing just the two, the new tires for any car are installed on the rear. Plenty written about this from any tire dealer, manufacturer.

This is from Goodyear, but if you do some searches, all tire manufacturers or installers have the same guidelines.

Installing Tires on the Rear Axle
When tires are replaced in pairs, the new tires should always be installed on the rear axle, and the partially worn tires should be moved to the front. Driving with new tires on the rear axle can help the vehicle to maintain control on wet roads because the tires with deeper treads are more likely to resist hydroplaning.

When front tires have less tread than the tires on the rear axle, the vehicle is generally considered easier to control, since sliding would likely be the result of an understeer –which is easier for the driver to control by decreasing throttle. If worn tires are placed on the rear axle and a slide occurs, it’s likely the result of an oversteer (where the rear of the vehicle continues to move straight ahead). Oversteering is generally harder to recover from and decreasing throttle may actually amplify the negative effects of the oversteer.