New tires are more likely to have a pull than older tires that have been running fine. It's not exactly a defect; it's a difference in the way the tread reacts to the road. They won't cause a problem if you put them on the rear because they can't steer. They just follow along.
While switching them front-to-rear is common to solve a pull, every once in a while you run into a pair in the rear that have the same problem. That's why it's best to switch them left-to-right first to be sure you've identified the right cause of the pull.
I bought four tires many years ago, and one of them caused the car to pull extremely hard to the right. I switched the two right side tires and left them there. Never had a problem for over 40,000 miles, but I knew to never rotate them after that.
Sunday, May 1st, 2011 AT 12:22 AM