"....If one rear wheel locks up and skids before the other, round you go...."

Bit excessive there Dan (IMHO).  IF you're driving too fast... in wet/greasy conditions..... and you are turning as you brake ...then you may spin.  More than likely, if you hit the pedal too hard, the fronts will lock and you'll slide head first into the accident.

To get back to elpez'  original query;  I usually put new tyres on the back..  If the front ones don't really need replacing then they're good for a few more miles.  And, the new ones on the back can go through  a few heat cycles to harden them up so they last longer.

Back when I was seriously auto crossing (a state title and a MME class win) I used to oldest baldest cross plies I could find to loosen up the back end.  Not recommended for general street use but generally the fastest way to get a Mini around a tight course.

Cheers, Ian

You drive your Mini in the RAIN???!!! (just kidding).
Of course everything depends on the condition of your remaining older tires. And the condition of your brakes that they pull evenly. If one rear wheel locks up and skids before the other, round you go.

That's what i figured, but I had the rear end try to swap positions  a few years back in the rain, so I asked.  Thanks!

I agree with Dan! but tire stores in Michigan, like Bell tire, insist on putting the new pair of tires on the rear. Their reasoning, which I had to ask for, is it helps prevent swapping ends in slippery condition, and probably is the result of a law suit. I guess how well you stop or take off is your fault in an accident.

On the front. The front wheels provide traction and steering and somewhere around 80% of the braking. The weight distribution of a Mini (we are talking Mini, right?) is about 60% front. 40% rear. When you apply brakes on any car, the weight distribution shifts forward. That is why front brakes are usually beefier than rear brakes. Add to that the effect of brake proportioning or limiting valves, which limit the brake pressure to the rear wheels. (Some vehicles also have weight proportioning that adjusts rearward when heavily loaded.) The rear brakes on a Mini generally provide enough braking effort to keep the back end from getting ahead of the front end.

Hello, one of my front tires is damaged and will replace the two fronts, the back tires are not that worn, where should I place the new ones, front or rear and why?