 Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry if this has been done...
What would be the implications of having just 2 winter tyres on the front of my front-wheel drive car as opposed to all 4?
Would there be much of a difference in performance/handling?
TIA
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think you always put the best tyres on the back, regardless of drive, so I suspect that you could soon find the rear overtaking the front of the car when it gets slippy!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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tomb, all four needed, I think the back end could swing out otherwise, judging by reports I have read on here. Front tyres have a good grip and the others then lose it.
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tomb, No problem with accelerating, as you have traction on the driven wheels. However, when you brake it's possible for the back end to break away, not a desirable situation, particularly on a downhill stretch of alpine road with a steep drop off! All 4 is definitely the recommended way. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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All 4.
If only 2, they go on the drive wheels.
But all 4 is best.
All 5 is probably even better...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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thanks guys, i will have to buy another 2 now :/
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| tomb wrote: |
| Would there be much of a difference in performance/handling? |
There is a significant difference in traction between summer/all-season and winter tyres (if there wasn't, why would we buy winter tyres in the first place?). Would you want a big difference in traction between the front axle and the rear axle when cornering? Same type of tyre on all four wheels is the only sensible answer.
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All depends if you want them for drifting.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Does depend on the car, previous car I had never saw winter tyres in almost 7 years of ownership, it was quite an old big heavy diesel, with fairly narrow tyres for size/weight and could practically be brought to a stop on the gears if need be. Pulled a couple of 4x4s out of ditches with it in it's time too much to the  of said cars owners!
A previous older car I had, I did put 2 winter tyres on the front only, partly because there was virtually new summers on the back - never had any problems, but again it was a car that had plenty of engine braking. On my new Skoda Fabia I got part way through last winter I wouldn't dare put winters on the front only though!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kamikaze, great video there... thanks! will be buying the other 2 shortly!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Definitely all 4 says Mr Snowyowl. No question.
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All 4 .. I did a 180 in my car when I only put 2 on, luckily there was no huge drop off the side of the road .. never again.
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You know it makes sense.
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Weirdly almost everyone round here only does 2. During the winter it's a dead giveaway as pretty much every car only has hubcaps on the rear wheels. Nutcases.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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tomb, All 4
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Definitely all 4!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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This thread has been brought to you by the International Snow Tyre Sales And Marketing Board.
And remember: If you only buy TWO, it's certain death for YOU. (And your passengers.)
Safe driving!
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Two should be finein the UK. Most of the time you will not be driving on snow covered roads. When you are you should drive more carefully anyway and if you are aware that the back end will have less grip it will encourage you to go into corners much more ginergerly than the lady in the video 
The tyres on the front will still provide traction, which is what you want, and most of your braking resistance.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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What about one winter tyre on the front right and another on the back left? 
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Peter S, that was my logic initially... Untill the tyre police informed me differently 
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All the examples above are about driving on snow covered roads at normalish speeds. If i lived in the Alps or Canada then yes I think it would be essential because everyone would be driving flat out.
Here in the UK I don't think its really necessary. People drive slowly here when there is snow and as long as you don't attempt to throw your car quickly into corners you should be fine
Are you intending to drive in the Alps or here ?
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Here this winter and possibly alps next year... I practically got given 2 winter tyres for my car from an acquaintance and will put them on when weather takes a turn for the worse. Will probably buy another 2 sometime soon though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Very sensible. go for it. 
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tomb, A lot is down to where you live and where and when you plan to drive
We started with just winter tyres on the front but you tend to push things a bit and that's when having the summer tyres on the rear can be an issue
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd fit all 4 unless your name is Bolmquist, Arikola or Vatanen.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| tomb wrote: |
| What about one winter tyre on the front right and another on the back left? |
Have you got locking Diffs?
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| Peter S wrote: |
Two should be finein the UK. Most of the time you will not be driving on snow covered roads. When you are you should drive more carefully anyway and if you are aware that the back end will have less grip it will encourage you to go into corners much more ginergerly than the lady in the video
The tyres on the front will still provide traction, which is what you want, and most of your braking resistance. |
It's not just about driving on snow, it's about driving with tyres which have completely mismatched, as bad as mixing radials and crossply tyres.
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You know it makes sense.
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Spyderman, blimey. Do they make cross plies any more?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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dobby, some really big stuff is still Bias Belted Cross Ply.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Some opinons please. I have four Vredestein Snowtrac tyres. Two brand new, two not new, but good (two have been retired, still well legal, but not effective as snowtyres any more).
So, do the brand new tyres go on the front (driving) wheels, or the back? Last time I had this dilemma some expert on SHs said put the best tyres on the back, but my local garage/tyreman (who I like) said put the new ones on the driving wheels.
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as long as you don't attempt to throw your car quickly into corners you should be fine
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Not true. I lost my back end driving extremely gingerly, in quite a lot of snow, on a gentle left hand (up hill) turn, a few years ago. Did a graceful 180 degree turn, well controlled (I had not long before done a session on a skid pan) and ended up going back down the road I was coming up. But however good my control, if there'd been a bloody great ski bus coming down the road, it wouldn't have been too clever. Fit 4 snow tyres.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The recommendation now is to fit the best to the rear to ensure stability under brakes and turning.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The received wisdom is certainly best on the back and that is what I do with my summer tyres. With the winter ones I always put the new ones on the front if not changing all four. My logic is that the occasion when I might really need the extra grip is to get traction in deep snow. I know it will be slippery so drive to allow for that.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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SnowRetreat, tomb, pam w,
as long as you don't attempt to throw your car quickly into corners you should be fine
pam w you are spot on in saying that this is completely misleading and unsafe. 2 snow tyres on a car = recipe for big, horrible surprise
let's think a minute....what would be some parallel questions?
- would a dark monocle be OK instead of sunglasses?
- should I buy just one shoe, even though I have two legs?
- is 10cm of hot water in the bath as much as 20cms?
- would half a steering wheel be as good as a complete one?
buy 4 snow tyres and keep yourself, your passengers, and other road users (and the owner of that wall you would otherwise hit spinning off with 2 tyres) safe.
and Pam W, there's apparently counterintuitive advice re which to replace with new. The rationale I have heard is the following: Put them on the front and the car will have less grip at the rear, which on ice means the rear unexpectedly coming round and getting you into a spin. That's not good, and the higher grip at the front will give you a false 'readback' from the road, in terms of the true capacity of your car re grip. Put them on the rear, and although the front will have less grip, the 'feedback' from them will be better, ie make you cautious, and less grip on the front means understeer, which is generally easier to control than the rear suddenly coming round (hence BMW and Porsche drivers getting twitchy when there's ice). But that's what I have picked up from tyre people - don't take it as gospel and I'd appreciate more people coming in with their take on it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Not true. I lost my back end driving extremely gingerly, in quite a lot of snow, on a gentle left hand (up hill) turn, a few years ago.
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Was that using snow tyres on the front or on summer tyres ?
I don't seem to have had any dramas in the last 10 years but I do drive much more slowly on snow in the Uk than I would in the Alps where everone is on winter tyres all corners.
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| Quote: |
Was that using snow tyres on the front or on summer tyres ?
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New snow tyres on the front. And I can't over-emphasize how slowly I was going..... it was an uphill bend (kind of fork left) so I needed to keep going, but was treating the whole journey very gingerly. It was a difficult evening. Had to stop further up the road because a bus coming down had skidded obliquely across the road and they needed time and space to sort it out.
By then I had put chains on, after the skid.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Dont think you will need them this year, getting warmer not colder
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| stanton wrote: |
| If your using your vehicle on mainland Europe like Germany & Austria your need M+S,Winter Tyres or better still the "three-peak-mountain" seal tyres fitted to all axles. |
But if you want to be really, really hard, you need stud muffins.
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FAQ
