Do I have to fit 4 winter tyres?
Discussion
Yes you can but it isn't a good idea. One FWD car you are asking for oversteer, possibly a spin if you aren't careful slowing down. In a RWD it's going to be comical understeer time.
Either way you are increasing your ability to get power down, but possibly ending up with the same or worse control trying to stop! You will need to drive it under the idea that you only have the grip levels provided by your worst tires.
I wouldn't recommend it.
Either way you are increasing your ability to get power down, but possibly ending up with the same or worse control trying to stop! You will need to drive it under the idea that you only have the grip levels provided by your worst tires.
I wouldn't recommend it.
i asked the same about fwd last year or so
i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
I only fitted winters to the fronts of my old FWD yaris. The rears had plenty of tread on them but were not winters or all seasons, Toyo t1-r i think they were.
I was not killed, nor did i crash into anything/anyone and did not spin. When we had heavy snows I went out and tried to get it stuck, to no avail. it just kept on plodding.
I would advise putting them on all fours as that's what people with greater knowledge on the subject than me suggest, however if you choose just the fronts chances are if you don't drive like a tool you will be absolutely fine.
I was not killed, nor did i crash into anything/anyone and did not spin. When we had heavy snows I went out and tried to get it stuck, to no avail. it just kept on plodding.
I would advise putting them on all fours as that's what people with greater knowledge on the subject than me suggest, however if you choose just the fronts chances are if you don't drive like a tool you will be absolutely fine.
steveo3002 said:
i asked the same about fwd last year or so
i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
Surely it would be like fitting trolley wheels to the back of the car?!! Even though the front is doing most of the work, you still need rear grip to handle the car correctly and keep it properly balanced. I really can't see how that's safe!i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
It's amazing how much people choose to save whilst compromising safety. How much is a pair these days? £150?
I used to have good Vredstiens on the front of my old Astra and cheap budget ones on the rear (car came with them) back when I was 17.
Did lots of driving over the winter of 2009 which was one of the worst that the Highlands had ever seen.
It was absolutely fine. No problems at all, lots of snow and ice driving, and nothing. Didn't get stuck, didn't experience any oversteer or understeer if you were sensible.
Did lots of driving over the winter of 2009 which was one of the worst that the Highlands had ever seen.
It was absolutely fine. No problems at all, lots of snow and ice driving, and nothing. Didn't get stuck, didn't experience any oversteer or understeer if you were sensible.
same rear tyres as all the non winter tyre drivers are using
im sure at high speed testing 4 winter tyres would corner at higher speeds than a mix , but i really couldnt provoke any strangeness at all
they did impress me though ,can pretty much accelerate and brake pretty hard without fuss
im sure at high speed testing 4 winter tyres would corner at higher speeds than a mix , but i really couldnt provoke any strangeness at all
they did impress me though ,can pretty much accelerate and brake pretty hard without fuss
Bluebarge said:
Jandywa said:
chances are if you don't drive like a tool (and nobody around you does either) will be absolutely fine.
EFAbeanbag said:
steveo3002 said:
i asked the same about fwd last year or so
i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
Surely it would be like fitting trolley wheels to the back of the car?!! Even though the front is doing most of the work, you still need rear grip to handle the car correctly and keep it properly balanced. I really can't see how that's safe!i was told i wold crash and die , but went ahead and fitted fronts only , it was fine driving around normaly , i tried some hard braking and what not in the snow and nothing bad at all happened
im sure if you try screaming around at the cars limit then it wont be best , but normal driving they seemed fine for me
It's amazing how much people choose to save whilst compromising safety. How much is a pair these days? £150?
Admittedly I'm in the north of Scotland so I live in an area that is a little more susceptible to snow fall.
beanbag said:
Surely it would be like fitting trolley wheels to the back of the car?!! Even though the front is doing most of the work, you still need rear grip to handle the car correctly and keep it properly balanced. I really can't see how that's safe!
It's amazing how much people choose to save whilst compromising safety. How much is a pair these days? £150?
OP, if you look at it this way how much will it save you if you avoid a crash compared to the amount you spend on winter tyres? Depending where you are then it's probably worth the investment. The other thing to remember is that if the car is a keeper you save the wear on the summer tyres anyway, so you shouldn't be spending much more. The other option is selling them in winter when everyone panics and they're all sold out, so you make some of the money back if you sell the car. Generally they should be replaced after 5 years or so. The rubber becomes hard and so loses the grip then. If you have spiked tyres can be ok, but in the UK I don't think they're legal (plus would be pointless most of the time).It's amazing how much people choose to save whilst compromising safety. How much is a pair these days? £150?
I know first hand of someone who fitted winters to the front and left the standard tyres on the rear (car in question was a 4x4 Skoda Yeti). Braked going round a corner (not a great plan anyway) and the rear end just slid off the road.
Still, each to their own - but I'd rather have 4 winter tyres.
Still, each to their own - but I'd rather have 4 winter tyres.
Podie said:
I know first hand of someone who fitted winters to the front and left the standard tyres on the rear (car in question was a 4x4 Skoda Yeti). Braked going round a corner (not a great plan anyway) and the rear end just slid off the road.
Still, each to their own - but I'd rather have 4 winter tyres.
Precisely that.Still, each to their own - but I'd rather have 4 winter tyres.
I used winter tyres in Austria for 6 years and they were life savers at times. I also had them fitted to my RWD BMW and I swear it saved my life once on the motorway. 50km/h in a blizzard and the back steps out. I narrowly missed the off-ramp divider only because I managed to pull the car back in and regain grip. Without winter tyres, I would have crashed 100%.
The scenario was quite extreme but they also work beautifully on wet, slippery roads.
With regards to changing them, just buy a set of cheap steel rims and keep them on that. I have a full set of Goodyear Ultragrip 7+ on 16" steel rims with BMW hub caps and they look fine.
Plus my car is covered in crap all the time in the winter so I couldn't care less how they look!!!
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