RWD - on which axle do winter tyres go?

[DSdriver]

I found out today that either my perception of how good the DS23 was with Michelin XAS tyres was not as good as I thought or the Hankooks it is now sporting are only as good as I paid.

No, it used to be excellent, many years ago I drove up Star Hill near Sevenoaks when the road was compacted snow and Cortinas couldn't even get started at the bottom and minis were stuck about two thirds of the way up with people pushing them as I cruised smugly past.

It still gets past modern Fords stuck on hills though.

[wuvvum]

I had winter tyres on the back of the MGB - definitely helped it feel more stable in the snow.

 

I have them on the front of the Rover of Doom.  I don't buy all the bollocks about FWD cars being dangerous with snow tyres only fitted to the front.  I have them primarily due to their enhanced ability to stop the car if some twat in a steamroller-tyred X5 runs out of talent in the vicinity.  Besides, I can think of two separate occasions when lift-off oversteer has helped me avoid having a crash in the snow - I'm pretty sure terminal understeer has rarely helped anyone avoid an accident.

[surprisingskoda]

I had a set of winters on an auto bmw on the rear during the snow drifts of doom and while everyone else was sliding down the steep hill down the road I was up and down it taking people to work and to school etc. In an automatic bmw. Go me.

[rml2345]

I had a RWD automatic Volvo with newish all weather tyres during snowmageddon and it was rubbish. Then again, so were the tyres. Come to think of it the car wasn't so hot either.

I also had a RWD automatic Volvo with winter tyres (on the rear IIRC) in the snow and slid into a bus.

Conclusion? I should stay inside when it snows.

[paulplom]

I could see how an MX5 might get buried.

That's my old car! T442RFS

I swapped it for a grey S70 T5 about 2 years ago.

[Eddie Honda]

I also had a RWD automatic Volvo with winter tyres (on the rear IIRC) in the snow and slid into a bus.

Conclusion? I should stay inside when it snows.

I have a RWD automatic Volvo with winter tyres (all round) and it stuck to the road like shit to a blanket.

Conclusion? I should get round to putting the head back on the engine so I can actually use it before summer arrives (yet again).

[Sir Snipes]

Every stranded car we passed in the work's Transit minibus last night was either a Mercedes or BMW (but mostly e-class Mercedes)

[Formula Autos]

And how many days a year do you need your seatbelt? But I will stick with my seatbelt I think. And winter tyres performance is superior below 8*C or so, so they are for, oddly enough, the winter months.

 

I use Michelin cross climates so have the nearly the best of both worlds.

I need a seatbelt every day, as the law tells me that I do.

 

Plus, even if it wasn't compulsory, it's in the car already, ready to use. I'd no doubt choose to wear it.

 

Winter tyres aren't already on the car unless you spend money and faff around making it happen.

 

Superior performance below 8 degrees is all well and good, but this is Autoshite. The logical extension of this argument is that we shouldn't consider driving Tagoras because they don't have ABS and are OMGUNSAFEATANYSPEEDWILLSOMEBODYPLEASEYTHINKOFTHECHILDREN?

 

In extremis winter tyres help. I get that. The extremes are few and far between though, and winter tyres cost money/time/storage space for another set of wheels. Are they worth buying for people in the populated areas of England? My judgement is probably not - especially on cars of the value we run.

[Lacquer Peel]

Personal choice innit, not sure why it's worthy of a big long spiel.

[sierraman]

For a set of winter tyres you are talking at least £200. As above I'd squander the money in the pub on the days I couldn't get to work.

[Lacquer Peel]

Not really, you can make the most of other people's fickleness and pick up used sets of winter wheels and tyres for £50.

I'm not saying winter tyres are for everyone, but they're great for the people who like confidence and security in all foul winter weather.

 

I wonder how many of the people decrying winter tyres would buy a 4x4 vehicle for its winter security.

[Kiltox]

Big fan of winter tyres - in the 2009/10 snowmageddon in Scotland I had a Laguna II with hopeless summer tyres, swapped them out for Bridgestone A001 all weather / snow tyres and was actually stoppable again (not unstoppable, see)

[dollywobbler]

As Supernaut says, you need winters all round. I've driven a minibus with winters on the rear only. Could get going quite nicely, but stopping the bugger was terrifying. Just locked up the fronts, while the rears don't do a fat lot. I did manage to drive past a stranded Audi uphill though.

[Tamworthbay]

I need a seatbelt every day, as the law tells me that I do.

Plus, even if it wasn't compulsory, it's in the car already, ready to use. I'd no doubt choose to wear it.

Winter tyres aren't already on the car unless you spend money and faff around making it happen.

Superior performance below 8 degrees is all well and good, but this is Autoshite. The logical extension of this argument is that we shouldn't consider driving Tagoras because they don't have ABS and are OMGUNSAFEATANYSPEEDWILLSOMEBODYPLEASEYTHINKOFTHECHILDREN?

In extremis winter tyres help. I get that. The extremes are few and far between though, and winter tyres cost money/time/storage space for another set of wheels. Are they worth buying for people in the populated areas of England? My judgement is probably not - especially on cars of the value we run.

Sorry but that argument is plain stupid. You could get a model T and fit winter tyres if they are made for it so it isnt about driving a modern. Doing the health and safety argument is a poor excuse. So by your logic would you refuse to fit modern brake pads and insist only on period compounds? Or course you wouldn't. The world moves on and any advantage you can get which makes life easier/ improves safety is worth doing.

 

Autoshite isn't about driving shonky shitty old cars in borderline dangerous state as you are inferring, it's about a love of older otherwise unloved cars and many people on here spend significant amounts of cash on them. As tyres are the only contact with the road then skimping on them is crazy.

[M'coli]

The "this is Autoshite, so let's not bother" is bollocks: that's bangernomics . AS is about preserving old cars too, not just running them into the ground.

[Cheezey]

That's my old car! T442RFS

I swapped it for a grey S70 T5 about 2 years ago.

I loved that car.

 

I replied with my story on it here: http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=150873

[chaseracer]

Not really, you can make the most of other people's fickleness and pick up used sets of winter wheels and tyres for £50.

I'm not saying winter tyres are for everyone, but they're great for the people who like confidence and security in all foul winter weather.

 

I picked up a set of barely-used Dunlop Winter Response2 (on the correct - new - wheels) for £120.  Happy me.

[AMC Rebel]

The "this is Autoshite, so let's not bother" is bollocks: that's bangernomics . AS is about preserving old cars too, not just running them into the ground.

 

Er....oh.

 

I'll get me jacket.  

[paulplom]

I loved that car.

 

I replied with my story on it here: http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=150873

Yup, that's me. The car now lives in France.

[Eddie Honda]

cost money/time/storage space for another set of wheels.

The only arseache I find is storing the buggers. My man cave is more than big enough but is a disorganised mess and I still haven't bought/made my felgenbaum

[dieselnutjob]

As Supernaut says, you need winters all round. I've driven a minibus with winters on the rear only. Could get going quite nicely, but stopping the bugger was terrifying. Just locked up the fronts, while the rears don't do a fat lot. I did manage to drive past a stranded Audi uphill though.

And you are quite sure that it would have stopped better with summer tyres on the rear as well?

 

Four winter tyres is best.

Two winters on the back is a better than nothing.

Four summer tyres is worst.

Winters only on the front is for those who like spinning and drifting; probably a bit dangerous at higher speeds.

 

I'll put it another way. You put the best tyres you have on the back. Simple. If the best you have at the moment is winters then put them on the back.

 

If you can't stop then slow down.

 

Winter tyres are not so expensive when you consider that you aren't wearing out the summer ones when the winters are on, if you have some spare rims and somewhere to store them and you are going to keep the car long term then they are effectively free.

[willswitchengage]

Fit dual rear wheels like on a bus or LDV Convoy.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

And how many days a year do you need your seatbelt? But I will stick with my seatbelt I think. And winter tyres performance is superior below 8*C or so, so they are for, oddly enough, the winter months.

 

I use Michelin cross climates so have the nearly the best of both worlds.

 

 

How do you find the Crossclimates? I am considering getting a set for my car, since its tyres are old and I want to replace them anyway. Are there any downsides? Clearly, they are not going to be quite as effective in the worst winter conditions but significantly better than summer tyres - but is there a downside in the summer?

 

They look quite impressive here:

 

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Is-there-a-true-all-season-tyre-We-find-out.htm

[JeeExEll]

Buy a k11 Micra.

[sierraman]

The "this is Autoshite, so let's not bother" is bollocks: that's bangernomics . AS is about preserving old cars too, not just running them into the ground.

I see what you are saying but wholesale restoration of a 1997 Vauxhall Astra isn't viable. I can't see what's wrong with binning a car off because it's going to land you with some fairly sizeable bills in the near future?

[forddeliveryboy]

I found out today that either my perception of how good the DS23 was with Michelin XAS tyres was not as good as I thought or the Hankooks it is now sporting are only as good as I paid.

No, it used to be excellent, many years ago I drove up Star Hill near Sevenoaks when the road was compacted snow and Cortinas couldn't even get started at the bottom and minis were stuck about two thirds of the way up with people pushing them as I cruised smugly past.

It still gets past modern Fords stuck on hills though.

Good for a car which is very nearly mid-engined!

 

Won't bang on about how wonderful ancient Cit suspension is in adverse conditions. Flippin' amazing.

[panhard65]

20 years ago I had never heard of anyone having a set of winter tyres down here in the south now it seems we all should have them. If you drive sensibly to the conditions then it doesn't really matter what tyres you have. The problem with winter tyres is the same as the 4x4 one. The driver thinks just because he has wonderful tyres or 4x4 he can go faster than anyone else. Winter tyres are just a pain in the arse to store and I would never keep a car long enough to make them worthwhile. Saying that I just scored a set of 2 year old 155/80/13's on Fiat rims for 99p. I only wanted a couple of cheap 155's for my lads MG to see if it improved the gearing. If anyone fancies a deal on them I will swap for a pair of decent summer 155/80/13's.

[M'coli]

I see what you are saying but wholesale restoration of a 1997 Vauxhall Astra isn't viable. I can't see what's wrong with binning a car off because it's going to land you with some fairly sizeable bills in the near future?

I also can see what you're saying - if I didn't, I wouldnt have scrapped my Cavalier in 2015 and I'd still be trying to weld it up (from the inside out, because that's where the rust was).  The point is that therre's a difference between 1) pure bangernomics and 2) looking after an older car in the way that you yourself deems fit.  Once we get into the "don't fit good stuff as that's not the Autoshite way" mindset, then there's no point in even changing the oil...

[cros]

I went on this bus last week up a tiny and steep mountain road that I was advised not to try in the Landrover due to blizzard conditions. It was sound advice and incredible what can be achieved with only 2wd, traction control, and the proper tyres for the job. Some hairpins were taken at what seemed like a special creep speed and other traffic is prohibited when the bus is on the road. In answer to the question, I'd say both axles.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

My Personal Opinion

 

Waste of money for my situation.

 

Live in an urban area, commute to work is all motorway / A roads into a city centre. So well gritted and cleared. I can get anywhere I NEED to go (work / Tesco) on major roads easily enough.

 

I am walking distance from the train and smaller shops if its really really bad.