RWD - on which axle do winter tyres go?

[Lacquer Peel]

Are 205s really lethal?

 

 

 

A couple of photos of PSA motors frolicking in the snow, winter tyres on the driven wheels only, no one died.

[forddeliveryboy]

Nice pics, somehow my eyes saw the rear view as a generic 405/Passat3 more than Xantia. Weird.

 

Reminds me of a long drag as snow fell fast and hard, driving a Xantia full of firewood, on summer tyres. Only the handbrake saved the day, the only time I've ever been thankful for one braking the front axle - the edge of the road was slightly grippy.

 

Lethal 205s? I think they encouraged too many to go too fast - slightly worn rear dampers, a little neg camber on the rear wheels, cheaper tyres and so on…  I know of too many who either lost their lives or who survived nasty backwards ditch ventures in one.

[gordonbennet]

Bugger me, that top pick thought you'd just hit a stag and stopped to pick it up for barbie.

 

Either i need a few days off or me eyes testing cos i thought the top car was a Passat.

[Lacquer Peel]

The front handbrake works well as a primitive traction control device!

[chodweaver]

I thought that was roadkill too - wood for the fire, carcass for the spit.

 

And

 

Shirley, that IS a 405 estate...

[Lacquer Peel]

My uncle decided in his wisdom* to fell a massive dead pine near my granny's home with a smol saw. He made a mess and I tidied it up, hardly any of it was usable firewood.

 

No stags ta, I was vegetarian then and I don't eat any animal products now.

 

The first one is a 405, ya car ID dummies!

[Snipes]

I've had FWD and RWD cars and for 99% of the time I spent in them I couldn't care less what they were.

 

They say understeer is safer because if you're going to hit something best to do it head on.

[Guest Hooli]

I don't care most of the time either, but the steering always feels nicer in RWD & at that moment it all starts to go wrong you've a lot more options to catch it in RWD.

[Lacquer Peel]

It depends on the car's setup really. I'd rather be in a good handling FWD car than a bad RWD one, and vice versa. RWD doesn't = good.

[SiC]

There is more metal in front of me, than to the side of me. So when talent runs out, I'd rather have that side of the car impact the scenery.

 

Saab always said FWD is superior in snow and icy conditions. Which is why they never had many 4wd model (almost all at the end of the companies life). As they are from a very cold, Nordic country I tend to believe them.

[cort16]

All you need for driving in snow is some stout shoe's and a firm handshake.

[M'coli]

I've had FWD and RWD cars and for 99% of the time I spent in them I couldn't care less what they were.

 

They say understeer is safer because if you're going to hit something best to do it head on.

Unless you're going to hit something in a Porsche 917...

[Richard]

Or a Bedford Rascal.

[GoGently]

I do recall my 1-litre AX being absolutely brilliant in the snow, even on budget "summer" tyres.  There's a lot to be said for low weight and 145/70s.

i went to the peak district a few years back with a 2CV  & it was fab in the snow & & in the morning while all the flash drivers were scraping their windows the snow & ice fell off the CV with the short warm up of the 602.   

[dieselnutjob]

I know why the 305 was so good.

 

Heavy diesel over the driven wheels.

Light body.

Narrow tyres.

Soft long travel suspension.

High ground clearance.

 

Modern cars have none of these things.

[pompei]

As an aside from winter tyres, I remember reading that if you have a FWD and need to replace worn front tyres you should put the new pair of tyres on the rear.  In other words, you put your part worn rears on the front and the new ones at the rear. I never really understood that.

[Guest Hooli]

It depends on the car's setup really. I'd rather be in a good handling FWD car than a bad RWD one, and vice versa. RWD doesn't = good.

 

True, but then the only RWD I've known that was worse than the average FWD was a ovlov 345 - utterly dire car.

[Snipes]

Try driving an S12 Silvia with knackered rear cross-member bushes!

[New POD]

I once put winter tyres on the front of a 1.8 mk3 cavalier, that had the original 18 year old rear tyres on (after 80K).

 

In the rain, it handled like a 205 GTi 1.9 on slicks in the rain. ie closing the throttle induced wild oversteer and serious opposite lock. as per my little picture to the left of this.

[New POD]

As an aside from winter tyres, I remember reading that if you have a FWD and need to replace worn front tyres you should put the new pair of tyres on the rear.  In other words, you put your part worn rears on the front and the new ones at the rear. I never really understood that.

 

2 reasons. One, it means Safer more predictable Understeering, and two, it means the old tyres will wear out, before their use by date

[forddeliveryboy]

2 reasons. One, it means Safer more predictable Understeering, and two, it means the old tyres will wear out, before their use by date

 

It also reduces the chances of having to buy 4 tyres all at the same time, so less chance of buying the very cheapest.

[Snipes]

2 reasons. One, it means Safer more predictable Understeering, and two, it means the old tyres will wear out, before their use by date

Unless it's a pair of brand new unscrubbed Toyo Proxes where it's brown trousers time.

[Junkman]

Opel Rekord C Caravan with Summer radials up front and Winter crossplies on the rear.

A better combination has never existed. The usual guess how I know etc. etc. applies.

[Lacquer Peel]

1996 Polo diesel with winter tyres all round is pretty good, I found some unploughed, slushy and rutted snow up a steep shortcut, it barely flinched.