1) Many years ago, when I knew even less about motoring than I do now, older, wiser men counselled that I should have snow tyres for living in the wilds of Scotland. And the advice I was given was to put the snow tyres on the driven(front) wheels.
I now suspect that I was wrongly advised, and that I should have snow tyres on all four wheels. Is this right?
2) At the moment my winter tyres are Gislaved Nord Frost 3 (as recommended on this forum by flat in fifth www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=9690#
If I need 2 more tyres, should I get another 2 of the same? Are they still manufactured? Or should I get something else - like Vredestein? And if Vredestein, do I go for their all year Quatrac tyres - or one of their winter tyres? And if the latter, which of the 6 different winter tyres do I get?
3) Should I put my new winter tyres on the front wheels, or the rear? My Nord Frosts still have 6 or 7mm on them.
3b. And if (hypothetically) I were only to have 2 winter tyres, should they be on the front (driven) wheels, or the rear?
4)And, while I'm asking questions, I understand that ABS is actually a liability when driving in the snow. Is this correct? I ask because one of our cars has ABS, the other doesn't. Should I make it my priority that the car without ABS (a Ford Ka) is the one with winter tyres?
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You should really have all four wheels shod with tyres of the same characteristic. The newest tyres should be on the rear.ABS is only a problem in snow when you rely on a build up of soft snow in front of the tyre to stop you. This is a fairly unusual circumstance, my experience of ABS in most icy and snowy conditions is that it is a life (or at least bodywork) saver.
Did notice, last spring in the Peak District, that the butchers next door to our holiday let, had a fleet of 2wd vans equipped with snow tyres. Probably served them as well as a fleet of expensive 4x4's.
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It?s gonna be zero degrees here on Wednesday and soon it?ll be snowing so I?ve been discussing this with my financial controller (wifey). I?m just gonna do the two front driving and stopping wheels especially since the tyres it has are only a couple of months old. She?s been told it?s better to do all four but can?t convince me with any sort of technical argument. Don?t the rear wheels just follow the front wheels around, basically doing nothing? I just don?t get your point 3b that if you?re only putting two on, they should go on the rear. How?s that gonna help?
Don?t know anything about brands, just gonna get the cheapest. Tyre fitters will store tyres till summer for a few pounds here.
I swear by winter tyres, I can pound down a motorway of packed snow at 70mph with confidence. Last year after having them fitted I took a forty mile detour down tiny snowbound, country lanes to test them out, good as they were, I won?t be doing that again. Terrifying. Also I?m driving down to the mountains for some skiing in Jan, so will be taking chains too. Got a snow setting, but will be leaving it in sport for max fun.
So yeah, front wheels only for me.
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Snow tyres on all four wheels or you could be swopping ends regularly. I.E Your coming dowm a hill in some snow and using engine braking to control your decent, however the rears, due to the normal tread pattern, are packed full of snow and have little traction so the rear is now loose. Snow tyres are designed to keep the tread clear by the walking effect at the leading and lagging edge of contact with the road thus the trail of snow chucks left behind. I carry chains should they be needed but only use them if stuck or deep enough snow to ensure no contact with the road. Regards Peter
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Having lived quite a few years in Germany (though I am not there now), where just about everyone changes to winter tyres in November (even if they live in an area where there is little snow - they still help on icy roads), the advice they give there is that for a front wheel drive car, they must go on the front wheel, but best on all 4. For a rear wheel drive car they must go on all 4 wheels.
If you can manage a bit of German, here is the latest ADAC winter tyre test:
tinyurl.co.uk/dqih
If you can't manage it, the winners were:
Goodyear Ultra Grip 7 Bridgestone Blizzak LM 20
Pirelli W190 Snowcontrol
This test was for 175 65 R 14 tyres. For 195 65 R 15 the winners were:
Goodyear Ultra Grip 7 Dunlop Wintersport 3D
Vredestein Snowtrac 2 Pirelli W190 Snowcontrol
\"Archie\"
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A quick look round the underground garage of our flat complex here in Frankfurt shows that everyone has a full set of winters (or summers, if they have already swapped them over). Noone seems to just swap the driving wheels.
Plus it´s a common misconception that they´re just for snow, as they outperform summers from +8 degrees downwards.
I can REALLY recommend getting a set.
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Here they say that as soon as average temps drop below 7 it?s time to change and a lot of people do. Most people however, wait till the first flakes of snow before pit-stopping.
A large factor for me only doing the fronts is this year I sold my trusty 605 and threw in 4 nearly new snow tyres not thinking for one minute that they would be the same shape as the ones on my 406. But they were, and now I?ve got to buy them again.
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It?s gonna be zero degrees here on Wednesday
Hehe wanna bet ? But seriously, you're probably right since it is already freezing and almost snowing in my little tiny village in Bieszczady Mountains.
Don?t know anything about brands, just gonna get the cheapest
The cheapest are "Debica Frigo 2", "Kormoran SnowPro" and "Barum Polaris 2". Wouldn't recommend any of them, really. At least not for your powerful V6.
So yeah, front wheels only for me
I've got something better, bought it from an Ukrainian soldier last summer (believe it or not, equivalent of yours 50 sterling). It's always nice to do biz with them ;)
Take a look:
www.2plus1.neostrada.pl/uaz.jpg
- - - - - - -
I am the only Pole over here.
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"Hehe wanna bet ?"
Hey V de M I just watched the weather on TVN and it said -2 and snow on Saturday. We?ll see!
I?ll probly go to Karman or Carman whatever they?re called this week cos I?m driving to Lodz at the weekend. I understand they?re being investigated for some kind of mal-practice. I paid 1300 zloty for 4 tyres last year (£216) Not cheap, the price you pay for having UK plates. It?s ok though, whenever I get ripped off, I console myself by breaking wind in Geant around the fresh Polish food that I never eat.
Nice truck man. You can give me a tow when I get into trouble. Which I will...
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tyro as long as you have good open tread tyres with plenty tread left you should be ok
the gislavad nordfrost is a very good choice that should serve you well,another tyre I put on last time is nordman w as couldnt get others however they are every bit as good and a bit cheaper-195-65x15 fitted and balanced were under £40 so mrs d has a full set on the volvo
I would not put vredestien snow tyres on a car as I think they are too rounded on the tyre edges to be any use on the wet heavy stuff we drive on in the highlands
if you only put winter tyres on for the very worst of the weather you might consider putting a ring of tungsten studs on the outside of each driving wheel but this isnt cheap if you dont need them
better still make good freinds with the local snow plough driver
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From recollection, in a previous thread the recommendation was that the newer winter tyres should be on the rear wheels. I guess this is to help prevent the rear stepping out. There has been some discussion on the benefits of winter tyres in Germany recently - it was argued that the stopping distance of summer tyres is actually less than that of winter tyres if the road is dry, only when the roads are wet or snow covered is there a benefit in having "snow" tyres.
BIG
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Thanks all.
I've decided to put winter tyres on all four wheels this year. I opted to get 2 more Gislaved Nord Frosts. Or rather, I told my fitter to either get Nord Frosts or Goodyear Ultra Grip 7 - as recommended by ADAC - and he got Nord Frosts.
I'll now wait and see whether he puts the new ones on the back wheels or front wheels. I thought about requesting that he put the new ones on the back, and then decided that good manners dictated that I shouldn't tell him how to do his job!
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Good call.
The Astra now has a set of 4 newish Continental winter wheels and tyres, bought on eBay for the princely sum of ?50. Am feeling pretty smug about that one.
Goes round slippery corners now!
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