snow tires on FW drive
I want to install snow tires on my Nissan front wheel drive auto. Must I install them on all 4 wheels, or can I install on front only??
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I would install on all positions, if it was me. 0 -
Why all four? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by lig66
Why all four?
Because your car still brakes, and corners with four tires.0 -
If you only put them on the front you will find that your hind end has a tendency to want to try and pass your front end, a most disconcerting activity when one's goal is to maintain control of one's vehicle. 0 -
For the best traction (the rear needs grip also) use 4 tires of the same tread design.
There are some amazing tires available(Bridgestone Blizzaak is one)for snow and ice.
They are worth the expense if they only save you one time. Think cost of collision deductible.
Be safe out there.0 -
OK... Four for me. Thanx guys!! 0 -
Newer cars have ABS, stability control, traction control. having tires with different coefficients of friction can get the systems?. confused. Same tire, all 4 wheels is your best bet.
PS- Yer giving away your age, bro. Now they call them "winter tires".0 -
Les Schwab and other tire places will not only install two snow tires(studded or not) on fwd vehicles they will only put them on all four. 0 -
I used 2 fronts on a FWD Chevy Cruze for 2 winters. It drove great with them on.
Jon0 -
Braking matters as much, and sometimes more, than pulling. For that reason replace all 4 and rotate as required.
But I see you already decided on all 4.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Sig220_Ruger77
I used 2 fronts on a FWD Chevy Cruze for 2 winters. It drove great with them on. Sure, but if you need to brake hard enough that you may slide, especially in a turn, there's an increased risk of a spinout.
Did you have to do any panic braking? There's a fair chance you'd have done all right even with a full set of all season radials if no panic braking was involved.
I have a full set of Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3Ds but if I could only have two on a FWD, I think it would be better to put them on in back because the most important thing you do is braking. The fronts do more braking than the rears but the car is less likely to spin out if the rears have more traction. I'm not sure if the experts would back me on that.
I am sure the car could stop very well with snow tires on the front wheels but only if you were going fairly straight.0 -
I have been in the retail and wholesale tire business for five years. I would only put of four identical tires, winter or summer.
The main reason, traction is controlled by compounds of the rubber tread. Winter tires are night and day from summer tires.
Tire compounds for winter work best when it is colder outside. ABS brakes and traction control work best when all tires are the same.
All season tires are a compromise. They will do fine in all seasons but are not the BEST for all seasons. If you have winter snows and ice to contend with I suggest the Firestone Blizzak tires here. https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/tires/brands/blizzak/. Get them off as soon as spring breaks.0 -
Bpost what do you think of Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter ? 0 -
You should always put your best griping tires on the back if you have to mismatch. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 11b6r
Newer cars have ABS, stability control, traction control. having tires with different coefficients of friction can get the systems?. confused. Same tire, all 4 wheels is your best bet.
PS- Yer giving away your age, bro. Now they call them "winter tires".
This ^^^^ as per the best mechanic I have ever known.0 -
The "modern" generation of vehicles is so "technofied" that it's hard to say whether this is a good idea or not.
My Daughter drove her Grandmother's 89 Chevy Celebrity 4-5 winters with studded snow tires up front and it worked fine. One of my carriers used Chrysler "K" series cars in the 80's & 90's and often ran studded (maybe even different size/aspect ratio) tires on the front w/o any issues.
I'm a solid "non-believer" in most of the hokus-pokus widgetry added to newer vehicles and see it as "the dumbing down" of the current driving public.0 -
quote:Originally posted by redhawkk480
Bpost what do you think of Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter ?
My experience is more in TBR tires (truck, bus, radials) but from what I hear in the shop Goodyear passenger and light truck tires are middle of the road, some do well others seem to under perform. I know we sell the Blizzac's about 10 to one over other winter tires and we stock them all. Price wise they are about the same so that is not an issue.0 -
Goodyear has been known to take the name of a high quality premium passenger tire, & put the name on a cheaply made discount tire. Fool me once.... [V]
Neal0 -
rotate tires front to back every 5K miles on a regular service all interval....easy to do on a lift..and most small car and light truck tires are thin enuff to read a paper thru ...PITA 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
My Daughter drove her Grandmother's 89 Chevy Celebrity 4-5 winters with studded snow tires up front and it worked fine. One of my carriers used Chrysler "K" series cars in the 80's & 90's and often ran studded (maybe even different size/aspect ratio) tires on the front w/o any issues.It's like not wearing a seat belt though. If they didn't get into any wrecks, they'd have never noticed a difference.
You want the snow tires in back when you have to do a panic stop in the snow especially when you're in a turn.
ABS probably limits how likely a modern car is to spin out, though.0 -
All four. 0 -
I guess if you are in a rural area "snow tires" may make sense. We live in Wisc. and I've never bought "snow tires". My PU is 4 wheel drive & the wife's an AWD. Never had a problem. 0 -
All I know is if the snow is deep enough to need them in my Cruze its to deep. That thing sits right on the ground in the front. So any snow at all the front air dam would be pushing it. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by asop
I guess if you are in a rural area "snow tires" may make sense. We live in Wisc. and I've never bought "snow tires". My PU is 4 wheel drive & the wife's an AWD. Never had a problem.
I also live in Wi and I put snow tires on my wife and daughters car every fall, my wifes town and country ( front wheel drive only ) with the Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter tires on it , will go thru more snow than my 4 wheel drive pickup when it's just in 2 high , you have to put the pickup in 4 high for it to do better then her van0 -
quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
All I know is if the snow is deep enough to need them in my Cruze its to deep. That thing sits right on the ground in the front. So any snow at all the front air dam would be pushing it.
What about needing to do emergency braking or swerving?0
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