So, i've got 2 good winter tires, and 2 that are shot, i'm having a lot of difficulty finding 2 used winter tires and i'm not going to buy new for this is probably the cars last season. I've got 2 all season tires in the shed off of my sisters old stratus. I've looked around and some people say running 2 winters and 2 all seasons is fine some people say it's a recipe for disaster.
I would like to know if anyone on here has any information on if i'll be fine running these.
2002 2200sfi 5-speed.
I cant give you any definitive information, some will say always run the same tire on all corners...while others will say you'll get by...
When I got my car, it had 2 snows and 2 all seasons, I ran it last winter with the snows on the front thinking I might as well have the snow tires where all the weight, and most of the braking happens, I'm in southern Ontario and I have seen some pretty hairy winters, but also know how to drive in them, so I was fine. Not sure how bad it gets where you are.
Ive also heard since, that regardless , FWD or RWD, your best tires should always go on the back, for straight-line stability.
I'll have to keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone knows for sure
Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:Mike Steezenberg wrote:
Ive also heard since, that regardless , FWD or RWD, your best tires should always go on the back, for straight-line stability.
best on the back is NOT for straight line stability.
watch the videos then read the thread.
confirms what I already know, best tires (by tread depth or season specific) go on the rear, so the rear doesn't kick out
although the car is in a turn, the grip on the rear keeps the car tracking "straight" through that turn.
by "straight line stability" I meant keeping the tires rolling forward, as opposed to sliding sideways, in a turn or not.
I would like to add this. For the average driver, putting the new tires in the rear is what you do. Plain and simple.
However, I have driven my FWD cars with 2 snow tires on the front and all seasons in the rear in the dead of winter. WHILE THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED, I have done it without a problem. I drive easier in the car, take my time, and be responsible. Drive smart. If your not sure how to handle your car in a situation where the back end slips out, then you need to learn. DO NOT TRY TO LEARN ON PUBLIC ROADS WITH OTHER TRAFFIC. Don't be a dumb ass. I will say it again, drive smart. Do not put your life, and OTHERS LIVES at risk.
Now, I do NOT advocate driving like a dick, being stupid, doing dumb things, or whatever.
So, to sum up. I have driven in the snow, with w FWD car with snow tires on the front and all seasons on the rear. It can be done. it is not recommended. You need to learn your car. You have to learn how it handles, how it drives. This goes for anything, and everything. In fact, this year, is the first year I will ever be driving a 2WD truck in the winter. Because of this, I am getting 4 studded snow tires for it. Why? Because I've never driven a 2WD truck in bad snow before, and I don't trust myself to drive it without snow tires, and I live in a highly populated area. I'm not saying I couldn't, but I don't want to put my life as well as others at a risk, and I know I will be driving it a lot in the winter because its the beater.
Also, my cav will be getting 4 snow tires as well. I feel safer with 4 snow tires verses 2. There is a lot less slipping.
From what i know the winters here are similar to that in Ontario. As for being used to the car, this will be my 5th winter driving, and my 3rd in this car. I have more winter driving time than summer (gotta love canada) I ran my more-or-less bald winter tires on the rear last year and the only time my back drifted out was i was going around a bend too fast and hit a snowy patch (that was sketchy). So hopefully if my experience is like most of yours i shouldn't have any problems. I did some google and youtube research on this topic and i never found one that referred to a fwd, all rwd. Logically it seems like the better tires should be on the front of a fwd car, all your weight is in the front, and the majority of your braking power is in the front.
As sunfire was saying there, 2wd trucks, if you don't know how to handle them in the snow can be scary, i have never driven a rwd until last winter when my friend was drunk and i was driving his s10, the thing started drifting every time i touched the gas.
I suppose the only way to know for sure if to test it myself, my dad used to run all-seasons on our old van for years and we never had any problems.
2002 2200sfi 5-speed.
Sunfiretun3r wrote:In fact, this year, is the first year I will ever be driving a 2WD truck in the winter. Because of this, I am getting 4 studded snow tires for it. Why? Because I've never driven a 2WD truck in bad snow before, and I don't trust myself to drive it without snow tires, and I live in a highly populated area. I'm not saying I couldn't, but I don't want to put my life as well as others at a risk, and I know I will be driving it a lot in the winter because its the beater.
A wise man knows his limits. Good job.
I'd also like to recommend adding a little weight to the rear, assuming this is a pick-up truck. This will help keep the tires planted in the snow and help keep them from skating over the top surface. Pick-up trucks are very, very light over the rear end. Grab a couple of 75lb. sand bags from your local box store (Lowe's or Menard's) and mount them over the axle. I don't mean set them there. I mean fixate them somehow. Putting the weight too close to the tailgate will give the truck a bouncy, unnerving feeling, and can cause the rear end to swing out easily. Obviously, having them too close too the cab defeats their purpose.
Building a long frame "box" out of 2x4's to extend past the front and rear of the wheel wells, with two "pockets" for the sand bags in the center is ideal. I've driven trucks for years and this has always worked well for me.
***Brand New In the Box Pioneer GM-D8500M For Sale***
You should be fine, I would put the winters on the back and all season up front. Unless the all seasons have significantlt more thread, then put them in the back.
I hope this thread doesn't turn into what the other one has, its just everyone repeating points that have already been made, or saying things like buy all 4 tires, which has nothing to do with the topic.
I'd rather have the rears loose grip than the front. If the rears loose grip and you cant save it you hit the tree sideways, if the fronts loose grip its not possible to save it and you fill hit the tree head on and faster than you would have side ways.
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by:
Kronos Performance
WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer
AJ wrote:Sunfiretun3r wrote:In fact, this year, is the first year I will ever be driving a 2WD truck in the winter. Because of this, I am getting 4 studded snow tires for it. Why? Because I've never driven a 2WD truck in bad snow before, and I don't trust myself to drive it without snow tires, and I live in a highly populated area. I'm not saying I couldn't, but I don't want to put my life as well as others at a risk, and I know I will be driving it a lot in the winter because its the beater.
A wise man knows his limits. Good job.
I'd also like to recommend adding a little weight to the rear, assuming this is a pick-up truck. This will help keep the tires planted in the snow and help keep them from skating over the top surface. Pick-up trucks are very, very light over the rear end. Grab a couple of 75lb. sand bags from your local box store (Lowe's or Menard's) and mount them over the axle. I don't mean set them there. I mean fixate them somehow. Putting the weight too close to the tailgate will give the truck a bouncy, unnerving feeling, and can cause the rear end to swing out easily. Obviously, having them too close too the cab defeats their purpose.
Building a long frame "box" out of 2x4's to extend past the front and rear of the wheel wells, with two "pockets" for the sand bags in the center is ideal. I've driven trucks for years and this has always worked well for me.
Yup, I was going to this, but I was actually going to put the sand bags closer to the cab. Basically moving the sandbags more over the center line of vehicle, but still keeping the weight on the back. I'll still have a functioning bed, as well as weight over the rear wheels.
It's a front wheel drive car, the front wheels do all the turning, acceleration, and most of the braking, put the good tires in the front.
Your back end wont kick out unless you do something really stupid, or the brakes or suspension on the car has something majorly wrong with it.
By putting good tires in the back, you may keep the back end in check, but you'll also have very little control of the front end, which is much more important in keeping the car under control. More grip in the back = MASSIVE under steer, which is how you end up in ditches, and hitting cars. If you drive at a safe speed, and don't make sudden inputs, the back end will never step out, unless you're on glare ice, in which case, only studs will help you.
That being said, it would be better to have snow tires in the back as well, but all seasons will be fine as long as they aren't completely bald. If you keep your eye on Craigslist for a couple weeks you can usually pick up used snow tires cheap. I paid $20 for two snow tires on Sunfire rims last year, took the tires off, mounted them on Grand Am wheels, and sold the Sunfire rims for $75, lol.
I actually just winterized my car...
Paying someone to install parts and bragging about it being fast, is like watching someone bang your wife and being proud to raise their kids.
Sunfiretun3r wrote:Yup, I was going to this, but I was actually going to put the sand bags closer to the cab. Basically moving the sandbags more over the center line of vehicle, but still keeping the weight on the back. I'll still have a functioning bed, as well as weight over the rear wheels.
You can try it, but from my experience it won't work well if you stray too far from the axles.
***Brand New In the Box Pioneer GM-D8500M For Sale***
AJ wrote:Sunfiretun3r wrote:Yup, I was going to this, but I was actually going to put the sand bags closer to the cab. Basically moving the sandbags more over the center line of vehicle, but still keeping the weight on the back. I'll still have a functioning bed, as well as weight over the rear wheels.
You can try it, but from my experience it won't work well if you stray too far from the axles.
I'm not talking all the way against the cab. I have a 8 foot bed. I was going to move them basically 8" forward than in your drawing. Somebody told me that's the best place. I'll try both yours and mine see which works better.
Again, first time with a 2WD. I wanna be safe.
Ok, as for the topic of winters/all season. I wasn't quite sure on exactly what i should put, so i just kept my eyes peeled on kijiji for winter tires. Originally i had 2 that i bought for $40 from a junk yard on toyota corolla rims but i was an idiot and miss-read the tire size and figured they'd make the car too low, i want to come out of this season with both my bumpers. So i sold them for $60. I found 4 Goodyear Nordic winter tires, in amazing condition for $80 so i'm just selling my 2 old tires that were reasonable and throwing those on. I feel a little more secure with 4 winters, i've had the back kick out on me in the past and it's not fun... unless you're doing it on purpose of course.
As for brakes and suspension having something majorly wrong with it... my rear brakes lock every time you touch the brakes if they're wet... but from what i've been told that's normal. As for my suspension, it's quite rigid, which allows the back to get into a slide easily if i hit a bump while turning.
2002 2200sfi 5-speed.
try taking your drums off and cleaning them, make sure the pads are adjusted properly too.
D.Simoes wrote:try taking your drums off and cleaning them, make sure the pads are adjusted properly too.
I probably do need rear brakes. I warped the front rotors once from driving through flood waters and i don't know why i didn't replace the rear brakes while i was at it. Something i definitely need to do.
2002 2200sfi 5-speed.
Adam L wrote:So, i've got 2 good winter tires, and 2 that are shot, i'm having a lot of difficulty finding 2 used winter tires and i'm not going to buy new for this is probably the cars last season. I've got 2 all season tires in the shed off of my sisters old stratus. I've looked around and some people say running 2 winters and 2 all seasons is fine some people say it's a recipe for disaster.
I would like to know if anyone on here has any information on if i'll be fine running these.
i run winters up front all seasons in the back . no issues and can have RWD type fun without the use of an e-brake. not trying to start a flame war but i prefer only 2 winter tires to all 4. i HATE understeer
Leafy wrote:I'd rather have the rears loose grip than the front. If the rears loose grip and you cant save it you hit the tree sideways, if the fronts loose grip its not possible to save it and you fill hit the tree head on and faster than you would have side ways.
or your dumb self shouldnt be driving in those conditions. the whole thing with this is if the older tires in front have useful tread. the problem is most of these asshats drive till the tires are bald and you get that.
