Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 51 to 62 of 62

Thread: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

  1. #51
    Sr Member Default User's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    9,489
    Thanks
    1,366
    Thanked 1,785 Times in 923 Posts
    Mentioned
    84 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Bottom line - NOBODY should encourage anybody to drive in the winter without snow tires.

    Even brand new 3-season tires can not compare to used snow tires in these frigid conditions.

  2. #52
    lokitty lover geobur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Thornhill
    Age
    34
    Posts
    2,668
    Thanks
    1,539
    Thanked 383 Times in 234 Posts
    Mentioned
    132 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by Default User View Post
    Bottom line - NOBODY should encourage anybody to drive in the winter without snow tires.

    Even brand new 3-season tires can not compare to used snow tires in these frigid conditions.
    I guess we are gonna have to agree to disagree.

    When my girlfriend bought her Jeep brand new the first winter we took it to a big empty parking lot multiple times throughout the year. Once after the first major snowfall, and later when it had turned to ice. Threw it around in 2wd and 4wd so she could get used to its limits. No matter what we did, we could not get it to spin out. We could barely get it to even slide. It had all seasons on. It is now the 3rd winter on the tires she got when she bought them. And they still glue themselves to the road.

    I've never been in an accident or spun out or ended up in a ditch due to loss of control during winter driving. And I've always driven front wheel drive sedans. For a while I was driving on balding tires. And still managed to safely commute to Toronto during the winter from north of the city up near Barrie without any issues.

    And @McGuyver_3 must be nice that you have so much money you can just throw it around buying new tires whenever you want. I don't care what you see working in a shop. Saying that people shouldn't be driving if they can't afford to buy snow tires is a stupid and ignorant thing to say. You have no idea what people's situations are and many people need their cars to get to work.

    I'm not encouraging people to drive without winters, the OP asked if they couldn't afford a whole set if they could just mount 2 on the front. I answered with if you can't afford a full set of winter tires just stick to your full set of all seasons because that is safer than driving with 2 winter tires on front and 2 all seasons on the back.

    People have managed for years without winters long before they were even a thing and now people seem to think you can't live without them.

    Like I said guess we will have to agree to disagree on this, because I believe driver knowledge of their vehicle and their skill level trumps just about anything else.

    You take a shitty driver throw them in an SUV with winters and they will still manage to find themselves in a ditch. I've seen it time and time again and yet I trudge on along past all the morons in the ditch in my little Mazda 3 with bald all seasons.

    People need to understand that regardless of what tires you have you still need to drive for the conditions, and if you start losing control the worst thing you can do is slam on the brakes which is how most people end up in the ditch.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

  3. #53
    Newbie LiviuTincu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    235
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 18 Posts
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by geobur View Post
    I guess we are gonna have to agree to disagree.

    When my girlfriend bought her Jeep brand new the first winter we took it to a big empty parking lot multiple times throughout the year. Once after the first major snowfall, and later when it had turned to ice. Threw it around in 2wd and 4wd so she could get used to its limits. No matter what we did, we could not get it to spin out. We could barely get it to even slide. It had all seasons on. It is now the 3rd winter on the tires she got when she bought them. And they still glue themselves to the road.

    I've never been in an accident or spun out or ended up in a ditch due to loss of control during winter driving. And I've always driven front wheel drive sedans. For a while I was driving on balding tires. And still managed to safely commute to Toronto during the winter from north of the city up near Barrie without any issues.

    And @McGuyver_3 must be nice that you have so much money you can just throw it around buying new tires whenever you want. I don't care what you see working in a shop. Saying that people shouldn't be driving if they can't afford to buy snow tires is a stupid and ignorant thing to say. You have no idea what people's situations are and many people need their cars to get to work.

    I'm not encouraging people to drive without winters, the OP asked if they couldn't afford a whole set if they could just mount 2 on the front. I answered with if you can't afford a full set of winter tires just stick to your full set of all seasons because that is safer than driving with 2 winter tires on front and 2 all seasons on the back.

    People have managed for years without winters long before they were even a thing and now people seem to think you can't live without them.

    Like I said guess we will have to agree to disagree on this, because I believe driver knowledge of their vehicle and their skill level trumps just about anything else.

    You take a shitty driver throw them in an SUV with winters and they will still manage to find themselves in a ditch. I've seen it time and time again and yet I trudge on along past all the morons in the ditch in my little Mazda 3 with bald all seasons.

    People need to understand that regardless of what tires you have you still need to drive for the conditions, and if you start losing control the worst thing you can do is slam on the brakes which is how most people end up in the ditch.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
    I agree with most of what you said except that in winter time best tires go to the back for FWD cars.

    Sent from my Moto G4+ using Tapatalk

  4. #54
    lokitty lover geobur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Thornhill
    Age
    34
    Posts
    2,668
    Thanks
    1,539
    Thanked 383 Times in 234 Posts
    Mentioned
    132 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by LiviuTincu View Post
    I agree with most of what you said except that in winter time best tires go to the back for FWD cars.

    Sent from my Moto G4+ using Tapatalk
    There shouldn't a best tires go x rule... The only rule of thumb there should be is

    1. Winter tires first
    2. All seasons if they can't afford winter tires

    That's it.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

  5. #55
    Uncle Ben
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Age
    36
    Posts
    4,951
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 97 Times in 84 Posts
    Mentioned
    40 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by geobur View Post
    I guess we are gonna have to agree to disagree.

    When my girlfriend bought her Jeep brand new the first winter we took it to a big empty parking lot multiple times throughout the year. Once after the first major snowfall, and later when it had turned to ice. Threw it around in 2wd and 4wd so she could get used to its limits. No matter what we did, we could not get it to spin out. We could barely get it to even slide. It had all seasons on. It is now the 3rd winter on the tires she got when she bought them. And they still glue themselves to the road.

    I've never been in an accident or spun out or ended up in a ditch due to loss of control during winter driving. And I've always driven front wheel drive sedans. For a while I was driving on balding tires. And still managed to safely commute to Toronto during the winter from north of the city up near Barrie without any issues.

    And @McGuyver_3 must be nice that you have so much money you can just throw it around buying new tires whenever you want. I don't care what you see working in a shop. Saying that people shouldn't be driving if they can't afford to buy snow tires is a stupid and ignorant thing to say. You have no idea what people's situations are and many people need their cars to get to work.

    I'm not encouraging people to drive without winters, the OP asked if they couldn't afford a whole set if they could just mount 2 on the front. I answered with if you can't afford a full set of winter tires just stick to your full set of all seasons because that is safer than driving with 2 winter tires on front and 2 all seasons on the back.

    People have managed for years without winters long before they were even a thing and now people seem to think you can't live without them.

    Like I said guess we will have to agree to disagree on this, because I believe driver knowledge of their vehicle and their skill level trumps just about anything else.

    You take a shitty driver throw them in an SUV with winters and they will still manage to find themselves in a ditch. I've seen it time and time again and yet I trudge on along past all the morons in the ditch in my little Mazda 3 with bald all seasons.

    People need to understand that regardless of what tires you have you still need to drive for the conditions, and if you start losing control the worst thing you can do is slam on the brakes which is how most people end up in the ditch.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
    I can buy tires/fix my cars because I know my limits of my financial situation. And because if a problem shows up I fix it so it doesn't get worse. Not ignorant at all. People rely on their cars to get back and forth to work. They buy a car because it's JUST in the budget not including repairs or tires or brakes etc etc. The only time a car needs a safety is when they change ownership. Oil leaking on to the exhaust, chorded tires, blown shocks, worn out brakes. This is ignorant, you are putting everyone's life at risk around you and not just your own. You complain that tires are 1000$ for a complete set but you have an iPhone X. Thats ignorant. Put your priorities first. Just because a car looks good from the outside doesn't mean it's safe. How many cars have I seen with a fresh safety that I scratch my head and wonder how the car passed. Again, I see to much of this.
    I really hope they make it mandatory for winters. Insurance companies are even giving discounts for winter tires.
    1991 Nissan Pathfinder - trade in, 2005 Mazda 3 GX ty grey - Write off, 2010 Mazda 3 GT E sedan CWP- trade in, 2010 Speed 3 w/tech CWP - Up for sale (soon), 2007 Mazda 3 GS silver- motor swapped in to 2009 MS3 CWP that had blown engine, 2002 BMW 330ci silver- new winter ride, 2005 BMW M3- new toy

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to McGuyver_3 For This Useful Post:

    geobur (01-06-2018)

  7. #56
    lokitty lover geobur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Thornhill
    Age
    34
    Posts
    2,668
    Thanks
    1,539
    Thanked 383 Times in 234 Posts
    Mentioned
    132 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by McGuyver_3 View Post
    I can buy tires/fix my cars because I know my limits of my financial situation. And because if a problem shows up I fix it so it doesn't get worse. Not ignorant at all. People rely on their cars to get back and forth to work. They buy a car because it's JUST in the budget not including repairs or tires or brakes etc etc. The only time a car needs a safety is when they change ownership. Oil leaking on to the exhaust, chorded tires, blown shocks, worn out brakes. This is ignorant, you are putting everyone's life at risk around you and not just your own. You complain that tires are 1000$ for a complete set but you have an iPhone X. Thats ignorant. Put your priorities first. Just because a car looks good from the outside doesn't mean it's safe. How many cars have I seen with a fresh safety that I scratch my head and wonder how the car passed. Again, I see to much of this.
    I really hope they make it mandatory for winters. Insurance companies are even giving discounts for winter tires.
    Ya having safety problems and an iPhone X is stupid I'll agree with you there. But someone with a perfectly safe vehicle with healthy all seasons on is not the same thing. That isn't their priority. Maybe putting food on the table is. I'm not defending all those other idiots. But if the car is safe otherwise I'm saying don't be so quick to judge.

    My girlfriend was unemployed for about a year things were tight yet we managed to get all the regular maintenance done and any repairs or in the case of my old Mazda I didn't drive it until I had the money for the appropriate repairs. Winter tires were not a priority.

    I am a student. And neither of us have brand new phones. Our phones are like 3 or 4 generations old. Yet our vehicles are as safe as the day we got them.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

  8. #57
    Jr Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Ride
    2012 Volvo C30 T5
    Posts
    275
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 72 Times in 51 Posts
    Mentioned
    14 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    OK I'll bite.

    1) Everything your car does comes down to 4 contact patches of rubber, approximately the size of your hand on average. Look at your hand. 4 patches of rubber, one for each corner of the car. That's it. Forget FWD vs RWD vs AWD. Everything comes down to how those 4 small rubber patches are manipulated. We'll discuss drivetrains later. Keep this point in mind as your read further.

    2) It follows then that you want to maximize the amount of grip these patches have. In temperatures below 7c all season tires harden like hockey pucks (and we all know how good those are on ice) while winter tires stay soft. They will outperform all seasons even on dry pavement in winter temperatures. It follows that winter tires are the best choice.

    3) Winter tires will be better at evacuating water, snow and slush, maximizing grip when not on dry pavement. Therefore they are a better choice than all seasons.

    4) The most important factors in driving have nothing to do with acceleration. In daily driving, you need to be able to stop and you need to be able to turn. Doesn't matter if you have AWD. AWD is useless if no tires have grip. It's an acceleration feature only (it does reduce front tire demand as well but acceleration is its primary bonus). AWD will not help you stop. Only your tires will. Therefore winters are the best choice.

    5) Oversteer (your rear end whipping around) is much more difficult to control than understeer (front end slide). You want to minimize oversteer in daily driving. Therefore, if you have to only get 2 winter tires, they should only be mounted in the rear, regardless of drivetrain.

    6) Now let's discuss cost. Yes they cost money. That spending is reduced in several ways:
    - Wear to your winter tires spare your summer tires during that time frame, extending their life.
    - Insurance discounts for using winter tires
    - Winter tires are cheaper than almost any collision. Even if they only save you from 1 incident, you come out ahead.
    - Winter tires are less likely to crack in cold temperatures, reducing the possibility of blowing out a tire
    - Used tires can be purchased for less than half the cost of new
    - Winter tires have an average life of 5 years. It's not a frequent cost.
    - Time saved by not having to crawl in winter conditions, stress saved by being able to deal with winter conditions easier, and safety for yourself and your passengers (the most important thing of all).

    Similar arguments can be used for all seasons vs summer tires in the warm months. There's no logical reason to use all seasons ever except for:
    - Being so poor you can't afford to maintain your car. In which case you should probably look into alternative transportation. Not just for safety but for financial health.
    - Your car using a particular size which makes winter tires unavailable.
    - Ignorance

    Do the right thing. Use 4 winter tires in the winter. 2 on the rear if you can only do 2.
    Never stop zoom-zooming

  9. #58
    Newbie LiviuTincu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    235
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 18 Posts
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by geobur View Post
    Ya having safety problems and an iPhone X is stupid I'll agree with you there. But someone with a perfectly safe vehicle with healthy all seasons on is not the same thing. That isn't their priority. Maybe putting food on the table is. I'm not defending all those other idiots. But if the car is safe otherwise I'm saying don't be so quick to judge.

    My girlfriend was unemployed for about a year things were tight yet we managed to get all the regular maintenance done and any repairs or in the case of my old Mazda I didn't drive it until I had the money for the appropriate repairs. Winter tires were not a priority.

    I am a student. And neither of us have brand new phones. Our phones are like 3 or 4 generations old. Yet our vehicles are as safe as the day we got them.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
    That's a bold statement cars being safe as the day you bought them, how do you know that? Same bold statement I'm safe with winter tires. Define safe first and we can argue after. I couldn't take a picture of a car that had 2 winter tires at the rear, Camry . IF, for various reasons you just have 2 winter tires use them. And install them at the back, until you can get two more, install those at the Back and move the already used ones to the front. It's stupid to have two winter tires and not use them because are not a set of four, just plain stupid.

    Sent from my Moto G4+ using Tapatalk

  10. #59
    Uncle Ben
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Age
    36
    Posts
    4,951
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 97 Times in 84 Posts
    Mentioned
    40 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by geobur View Post
    Ya having safety problems and an iPhone X is stupid I'll agree with you there. But someone with a perfectly safe vehicle with healthy all seasons on is not the same thing. That isn't their priority. Maybe putting food on the table is. I'm not defending all those other idiots. But if the car is safe otherwise I'm saying don't be so quick to judge.

    My girlfriend was unemployed for about a year things were tight yet we managed to get all the regular maintenance done and any repairs or in the case of my old Mazda I didn't drive it until I had the money for the appropriate repairs. Winter tires were not a priority.

    I am a student. And neither of us have brand new phones. Our phones are like 3 or 4 generations old. Yet our vehicles are as safe as the day we got them.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

    What I see is people buying for the brand to say "I DRIVE THIS" and this is not the way to buy a car. Dial it back a notch, go down a grade and include some other features such as winter tires. I wanted to buy a focus RS, but I put the money towards a bigger investment. But even with the bigger investment, i didn't just buy the first thing I saw because I wanted it, like many people did and struggle to hold it or put food on the table. This goes back to knowing my limits of my financial situation. In which case allows me to buy winter tires. And I will stand by my statement that winter tires should be a top priority for every driver

  11. #60
    Newbie LiviuTincu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    235
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 18 Posts
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by geobur View Post
    There shouldn't a best tires go x rule... The only rule of thumb there should be is

    1. Winter tires first
    2. All seasons if they can't afford winter tires

    That's it.

    Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
    Also I don't think everyone changes all 4 tires in the same time, if it happens to get 2 new only they should go to the back.

    Sent from my Moto G4+ using Tapatalk

  12. #61
    Jr Member 2012mazda3hatch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Guelph
    Age
    26
    Posts
    280
    Thanks
    64
    Thanked 58 Times in 48 Posts
    Mentioned
    8 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by LiviuTincu View Post
    Also I don't think everyone changes all 4 tires in the same time, if it happens to get 2 new only they should go to the back.
    I think It’s better to change all 4 at once, if your alignment is proper and you rotate the tires they should all wear at the same rate
    Last edited by 2012mazda3hatch; 01-06-2018 at 04:31 PM.

  13. #62
    Newbie LiviuTincu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    235
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 18 Posts
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Just wondering if Im good with just front winter tires?

    Quote Originally Posted by 2012mazda3hatch View Post
    I think It’s better to change all 4 at once, if your alignment is proper and you rotate the tires they should all wear at the same rate
    Definitely better, same as I think we should replace them every second year.

    Sent from my Moto G4+ using Tapatalk

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Similar Threads

  1. Good deal on winter tires?
    By Joshua in forum Wheels & Tires
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 10-26-2011, 12:40 PM
  2. Are Kumho Winter tires good?
    By Bean in forum Wheels & Tires
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 10-18-2009, 08:09 PM
  3. Replies: 15
    Last Post: 09-21-2005, 03:07 AM
  4. 17\ stock tires good for the winter?
    By Krakilin in forum Wheels & Tires
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 06-08-2005, 11:27 AM
  5. Winter tires on stock 17\...good idea or not?
    By ///M in forum Wheels & Tires
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 10-15-2004, 10:28 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •