Quote:
Originally Posted by Tannaton
.....Winters at least on the front ??? 
You own a Volvo for which you would have likely paid more to buy than a Mundano or a Vectra/Insignia of the same ago... and you want to save a for quid on second hand tyres and using winters only on the front??
Suggest you have a look on Youtube at videos with good/winter tyres on the front and less so on the rear. I'm not trying to score points on you but I genuinely think you might be shocked as to the potential consequences of what you are doing.
We can dabate used tyres all day but they way I see it would you be happy if your daughters' boyfriend was using a second hand condom? No... |
On a FWD car, that makes sense. If the front grips, the back will generally follow, regardless of whether it has grip or not.
However, contrary to all the hype, a FWD car is not the best option in snow and ice.
Why?
Because as soon as you accelerate, no matter how gently, the laws of physics step in and transfer the weight to the rear of the car, reducing the weight (and hence the traction on the driving and in a FWD cars case, the steering wheels too) resulting in loss of control.
With a RWD car, any acceleration results in, you've guessed it, weight transfer to the rear - the driving wheels. Much less chance of wheelspin as a result and hence control is maintained.
There are many other reasons why a RWD car is much better in snow and ice, but in either case, you need the front wheels to have grip so winter tyres on the front will be a big help regardless of drivetrain.
What many people fail to realise these days in the current climate of having tyres that are wider than we've historically been used to is that in snow and ice, narrow tyres with a tall sidewall are much better. In other words, a 50 year old 144 with 165/15 tyres is almost certainly going to be better in snow and ice than a 30 year old 740 with 195/65/15s on it which in turn will still be better than an 18 year old S40 with 205/50/16s on.
However the best tool for safe driving in snow & ice is the one hanging on to the steering wheel. Drive smoothly, gently, avoiding any sharp or jerky movements (users of the push-pull steering method take note - it's bl00dy dangerous!) or acceleration/braking and visit a skid pan and learn skid control if you haven't already learned it through your driving experience.
As an ex-colleague of mine put on the insurance claim form after a minor accident in the ice in response to the question "What could you have done to avoid the accident?" - "Stayed in bed!". Prevention is better than cure!
