Winter tyres!

Dazmo

Dazmo

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Ok have a question,

Is it ok to fit winter tyres just to the front of my gf's fiesta, so just to the FWD wheels to aid with grip/reduce wheel spin etc.

Having done some research, apparently this is ok and quite common, but im still unsure as would'nt gripping front wheels act as a rudder to the ungripping rear wheels?
 
bit of a no no really mate, like you say you'll get good grip to pull away but you end up having very poor stability with the rear very likely to spin out when you feel that the front has lots of grip
 
Well obviously in the ideal world you'd get four. I suppose just fronts are way than summer tyres all round, but if I was you I wouldn't take the risk.
 
You only use snow chains on the drive wheels so why not? Just my opinion.
 
AudiS3-Turbo said:
YouTube - Tire Rack Tire Test - Winter Tires: Mixed vs. Matched Tires
Click to expand...

Not really a relevant tyre test as they were using a rwd car with winter tyres on the back meaning they were improving the wheels with the drive but not the wheels used for steering and majority of braking, where as in the OP situation it is a fwd, so is improving not only the drive but also the steering and braking, I think the fronts are responsible for about 90% of the vehicles braking power (I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong).

If there was a similar tyre test for fwd cars then that would be interesting to see.

However it's a catch 22 position as if you improve the ability for grip and braking at the front you may find the rear has the ability to stepout under heavy braking and cornering but alot has to do with peoples ability and attitude to driving in snow/icey conditions.

But as someone already stated if you were to put snow chains on these go on the front, drive in a way suitable for the conditions and you shouldn't have a problem
 
Would the same apply to just fitting 2 front winter tyres to a quattro? is there really any need to fit all 4?
 
Dazmo said:
Would the same apply to just fitting 2 front winter tyres to a quattro? is there really any need to fit all 4?
Click to expand...

No as it's already stated in the Audi users guide that you should use the same make/spec of tyre on all 4 corners and supposedly with the same level of tread, something to do with the traction control. Not sure if it's the same on the A3's haldex quattro system though.
 
Hightower said:
Not really a relevant tyre test as they were using a rwd car with winter tyres on the back meaning they were improving the wheels with the drive but not the wheels used for steering and majority of braking, where as in the OP situation it is a fwd, so is improving not only the drive but also the steering and braking, I think the fronts are responsible for about 90% of the vehicles braking power (I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong).

If there was a similar tyre test for fwd cars then that would be interesting to see.

However it's a catch 22 position as if you improve the ability for grip and braking at the front you may find the rear has the ability to stepout under heavy braking and cornering but alot has to do with peoples ability and attitude to driving in snow/icey conditions.

But as someone already stated if you were to put snow chains on these go on the front, drive in a way suitable for the conditions and you shouldn't have a problem
Click to expand...


sorry wrong video,have a look at this then.

YouTube - Winter Tire Demonstration - Module 5 of 6
 
if you just put winter fronts on, if you're on ice and even dab the brakes on anything other than a dead straight then it'll just spin you around: I've heard of a few people who have tried just the fronts for FWD cars, but are usually back at the tyre shop a few days later.

If you can only get two right now, it's probbaly better than nothing, provided you still drive like it's got all-weather / summer tyres on it... but not if you drive like it's got winter tyres on it: sliding slowly in the curb at 5mph is a lot less messy than being able to get the car upt o 30mpg on ice and then ending up going backwards into an oncoming car when you see somethign coming the other way and want to slow down.

edit: might be okay if you have all-seasons on the rear, I wouldn't advise it with summer tyres.
 
Ive just fitted four budget winter tyres to my wife's seat leon fwd and wow what can i say but the braking distances are hugely improved as well as puling away etc...so much so she better be careful not to outbrake the person behind.

Im defo having a set for the s3 next year!
 
even the most budget winter tyres will be light night and day when you're driving on ice / snow.... HOWEVER be careful in the wet as some apparently aquaplane badly and also when the season changes as the cheaper winter-rubber compounds can wear very quickly >20C (even the best ones start to wear faster around 20-25C).

even with a quattro, you'll be WAY better off with winter tyres... once you're on ice, turn the TC odd and grin :D
 
Any suggestions on winter tyres and sizes for those of us with a4's? Had a look around on black circles last night and it seemed no matter what sizes I put in for 17" and 18" wheels no tyres could be found :(
 
Agreed, i have bought 2 more party used winter tyres for the fiesta on ebay, both continental with 6mm tread for £60, so almost new. BARGAIN!

Might get some cheap steel wheels and leave them on instead of keep changing the tyres over.

Winter tyres are out of stock everywhere and prices are stupid, so i will leave them off my Audi until next year as the damn thing does well even with summer tyres.
 
Not everywhere is out of stock or expensive, I had 4 continental winter contact TS830P's in 235/40x18 from kwikfit, surprisingly they were the cheapest with their order and pay online service, £170.75 each including valve/balance & fitting, cheapest I could find with the so called cheap online dealers were £250ish each for the same tyre, some were £300+, I imagine this is pure profiteering due to current weather.

Ordered these Friday lunch and they were delivered and fitted by my local kwikfit by 10am saturday, the guys at the garage said it was the largest tyre size they had fitted in winter format.
 
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AudiS3-Turbo said:
prices have doubled since the snow so hope you have deep pockets...
Click to expand...


And the rest, I've been watching some Nokian WR G2's on mytyres.co.uk - they were £62.90 each then last week they were up to £165, just looked now and they're £235 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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HerefordQuattro said:
And the rest, I've been watching some Nokian WR G2's on mytyres.co.uk - they were £62.90 each then last week they were up to £165, just looked now and they're £235 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
As old peoples used to say in eastern europe : buy a cart in winter and a sledge in the summer, it will cost less...
 
Was looking for the TS830 P's as well Hightower, shall have to get some in the summer, it's a little ridiculous people are expecting people to be able to afford £1000 to put winter tyres on their car just because it's snowed now lol, wonder how cheap a set of summer tyres are at the moment :p
 
Sam W said:
Was looking for the TS830 P's as well Hightower, shall have to get some in the summer, it's a little ridiculous people are expecting people to be able to afford £1000 to put winter tyres on their car just because it's snowed now lol, wonder how cheap a set of summer tyres are at the moment :p
Click to expand...


Have you had a look on the kwikfit website as I only got mine on saturday? £680ish all in, pretty much what I paid for my pirreli summers
 
Last Dec, in the middle of all the snow, I paid about £450 for FIVE Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes from Merityre in Kingston-upon-Thames. 215/55/16 size.

A set of reasonable condition Audi Sport alloys (or TT, etc), should only set u back about £200 on eBay (I'd kept my OEM 16's when I bought my S4 18" rims).

I debated trying to get a set of 18" winter tyres, but they do cost a lot more and part of the whole point is to keep the rims away from the grime and have a bit more tyre wall to protect against the pot holes etc: plus it means I can switch them over myself in half an hour... woul dhave been a tougher choice if I didn't have 16's already: 17" Sport alloys would be a good call now that this season's winter tyres have more choice >16".
 
Last edited:
Sam W said:
Any suggestions on winter tyres and sizes for those of us with a4's? Had a look around on black circles last night and it seemed no matter what sizes I put in for 17" and 18" wheels no tyres could be found :(
Click to expand...

I used Vredestein Wintrac Extremes on our A6 Allroad last winter. I can't remember the website I bought them off but they were brilliant. Drove them at -23 in the Alps and they never put a foot wrong. We followed proper 4*4's without any problem up back roads. We don't have the car anymore but I'm sure they were 17" tyres.
 
Blanchie - not sure where those were from, but when I checked Vredestein's .DE catalogue last summer, they only had abotu 2 sizes for 17" wheels and I'm sure neither were right for the A4.... they do have them now though: if I was buying "new" wheels for UK winter tyres and still wanted the car to look reasonably sporty, then 17" + Vredestein Wintrac Xtemes's are the way to go.

As it was, I had 16" wheels already and there was a lot off hoo-ha last year about all the pot-holes, so I figured that knowing my luck, I'd eventually find a nice pair of Sport 17" alloys and then crack them in the first week.
 
There are also concerns that the rubber on them wears quicker than regular tyres, but I didn't find this at all with the Vredesteins. We sold the A6, 10 months after having put the tyres on, and with pretty regular use about (14k py) they still had a good few months tread left on them.
 
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Blanchie said:
There are also concerns that the rubber on them wears quicker than regular tyres, but I didn't find this at all with the Vredesteins. We sold the A6, 10 months after having put the tyres on, and with pretty regular use about (14k py) they still had a good few months tread left on them.
Click to expand...

People probably either assume
1) softer rubber = faster wear. Not true as the winter rubber is in its normal range of temperatures.
2) use them into summer when they start to get too hot and 'melt'
 
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