Snow tyres do I need 4 ?

[A210AMG]

Hello

Currently thinking of heading to France in Febuary.

I thought maybe best to use the wifes B class as its Front wheel drive and smaller tyres.

Now we will probably do around 2000 miles and her current rear tyres are like new.

Would just puting snow tyres on the front be ok, or a waste of time without them on the back also?

I would like a seperate set of wheels but it seems this car has a weired offset etc and vary rarely come up for sale.

Currently is has 17" with (I think) 205/50/17's but I would be happy (if I could find them getting 15" steels or 16" and keep them with the winter tyres on.


Thanks

 

[PXW]

Most advice I have seen would always be to have 4 snow tyres. The difference in grip could make braking/cornering quite unstable and dangerous.

 

[renault12ts]

Four ? Yes, if you want to drive and to steer.

 

[GP801]

I believe the handling can be very unpredictable with winter tyres on just front or back. You will basically have one set with grip and one without. Not a good idea.

 

[wemorgan]

Both my car's handbook (non-MB) say that winter tyres should be added to all 4 wheels.

 

[A210AMG]

^ thanks all

I guess its 4 then

I just thought as the front are doing the driving and steering it maybe ok.

Thanks will have to check the correct size.

 

[Sp!ke]

The general advice is to use 4 but...

Like you I was considering this a few years ago and took the plunge.

I found that as long as you were aware that the backend might be a bit lively and drove accordingly then it was fine. It allowed me to make progress where I otherwise wouldn't if I only had summer tyres.

When you think of it, you are doing the same sort of thing as those fitting chains or snow socks on one pairof wheels. It's not ideal but you won't get stuck.

I wouldn't do this on a rwd car though.

 

[A210AMG]

^ completely agree hence why I thought the B class would be better than the E.

FWD and narrow tyres, with the rears being probably 7mm (almost new)

mmmmm now I don't know....

 

[Goldfish11]

Yes you need all 4 as your handling and ABS etc etc will be compromised.

 

[A210AMG]

Has anyone ever heared of...

Achilles Winter 101

or

Nankang Snow SV-2


??

Much much cheaper than a branded dunlop / goodyear etc?

 

[moonloops]

Has anyone ever heard of...

Achilles Winter 101

I don't think I'd put a product with that name on a car

Achilles Heel / Achilles Wheel ...

 

[A210AMG]

^ your right...

 

[DITTRICH]

If you want to buy tires, buy 4 of them. However, my opinion would be only buy them if you need to drive on snow - in other words - roads that either haven't been cleared or have compacted snow on them. The biggest factor involved in my limited experience indicates that thinner/wider tires have a much bigger difference in performance than winter/summer tires of the same width. However, for prolonged driving on compacted snow, the winter tires would grip better and handle better going round corners. My c230k 17" amg's had terrible trouble because they were 225's and 245's. My w124's much narrower tires had no trouble even though they weren't snow tires.

 

[A210AMG]

I've found that the wifes B class has 215/45/17's all round.

My E class has much wider tyres all round I think the rears are 265/35/18

So the B has to be better? in snow.

The roads from here to their hopefully should be fine...ish but its the roads once their as you are at the foot of the Alps

 

[rf065]

The roads from here to their hopefully should be fine...ish but its the roads once their as you are at the foot of the Alps

Is it not law in the Alps that winter tyres must be fitted in February?
Surely that would stipulate 4 rather than 2?

Russ

 

[A210AMG]

^ I doubt it? My dad goes a fair bit he has snow chains in the boot...that maybe a requirement?

I will try and check.

 

[gIzzE]

Has anyone ever heared of...

Achilles Winter 101

or

Nankang Snow SV-2


??

Much much cheaper than a branded dunlop / goodyear etc?

Nankang performed really poorly in many tests, saying they were hardly better than a summer tyre in the snow and were beaten by all the all season tyres.


They are much better.

Dunlop Winter Sport 4D is getting excellent reviews and can be had for a pretty good price.

 

[rf065]

Dunlop Winter Sport 4D is getting excellent reviews and can be had for a pretty good price.

Where can you get them for a good price? I looked at them & they were almost £200 each for my car where as the Vredesteins were £150 each.

Russ

 

[Borys]

It's no point to spend top money on winters.I've got nankangs and they perform as winter tyres should.We are not going to do 100 mph in snow are we?Any winter tyre will perform much better then summer.Summer tyres are made from different type rubber-its getting rock solid in minus temperatures.Even no snow and minus you are like on skates-very poor grip,dangerous.Winters are much softer rubber thats why they getting worn so quik when used during summer.
You would survive with fronts only for driving around the town but alps 4 winters and by law chains in a boot.

 

[rf065]

It's no point to spend top money on winters.I've got nankangs and they perform as winter tyres should.

How come the all season tyres beat them in one of the latest tyre tests?
Better than summer tyres sure, but no match for a real winter tyre.

Russ