Snow Tires on rear only, 2wd

[DRkNESS]

^^^. It’s funny as all my brother in-law will drive are rwd vehicles with 8cyl and he only ever puts snow tires on the rear. Back in my days we did the tire chain thing lol.

 

[huntergreen]

Your manual actually said this???
There is a reason it now ILLEGAL for tire stores to only install (2) snow tires...because around s bend the other two tires will give way, and you will wreck. Nitto ridge grapplers seem to be good snow tires like the Goodyear duratracs, and you can run them year round. That’s my advice.

I believe it is propaganda by the the tire mfg to sell more tires. We use to run studded snows on the rear and kept the same tires up front. Never an issue.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

I believe it is propaganda by the the tire mfg to sell more tires. We use to run studded snows on the rear and kept the same tires up front. Never an issue.

Not propaganda at all. It’s simple logic Pertaining to going around bends. I tried running just snow tires on rear, spun out several times. Then added all 4 snow tires, never spun out once.

 

[BWL]

Used to run just front snows on my fwd car since that was my primary steering, braking and only drive wheels. I would have run four if I wasn't poor.

 

[huntergreen]

Not propaganda at all. It’s simple logic Pertaining to going around bends. I tried running just snow tires on rear, spun out several times. Then added all 4 snow tires, never spun out once.

I don't know about that. I was driving with just snows on the rear from before you were born. There is some skill involved.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

Yeah, well the manufacturers say that now to cover their ass because the ABS and stability control systems may not work to their full potential with mis-matched tires on the vehicle.

I guess I'm just used to how it was 30+ years ago. Before the days of ABS, front wheel drive and everybody having 4x4 or AWD, I knew no one who put snow tires on the front of a RWD car or truck.

Now that you mention it, you're right. We never put snows on the front. Just the back. Good 'ole F/78-14's. About 5" wide. They sure did dig through the snow. Same reason old VWbugs never got stuck. Skinny tires.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

And yeah, you had to "learn" how to drive in the snow. And all I ever had were full size Chevy Caprices and Pontiac Catalinas with big V-8's.
Then you had to learn to drive sideways too. That was different than driving "right" in the snow. Ha ha.
Over assisted power steering and giant plastic steering wheels you could spin with one finger made us look even cooler. Poor kids today... they get a little loose in one curve and get all nervous. Jeeez.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

Lol I still use a tire gauge albeit a digital one to check all of my tires .

Me too. Always will.

 

[huntergreen]

Now that you mention it, you're right. We never put snows on the front. Just the back. Good 'ole F/78-14's. About 5" wide. They sure did dig through the snow. Same reason old VWbugs never got stuck. Skinny tires.

Skinny tires and engine over the wheels, assuming you are referring to the the old VW beetle. My father never missed a day of work going over skyline drive, Ringwood to Oakland and on to 208 in his beetle.

 

[avantiguy]

I don't know about that. I was driving with just snows on the rear from before you were born. There is some skill involved.

No you aren't older than me and I also recall those snow tires. They were a deep treaded tire to gain as much traction as they could in snow. The front tires were also the technology of the era. The tread on normal tire then was not close to being able to provide the grip of today's standard tires so there was much less difference in traction between the front and the rear. I driven in Michigan since 1959 and have had a fair amount of miles on "snow tires" on the rear. None of those vehicles came close to handling like the 08 Impala I put four Blizzaks on a few years back. They just wear to fast on dryer roads.

Today's "snow" tires are more of a winter tire as they are a soft compound with a tread design to unload snow and also provide much more traction on wet and icy surfaces.

There may be some things I like about the "Good Old Days" but tire technology ain't one of them. There is no way I would put mis-matched tires on my vehicles and take it on the road the way I drive. This grampa is hard to catch on the road. Places to go - people to "F" with.

 

[avantiguy]

No you aren't older than me and I also recall those snow tires. They were a deep treaded tire to gain as much traction as they could in snow. The front tires were also the technology of the era. The tread on normal tire then was not close to being able to provide the grip of today's standard tires so there was much less difference in traction between the front and the rear. I driven in Michigan since 1959 and have had a fair amount of miles on "snow tires" on the rear. None of those vehicles came close to handling like the 08 Impala I put four Blizzaks on a few years back. They just wear to fast on dryer roads.

Today's "snow" tires are more of a winter tire as they are a soft compound with a tread design to unload snow and also provide much more traction on wet and icy surfaces.

There may be some things I like about the "Good Old Days" but tire technology ain't one of them. There is no way I would put mis-matched tires on my vehicles and take it on the road the way I drive. This grampa is hard to catch on the road. Places to go - people to "F" with.

My last point is that most good tires have the ability to handle most winter conditions but the "light" weight on the bed of a 2wd pickup just adds a variable that makes control closer to the border line. After the Blizzaks, I've put Michelin Defenders on all my vehicles with excellent results and run them year round.

 

[LouieBlues]

Here in So. FLA I have absolutely no use for snow tires. My issue is trying to find performance summer street tires in 35" for my 20" Sport rims. Had 22's on the last truck and had no problems finding street tires. May have to go that route again.

On Ice, it doesn't matter what kind of tire you have... there is no traction or stopping. In fact.. when you hit the brakes on ice the vehicle actually accelerates (Or so it feels) It's that moment when you start pinching holes in your shorts.

I learned how to drive (And Drift) in Michigan. And yes, back then we put belted studded snow tires only on the back, no one had 4 wheel drive, and only farmers and rednecks had pick up trucks.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

Skinny tires and engine over the wheels, assuming you are referring to the the old VW beetle. My father never missed a day of work going over skyline drive, Ringwood to Oakland and on to 208 in his beetle.

I've been over Skyline drive in winter. Not for beginners. Been running Sparta to Mahwah and back for 8 yrs and Sparta to Passaic for 15 yrs before that. That is why I run mudders all yr. Closest thing to an old, deep tread snow tire.
For those not from N Jersey, those are 40 - 50 miles one way over the hilly and mountainy section of NJ. Not the ugly part they show on the Soprano's LOL.

 

[PoMansRam]

I agree with the above. When some of us started driving, cars were heavier, tires tended to be narrow, spongy and with lots of sidewall. This held true when FWD vehicles first became mainstream. I too would not want to go back to tire technology of 40yrs ago, but somehow we made it though it. Like said, a super deluxe setup had snow tires on the drive axle only.

Fast forward to 2018 and the way tires, wheels and vehicles are configured today, once you try something like Bridgestone Blizzaks all the way around on your vehicle you do become spoiled and wonder how you survived without it.

 

[turkeybird56]

Tire gauge???????? They still make those things?????? I thought they may have gone away just like paper maps-----LOL

Us older guys will see the humor in this----
Jay

Hey, I went on a trip in August and Of Course bought an 50 state Atlas from Walmart, just in case LMAO>
Still carry a digital tire gauge in truck and I know I got a few older rod gauges in the garage somewhere, LOL

All in fun of course, but the above is true.. Carry both

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

I've been over Skyline drive in winter. Not for beginners. Been running Sparta to Mahwah and back for 8 yrs and Sparta to Passaic for 15 yrs before that. That is why I run mudders all yr. Closest thing to an old, deep tread snow tire.
For those not from N Jersey, those are 40 - 50 miles one way over the hilly and mountainy section of NJ. Not the ugly part they show on the Soprano's LOL.

I had a front wheel drive ford tempo in high school with 4 snow tires on it and couldn’t get that car to spin out around a bend if I tried. Snow tires just on the front, rear end kicked out very easily.

Been running nitto trail grapplers year round since they first came out. Perfect tire to run all year since they go great in the snow. As long as you get a tire aggressive enough, there is no need to buy just snow tires.

 

[huntergreen]

I've been over Skyline drive in winter. Not for beginners. Been running Sparta to Mahwah and back for 8 yrs and Sparta to Passaic for 15 yrs before that. That is why I run mudders all yr. Closest thing to an old, deep tread snow tire.
For those not from N Jersey, those are 40 - 50 miles one way over the hilly and mountainy section of NJ. Not the ugly part they show on the Soprano's LOL.

Lol ! I learned how to drive in the winter on skyline drive.

 

[huntergreen]

I had a front wheel drive ford tempo in high school with 4 snow tires on it and couldn’t get that car to spin out around a bend if I tried. Snow tires just on the front, rear end kicked out very easily.

Been running nitto trail grapplers year round since they first came out. Perfect tire to run all year since they go great in the snow. As long as you get a tire aggressive enough, there is no need to buy just snow tires.

How are the trail grapplers in the rain ?

 

[rwhjr]

I have Nitto ridge grapplers. Does anyone know how they are in light snow? What about heavy snow?

Thanks!

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

How are the trail grapplers in the rain ?

I have zero complaints about them in the rain.