I have the relative luxury of having a pair of winter tyres on 16" steels that I could fit on the back of the mongrel. I can't really see the point in shelling out for 17" winter tyres to stick on alloys for the front, plus it will look odd anyway

I was contemplating in the coldest weather (not that common in Devon....) to just stick the steels on, but then that got me thinking whats the point if I still have normal tyres on the front. Does it simply mean a loss of the back-end is less likely? I guess the worst thing that could happen is I get tragic understeer (unlike much more tragic oversteer if winters were on the front only? )

I might even sell the wheels/winter tyre combo to be honest as I don't really need them 100%. The original reason I got them was only because they are 175 profile (175/50 R16 I think?) so they would be narrower for Santa Pod 1/4 miles. The fact they were winters never factored....

Perhaps I should just Ebay them during a cold snap....

You know mixing winter and normal is the devil's work don't you?

Yeah, but in the worst conditions where I'd be going dead slow anyway using 4 normal tyres, is it better/worse?

In all but the worst couple of days of snow last year the mongrel got to work and back fine. Even was happy to mount a 4" high pile of compact snow and ice, park up, then happily pull off again at the end of the day. Think my diff might have helped there with two wheels gripping, not just one.

Winters on the front, skinny spacesavers on the back, sorted

With winters on the back, your fronts will just spin on snow/ice and you'll get nowhere. Same can be said about Braking, ABS will go into overtime.

If you can only afford 2 winters, I'd say, put them on the front.

BTW I've just ordered a pair of Goodyear UltraGrip GW3s for mine tonight from Camskill. £220 a pair delivered.

Edited 18 November, 201114 yr by Jim H

Yeah, all your drive is on the front.

When it comes to the worst that could happen, what would you prefer? To go backwards into something because the back end stepped out... Or go head first into something because you've no traction to avoid it?

I'd rather be slightly loose on the back knowing i've got enough traction up front to control oversteer than lose the front and know there's nothing I can do and brace for impact.

Sod it I'm going to stick with normal tyres and just walk to work when the worst happens

Sod it I'm going to stick with normal tyres and just walk to work when the worst happens

Lol!

I have the luxury of being able to work from home if it gets that bad!

Sod it I'm going to stick with normal tyres and just walk to work when the worst happens

Wise man, if in doubt leave the Furby home.

Didn't quite grasp placing your winter tyres on the back with a front wheel drive car, when drive wheels in most control of traction/ direction.

Hopefully we escape the ice or at least the snow down here at the sharp-end of Cornwall and Devon. (Fingers crossed) LOL