[JesseB]

...hey guys, I have been seeing/hearing conflicting info...I realize 4 winter tires would be the safest, but would having just rear winter tires be safe for southern ohio (winters have been very mild since ive been up here). Roads really dont get THAT bad here, last winter was the first winter with my Solstice, and only one drive I can remember wishing I had winter tires (and that was only because of a flash snow and I was a couple cars head of the salt truck) ...on my way back (10 mins after, and just after the salt truck had sprayed the roads) it was much much better. So, my question is...can I get away with (safely) just rear winter tires?

Also, if the general consensus is that 4 winter tires are a must, do they have to be the exact same winter tire...I have read that they do (because of certain tread designs?) but I was wondering if this is true, or if I could have 2 (brand x) on rear and 2 (brand y) on front?

 

[mcpigm01]

It could just be me, but I've never noticed a significant different between winter tires and my regular tires. But, I always buy high end all season tires so that could be why. But, on your question, I would think that 2 would be fine because the weight in the front. Since the back of the solstice likes to kick out really easily, it might help. I just used to line the trunk with a tarp and fill it with bags of sand. It seemed to do ok for where I live with is just south of you. All that being said, always be mindful of what you put between yourself and the earth. Always buy good tires, sheets, and shoes.

 

[JesseB]

I have Champiro 328 GT RADIAL (all season) ....maybe I will try putting weight in the trunk this season....I think winter tires may be a bit of overkill at my location, at least the last couple years it will be 35 one day and 65 the next...thank you for the help!

 

[Seltzinator]

Absolutely not. But if you're going to do 2 winters, make sure they're on the rear or you're going to wind up in a ditch every 15 seconds when there is ice.

 

[JesseB]

What was the absolutely not referring to?

 

[Seltzinator]

What was the absolutely not referring to?

It was answering the question in your topic.

Buying tires with radically different grip characteristics is a bad idea, but if you do it, put the grippier tires in the rear because that will reduce the likelihood of spinning in slick conditions.

Basically you're going to have to choose between oversteer and understeer if the roads are wet or slippery. While most of us prefer oversteer in dry conditions with the TCS off, the opposite is true if you're trying to avoid spinning into a guard rail on a sweeping curve.

However, your car is going to be less responsive than if you had winter tires on the front as well.

Basically, if you need winter tires, then you need 4 winter tires. If your climate is as mild as you claim (and I'm not sure I buy that in Ohio), then keep your summer tires and be careful or avoid driving on icy days.

The reality is that if this car is your daily driver (like me), then you probably don't have the funds to muck about with 2 sets of wheels and tires. Get a good set of all seasons, like the Nitto Motivos or Michelin a/s 3's and you won't lose much (if any) performance compared to your summer treads.

 

[JesseB]

Ok, since I have all season tires, and there has only been only one time the past few years that I wish I had better traction (and I had no business on the road then anyway) ...I wil try weight in the trunk...how much should I put back there? I think they sell sand in 50lbs bags, about how many should I get?

 

[GaryMacDonald]

Probably best to never drive these cars on ice or snow. I have been caught out a couple of times in snowy weather and I didn't have snows on. I couldn't make it up a long, moderately inclined hill and overall it was scary to drive. No question a very good set of snow tires designed to get traction on ice would make a difference but I would still recommend limiting my time driving in bad weather in a Solstice. If you plan on keeping the car for a while you should get 4 snows.

 

[R&T]

Ok, since I have all season tires, and there has only been only one time the past few years that I wish I had better traction (and I had no business on the road then anyway) ...I wil try weight in the trunk...how much should I put back there? I think they sell sand in 50lbs bags, about how many should I get?

If you we had leaf springs that is an easy one but since we don't I would go the hardware store and start piling on the bags until you see the rear of the car start to lower. My truck takes about 200lbs to barely load the springs, my guess is 50-100lbs should be good for the sol.

 

[Seltzinator]

Ok, since I have all season tires, and there has only been only one time the past few years that I wish I had better traction (and I had no business on the road then anyway) ...I wil try weight in the trunk...how much should I put back there? I think they sell sand in 50lbs bags, about how many should I get?

I thought you had summer rubber. IMO, all season tires are just fine, you don't need to buy snow tires. Summer tires are a completely different story and will not handle icy conditions at all.

Honestly, the best thing you can do for your car if you're going to drive it through the winter in OH is to get an undercarriage sealant applied and a really thorough wax. Do both of these things yesterday. And wash it (especially undercarriage) every time the temp goes above freezing to get as much of the salt off as you can.

 

[rob the elder]

I would not recommend it. The rear tires provide the go. The front tires provide the stop and directional change. If you have go and no stop or directional control, you can be in trouble.

Also, many tire professionals recommend smaller, narrower tires for winter to improve the footprint on snow .

 

[Seltzinator]

I would not recommend it. The rear tires provide the go. The front tires provide the stop and directional change. If you have go and no stop or directional control, you can be in trouble.

Also, many tire professionals recommend smaller, narrower tires for winter to improve the footprint on snow .

More important than the go, the rear tires provide stability and keep the car pointed in the direction of travel. A good analogy is the keel of a ship. If you didn't have a keel, the rudder would be nearly useless.

If you have winter tires in the front and not the rear, your car will be very prone to spinning because your front tires will turn the car and then your rear end will want to swing around and lose grip. Our cars already oversteer and that would drastically increase the problem on ice.

 

[rob the elder]

More important than the go, the rear tires provide stability and keep the car pointed in the direction of travel. A good analogy is the keel of a ship. If you didn't have a keel, the rudder would be nearly useless.

If you have winter tires in the front and not the rear, your car will be very prone to spinning because your front tires will turn the car and then your rear end will want to swing around and lose grip. Our cars already oversteer and that would drastically increase the problem on ice.

1) as you just pointed out its 85 where you live Pfui
2) my recommendation is to put winter tires all around, not just on one end or the other.
3) as a sage friend used to say:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I have a lawnmower
Do you like grapes?

:grouphug:

 

[The_Ghost]

A common misconception about snow tires.

You need 4 snow tires on a RWD car…..FALSE!!!!!!

You need 4 snow tires on FWD/AWD cars. Only because of the way they make the handling of a FWD/AWD car so radically different. As long as you have all-season tires on your front tires, 2 snow tires will be just fine in a RWD vehicle. In most cases, 80% of the weight on a FWD vehicle is in the front. Thus causing your rear wheels to have no weight and going wherever they feel like going. Putting only 2 tires on a FWD/AWD car is EXTREMELY dangerous. However, quite the opposite is true of a RWD. By putting just rear snow tires on a RWD car, it actually balances out the handling pretty substancially. ALL tire stores will tell you that they can only install winter tires on all 4 tires…and that it’s illegal for them to install just 2 tires….. Bottom line, they’re lying to get you to buy all 4 tires. You don’t need 4 snow tires on a RWD car. I’ve driven cars with just 2 snow tires and IMO, it balances the car very nicely…..

But in all fairness I’ve NEVER had snow tires.…this is coming from someone who drove a Mustang in the Michgan winters! There were sometimes when I wish I did have them….but I never got truly stuck to where I needed a push….

 

[Canuck Sol]

Also, if the general consensus is that 4 winter tires are a must, do they have to be the exact same winter tire...I have read that they do (because of certain tread designs?) but I was wondering if this is true, or if I could have 2 (brand x) on rear and 2 (brand y) on front?

My comment here is that the factory tires for the NA and GXP have the same wet traction rating and are from the same manufacturer, yet there were numerous complaints about NA tires in the wet but not the GXP tires. If one manufacturer can not be consistent in their ratings there is no way to compare the ratings between two different brands.

You want the same traction on all four corners, and if not then better traction on the rear.

With winter tires brand x on one end and brand y on the other, the only sure test of whether you have them on the right end is if you go into the guard rail nose first it's right, tail first it's wrong.

 

[Tom White Coupe]

I would not recommend it. The rear tires provide the go. The front tires provide the stop and directional change. If you have go and no stop or directional control, you can be in trouble.

Also, many tire professionals recommend smaller, narrower tires for winter to improve the footprint on snow .

If you are going to run different winter wheels/tires, consider smaller. A Solstice weighs about 3000 lbs - pick a similar car - and see what tires it uses. I suggest all season tires all around. How about 205/60/17 on 7 or 7.5 rims. Narrow tires will give you much better traction and control vs wide ones. I used to have a Bronco w/ 12x15 on 15x10 rims - easily bested by a CJ5 w/ original equipment narrow Surbanites on 6" wheels - unless you had to go over a 6' snow drift. Or just leave it in the garage until the weather clears.

 

[Seltzinator]

1) as you just pointed out its 85 where you live Pfui
2) my recommendation is to put winter tires all around, not just on one end or the other.
3) as a sage friend used to say:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I have a lawnmower
Do you like grapes?

:grouphug:

1) Jealous?
2) Yep, the same tire in all 4 corners is best. But if its going to be uneven, you always want the best traction at the rear. Otherwise your car will be pirouetting like a ballerina.
3) Yes

A common misconception about snow tires.

You need 4 snow tires on a RWD car…..FALSE!!!!!!

You need 4 snow tires on FWD/AWD cars. Only because of the way they make the handling of a FWD/AWD car so radically different. As long as you have all-season tires on your front tires, 2 snow tires will be just fine in a RWD vehicle. In most cases, 80% of the weight on a FWD vehicle is in the front. Thus causing your rear wheels to have no weight and going wherever they feel like going. Putting only 2 tires on a FWD/AWD car is EXTREMELY dangerous. However, quite the opposite is true of a RWD. By putting just rear snow tires on a RWD car, it actually balances out the handling pretty substancially. ALL tire stores will tell you that they can only install winter tires on all 4 tires…and that it’s illegal for them to install just 2 tires….. Bottom line, they’re lying to get you to buy all 4 tires. You don’t need 4 snow tires on a RWD car. I’ve driven cars with just 2 snow tires and IMO, it balances the car very nicely…..

But in all fairness I’ve NEVER had snow tires.…this is coming from someone who drove a Mustang in the Michgan winters! There were sometimes when I wish I did have them….but I never got truly stuck to where I needed a push….

I've never had snow tires either, nor needed them.

Fortunately, you don't need any experience in the snow to know that the rear end sliding out uncontrollably is always going to be a bad thing.

It doesn't matter if your snow tires get your front end pointing the correct direction if you are going sideways or spinning.

With winter tires brand x on one end and brand y on the other, the only sure test of whether you have them on the right end is if you go into the guard rail nose first it's right, tail first it's wrong.

This x10

Bottom line is you will probably be fine with a/s everywhere, but your car won't survive many winters if you're not protecting it from the salt.

 

[JesseB]

Ok, so since I have all seasons with a lot of tread left, I found two 60lbs tube bags of sand....is 120lbs a good amount, and is it ok to leave them in the trunk all winter, or should I only have them in when calling for bad weather? (or even put them in each morning and take them out each evening)

 

[rob the elder]

1) Jealous?
.

Yes. Until June, July and August. Then not so much . . . .:thumbs:

 

[Seltzinator]

Ok, so since I have all seasons with a lot of tread left, I found two 60lbs tube bags of sand....is 120lbs a good amount, and is it ok to leave them in the trunk all winter, or should I only have them in when calling for bad weather? (or even put them in each morning and take them out each evening)

If you put one in there, you can leave it all winter. I would just test it all 3 ways (0 bags, 1 bag, 2 bags) and see what feels the most solid to you. You won't hurt anything driving around with 120 lbs in your trunk but your car will handle differently so do it based on feel.

I would advise against taking them in and out all winter. Both the bags and your trunk will really start to wear out from that and you may find yourself with a trunk full of sand and/or torn or heavily worn liner. Remember that your Sol can't be treated like your pickup.

Find a touchless car wash that does the undercarriage and wash it the next day after you drive on salted roads. Every time.

Yes. Until June, July and August. Then not so much . . . .:thumbs:

You can throw May and September in there too. Texas summers are long and brutal.