Van5150

I'm getting snow tires, after body shop finishes with car. I was only going to get rear snow tires, would front ones make much of a difference in our cars ?

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Yes, they help in turning and braking in the snow, plus just as a general rule for safety the front tires (type/compound etc.) should always match the backs especially on the 'dry' days.
I always recommend 4 fresh snow tires and a full tank of gas for good snow/traction performance in a RWD vehicle.

Tailwind

Agreed.

The rear wheels may make the car go, but the fronts make it stop. Just as important.

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

Plus 4 of the same make prettier tracks in the snow.... If you ever tried driving fast around turns, or off expressway ramps on dry roads w/snow tires on the front of your Fbody vs. regular fronts w/just snow tires on the back, you would find the car handles WAY better w/the regulars on front. If you haven't got all-wheel drive, why snows on the front? Maybe if you were driving on snow and ice covered roads at slow speeds EVERY day I could see it, but they use plenty of nice roadsalt in New England and all over the East, (which will virtually ruin the undercarriage and headlight lenses, windshield, and front and rear lower fender paint of your Fbody in 1 winter) so the roads are bare,but sandy and gritty most of the time anyway. Plus, w/4 snow tires you get DOUBLE the road noise of running just 2 in rear--how cool is that...not to mention how weird it looks...No snow tires on the front of any 2 wheel drive vehicle for me. Just fronts w/plenty of reg. tread, and a pair of good full snows on the back, with some weight over the rear wheels. My 2 cents... WJ

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

I personally disagree. These cars handle killer in the snow with 4 really good snow tires. With Blizzacks mine was an absolute tank and I wouldn't have had it any otherway. Even my '85 handled alright with some elcheapo snow tires. I had no high speed issues with my Blizzacks and I ran several people on the street with them still on the car in the spring. Weight in the trunk does really help traction but keep in mind that when the car steps out at speed it will be harder to recover and you don't want to over correct to much. Don't tailgate, wash the car often at a carwash with under carriage spray, and you should make the winter just fine. Also look into some 3M Expel, it's a clear adhesive bra that will protect the nose and you can get strips for behind the wheels. Ask your bodyshop about it.

I very rarely admit it but, the car below has seen a winter and anybody who's seen it in person can tell you that the car is mint.

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

Well, I'm saying that you don't know what a "mint" car looks like if yours has seen a New England winter and you think it's "mint". I'd love to get your car up on a lift and compare it w/a car that has not seen a salty New England winter....You boys up in N.H. and other northeastern and midwestern salt-using states that drive your cars thru a winter and think you can hide it are only kidding yourselves... No winter use DOES NOT compare w/winter use. Anyone that REALLY knows cars will tell you that, and unless you're ready to spend the money to have your car "freshened up" at the body shop come springtime, it won't be hard to tell that it's seen a New England salt winter--ESPECIALLY THE UNDERCARRIAGE. Nothing can hide a winter to the undercarriage.... The salt gets into places and discolors metal components, including ehxaust pieces, that no powerwashing or anything else can hide. I've seen enough Fbody and all other cars that have NOT seen a salt-use winter to easily tell the difference. However, I am not saying your car is not very nice--just that it's not the same as a car that's never been used on roads that are sanded and/or salted in the winter months. That's the difference between one of these cars bringing BIG or GOOD money vs. AVERAGE money when the time comes to sell. WJ

Tailwind

And if you REALLY knew how to take care of paint and the like you'd understand that it's not difficult to protect a car from the elements.

That's just ridiculous. The headlight lenses, windshield, and paint are all mint on my car, and I drive it through every single winter. The only reason the undercarriage isn't is because I don't care to keep up with it. Anybody who has access to a lift to care to look under there can just as easily clean it (and anyone who doesn't can just as easily do it with undercarriage washes.)

But then again, you saying that snow tires on the front aren't necessary really leads me to believe that you don't know quite as much as you think you do. Turning and stopping are more important than getting going in snow.

There's a reason they're called SNOW TIRES. They're not made for flying through off-ramps at 30 over the limit. Anyone that does that riding on snow rubber (no matter which wheels it's on) deserves to wreck. Just so you know, the Blizzaks I'm running on now don't make much noise, nor do they ride that badly.

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

Tailwind: I see you're 22 yrs. old...Well, I've been dealing w/cars, i.e. driving, working on, and racing them since when you were still shitting in your diaper, and even before you were born. Please show us some credability-- like tell us how many 4th Gen Fbody's YOU have owned, and what makes you a winter -driving expert w/these cars, and just how much experience (4th gen) w/winter driving you've had--how many driving winters and 4 snows vs. 2 snows? WJ

Z28_Ninja

iTrader: (2)

personally if i were to drive my car in the snow, i would just make sure i have tires that have a good amount of treadlife left on the front and snow tires on the back. i think that if you are in enough snow that snowtires on the front will make a big difference then you will have other problems like the nose of the car having snow pile up in front of it. also the thing about stoping and turn is that if you are in snow you should account for then when stopping and turning and drive slower and you willl be fine. so if you want to put snow tires all the way around go for it, but you do not have to to be fine in the winter.

Tailwind

Thank you for completely ignoring all points and playing the age card. That automatically makes you correct, right? Had I not typed my birthdate into my profile, would you have had absolutely nothing else to say in response? Would you have even been able to tell how old I was?

Show me something worthy of respect and you'll get it. Otherwise, you're no different than any of the other incorrect text on the screen.

Look, I'm not interested in getting into an argument with nothing but insults. It's not difficult to see why snow tires on the front of a RWD car are necessary. Since you've been driving and dealing with cars for so long, you should be familiar with what happens to tires low on traction that are having weight thrown at or taken away from them.

And again, if you have been dealing with this so long, you should be familiar with all aspects of polishing for paint maintenance, which sealers are best for longetivity, undercarriage cleaning and rust prevention, glass polishing and care, what to use to prevent corrosion on metal, and every other part of detailing. What you've said so far just leads me to believe that you really don't...not only will glass, plastic, or paint not be ruined if taken care of correctly, an undercarriage can be kept looking great on a daily driver if one is willing to go so far to take care of it.

It's not unbelievable to think that GM Muscle's car (for example) is mint after seeing some winter action. I have also lived down south (just north of Charlotte, NC,) and know how the seasons and weather differ from New England.

Tailwind

Not quite. If your tires slide, they slide. All-seasons or summer tires just aren't up to the task of gripping on snow or ice, even if you're going slowly. I've had all-seasons on my car the last few years for the winter and I didn't kill myself or wreck, but the white knuckle BS isn't worth it.

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

I could care less how old you are, kid--or where you used to live. I just don't agree that you need 4 snow tires on ANY 2wd car, whether it be a 4th Gen Fbody, or a '99 Chevy Van. Nor do I believe that a car that has seen salt road winters can be passed off to be as nice as a car that has not. So take your paint and chemical theory to hide a salt road winter to someone who doesn't know any better... BTW, you didn't answer any of my questions regarding credability.... WJ

Tailwind

Whatever. Way to ignore every word again.

You don't NEED any snow tires at all, you can get by with regular all-seasons. If you want to do it right, get 4. It makes a difference and makes your life a lot easier. It's no different than getting a tune by someone that knows what they're doing after installing a midsize cam. Is it NECESSARY? No. It's what you do if you want it done right.

But you're convinced you're right just because of your age, so why even bother?

(EDIT: Oh, and that's "couldn't" care less. If we're going to take cheap shots at things that don't matter...)

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

Thanks for the advice. Please tell me more about your experience w/tuning and "midsize" cams. BTW, I think 2 snow tires are necessary on a 2wd rear wheel drive vehicle in the Northeast-but only if you want to go someplace when it snows... One other thing regarding age: Someday you'll realize that you learn something every day--maybe somethings will be good, maybe somethings bad, and it could be from someone young--or someone old, but experience is not a bad thing when forming opinions, and people say that age and experience kinda go hand-in-hand. Think about it. WJ

Tailwind

I was making a general statement with the cam/tuning. It wasn't meant to be specific. Is that really so difficult to understand?

You seem to be very thick. I said before I wasn't interested in going back and forth with insults, but you seem as if you're not willing to listen to anything but your own opinion. You think it's necessary to have two snow tires for the drive wheels, but not the ones that deal with cornering and stopping? In doing that, you're only addressing one issue. It's always a good idea to have the same tires with the same wear on every corner of the car, too.

You focus too much on age. Experience is all well and good, but it can't be used as an excuse, nor does it give your take any more credit than mine or anyone else's (especially when you make statements like the ones above.)

WJ SOM SS

iTrader: (11)

Hmm, seems like you're throwing around most of the insults...Well, maybe some of the other guys and gals on the site will comment on this tomorrow. My comments regarding snow tires, winter F-body use vs. non-winter use were my opinion only--stated that from my 1st post in the thread. Also, I gave my reasons for what I said, and stated my experience with these cars. Every time I asked you for some experience to back up what you said---you never gave it to me. You just continously said that your thoughts are the right thing to do--and that I was missing the point and didn't get it. (4 snows are the way to go and winter-driven cars are just as minty as non-winter-driven cars). One other thing: I realize that some people are forced to drive their cars thru the winter months, and work their asses off to make their Fbodys look their best come spring. My hat's off to all of you. WJ

Tailwind

Exactly, they were opinion only. So were mine, but you completely disregarded it based on going into my profile and seeing my age. You may be older, but I've run a lot of different tires through the snow in this car, I know how it reacts with each and every one.

As far as experience goes, if you're going to go as far as to call me kid and **** all over whatever I say, why should I have to prove anything to you? Oh, and you never originally asked for "credibility", you went back and edited your first response. Thanks for expecting me to check up on your previous posts.

The original question from the topic creator was if snow tires on the front make a difference, and the answer is yes (hell, it's not even a small difference, it's a large one) no matter what excuse you want to try and make.

I also fail to see how I was throwing around any more insults or being any more belligerent than you, but whatever. I've no desire to continue this.

GM Muscle

iTrader: (9)

"Mint" to me is a clean car that can and has been driven. I'm not talking Barrett Jackson cars like you seem to be. Most of us don't mind that our exhaust components are discolored or fuel lines and brake lines don't look perfect and I don't even mind the jack stand marks that I have. All I personally care about is that there is no rust on the chassis which mine has non of and your welcome to come look sometime. As far as the rest of the stuff, if it's bolted on, it can come off and be delt with accordingly if it's not to my liking. I agree that seeing winters every year will deffinatly take it's toll (you should see under my '00 Silverado), but you can make it through 1 or 2 no alright.


But what do I know.....I'm just a 22 year old that built his car by himself in his driveway.

SRM

iTrader: (4)

My blizzak WS-50's are actually *quieter* than my BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDWS's. I'm on my 3rd season with the blizzaks and these tires are awesome.

Sure you don't want to corner hard with them, but I would not run regular tires on the front. At least not around where I live. Roads stay snow-covered longer due to trees.

Steve