do I really need to have 4 snow tires put on my rear wheel drive car , can't I just have them put on the back

Question

the tires on now are new and the lease is up right after winter and I hate to spend all that money for a couple months usage, but the car really needs snows for the winter

Answer 1

If you're considering replacing your tires, get all weather tires. Unless you live in a place that gets a heck of a lot of snow. Then you need the snow tires. And your car maybe rear wheel drive but you steer with the fronts so you'd need snow tires on the front also.

Answer 2

If safety is your motive snows on all 4 corners are required. The rear tires provide all the forward thrust , 5% of the lateral force required to turn the car and only 20% of the braking forces, the fronts provide almost all the turning forces and almost all of your braking forces.
If all you care about is getting the car to move in the snow, use 2 snows on the rear, but if you want the car to perform well in all directions 4 snows are needed and highly recommended by me.
To weigh in (pardon the pun) on the addition of weight to the rear of the car in order to gain traction, this will help initially but hurt you later, adding weight to the rear of the car will increase the polar moment at the rear. This will make fish tails occur more often and be more severe when they happen. This is why snows are the best solution, and do not add weight. Any decent car with 4 good snows has no trouble moving through snow to the depth of the underbody. Driving on snow covered roads with good snow tires is similar to driving a wet road with an all season tire.
The difference between the best all season tire and the best snow tire is night and day in the snow, night and day in the rain, in favor of the snow tire. Dry roads will wear out a snow tire very fast and when the temperature is warm at all, they are dangerous to drive hard as they will come apart from the heat.

Answer 3

Maybe you can get 2 used snow tires for the rear? Most cities have a used tire place or two. Take the best two of the remaining 4 tires and use them on the front. Most tire shops will work with you, unless you're a jerk.

The earlier post was also right, extra weight over the drive axle is always good in the snow.

Answer 4

the car is a lease (relatively new) and it's rear wheel drive? are you SURE?

Depending on the amount of snow you get, for the expense involved it would be cheaper to wing it. Most passenger cars come equipped with all season tires that will get you through the winter.

If it's a lease (most leases are typically 3 years) then you have already driven it in winter.

Are the tires in need of replacement due to wear? If so, figure out the penalty, if any, for worn tires in your lease agreement then do the math. If the tires are worn and are unsafe for winter get a good all season radial with a slightly agressive tread for winter driving. That way it will get you through winter and be new enough and all season so they will not need to be changed.

Answer 5

A couple of things you did say- what kind of car & what state you in. I live in upstate New York by the Canada border & have a rear wheel drive car & only use snows on the rear. Years ago they made snows for the the front with outside tread closed for steering but, not anymore. All season tires suck in snow or ice. Puts snows on rear & add afew 50lb. sand bags. Good Luck.

Answer 6

Just put the tires on the rear ( or the drive axles) Snow tires on the front of a rear wheel drive car will serve no purpose

Answer 7

You will get less money for a crashed lease car. At turn in time any wear and tear will be added to the amount you owe. Imagine having rear traction and turning to find out no snow tires up front understeering into that brick mail box.

Answer 8

You do not need snows on the front of your car. I can't explain how these ideas get going but I feel it is because of a lot of mechanics and tire shops are preying on unsuspecting people.

Answer 9

You only need snow tires on the drive wheels (that is the rear wheels)

Answer 10

There are two answers to your question. 1-Putting snow tires on the front would be useless, because they stear, not pull. 2- Get snow chains at Auto Zone, they are easy to install.