chmura

So it's suppose to snow tomorrow and I went ahead and got the winter tires on, but only in the rear; the front has all season. Also placed a bag of sand in the trunk. I've received mixed opinions on this setup, so I'm turning to you guys. Chicago winters can get pretty bad, will I be fine? It's also my C's first winter!

blkamgsl55

It'll be ok, but not recommended. I wouldn't even think of driving my C230 Coupe on anything but winter tires in the winter months.

jogger

rears give you traction, fronts give you direction.

samaritrey

as well as stopping

I would spend a few extra dollars on front winter tires as well.
BTW what tires did you buy

AMGJared

Your going to have no steering putting yourself in danger.

From Tire Rack:

Today's winter tires are better at providing ice and snow traction than ever before. The technology used to develop the tread designs and tread compounds has evolved beyond what you may have used previously. Every one of our tire manufacturers and 7 out of 10 vehicle manufacturers recommend four winter tires be used on rear wheel, front wheel or four wheel drive vehicles. This is because if you use two dissimilar types of tires on your vehicle, you'll have a vehicle that has a "split" personality. One end of the vehicle won't react and perform the same as the other in the dry, wet, slush and snow conditions you'll encounter before the end of winter. Especially in emergency situations, you'll find that your vehicle will probably understeer in one condition and oversteer in another. It is preferable to keep your vehicles handling as consistently as possible by "matching" all four tires. Our customers who have matched their tires tell us they're glad they made the extra investment in four winter tires (and wheels) so they can accelerate, brake, handle and better control their vehicle through winter's challenges.

Four Winter Tires....The Only Way To Go

It is imperative to keep the same level of traction at all four corners of the car; otherwise, the full benefits of ABS or traction control systems will be lost.

So when you put winter / snow tires on your vehicle, always put them on in a set of four. If you were to put winter / snow tires on only the front or rear of your vehicle, you would create a vehicle with a split personality. The traction capabilities of the tires on a vehicle play the largest single role in determining how that vehicle will react in any given situation. And with the great difference in traction capabilities between winter / snow tires and all-season or high performance tires, you can understand the loss of control when one end of the car performs very well and the other end just seems to have a mind of its own.

By installing four winter / snow tires, you maintain the most balanced and controlled handling possible in all winter driving conditions.

Hope this helps.

infected

Worst setup possible. Either do all 4 or none at all.

Moreira_C230

I definitely agree. I was on the fence about doing the same thing but I am very glad I didn't. Snows on the rear only will only improve your acceleration from rest or at slow speed, not much else. As mentioned above, most of your stopping and cornering control are determined by the front tires.

I am running four 225/40 Mastercraft Glacier Grip snow tires all around and they are unbelievable in the wet and snow. Not the greatest performance in the dry, but I really wanted the best snow safety possible. Running the skinnier 225 in the rear also improves snow traction as well as allowing for rotation from front to back.

Just my 2 cents.

tommy

Use Renntech sand, +10hp in the snow.

Yeah, a dedicated set of snow rims/tires is the way to go. That way you can get smaller diameter rims and thinner tires, both a good thing, instead of having to use a wider, shorter tire if still using your summer, expensive rims.

BF_JC230

All four.

Our C is an MTX...and, I have never had a single issue in "Buffalo Snow" with it.

Cooper Weathermaster ST2

chmura

Thanks for your input guys. Looks like I'll have to invest in another two winter tires/rims, safety first!

Boom vang

You'll find that 2 tires and rims are a lot cheaper then a new bumper, hood, lights or fender and I am not talking about the combined rate of all of those.

As someone that endures winter driving for 5 months of the year, winter tires give you a bit better traction but the real difference is in steering and braking which to me is more important than if I can get going.

Something to think about, those that feel that a second set of tires cost too much or the additional outlay of money is steep, in actual fact they don't cost any more than the current tires you have on your car, in fact you might even save a few dollars. A set of tires gives you 20-30,000 miles, lets say you keep your car for about 5 years, you will go though 2 sets of tires, If you run snows you will use 2 sets of tires for the same distance (summer tires and winter tires) The winter tires are actually cheaper than a set of performance summer tires

I run Gislaved Nord Frost 5 (Swedish tires but owned now by Continental). If you want the best, go with Nokian (Finnish tires)

SunnyRayToronto

For the budget minded,....

In addition,.... winter tires are knobbier with deeper grooves in the threads. Once the winter tires are too worn out to be used as winter tires,... ie the winter tires doesn't grip into the snow with as much traction as it should,.... then you could start using those old winter tires as your summer tires!

Old winter tires don't have the same rubber composition as good high-performance summer tires,... but they do make decent summer tires.

contact148

love my snow tires have them on my 03 c240 4matic wagon

I watched everyone today spin thier tires across the intersection.me i went thru it like the pavement was dry (was ice and snowy)

do all 4 tires or none buy steel rims too

if money is tight check craigslist ect and you can get a good used set

Ribo89

Where are you in Chicago? I'm 25min west of Chicago in La Grange.

Also, I drove my C320 last winter and this(lol not much of a winter so far), and had absolutely no problems with brand new Michelin Primacy MXV4 all season tires. Check out Craigslist-you can get decent winter tires and rims very cheap. BUT be careful on how old the tires are!!! I wouldn't buy tires that were made 3years ago or older. Check the DOT on the sidewall (the last 2 digits will tell you the year the tires where made).