Rear/Front wheel

[SoSlowDx]

Is it a big difference if your car is front or rear wheel drive?

I hear it's difficult to drive in the winter if your car is rear wheel drive?:dunno:

[benyl]

Front wheel drive is generally better in winter. There are a lot of RWD cars that are good with GOOD snow tires and traction control.

[SoSlowDx]

yeah...I was looking at the BMW 325's and wonder get AWD or RD you know but this is just talk now haha

[benyl]

The BMW 3 series is really light in the rear end... you be slip slidding. Get some sand bags and some blizzaks... or AWD.

[SoSlowDx]

I see I see...thanks

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by SoSlowDx
I see I see...thanks

wait wait! dont listen to this guy:


Originally posted by benyl
The BMW 3 series is really light in the rear end... you be slip slidding. Get some sand bags and some blizzaks... or AWD.

all bmws have near perfect weight distribution. which is a ton more weight at the back than any fwd.

[SoSlowDx]

yeah? ahhhh fuck I don't know

[fast95pony]

In general , FWD are better in winter,because most of the weight is over the driving wheels.

[max_boost]

Oh no SoSlowDX, I must add you to the list of Xylathane, lammer, STratus Power! haha

Anyway, I guess it is easier to drift with RWD? But I don't know how to drift?

RWD isn't hard to drive in winter, assuming you have a decent set of winter tires, and traction control is an added plus which is standard on most new model BMW's.

[THREE40SEVEN]

I love driving RWD cars in the winter:D

[three.eighteen.]

Originally posted by benyl
The BMW 3 series is really light in the rear end... you be slip slidding.

only if you dont know how to drive, and theyre not light in the rear...all E36 and E46 are all both near perfect 50/50...

[That.Guy.S30]

hah my jeep slides like a mother fucker.. realy hard to control. plus its a jeep (big, heavy and raised up 3 inches) i like the feelin of awd tho..

[lammer]

Originally posted by max_boost
Oh no SoSlowDX, I must add you to the list of Xylathane, lammer, STratus Power! haha

Anyway, I guess it is easier to drift with RWD? But I don't know how to drift?

RWD isn't hard to drive in winter, assuming you have a decent set of winter tires, and traction control is an added plus which is standard on most new model BMW's.

haha john!! get him haha..damn guy haha max boost ill show you one day..my car :D

[max_boost]

Originally posted by lammer


haha john!! get him haha..damn guy haha max boost ill show you one day..my car :D

You guys talk too much.....not that I have anything against you but I just don't forsee any of you guys getting a car anytime soon :rofl:

[Superesc]

Originally posted by max_boost


You guys talk too much.....not that I have anything against you but I just don't forsee any of you guys getting a car anytime soon :rofl:

damn MB, I didn't know you are that mean!!!! :D

[lammer]

Originally posted by max_boost


You guys talk too much.....not that I have anything against you but I just don't forsee any of you guys getting a car anytime soon :rofl:

but is that our problem or yours? :dunno: :rolleyes:

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Superesc


damn MB, I didn't know you are that mean!!!! :D

They know I am 50% joking and 50% serious

Have you seen the stuff you have been writing recently? :thumbsdow Your the new bully on the block:rofl: :thumbsup:

[Superesc]

Originally posted by max_boost

Have you seen the stuff you have been writing recently? :thumbsdow Your the new bully on the block:rofl: :thumbsup:

hahah damn I better shut up before I take it too far. :rofl:

[benyl]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff


wait wait! dont listen to this guy:



all bmws have near perfect weight distribution. which is a ton more weight at the back than any fwd.

which makes the car like a hockey puck.

Perfect 50/50 is great for handling when it comes to DRY roads. On snowy or wet roads, your back end will most definetly slid out when taking a corner fast. Oversteer and drifting are cool, but not for the average driver.

Even if they are 50/50, they are still lighter than the average FWD car that has 65/35 over the DRIVING wheels. In snow, you get more traction with weight. So you want more weight on the front with a FWD.

Another reason why FWD is better in the winter is that you really only need a good pair of winter tires up front. You can live with all season in the back. Remember, when driving in snow, it is more important to stop than go. You front tires should be better than you back as they have all the traction when you are stopping. With a RWD, you need a good pair to stop and a good pair to go.

The new BMWs are good. I remember them having the ad saying that they are "the ultimate snow machine."

But nothing beats AWD in snow.

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by SoSlowDx
Is it a big difference if your car is front or rear wheel drive?

I hear it's difficult to drive in the winter if your car is rear wheel drive?:dunno:

It's only difficult to drive in slippery conditions if you don't have the proper tires for the driving conditions.

Shitty tires will make it difficult to drive, no matter if it's FWD, RWD, or even AWD.

However, having a limited-slip diff makes a huge difference in traction whether. You may have noticed that lots of cars that get stuck are spinning only one wheel. That's one of the drawbacks of open diffs.

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by benyl
Another reason why FWD is better in the winter is that you really only need a good pair of winter tires up front. You can live with all season in the back.

I disagree with your reasoning. Your point of having winters in the front and all-seasons in the back is valid only when accelerating in a straight line.

With only ~35% of the weight distribution on the rear tires of a FWD car, the back end will swing out during cornering because there's not enough lateral traction. For FWD vehicles, you need to have 4 matching tires for the best traction. All-seasons in the back can cause excessive oversteer during cornering and braking. I have first-hand experience with this on my old Civic.

However, in dry conditions like the mild winters we've had recently, you can get away with all-seasons in the back. It's just a few slippery days each winter that are gonna be a bitch.

[max_boost]

Most places only sell and install a set of 4 winters only.......

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by benyl


which makes the car like a hockey puck.

Perfect 50/50 is great for handling when it comes to DRY roads. On snowy or wet roads, your back end will most definetly slid out when taking a corner fast. Oversteer and drifting are cool, but not for the average driver.

Even if they are 50/50, they are still lighter than the average FWD car that has 65/35 over the DRIVING wheels. In snow, you get more traction with weight. So you want more weight on the front with a FWD.

Another reason why FWD is better in the winter is that you really only need a good pair of winter tires up front. You can live with all season in the back. Remember, when driving in snow, it is more important to stop than go. You front tires should be better than you back as they have all the traction when you are stopping. With a RWD, you need a good pair to stop and a good pair to go.

The new BMWs are good. I remember them having the ad saying that they are "the ultimate snow machine."

But nothing beats AWD in snow. fock im not even sure how to respond to this. everything true that uve said, i already know. everything false that u said....well its false.

first off, your statement that bmws are light in the rear end is not true. their tails are heavier than any fwd ull find on the roads. also, if one were going fast enuff to push the tail out on a bimmer, they would be going fast enuff to plow an accord v6 straight into the curb. as for your statement about having winter tires in the front only on fwd cars....well thats just plain dangerous. it just makes the car unpredictable and likely to oversteer when u dont expect it to.

do u realize that based on the car i drive and the car that u drive, that i probably know a bit more about what were talking about?

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
their tails are heavier than any fwd ull find on the roads.


Yep, the battery of my M3 was located behind the right rear wheel for the sake of weight distribution.

[SoSlowDx]

Originally posted by max_boost


You guys talk too much.....not that I have anything against you but I just don't forsee any of you guys getting a car anytime soon :rofl:

I'm only asking a question, I didn't say I was buying and I said that this was only words. :D

Don't know about the othe guys :confused: :D :angel:

[darknight]

Rear wheel is the best. You'll have a better chance of recovering if your all over the road in a rwd car than in a fwd car. Like they've all said winter tires are a must and your fine.

[benyl]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff

do u realize that based on the car i drive and the car that u drive, that i probably know a bit more about what were talking about?

Well since I don't know what kind of car you drive... I can't really comment. I doubt you have a hyundai... I don't think accents were made in 81... hell was hyundai even in North America in 81?

Ok, I am not going to get into a pissing match with you...

Did you ever consider that I may have had more than one car in my lifetime? I have owned 2 50/50 cars... and I drove one, one winter... I can't say it was fun.

Needless to say, many shops sell only a pair of winter tires. Some very reputable ones at that. As far as two types of tires... if you are going fast enough around a corner in winter to have your rear end come out unpredicably, in my humble opinion, you are probably going too fast...

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by benyl


Well since I don't know what kind of car you drive... I can't really comment. I doubt you have a hyundai... I don't think accents were made in 81... hell was hyundai even in North America in 81?

Ok, I am not going to get into a pissing match with you...

Did you ever consider that I may have had more than one car in my lifetime? I have owned 2 50/50 cars... and I drove one, one winter... I can't say it was fun.

Needless to say, many shops sell only a pair of winter tires. Some very reputable ones at that. As far as two types of tires... if you are going fast enough around a corner in winter to have your rear end come out unpredicably, in my humble opinion, you are probably going too fast... well i drive an ae86...quite possibly the worst winter car ever. but also the most fun winter car ever, simply because of the oversteer. altho highway driving an 86 in the winter is not fun at all haha.

as for the tires, this winter i ran with 2 winter tires on the front and 2 balded all seasons in the rear. yes my car is rwd ;)

[SoSlowDx]

Yeah traction control and winter tires sounds good

thanks for the opinions

[benyl]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish


I disagree with your reasoning. Your point of having winters in the front and all-seasons in the back is valid only when accelerating in a straight line.

My reasoning here was not for accelerating, it was for stopping. I don't know how many morons I have seen with RWD vehicles that put the better tires on the back and the bald tires in the front. IMO, that is the worst thing you can do. Who cares if you can go, if you can't stop?


With only ~35% of the weight distribution on the rear tires of a FWD car, the back end will swing out during cornering because there's not enough lateral traction. For FWD vehicles, you need to have 4 matching tires for the best traction. All-seasons in the back can cause excessive oversteer during cornering and braking. I have first-hand experience with this on my old Civic.

Civics are weird that way. A friend of mine did a nice un-intentional 360 in one the last time it snowed. You would think with the narrow tires that it would have some lateral traction back there...

[syeve]

I drive both in the winter...Front wheel drive rsx and rear wheel drive is300. the is300 had brand new blizzacks (sp?) and it didnt grip for shit...it sucked if there was any ice or snow on the ground. The rsx was not great but it was ok...this is not really the point...if you cant speed up in the ice its not the end of the world. The only thing I concern myself with in the ice and snow is how fast I stop. Both stopped prettly much even. thats all I know!

[max_boost]

Originally posted by syeve
the is300 had brand new blizzacks (sp?) and it didnt grip for shit...it sucked if there was any ice or snow on the ground. :confused: :confused: :confused: :dunno:

[Altezza]

Originally posted by syeve
the is300 had brand new blizzacks (sp?) and it didnt grip for shit...it sucked if there was any ice or snow on the ground.

I've got Hakka Q's on mine and they do an pretty good job. It depends on how you drive the car. Granted, when they're ice or snow on the ground, you don't get going very quickly, but that's true for any car. There were many times this winter were I would pull away from a light faster than FWD cars with winters, and I definately wasn't intending to accelerate quick or anything. But the braking was what saved me a couple of times.

For an IS300, there's a lot of torque down low and that contributes a lot to the relatively poor winter drivability of the car. Atleast there's snow mode and traction control; that helps a lot.