Fitting winter tyres to the Xantia.

[FuzzyEdges]

I'm going to be prepared for this years snow, arriving Tuesday apparently.

See how I did it -

[red_dwarfers]

My winters arrived last week, a set of Michelin Alpin A3's
Just need to get them fitted to the spare rims now ready for action when it happens!

[FuzzyEdges]

SNAP!

That's what went on the front.

[Xaccers]

Edited your post to take advantage of the youtube tags

[red_dwarfers]

Out of interest, where did you get yours from?

Go to bed you lot. Work in the morning

[FuzzyEdges]

My pair came from E-bay at the height of summer for a bargain price, although I did have to buy two steel wheels from the local breakers.
My local tyre firm fitted and balanced them for free when I was in buying tyres for the Jaaaaaaag.

[FuzzyEdges]

Edited your post to take advantage of the youtube tags

THANKS!

[robert_e_smart]

Guys, you really need a set of 4 winter tyres. Back end grip is important too!

[allanmc]

Hi in August I bought 4 Verdestien winter tyres from My Tyres for my Xantia cost £254.00 I had 4 steel wheels which I bought for about £25. fitted the tyres myself so I am waiting for the snow to fall and I will put them on, have to say last winter I had 2 part used winter tyres on the front and they made a big difference so now with a full set it should be even better
allan

[FuzzyEdges]

I fitted snow tyres only to the front as they are the wheels that drive, steer and brake. Citroen even puts the handbrake there.
I spent a lot of time in Austria and I had an old FWD MK2 Fiesta van which I only ever fitted snow tyres to the front. I went all over the place in that and never had a problem including a very long slog from Vienna to Salzburg and back in horrendous conditions.
Also as the name suggests P.O.C. it's a second car that's run on a budget.
P.O.C. = Me - Poor Old Citroen. It's my second Xantia.
P.O.C. = Wife - Pile Of Crap. She doesn't like it much.

[Xaccers]

I fitted snow tyres only to the front as they are the wheels that drive, steer and brake. Citroën even puts the handbrake there.
I spent a lot of time in Austria and I had an old FWD MK2 Fiesta van which I only ever fitted snow tyres to the front. I went all over the place in that and never had a problem including a very long slog from Vienna to Salzburg and back in horrendous conditions.
Also as the name suggests P.O.C. it's a second car that's run on a budget.
P.O.C. = Me - Poor Old Citroën. It's my second Xantia.
P.O.C. = Wife - Pile Of Crap. She doesn't like it much.

Time for a new wife

[andy5]

I fitted snow tyres only to the front as they are the wheels that drive, steer and brake. Citroën even puts the handbrake there.

Sure, it seems to make sense that way, but it seems that the tyre manufacturers and vendors all say put the better tyres on the back, and if you buy 2 new tyres they'll put them on the back and move the others forwards

See if Vicky Butler-Henderson can persuade you http://www.etyres.co.uk/flashmovies/new ... r-800.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RichardW]

Good tryes on the front = chance the rear will break away and voertake you
Good tyres on the back = chance the front will wash out, and the back will follow round.

Most people's reaction to loss of control is to lift off, which helps in the second case, but makes it worse in the first case, and undesteer generally results in a less dramatic crash then oversteer - hence the official advice to fit the best rubber to the back. This is smplified by fuitting winter rubber, where the difference in grip can be large. TBH the Xantia is so easy on the rear that you have to be trying pretty hard in normal conditions to unstick the rear - even with low tread tyres on, and provided you go sensibly fitting winter rubber only on the front will give you a significant advantage in getting moving and keeping moving if the conditions get slippery. Provided you treat it with care, then it will be OK. If you want to go hooning around, or driving at 10/10ths in marginal conditions, then winter rubber all round. Remember, 'ye, cannae deny the laws of phyiscs, Captain"

Me, winter rubber went on the front this weekend, but I treat it with a lot of care in marginal conditions - I just want to be able to get home.

[FuzzyEdges]

Time for a new wife

Can you recomend a site where I can part-ex against a younger model?

[Spaces]

With snow tyres on the front only you are forced to drive as gingerly as without - the difference being you can set off, climb slopes and slow down where others can't. In a situation which required avoiding action you could end up in a proper pickle. The real benefit of using winter tyres is that they allow you to maintain a higher speed which in itself sees you over inclines which may otherwise see you come to a halt, even with the right tyres.

I temporarily had just two winter tyres on last December, the rears were cheapies (with half tread left) at the time - I'd just bought the car - and it was like being on the fairground dodgems. No control whatsoever over the rear axle, it was entertaining and a good lesson in how to manage oversteer but totally unsafe. If dug out a pair of (summer) Michelins which had a similar amount of tread on them and the car was transformed - the back would break away easily with encouragement or poor driving but it could be checked and controlled. The addition of another pair of winter tyres later in the week allowed much more normal progress.