Tyre size question. !
I have a Freelander 2 2013 with 18 inch wheels. I have heard that it is not advisable to have tyres of different tread pattern and size . Is this the case with the later freelander or just the earlier variety. I want to put winter tyres on but only have two. Possible or not ? if so front or rear? Thanks

I'm a bit anal about tyres and having different levels of grip at each end of the car feels a really bad idea to me.

Don't forget they also stop you and steer you, it isn't just about traction off the line.

I'm glad someone has asked this question as I have 2 extra wheels. I have never had any grip issues with my FL2s but I did wonder that if things got bad then getting 2 chunky tyres fitted to rear might solve traction problems.
This, and a couple of bags of sand in the boot used to be my preferred method of keeping going in days gone by in cruder 2 wheel rear drive cars long ago.
The main trouble is that these days there are so many cars on the roads that the main problem is the idiot in front with no tread at all on his tyres, so it probably still would not work. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

You shouldn't fit just 2 winters tyres it's not recommended as it will unbalanced the handling. MY13 HSE LUX Aintree Green
MY57 SE Stornoway Grey. Gone
Nissan X Trail
Discovery V8 LPG
Series II Land Rover

You will screw up the whole transmission mixing and matching tyres in the long term.

4 of the same make and swapped from front to rear every 10K to get equal tyre ware.

As for Winter tyres ? Its a 4WD beast so you just need M&S rated tyres and just go chunkier tread if off doing a lot of off roading.

If you do summer bling thats another matter.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I spun my disco 2 coming off a roundabout and ended up backwards in the central reservation, fortunately causing no damage. I believe it was diesel spillage on the road but had AT tyres on the rear and road tyres on front. Always wondered if that had a bearing on it. Always had same make / tread pattern on all 4 wheels since.
I intend changing mine front to rear every 10k to ensure even wear then replace all 4 at same time. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Thanks Bob/Bob/Hinchy for your advice.
I will rely on the 4x4 tricks and good set of 4 matching tyres. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

With a miss-match of grip front to rear you have to be upsetting the inherent balance of the car.

More grip at the front and you risk over-steer.

More grip at the back and, surprise, surprise, you'll get understeer.

Yorky Bob wrote:

You will screw up the whole transmission mixing and matching tyres in the long term.

4 of the same make and swapped from front to rear every 10K to get equal tyre ware.

As for Winter tyres ? Its a 4WD beast so you just need M&S rated tyres and just go chunkier tread if off doing a lot of off roading.

If you do summer bling thats another matter.

Two tonne sledge on any tyre once it sets off due to not using due diligence chunkier tyres or not.

M&S are Winter tyres and as S equals snow use I don't see a reason for another set of wheels in UK on my 17" rims. Off roading is a completely differing matter as is anyone using bling bigger wheels. What size are your summer set if over 17" you may have a point ?

All the above of course is my personal opinion but a Defender can't even go through deep snow drifts on any tyre sold in UK (I put up picture of one stuck only yesterday in this recent snow). FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

You don’t want chunky tyres for winter, it’s the sipes in the tread you need for snow, nothing else grips to snow like snow, hence the sipes to grab the snow. With winter tyres on in snow in an FL2 in standard mode, driving normally as you would in normal conditions, you struggle to get the wheels to spin. Another point to remember is the compound of the tyre, winter tyres have silicon in the rubber to keep the tyre supple at lower temperatures as standard such as M+S rated tyres loose suppleness below 7 degrees.
M+S tyres do not have the Three Peaks Symbol so do not meet the requirements to be classed as winter tyres, even the Continental Cross Contacts that we’re marked M+S and standard fit on the FL2 were poor in the winter and classed as summer tyres on the online tyre sites.
If you look to keep a vehicle a few years it doesn’t really cost much to have a set for winter use, whilst using your winter set your not putting any wear on the summer set, the winters I’m currently using are in their fifth winter, will probably just get another winter out of them before they are down to 4mm, which then I’ll just run them out and get a new set for the next winter, in doing so I get another eighteen months to two years out of the summer M+S rated tyres.
At the end of the day, if the winter tyres means the wife manages to take six inches off the stopping distance from the vehicle in front I’m better off. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

This has been done to death a bit but M+S tyres are not winter tyres, winter tyres have a snowflake and mountain symbol on them and have to meet certain criteria which M+S tyres don't. M+S will be better than summer tyres in situations where more 'tread pattern' helps.

Having said that some people find M+S tyres perfectly fine for winter conditions. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Edit: Seems a few of us have made similar comments at the same time.

It is needed to be cautious about relying on M&S tyres in winter. Not all M&S tyres winter rated. The chunky tread may be of benefit on fresh snow but once it becomes compacted and icy a proper winter tyre is needed, which may also be M&S rated, such as Vredestein's Wintrac Xtremes.

The combination of a special tread compound and thousands of sipes in the tread blocks bite into the snow, slush and ice, providing optimal grip.

I accept that the UK's present weather conditions are unusually extreme but much of the chaos and disruption is simply due to the majority of road users using unsuitable tyres.

Here winter rated tyres are mandatory between November and March and the conditions most of Europe is currently experiencing are not at all unusual but with even lower temperatures. We have no disruption whatsovever to road traffic and public transport.

Unless the UK Government is bold enough to legislate for winter tyres the current disruption is likely to be repeated year after year. It will be a tough decision that will attract opposing views but with the current loss of life and soaring insurance claims there may be a stong argument in favour. Interested in what UK members think. driving on the right side

Seems straight forward enough for me:


https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what...ound-tyre/

and yes I have them fitted all year around. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

or for an all-season tyre, that is more winter-biased, the Nokian Weatherproof SUV. Mine have performed superbly on snow and ice over the last few days. FL2 HSE Auto Galway Green
Evoque SD4 Auto Blue.
FL1 HSE TD4 Manual Black - Gone.
RR Classic V8 EFI - Gone