Two new tires - front or rear? (front wheel drive)

[oldjeep]

Re: Two new tires - front or rear? (front wheel drive)

FWIIW, both Washington and Oregon use seasonal studded tires. If you have a frontwheel drive car and only want two studded tires, dealers will only install them on the rear wheels.

Years ago I was in Mammoth Lakes during a big snow storm. Into the condo parking area comes a little Honda Civic with the chain on the rear wheels. He had just come up the Sherwin Grade where they were required to chain up. The California Highway patrol made him install the chains on the rear wheels. I'd never heard of that before and thought it was pretty goofy, but later evidence showed me that even though you might have poor traction on the front drive wheels, the real danger was losing control of the rear end.

SOunds like the patrol officer had never read californias laws on chains - unless you have a newer copy, this shows that on FWD vehicles that you are required to put the chains on the front if you are only using one pair.
California Tire Chains Laws