Winter Tyres

[spank-it]

So than who has purchased winter tyres this year? Do they only help in snow or do they help with all the rain and cold temperatures and general lack of grip in the winter?

Can anyone recommend a good set?

I haven't this year but i will most likely get some next year

Also why haven't people got them?

Cheers Sam

[Rob]

me of course, but i dont live in the UK, but even if i did i would still have them.

norml tyres sold in the uk are "summer" tyres, these start to go hard at around 7C and as such also loose grip. Winter tyres are made of a soft rubber compound so still have grip in the cold colditions, there is apopular but false belief that winter tyres are only for snow and ice... they are not!

For good brands look at dunlop, michelin, nokian etc AVOID toyo winter tyres, they are crap! also look at getting 16" tyres if possible on a set of old 16" rims - it will be easier to drive with those.

why dont people have them....... unaware of them, believing they are for snow only, no UK law requiring the use of them during winter months... list goes on.

[Tango]

Having lived in Norway I agree with Rob, but in recent years the winter temperatures haven't really dipped much below freezing to warrant fitting them. Also, because they are not mandatory for the winter months, as they are for example, in Scandanavia, the rest of the traffic will still be gridlocked when we get the slightest fall of snow (as 4x4 owners regularly discover).

Even so, if this weather we are currently getting is going to be the norm then I'll definitely be investing in a set of steels with winter rubber.

[dave1]

Do they only help in snow or do they help with all the rain and cold temperatures and general lack of grip in the winter?

Can anyone recommend a good set?

I haven't this year but i will most likely get some next year

Also why haven't people got them?

Cheers Sam

Winter spec tyres will give better grip on cold, wet roads as well as snow/ice conditions because the compound is softer. Below 7 deg "normal UK tyres" tend to become poor for grip because they are too stiff. Winter spec tyres tend to help grip/handling as they are more pliable.

When I used to drive in Norway in the early '70s snowchains were the norm rather than winter tyres but that is probably different now.

As I have said for at least 2 years, Autosocks are generally ideal for UK use.

[ManicMark]

Hi ive got Continental wintercontact on mine at the moment, bought a second set of 16" wheels that need a refurb for £40 & the tyres were £25 each part worn fitted with 6mm on them. ( I drive to south Germany in the winter so they are a must)

They give great grip in cooler wet conditions as stated above & keep my good summer wheels away from the salt.

If you go to a part worn dealer they should have no problem getting you a set ( most of the part worns come from Germany) Go for a good quallity brand though as the cheap ones are useless.

[Rob]

and make sure they are well over 4mm as below 4mm winer tyres become fairly useless

[dave1]

I would never feel really safe on part worn tyres. If you are going to buy part worn then apart from checking for obvious damage, bulges etc. remember also to check the date of manufacture of the tyres. Realistically tyres only have a lifespan of around 5 or 6 years irrespective of tread depth.

[spank-it]

cheers guys for all the info next year I shall definately be investing in a set.

Sam

[VVProtocolVV]

So are snow chains any good? To be honest i would rather put on the snow chains as i need it then change tyres/wheel. As i only drive around 6 miles a day and really only come into a few road that has not been salted, so theres a mixture of good and slippery roads. Whats the maxium speed you can drive with snow chains and do they end up scratching the alloys?

What about these, as they can be used to help someone else out in the snow?

HERE

[dave1]

So are snow chains any good? To be honest i would rather put on the snow chains as i need it then change tyres/wheel. As i only drive around 6 miles a day and really only come into a few road that has not been salted, so theres a mixture of good and slippery roads. Whats the maxium speed you can drive with snow chains and do they end up scratching the alloys?

What about these, as they can be used to help someone else out in the snow?

HERE

Maximum speed around 30 mph. You must ensure that they are on tight. Decent chains fitted correctly shouldn't damage alloys. Not suitable for mixed conditions as on a clear tarmac road they can cause damage to the road and may even snap, potentially causing expensive and dangerous damage to your car bodywork and brake lines. They also need careful cleaning after use to get rid of any salt which would otherwise corrode the chains........especially if you just put them back in there bag until the next time you need them.

[Rob]

no not use chains on clear or mixed roads - u will gamage the chains and then when they snap u will trash the car. chains are for use on hard compacted snow.

they are very rough to drive with also. chains can easily dmage alloys - thats why a lot have moulded rim protectors.

the only place that people would actually need to use chains is the farmers living up in scotland

[Sagitar]

no not use chains on clear or mixed roads - u will gamage the chains and then when they snap u will trash the car. chains are for use on hard compacted snow.

they are very rough to drive with also. chains can easily dmage alloys - thats why a lot have moulded rim protectors.

the only place that people would actually need to use chains is the farmers living up in scotland

Whs. Unless you are prepared to take the chains off every time you come to a patch of bare tarmac - then put them back on when you come to some snow, they are not much use.

In a journey of about twelve miles last friday I would have had to change them seven or eight times - at the side of a narrow country road, with snow on the verges.

No thanks. I prefer a spare set of wheels with a change to the winter set in November and back to the summer ones at the end of March.

[Mike_B]

Got mine fitted this morning - got some GT Radial Champiro WT AX from mytyres.co.uk. Probably not the best brand, but probably not the worst either.

So far am extremely impressed - the difference just driving out the trading estate where the tyre fitters was located was incredible. We had another 2 inches of snow last night and it was a real struggle just to get there - the two guys in the garage had to give me a push to get it going again from the car park! But, when I left, it just drove straight out with no drama at all. Brakes - stop. Throttle - moves off. Steering - goes round corners.

Highly, highly recommended... Only caveat so far is that it seems a bit vague in the straightahead position on the motorway, but I can live with that in exchange for the ability to drive so much more easily in the snow. It will probably sort itself out a bit when they get more scrubbed in, anyway.

[Lightning Conductor]

So than who has purchased winter tyres this year? Do they only help in snow or do they help with all the rain and cold temperatures and general lack of grip in the winter?

Can anyone recommend a good set?

I haven't this year but i will most likely get some next year

Also why haven't people got them?

Cheers Sam

Hi Sam, It can be very expensive to get a 2nd set of winter tyres especially on the larger cars.

I have a Lexus LS600HL and the winter tyres are around £275 each plus fitting.

If you want to indulge in a 2nd set of Lexus wheels that will cost you a further £4800!!

I was able to get a set of Lexus 19" wheels with Winter tyres already fitted from a German dealer for 1200 Euros which was a bargain.

The European countries have been watching in horror at the snowy weather and lack of preparation by motorists and the Government and will be bombarding the UK car dealers with supplies of winter tyres as they think we'll snap them up in future.

I drive for a living and have to say that the minute people see snowy roads they pile out for a drive in it rather than stay off the roads.

I'd be fascinated to see how many of the people stranded in the bad weather really needed to be out in it?

I wonder if anyone else have ever noticed how busy it gets as soon the snow starts to fall?

[Mike_B]

I'd be fascinated to see how many of the people stranded in the bad weather really needed to be out in it?

The question is, how do you define 'really needed to be out in it' though? I am a contractor - so no work, no pay. To me, that means I need to be out in it. And what happens if the snow hangs around for weeks - are people meant to stay at home until it's gone? That would cost me thousands. Does 'really needed to be out in it' only include emergency trips to the supermarket when you've finished every last scrap of food in the house?

Life should go on, and people should take precautions to enable them to do so - such as proper tyres. How did we get so pathetic in this country that a few centimetres of snow brings about official advice that people should sit on their fat backsides and wait until the nasty horrid dangerous snow has all gone away?

[The Swede]

I always love this urban myth. The UK must be the most backwards country of Western Europe when it comes to driving in and dealing with winter conditions. Mainly because neither the people or the government actually know what the right equipment is they need or calculate how much (or actually little) it costs.

On wintertyres: wintertyres are NOT only meant for driving on snow ! :tsktsk:

A wintertyre for our countries will mainly be designed for wet and colder weather. (You don't need studs !)

Cold:

- Under 7C the rubber of summertyres does not work well anymore. Wintertyres have a softer compound and provide considerably more grip than a summertyre on cold roads, especially when it is wet.

The downside is that a wintertyre will wear more once it gets warmer. Hence why you want to put your summertyres back on in April if you want to manage costs.

Wet:

- Wintertyres have a much more open tread pattern and can deal way better with standing water than summertyres. I only need to go back two days to remember a car stuck in a hedge in a straight line just few miles down the road. The 'culprit' was some standing water reaching 4 feet onto the road. He clearly went through it and it thrown him off course.

We might not see snow that often here, but

- we get got the low temperature (take Oxford as an example: temperatures are below 7C average for 5 months per year. Nov-Mar)

- we got the wettest roads of any country around (while the engineers designing roads clearly never read the chapter "evacuation of water" during their studies)

Economics:

The classic excuse not to get wintertyres is cost. :tsktsk:

1. You only run either summer or wintertyres under your car ! So instead of doing for instance 1 year with one set of summertyres, you'd drive 2 years with two sets of tyres. The cost at the end of the road is hence exactly the same.

2. True, there is a bit of an extra initial outlay, but the ineterst you'll lose of not having that money in the bank is nothing compared to the cost of an accident or the safety of yourself and your family. We all are prepared to pay a (often hefthy) premium to buy a Lexus because we want a superior car that does everyting better than a normal car... But those few extra hundred quid we got 'tied up' in an additional set of tyres always seems too much...

[Yeldarb]

well I have just got back from 4 days in the mountains of Bulgaria, I hired a BMW 5 series, with winter tyres fitted as it is winter!! the car drove perfectly, never slipped, skidded etc that you associate with RWD cars in snow, I am 100% converted to winter tyres now, you have to try them to see, well worth the investment if you want to avoid a crash.

The snow was 2 to 3 feed deep in places so the shovel supplied with the car came in handy!! Out there every shop was open, taxis were operating as normal it is only the UK that suffers greatly in this weather because we are not educated properly about tyres etc.

[The Swede]

TBH, it's more their qualities to deal with standing water that convinces me.

Snow is indeed rare and one anyway slows down when it's icey. But how often are you not surprised by a sudden heavy downpoor or by standing water? Even brand-new summertyres cannot cope with that in the same way as wintertyres.

[Rob]

it is only the UK that suffers greatly in this weather because we are not educated properly about tyres etc.

got it in 1!

[P38Aaron]

I have Winter Tyres on a second set of wheels, they are fitted to Lexus GS wheels, Tyres are Nokian WR & I normally fit them at the start of December or when we start getting regular frosts.

Winter Tyres are M&S which is Mud & Snow, I live in the coutryside where We never get gritted when it snows, we also have alot of farms around so lots of mud on the road.

I have had these Tyres for the last 3 years & never got stuck, for me they are a great purchase and I will be getting them for future cars.

I also carry grit & a shovel in my boot, never used them.

There is a slight issue if your car is lowered as I find the front of mine has doubled as a snow plough a few times