Winter Tyres on the Cage

[goldfazer]

'For a FWD cars it should be enough to replace front with winter tyres, but for the RWD all four should be replaced. '


Noooooo!!!!  Probably unroadworthy, dangerous and no insurance.

[Just Anne]

I was wondering about this, last time my cooper S was at the stealers the chappie was raving about winter tyres to another customer. I'd not come across them in the UK before. Expensive though, are they really just good for snow and ice on the road or is there an advantage just in the cold and wet too?

Anne 

[richfzs]

Anne,

yes, there is a benefit in the cold - summer rubber gets hard below 7degC, and starts to lose its performance. Its why plenty of Northern European countries mandate you run on winter tyres between Nov-Mar (approx), even Belgium, where they're not exactly a big snowfall country.

[Slaninar]

Anne,

yes, there is a benefit in the cold - summer rubber gets hard below 7degC, and starts to lose its performance. Its why plenty of Northern European countries mandate you run on winter tyres between Nov-Mar (approx), even Belgium, where they're not exactly a big snowfall country.

What I've experienced is that summer tyres are a lot less gripy when it is cold - in both wet and dry conditions. This can be a difference between 10 and 13 meter stopping trail (hitting, or stopping just in time). All 4 winter tyres do great difference on braking and cornering when it's below 10 degrees Centigrade.

Expense is not too great - because when switching tyres they last about twice as long. Just get a spare set of wheels (rims) so you do not have to take tyres off to replace, just swap wheels - 30 minutes work. In my country it is mandatory to switch to winter tyres in November but I'd do it anyway.

[richfzs]

What I've experienced is that summer tyres are a lot less gripy when it is cold - in both wet and dry conditions. This can be a difference between 10 and 13 meter stopping trail (hitting, or stopping just in time). All 4 winter tyres do great difference on braking and cornering when it's below 10 degrees Centigrade.

Expense is not too great - because when switching tyres they last about twice as long. Just get a spare set of wheels (rims) so you do not have to take tyres off to replace, just swap wheels - 30 minutes work. In my country it is mandatory to switch to winter tyres in November but I'd do it anyway.

Exactly so, Slaninar! The expense question is one a lot of people raise, they don't seem to get that if you're wearing out one set of rubber, you're not using the other - so overall, there's no extra costs. Sure, there is some up front investment, in buying 4 new boots (and there's storage cost if you don't have the space at home), but that will be forgotten the first time you get home without drama when all around you are parked in the nearest ditch, and you don't have to make a claim on your insurance!

[Just Anne]

Thanks guys. Now next question is how do I store the wheels not in use? Is stacking them in the corner of the garage ok or do I have to disguise them as 'art' indoors?


Anne

[richfzs]

Ah, now that would be an ecumenical question!

Personally, mine are stacked in the corner of the garage - you may have different requirements, based on your thoughts and expected answers in your "Real Man" thread, and an equivalent "Real Woman" thread 

[Just Anne]

Well, at the risk of being thought of as a slightly 'odd' woman, I quite like tyres; there's something about the geometry of the tread that's rather pleasing to the eye. I'd probably bath them first but I can picture them in the lounge, might have to put a doily on top when my mum visits, she's always worried about these traits, I blame indoctrination by my brothers.


Anne

[Slaninar]

Just get a spare set of rims. Cheap, steel ones for winter tyres. Leave tyres on rims, slightly over inflated (2.2 bars instead of 2.0 if that's your car's spec). Keep away from direct sunlight and too much heat and they should be fine.


Not a single speeling mistake in this poost! Amaizing!

[GringoRojo]

so is there any particular brand/model/make of tyre to look for?

[martynR]

so is there any particular brand/model/make of tyre to look for?

Yeah, many to choose from [color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]Continental ContiWinterContact TS830[/color]

, [color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]Goodyear UltraGrip 8[/color]

, [color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D[/color]

, [color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]Semperit Speed-Grip 2[/color]

, [color=rgb(51, 51, 51)][/color]

[color=rgb(51, 51, 51)]Pirelli Winter 190 Snowcontrol Serie 3[/color]

In my country(Lithuania) it's compulsory to have winter tyres from November 1st until March 31st. The amount of snow we have would put UK to a standstill :rollin

[paul.s]

the amount of snow we!! get puts the uk at a standstill :rolleyes (doesent take a lot) :lol

[tomjimtom]

There would still be extra cost either in new set of wheels or having to pay for fitting twice a year

I'll just go into a ditch, claim the full amount I paid for the car and go buy a little off road bike, much more fun and you can pull it out of the ditch

[dickturpin]

Done it now....ordered some Avon Ice Touring so it probably won't snow now!!! un
Not the most expensive winter tyre out there but I'll see how they do.Will try to find some cheap
rims soon or they will go on the car's alloys. Lots of impressive footage on youtube if you search 'winter tyres'.
Living at the top of a hill it must be worth a go (spent one afternoon getting the cage home last year, only a hundred yards or so :grumble ). Anyone else looking check out 'mytyres' website, cheapest I could find.

[richfzs]

Good luck with mytyres, I tried to order from them last year, yes they were cheap, but pissed me around no end. Ended up cancelling the order (and bought through kwikfit, of all places).

Can't remember full details, but having selected to pay by credit card, they then got stroppy with me, because I hadn't done a bank transfer of the cash! Now why would I do that, when I chose the option on the website for CC payment... I think I came to the conclusion that they didnt actually have any stock (they wouldn;t confirm when I asked them) and were trying a stalling tactic. Told them to get fecked.

[daveph]

A bit late on this, but another vote for winter tyres.  I got a set for our main car (mondeo) last winter.  We live on the edge of the North York Moor, a mile up hill from the main road.  We got in and out all the time.  A neighbour has a company car and insisted his company changed it from an A6 to a Q5 (but it came on massive wide rims with summer tyres).  The Q5 got in  and out but following it it looked like bambi on ice, constantly fighting for grip.


Mondeo steel rims are quite cheap.  The winter tyres and steel rims are on now.


I got Apollo Acelere Winter tyres (they, Apollo,are Indian but bought Verderstein a few years ago, so they are basically a basic rebadge Verderstein tyre).  They are fine in the wet and not appreciably more noisy or any less efficient than the summer Continentals.


It will probably never snow again.  :rolleyes


Dave

[martynR]

Winter tyres seem to be more expensive than their summer counterparts in a UK. That's probably due to low demand and short winter considering the mainland Europe. Although I would not consider any tyre make that is not known. And you get what you pay for

[dickturpin]

''And you get what you pay for ''........on a good day!

[dickturpin]

Tyres arrived today and service all good from 'mytyres' if anyone is thinking about it.
Can't comment on Rich's experience with them.

D