Winter Tyres WTF Is That All About?

[Beeem]

Whatever the necessity for winter tyres, why the obsession with snow? They're for temperatures below 7°, no mention of snow. Surely it's to do with the way the rubber reacts to the ambient temperature to provide better grip - when cornering in ambient cold, on dry roads, for example.

How many days in the year are there when this applies?

 

[Beeem]

I've been out for leisure drives in my old Jag XJ6 (nasty rear wheel drive heavy car) when the news was telling us to only go out if absolutely necessary because the roads were 'tretcherous' and always got home and even had some fun on the slippy stuff for good measure.

Is your van white by any chance?

 

[L John]

Yes it is, I'm a courteous driver and never slid off the road or into another car.
But I'm a bad man because I have a little fun in the snow and drive a white van :Oops:

 

[gizze]

So, again I ask myself, why was I even looking at snow tyres?
I really don't know.
Why does anyone get snow tyres in the UK, is it because of a bad experience of being stuck in the car overnight miles from anywhere or the fear that it could happen this year for the first time ever.

Some may say "they are safer below 7 deg C" and "they're not just for snow", but if we drive knowing the level of grip, whatever legal tyres we use, we can drive safely.

My thoughts are, I was getting sucked in, and if I entered the white side, I would then be obliged to point the finger at anyone being so silly as to use summer tyres on winter roads.
Winter tyres should be white to avoid the embarrassment of pointing the finger of shame at someone stuck in snow with winter tyres already fitted

You're ignorant in regard to how they perform, until you have spent a winter with them you really haven't got a clue just how different they are.

I'm not knocking that, as that is human nature and as humans we have to try and justify all our decisions, and those decisions that include spending money on something we don't really want to spend money on are often counter argued by ourselves.

I don't mind anyone saying 'I'm not going to spend money, I will take it easy in winter and when the snow comes I just won't drive' but what does annoy me is when I hear 'I am perfectly safe on snow I've been driving since 1912 and never had a problem'.
It is that attitude that keeps people stuck out in their cars over night, if everyone did put winters on we wouldn't see the chaos when it does snow, and I bet we would get far less accidents in winter all round.

The only reason someone on winters would get stuck in snow is because they are behind someone on summers.
That last comment just shows you haven't got a clue how good they are in snow.


I have got all season tyres on this year, and after 5 years with winters I am dreading the snow coming. Once you have experienced a good winter tyre, going back is very difficult.

 

[Frontstep]

I think I might get some winter soles on my shoes
Apparently you can get your boots resoled in recycled winter tyre tread

 

[gizze]

I think I might get some winter soles on my shoes
Apparently you can get your boots resoled in recycled winter tyre tread

Please don't. Play on the ice in leather.

 

[range rover]

Ok , own up who has been driving since 1912 ?

 

[television]

I think I might get some winter soles on my shoes
Apparently you can get your boots resoled in recycled winter tyre tread

Just get the studied add ons, fits all shoes and boots.

 

[Frontstep]

I didn't want to keep taking things on and off.

 

[television]

I didn't want to keep taking things on and off.

Then by 2 pairs, one for each foot

 

[L John]

Excellent post Gizze, the whole thing.

That last comment just shows you haven't got a clue how good they are in snow.

You are absolutely right Gizze , I'd love to have a go of snow tyres and normal tyres with the same treads depth on the same hill with the same car to see how good they are.
I'm sure they are better for grip in the snow AND below 7 deg than summer tyres.
As I don't know how much better they are, I'm not keen on spending for winter tyres and having the hassle to swap them over.

Some people have said their winter tyres are awful with ABS flashing well before their summer tyres would.

Then there's the problem with wide rear tyres not being much good on snow/ice.

It's not easy for someone like me to make a good informed decision.
If it was simply that winter tyres are essential, this thread would have only been a couple of pages long.

 

[gizze]

One thing that we mustn't forget is you can also get poor winter tyres the same you can poor summer tyres.
I have heard many on the BMW forum who have tried Falken winters and they were awful, and I know ST4 tried them on his C Class and thought the same, probably put them off winter tyres for ever. But the tests even say that they didn't perform much better than the best summer tyres in the cold and snow and were noticeably worse on damp autumnal days.

But get a good winter tyre on and it will seriously impress, I liked the Michelin Pilot Alpin and the Dunlop Winter 4D, the latter was unreal in snow, even deep stuff, it really was like driving on a wet road in summer, there was that much grip.

I have had continental winter sports and was not impressed, the first year they were good, but in year two they felt noticeably worse, and even though there was still 7mm left on them they had started to crack on the side walls which made me think they had hardened up more than was expected, Continental looked at them and said I had stored them incorrectly. I had just left them in my outhouse, which is always between about 10-20ºc and fairly dark. If they had been 5 years old fair enough, but the date stamp put them at just over 2 years old.

I would consider getting a set of used 15-16" wheels and tyres off eBay to try them out, but make sure there is at least 5mm if buying used, and ask for the date stamp, don't go over 4 years old.

You can pick them up really cheap if you look around. You may have to buy a pair from 2 different sellers as many have them because the rears have worn and then sold the car.

I was forced to buy some as I had to get up to our place at the coast and as I had the estate I was the one who would put the winters on, that was paid for by the company, but after having them for that winter I wouldn't be without now. I knew they were good as my cousin lived in Geneva and he would go up the mountain pass at 70kmph without even thinking about it, but until you have driven your own car with them on you just can't think they make the difference that they do, it is one of those genuinely amazing moments in driving.

 

[gizze]

Oh, and I always go down a width and put the same size all round.

So if you are 245.45.17 on the front and 265.40.17 on the rear I would go 225.50.17 all round.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Relying on my car to get me to work and visit relatives, several hundred miles apart, I am a winter tyre convert having been stuck on even gentle slopes with the summer tyres.

As with any tyre, read up on the reviews so that you can make an informed choice as to their performance. The Nokians that I have fitted have been great in snow, but more importantly in the UK, faultless in slush.

Yes there is an initial outlay, but I found this to be less than a full set of summer tyres, even including second hand rims, and whilst my summer tyres are in storage they're not wearing out, so I reckon it'll even itself out over time.

 

[L John]

Oh, and I always go down a width and put the same size all round.

So if you are 245.45.17 on the front and 265.40.17 on the rear I would go 225.50.17 all round.

Do you mean put a 225.50.17 on the wheel that the 265.40.17 came off?
If would it fit correctly at the rim and be legal

 

[pipmk]

Do you mean put a 225.50.17 on the wheel that the 265.40.17 came off?
If would it fit correctly at the rim and be legal

You can't go far wrong if you follow the handbook advice (which is often for smaller diameter and same size all round)

 

[Collos]

I'll readily admit that I've not had to use my winter tyres much in anger, but when I have they're a god send.

We don't always have a choice of whether we can travel or not and in rural areas gritting is a pretty much hit or miss affair.

That said I tend to visit Germany a few times per year and it's now a legal requirement to have such tyres fitted, even if the car isn't registered in Germany.

Cost wise, they even out as whilst your wearing out your winter tyres you're not wearing out your summer ones. I find having a second set of wheels makes swapping them over and storage easier.

Its not strictly illegal to use summer tyres in Germany in the winter the offence is comitted if you use the car in snowy conditions ,plenty of people do not bother with winter tyres .I do I have just bought a new set but if you live in a city and do all your driving there it would be most unusual to get stuck in snow unless you had slicks of course.The major problem comes if you have an accident the police who come to every accident will inform the insurance what type of tyres were fitted.

 

[6cyl]

I started driving in the mid-80s. Plenty of snow in the winter and spring, didn't remember having any problems in Escorts, 120Y (may it rust in peace), minis etc FWD, RWD no problems.

ABS and TC was practiced with your right foot. ESC was co-ordination of your hands on the wheel and your right foot. However, we didn't have Carlos Fandango* wheel & tyres either, by the early 2000s started to have problems with by FWD Audi, with its 225/45 17 tyres with it's distinct lack of sipes. Now 1.6 familiy hatches are on 245/40 18 all in the name of fashion.

Carlos Fandango*

If the majority of cars were on 135/80 13 like my first cars, we wouldn't need winter tyres.

I live on a hill SW of London, about 300ft above sea level, just inside the M25 and can see Wembley Arches and The Shard from my garden and wouldn't be able to get off my drive without winter tyres or tracks with more than an inch of snow on the ground.

I have a set of winter alloys for both of my cars. One if them is a quattro.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Its not strictly illegal to use summer tyres in Germany in the winter the offence is comitted if you use the car in snowy conditions ,plenty of people do not bother with winter tyres .I do I have just bought a new set but if you live in a city and do all your driving there it would be most unusual to get stuck in snow unless you had slicks of course.The major problem comes if you have an accident the police who come to every accident will inform the insurance what type of tyres were fitted.

Oddly enough everyone that I know that lives in Germany fits winter tyres to their cars. Perhaps it's because they don't live in a big city. Even so they do live in pretty big towns and find that if they don't have winter tyres fitted then when it snows they'd be stuck for days before roads are cleared.

As the police can fine you for not having winter tyres fitted if it snows, even visitors to the country, then unless you have the luxury of not travelling winter tyres are essentially a must have fitment.

 

[television]

By the time this thread draws to a close it will be spring time.