it's compulsary here in germany - and in many european countries - to have winter tyres fitted on your car
Sounds like very effective lobbying by BMW, to mask the fact that their cars are complete shite in snow.
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Why do they salt the roads?
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Posted 2 years ago #
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I think cooldhand luke wins the award for most bizarre post on STW that I've read in - well since kaesae and the pivot bearings servicing thread...
Posted 2 years ago # -
All the salting does is lower the freezing point of water by a few degrees on the road to reduce the chance of ice forming at 0C (and remember, if it gets cold enough it will still freeze even with salt). Once enough snow is settling, the salt does crap all. What's required with snow is snow ploughs, the correct tyres (or a 4x4), and/or sensible driving.
On the flat you can drive on the kind of piddly little amounts of snow we get in the south easy enough even with so called "summer" tyres (though the tyres we have in the UK are generally fine for typical mild wet conditions), especially once enough people are driving it. High gear, lower tyre pressure, slow but not too slow and keep momentum and stick to straight lines as much as possible. Don't slam on the brakes, change down to slow down and light touch on the brakes. Ideally you want ABS on the car. Stability systems are a help when moving but you need to turn them off if you're on the snow trying to move away else you'll get nowhere.
Winter tyres are fine, except in my case they're really only any use for the short stretches between the untreated side roads, and the well treated main roads that are clear. Keep them on for the duration of a typical British winter down south and they'll be a complete waste. Average temperature rarely goes below 7C and we just usually have mild wet conditions. They're expensive and hard to get hold of in this part of the country (tyre fitters think you're barmy for asking for them, asking if you're taking a trip abroad or something!), and do you want to be getting tyres changed twice a year with all the hassle that's involved? (especially if it involves going to brainless monkeys like KwikFit).
Just deal with it. It'll be gone in a week or two for us southerners.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The motor industry of course lie to us so our cars rust away to nothing and need to be replaced every so often. Of course its the salt that does it.
I love conspiracy theories, they're great
Posted 2 years ago # -
and do you want to be getting tyres changed twice a year with all the hassle that's involved?
got a jack? yup.
got a wrench? yup.
then what's your problem....?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Salt works fine down to about -7C. I'm sure we'll all agree that is sufficient for most winters most years. We've got atypical weather at the moment. If you have sustained cold spells below -7C, then you do what Germany etc do - which is suitable for them, but not for UK really.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ernie_lynch - Member
it's compulsary here in germany - and in many european countries - to have winter tyres fitted on your car
Sounds like very effective lobbying by BMW, to mask the fact that their cars are complete shite in snow.
I noticed that Mercs seem to have the same shite ability also.
Posted 2 years ago # -
marty - Member
[]Even now, this isn't winter tyre weather, unless you live right up in the hills.[/i]
er, maybe in the south. LOTS of main road round here still sketchy on "normal tyres" (west lothian/fife) - particularly where untreated side streets/car parks have dragged stuff out on to main roads. probably still BBQ weather down there though...Last time I checked, where samuri lives is somewhere between Manchester and Liverpool. Not that south then... FAIL!
Living in Belmont, the A675 was 'shut' for 3 days. My golf with sporty tyres managed fine, as I was sensible. It appears several 4x4s weren't driven carefully, and, erm, didn't manage...
Posted 2 years ago # -
got a jack? yup.
got a wrench? yup.
then what's your problem....?
If you're changing a wheel yes, but are you going to buy a spare set of alloys for your winter tyres? ! I don't even have space to store them if I was going to waste my money on them.Changing an actual tyre on a wheel (i.e. not changing the wheel), I'm not even sure how to do it properly, and nor do I think my pump would manage to inflate it. Doubt I could even get the thing off the rim anyway. It's bad enough with a bike tyre. Would need balancing and all that surely also?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Deleted facetious comment
Posted 2 years ago # -
To melt ice. Lock thread.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Much better just to stop. Give it a week or two and things would sort themselves out. Darwins theory plus a bit of community spirit. A a spare pair of wheels would be the easy way , indeed several of my ,mates not clever enough to run a landrover do just that. 10 minutes to change them twice a year. Surely no one pays for that?
Posted 2 years ago # -
What's all this bollix about 'winter' tyres? Who in this country is gonna buy a set of wheels & some winter tyres, just in case we have a bit of snow for a couple of weeks a year? So, unless you live in somewhere that has 6" of the white stuff for 3 months of the year....MTFU & deal with it, I.E., learn to drive in snow you pussies!
This year is the 1st I can remember since the early 80's where we've had anything like a 'proper' winter!Posted 2 years ago #
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