Do you two think this guy is going to be setting hot laps at the nurbergring ? Its england and not “the Alps” and actually i have good tyers on everything i drive. Is anyone listings to what im saying or just clipping my inital piece to ****? If the guy wants snow tyres for icy snowy condtions then he can and perhaps should buy 4 buy if its fo the wifes little run around and its just to get up the odd slippy lane or two then he has the option of just buying 2 … its thats all he can stretch to, jesus not everyones flush enough to nip out and drop a tonn on for tyers they may not really nead – the seasons in england are slightley less of a problem than dare i dare i say it “le alps” which we all drive over on a daily basis ofcourse

He’s got over 30yrs experience so what do they, or we, know

But Neal’s only got 11. 😆

jez – calm down!

And you’re not listening. He doesnt want snow tyres. He wants winter tyres. And I’d hazzard a guess most folks will agree with most of what you’re saying. But stw likes a ranter – so feel free…

For the original poster – The Goodyear Ultragrip 8 is a decent tyre by all accounts on the tyre reviews websites – high marks and for £80 fitted that’s a decent price, i personally use Nokian WR D3’s fitted to my winter alloys in 185/65/14″ for my 200bhp mk2 Golf, it’s pretty lively at the best of times but for the past 3 yrs i’ve used Nokian winter tyres, i travel 40+ miles every weekend across one of the highest singletrack moorland roads in Galloway and i have never been stuck once nor been in any danger of being stuck – obviously you have to drive with caution but i’ve made it through 6″+ of fresh snow and crossed roads covered with so much sheet ice you cannot stand on them without holding onto the car, i’ve pulled many a car out of ditches and roadside verges etc and in winter time always carry a bungee towing rope, snow shovel, hessian carpets for tyre grip and an ex-army sleeping bag, gas stove and tea etc in my winter box just in case.

I’ve not had to use any of it personally yet but other folk i’ve came across have made use of it and been grateful.

For the OP:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Goodyear/UltraGrip-8.htm

25 Years driving – 11 years in the alps = 300 odd weeks of driving on snow

How does your “30 years” measure up 😉

I drove through 2 winters with just fronts on the old car, now got a full set on the new one.

So- full set definitely not needed. There’s considerable benefits to improving the steering and drive traction alone or course, and despite what some think you also gain braking benefits- just not as much. Car was much more manageable. Of course the rear will still slide more easily, but a rear wheel slide is better than a 4 wheel slide, and there are circumstances where the front would usually slide but the back wouldn’t- in those, you have more control outright.

It did help that the rear drum brakes on my Focus were gash- not an uncommon situation!

But, it’s definitely better to do both ends, no question.

The other day I got a chance to really test my new Snowproxes- they’ve been doing well in snow, heavy rain and freezing roads for a while now but inners car park turned into a proper icerink last saturday, sheets of glassy wet ice- deadly to walk on. Every other car I saw try to navigate it had problems, though some did look like user error tbh. In mine, no fuss whatsoever. It could be made to slide of course, but it was easily drivable without significant special effort.

I rounded it off with a proper sliding session though of course

ok shouddawouddacoudda im bailing out now. its been emotional

NOKIAN. They’re made from a ‘greener’ rubber which is made from corn oil, which means the particulates which come off them when they wear aren’t as harmfull or toxic.

Plus they’re made in Finland sold and used around scandanavia, so they’re bound to be good. 🙂

Hmmm. I’d say two will give big advantages over none, but be slightly iffier in some situations than 4 (on a fwd). I’d buy two, drive carefully, and save the cash. Possibly better than being lulled into a sense of (over)confidence in your set of four winter tyres as well…

On a front wheel drive car, the rear wheels are just there for the ride, really, unless you are, umm, making progress…

Hate those yellow smilies…

25 Years driving – 11 years in the alps = 300 odd weeks of driving on snow

AWESOME.

You knows it.

I rounded it off with a proper sliding session though of course

Haha, It’s got to be done, hasn’t it? Reminds me of a happy end to a night shift doing doughnuts in a rear wheel drive volvo ambulance, at 5am on a Sunday morning on a deserted hospital carpark… 8) 😆

Thinking of fitting these to my truck – I’ll be sure to wave 😀

I have ultragrips on my a4. unstoppable last year. Buy a set of 4 to save your summer tyres. No brainer if you have spare wheels and space to store them.

Thinking of fitting these to my truck – I’ll be sure to wave

From every petrol station you pass?

Thinking of fitting these to my truck – I’ll be sure to wave… As I go sliding uncontrollably down the slight incline with a little bit of frost on it…)

Fixed that for ya! 😉 I run these as road tyres on my Ninety, I love them because they last FOREVER. Not because of their cold weather grip… I think they are made from the hardest rubber known to man, 70k miles on one set is not unheard of.

Thinking of fitting these to my truck – I’ll be sure to wave

Make sure the size you need has the snowflake symbol on the sidewall, as some/most sizes don’t and are a very hard compound and shocking on icy roads !

Vredestein Snowtrac3s (185/65/15 =£60ish) front and rear on a 2005 Berlingo. The difference between standard tyres and winters is more than night and day. Will cope with 1’/30cm of fresh snow no problem. Successfully drove up the forest road into Pitmedden Forest last weekend when the surface was un-stand-uppable-on.

I run them from October to April on steelies from the scrappy. Cost was £50 for 4 wheels

You’ll get numpties who say you can’t pull away in 1’/30cm of snow, that traction control is just as good, that they’re a waste of money, but that is simply because they haven’t experienced the difference. Or they dogmatically refuse to accept it…

I did one winter with only front wheels on winters. Performed a 180deg spin on A93 by the Baddoch at about 55mph. “Luckily” ended up in a snowdrift that I reversed out of with no damage. It is easy to get complacent thinking your grip will never end so a sensible approach is still required.

I now run all 4 winters, however I experienced total loss of control at about 50mph on black ice in a dry night at the top of Glen Eagles/Glen Devon just after last New Year. Fully side to side through at least 45deg on a narrow rural A road. I nearly filled my pants as the verge and telegraph poles flashed through the two individual spots from the headlights – we were THAT close – and I was convinced that the result would be a write-off, and was more trying to crash in controlled way so my pal and I would walk away, but miraculously managed to remain in control – of the car, not my heartrate. Drove home very slowly, talking through the incident with my pal. Our conclusion was without the winters we’d have been in big trouble and with standard “summer tyres” I’d never have regained control. It freaked me out, but you live and learn… It is better to be lucky than good.

I have gone down the route of buying all season tyres with a snow bias. Just got a set of Sava Adapto HP all season tyres from Mytyres. These are made by Goodyear in Slovakia. They get a great review in Autobild, 4 stars in the snow. Sixty quid a corner. I have driven cars in all weathers front and rear wheel drive, if I was driving a beemer I would put 4 snow tyres on. On my Mondy I have 4 snow tyres but it wouldn’t bother me to have just two on the front if money was tight.

Might re-think the BFG’s based on the above 🙄

Also as per jam bo’s post – I’d previously checked the fuel efficiency rating against my current tyres and it came up the same, but just checked Blackcircles and they are one rating worse

Might re-think the BFG’s based on the above

Ah, don’t! You’ll never have to buy tyres for that truck again! For one of two reasons…

If you have decent grip on the front and next to none on the back, what do you think would happen if you try and go around a corner?

Badass drift 8) 😕

I was about to post along those lines already mentioned regarding the BFG’s, they’ll be next to useless in icy/snowy conditions as they have no sipes in the tread pattern, however once you slide off the road into the ditch i’m sure you’ll manage to find traction with that chunky tread to pull yourself out so it’s not all bad news 😀

Jez -love you too! Hugs, n all.

Aaaaarggghhh – new thread time.

It’s worse than finding friggin bike tyres – I really am struggling.

So what do you want to know TAFKASTR?

They do a version of the BFG AT that’s rated for winter use.
You just need to find them that’s all.

The winter ones are pretty good. We had a VW T25 Syncro with them on and it would get up and down the mountain passes all winter no problem.

The BFGs are FAR from useless in snow/ice, more, umm, entertaining, is all. I guarantee you would never be stuck, you just need to remember that they may slip and drive appropriately.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFAK8Vj62WM[/video]

….another vote for the Vredestein Stowtrac, I am now running my set for the 3rd winter and still 7/8mm tread left (several trips to europe/alps etc).

I would never be without them now, even if we did not travel to the alps every year.

My dad (in holland) has changed his tyres (and wheels) every winter for as long as I can remember. His set of wheels thats not in use is in storage at the tyre place he uses. Very common arrangement in Holland.

My husband has some winter tyres for sale (only 2, not a full set), he has changed cars (accident, long story) and these dont fit the new car. Can check size if interested? They are Nokian tyres.

I recommend getting 4 though..If you can, just get a spare set of wheels and change the wheels. We got ours used.

Simone

petrieboy – Member

I have ultragrips on my a4. unstoppable last year.

Doesn’t sound ideal!

Not sure if we resolved this, but winters on all 4 corners.. you want to think of winter tyres as for helping you STOP.. not GO!

fwd with winters on all 4 is far better than 4×4 with regular tyres.
almost every car I see off in the ditch on the highway here when the snow falls is some Vancouver weekend warrior thinking his 4×4 is invincible in the snow.

Probably of no direct comparison, but Michelin X-Ice2’s are great as far as ice traction and wear rate. Not as good as others in slush or snow, but you’ll be doing better than everyone else around you so happy days.

Michelin alpin here, to take the thread back to a sensible level. Brilliant on the sheet ice we had here in Sheffield last week, so much so I nearly fell on my bum as I’d not appreciated how bad it was.
To go back to the snow chains on the BMW one series and Neal glover being, well, Neal. I thought the bm was rear drive and that the chains were on the wrong end………….maybe me!

Goodyear vector Allseasons do really well in the tests if you want a set of year round tyres, rather than a second set of wheels. Got mine through mytyres for my Quattro.

Are winter tyres OK to use when it gets milder – they just wear faster? Or is max speed restricted as well and MPG adversely affected? I need to change my tyres anyway but have never bothered with winter tyres in the past and not really regretted it so wouldn’t want a dedicated set, it’s just whether I replace my tyres with a set now and use them through summer as well (if they last that long).

Typically rated for 112 mph, so you should be fine. In the warmer weather compared to normal summer tyres, they feel a little more vague, are a little less grippy and wear a bit quicker, but it’s a better idea than running summer tyres in the winter.

All tyres should be like winter tyres all year round but they would wear out too fast so standard tyres are a compromise between grip and durability.

We fitted Fulda Cristall Monteros to Mrs Gti’s C1, I think they were about £40 each a few years ago, they were absolutely excellent especially as the C1 is good at any tme in snow with narrow tyres and a diesel engine over the driving wheels. On icy packed snow you could stop and pull away on an “out of the saddle” climb with no drama.

Now she has an Ibiza and I got some Avon Ice Touring tyres for about £42 each from MyTyres. Haven’t tested them yet but the silicon content is so high that they make my hands sticky when I handle them. I got a set of wheels for £80 off Ebay and fitting/balancing was £10 a tyre.

The Ibiza comes with no spare wheel or tool kit so in summer one of the winter wheels will sit in the boot with a tool kit we got off Eblag and now in winter she’s got one of the summer tyres.

My own Passat comes on standard tyres and so far I’ve had no problems in snow and ice; it’s all about momentum and throttle control.

Or is max speed restricted as well and MPG adversely affected?

They come in speed ratings the same as normal tyres. All they are is normal tyres with different rubber, tread pattern and depth, nothing weird. My WR G2s are rated 130mph.

MPG is not necessarily affected. The WR G2s on the Passat were way better than the Dunlop Sport they replaced because they (like most winter tyres) are silica compound which makes them ‘energy saving’ low rolling resistance. This also makes them last longer than normal summre tyres, but not as long as summer energy saving tyres.

it’s all about momentum and throttle control

No it’s not!