cb - you're not looking hard enough or you've got seriously odd wheel sizes. I've got 255/55/19 wheels, and could get Vredestains fitted for £700 (admittedly from a specialist 4wd place)
Chat Forum
Winter tyres for cars
-
Posted 7 months ago #
-
Coffeeking, considering the amount of fitters about, I'm sure you can dig around and find one who's more reasonable about it. Or at least use the supplied price as a bargaining tool.. but it's a fair warning.
I spent two days covering most of the north of Glasgow, the only one I found charges £10 and really doesn't come across as overly "professional". I tried at least 15 places, and those who said they would fit but for £25 just quoted £25 more for the tyre fitted if they ordered it. I seriously considered buying a manual tyre fitting rig as none of the tyres I've bought recently ahve needed more than 5g adding anywhere on the rim anyway.Posted 7 months ago # -
z1ppy - Member
stumpy01 - Member
MyTyres currently have Kumho winter tyres for my car - £75/corner.If they're for Kumho I`ZEN KW23, then take a look here: http://www.oponeo.co.uk
Admittedly not fitted (£10 a wheel by a local fitter?) but a lot cheaper than I could find on blackcircle or mytiresCheers Zippy. I had a look but they only have 3 tyres available for my size (205/45/16) and the cheapest were Hankook Icebears at £96/each.
Posted 7 months ago # -
It could mean the saving stuffing your car into a kerb hard or having to sit in your car for a few hours freezing your tits off.
The latters priceless to avoid but the former would cost you a hell of a lot more to repair than the cost of the tyres.
In Germany they are compulsory. Doesn't that say something to you?
Posted 7 months ago # -
coffeeking - Member
Watch out for buying online without a fitter. Almost all of our local garages, bar one dodgy back alley garage I found, refused point blank to fit tyres bought elsewhere, those who agreed to fit wanted £25 per tyre. "You didn't buy through us, we won't fit it".Yeah, this can be a problem....
Colleague of mine was looking to do this and was about to give up as he couldn't find anyone to fit them.
He rang the Skoda dealer he bought his car from & they said they'd fit them for £13.50/tyre. No idea if this is just 'cos he bought the car from them or whether they'd do it for anyone.My local garage that I have used for the last 8yrs or so for all work, does mine for £10/tyre.
Posted 7 months ago # -
In Germany they are compulsory. Doesn't that say something to you?
they have regular and persistent winter conditions in germany?
Posted 7 months ago # -
To answer OP, no, as long as overall circumfrence is the same, online calculators will let you know. I did that last year, cos my regular size wasn't available.
Just make sure you declare whatever you do with your insurance.
Now, to join in with the argumement we weren't supposed to have.
Got winter tyres on my car last year. Live in Scotland. Amazing grip and confidence on snow and ice. Just kept going when others were spinning, slipping and sliding, or just stuck. It's not just the tread, but the fact that the rubber compound stays soft and grippy below 7deg, while regular tyre rubber goes hard and brittle. So they're better even in the dry and rain in winter than normal tyres. They should really be called cold weather tyres. Winter tyres are a legal requirement for winter in Germany etc, which says something. They cost similar to your summer tyres, and while one set is on, the other set is off, so overall, your tyre costs are more or less the same. There really is nothing to loose by getting them, and everything to gain. I reckon they should be made compulsory here, if everyone had them, there the roads would keep moving when the snow came.
Posted 7 months ago # -
jambo We don't have regular frost/sub-zero conditions in addition to may areas of Britain covered with snow?
Summer and most 'eco' tyres are crap in freezing conditions as the silica in the compound isn't designed for the weather.
At the end of the day its your money but for the sake of the outlay on decent (alpins for instance) you have tyres which will help you avoid crunching into someone else, being stranded etc etc.
Posted 7 months ago # -
In Germany they are compulsory. Doesn't that say something to you?
Well, it's not true anyway. You can be fined if you don't have winter tyres and are driving in conditions that would require them but there are no mandatory dates you have to have winter tyres fitted between.
Posted 7 months ago # -
btw, I changed my car this year, so have last year's winter tyres for sale.
175/65 R14. Continental TS800. About 3000 miles on them.
Would let them go for arounf £150. In edinburgh.
e-mail in profile.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Last winter I fitted a set of Nokian WR G2s to some rims I picked up off ebay. When the snow came (and it was 2ft deep for over a week) the only vehicles going along my road were a Unimog, a couple of tractors, the odd Defender, and me. When the slush took over they were still peerless. I can't imagine going through a normal winter now without having them on, never mind another winter like the last couple we've had.
Went down a size from 215 45 17 to 205 55 16 with no issues - just enough clearance for the front calipers.Posted 7 months ago # -
175/65 R14. Continental TS800. About 3000 miles on them.
Would let them go for arounf £150. In edinburgh.
That was all going so well until the "in Edinburgh" bit
Posted 7 months ago # -
Well, each tire has a diameter of 570mm height of all 4 tyres stacked is 670mm, and and weight is 20kg, if you wanted to find out how much for a courier.....very likely prohibitive, but you never know.
Posted 7 months ago # -
You have mail...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Cool, will pick up your mail at home tonight.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Also emailed looking for tread depth info, and could drive over
Posted 7 months ago # -
In Germany they are compulsory. Doesn't that say something to you?
they have regular and persistent winter conditions in germany?This, we get a week with a foot of snow and are suprised by it, they get several feet for months every year?
IIRC it's compulsorary in various areas, i.e not in the north, but is a requirement in the mountainous parts of Germany/Italy/France/Swizerland and there are fixed dates for the start/end.
Posted 7 months ago # -
IIRC it's not compulsory, but would be one of those things that would be considered negligence in a crash, invalidate your insurance, or if you get stuck and block the roads you get a fine too.
The reason we're surprised by a foot of snow is that it's rare. Don't beat ourselves up about it. It would cost bajillions to equip our country to the same level as others, so it makes far more sense to just take the hit.
Posted 7 months ago # -
A set for my merc including wheels is c£1500! That does include fitting/ delivery etc. Hell of a lot to shell out though, not convinced it'll make the RWD any better yet either.
Posted 7 months ago # -
It will make it tons better. Tons and tons.
Posted 7 months ago # -
A set for my merc including wheels is c£1500!
Aw....didums
Posted 7 months ago # -
Last winter my Toyota on summer tyres had all the grip of a baby on a bar of soap in snow and ice. Fitted winter tyres for £60 a corner and in the next lot of snow I drove past a stranded Discovery and BMW X4. The look on their faces was worth the money alone...
Posted 7 months ago # -
Yeah.. that's what you get for buying a Merc innit!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Correct. Over here in Germany it isn't compulsary to have winter tyres but you will invalidate your insurance if you crash or you will get fined if you get stuck on the roads without them on your vehicle as you are deemed to have your car in an unroadworthy condition for the conditions of the day.
Just to clarify a few points. They are not snow tyres (you need snow chains for that) but they are much better than summer tyres in the snow. All the people over here have a spare set of rims (usually cheaper steel rims) for their winter tyres so it is just a case of changing the wheels over every October and March. Lastly they perform much better in the wet than summer tyres when the temperatures are lower which to me make it a no brainer in most parts of the UK over the winter months.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I think they are still considered snow tyres if they have a snowflake and M&S stamped on the side (mud and snow, not marks and spencers).
Posted 7 months ago # -
I think they are still considered snow tyres if they have a snowflake and M&S stamped on the side (mud and snow, not marks and spencers).
Then good luck to you when you have to drive up to a ski resort in the Alps after some heavy snow.
Posted 7 months ago # -
OP - very similar tyre sized on my Mondeo ST, completely terrible in the snow until I put the Kumhos (KW27 maybe) on the front. What a difference it made. Would have got them all round but, like you say, it's not cheap. May get two more before the snow starts but they seem more than they were at this time last year.
Posted 7 months ago # -
A set for my merc including wheels is c£1500! That does include fitting/ delivery etc. Hell of a lot to shell out though, not convinced it'll make the RWD any better yet either.
You'd be surprised. My BMW was trasnformed from being completely undriveable to being one of the few cars that could get around when we had the proper snow last year.
I'm sure the dealer would have quoted me something similar to the £1,500 you mention, but I got a second set of smaller alloys from ebay (after selling the tyres that were on them, they cost around £100), and the winter tyres for those wheels are a fraction of the price of the "summer" run flats for the bigger alloys, so in the long run, using winter tyres for a few months a year will save money.
To answer the OP's question, you may want to get smaller rims anyway as it may work out cheaper both in the cost of the tyres, and the cost of swapping tyres on and off rims. When getting new rims, you need to check the offset (the "ET" number), and as others have said, make sure that they'll clear the brakes.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Then good luck to you when you have to drive up to a ski resort in the Alps after some heavy snow.
I didn't mean that the snowflake meant they could drive anywhere in any conditions. What I meant was that they were designed for use in snow and are as such snow tyres. They are not as good as chains, of course, but that was not my point.
Thanks for the tip but I am not in fact stupid.
Posted 7 months ago # -
I think they are still considered snow tyres if they have a snowflake and MS stamped on the side (mud and snow, not marks and spencers).
I think you're wrong. My MIL calls them snow tyres. It winds my BIL up - he rallys and snow tyres are totally diffenent to winter.
There really has been a lot of BS on this thread. Winter tyres work great from Nov - Mar north of the border - rain, cold, ice, compacted snow. I dont care what happens in Essex. They save me money (ie dont wear over a winter), they mean I and my misses get everywhere (apart from the Essex types blocking the road), and it costs me £30 each spring and autumn to swap 4x tyres back to normal kwik fit summer.
PS I went on a rant last year about this, really - folk are just lazy and ignorant. Do your thing. Some plonker in a renault will do a 360 in front of you and kill a tree. Whether you can drive around him is up to you. You most probably dont need full size tyres. Your owners manual or your dealer will tell you. I know all our cars have different rec winter tyres. My van is the same as summer.
Posted 7 months ago # -
On the size front I have to confess to being lazy as my garage has a program that tells them exactly what size winter tyres I need for my van.
Sorry Molgrips I wasn't trying to be condescending but you shouldn't believe everything it says on the tin.
Posted 7 months ago # -
M+S markings simply refer to the style of tread pattern, and it is up to the manufacturer if they mark the tyre M+S. Usually it is just applied to more knobbly tyre patterns.
Winter tyres with the snowflake and three peak symbol are made a more silica rich compound and have to demonstrate a minimum of 110% of the traction on snow of a reference tyre.
My advice to the OP would be to source a cheap set of steel wheels that will fit your car. I pick up mine from a scrappy for £10 each. Make sure you get the correct fitting and a suitable size. Check with the manufacturer for the correct specs.
You also do not need to buy the same speed rating. No-one in their right mind is going to exceed 150mph (v-rating) in winter conditions.
185/65/15 tyres for my car come in at around £50. I can't speak highly enough of Vredestein Snowtrac 3s.
EDIT: I would go for 215/55/16 tyres on Mondeo steel rims. From £60 each delivered on http://www.oponeo.co.uk
For rims, check scrappy or Ebay/Gumtree.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Not read all the replies but:
1. check your handbook for recommended winter tyre sizes. They are often a smaller wheel wheel size, higher profile tyre which is cheaper and works better in the winter and less likely to get rim damage from hitting hidden stuff in the snow. If it's not there check with Ford themselves. Using a winter tyre size that is not the manufacturer recommended one could land you in trouble with your insurance. If you stick the recommended one you are protecting yourself.
2. Definitely get some cheap wheels - I use alloys as I had some spare. Steelies are obviously cheaper and can be lighter and if you prang them they can be bent back. False economy getting tyres changed over onto your normal wheels - which are normally the wrong size as mentioned in (1) anyway.
3. Winter tyres will have at least 8mm tread and yes be a softer compound (latest ones have high silica compounds which keeps them soft in the cold and helps economy). They will have things called sipes which are basically little slits in the tread. These work in a couple of ways - one way is they suck up water from the road surface as the tread is deformed and then jet it out when the tread returns to shape. They also help keep the tread block more mobile (less stiff). It is the flexibility from sipes and soft tread which makes winter tyres feel horrible in summer. Below 5mm they are getting too worn and 4mm is pretty useless for snow so beware of all the people selling used winter tyres from Europe with 4mm of tread. They will still work better than your summer tyres when it gets cold and damp etc which we typically get but do not expect them to work amazingly in snow so if you must go for some then don't pay much for them. In Europe when they get to 4/5mm they must be removed or just kept on and worn down in spring/summer.
4. Don't worry too much about absolute snow performance. In the UK slush, rain and dry (but cold) performance are more useful than deep snow performance of the really aggressive tread Nordic snow tyres. I use Nokian WRG2 as they are brilliant in slush, rain and dry and will still let me drive around in the UK snow without any problems.
I spotted mention of posting tyres - the normal cheap couriers arranged through the likes of Parcel Monkey will ship tyres for under £10. Just wrap them in pairs in cling film. Paisley Freight are the best I found for tyres and wheels together as they are heavy.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Sorry Molgrips I wasn't trying to be condescending but you shouldn't believe everything it says on the tin.
No worries. I didn't imagine that the symbols conferred a certain level of performance - just that they had been designed with snow in mind, that's all.
You also do not need to buy the same speed rating. No-one in their right mind is going to exceed 150mph (v-rating) in winter conditions.
No, but you might drive fast when conditions are dry but you still have them on the car. My WR G2s are V rated purely because that's what was available and cheap at the time, and they did travel at 120mph in Germany. Rumbled a bit more than the summers, but that was about the only difference.
However unless there's a chance you might end up in Germany then V rated tyres are a bit pointless anyway - aren't they?
Posted 7 months ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
