[Closed] Got my winter tyres fitted...

The reason I put mine on steels, is that the 18" version of the tyre is more expensive than the 17" and I scratched my alloys to bits in deep stony mud earlier this year. Going to use the steels and big tyres for winter and have the alloys re-furbed and stick the road tyres back on for summer. It's a bit more clear cut for me with the places I go

I haven't had 'winter tyres' since I had some studded one's on a Mini Pickup in about 1980, & that was cos I got them cheap.
I've never been housebound cos of snow or actually been stuck in snow since, & have driven as normal every winter (North East England)
What's so special about winter tyres again?
(Ok, if your'e a Scottish gamekeeper or something I kinda get the point, but wer'e not in bloody Manitoba FFS!)

but wer'e not in bloody Manitoba FFS!

Whoa, there. Some of us sometimes like to pretend we are.

😉

What's so special about winter tyres again?

They allow those of us who aren't fit to lick your driving boots to carry on as normal during the coldest weather.

Gods such as yourself are few and far between, by all accounts.

(Leaves thine presence backwards, 'flecting and that...)

SaxonRider - Member
Not a former boyscout, then, deadkenny? Not a big fan of 'being prepared'...

I was actually, but I f'cked it off as couldn't be doing with it and used to just mess about 😀

Bought a new car a month ago and since I'm planning to keep it until it dies I decided a spare set of alloys with winter tyres was a good investment. PSA - I fitted them today and learned 3 things:

- the self adhesive balance weights that mytyres.co.uk fitted fell off during 1 months storage. If you buy wheels fro mytyres, photograph where the weights are so that you don't have to get them rebalanced

- the locking wheel nuts on a Focus are 35mm diameter. The recesses on Enzo wheels are 30mm diameter.

- Unlike most summer car tyres I've used, winter tyres have a direction of rotation, so you need to put them on the correct side of the car !

Not singling this out in particular but statements like this

Mine have paid for themselves several times over in avoiding accidents.

really worry me.

Why? Well, you shouldn't be relying on special tyres to avoid accidents. If that sort of thing is true for anyone I suggest it's you at fault, not the weather!
Slow down and watch what you're doing FFS!

Ok look at it this way- they aren't needed/make no difference for you= new tyres that give you 20,000miles service. They work just that one time that they'd make a difference = saves you your excess, mucking about for hours etc.

I like to drive over the tops etc 365 days a year. Winter tyres help me do this in conjunction with common sense and abit of driving ability.

Mine getting a full QA prior to fitting.

[URL= http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/Pictonroad1/49792BBC-FCFC-4530-BF12-43AB056178D6_zpsuldickie.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/Pictonroad1/49792BBC-FCFC-4530-BF12-43AB056178D6_zpsuldickie.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

I'm going to find some snow this winter. 😈

I like your hallway/stairs colour

If it's below 7°C then winter tyres have better stopping distance. That's what interests me when I'm driving on the motorway with my kids in the car. But it's also nice to know I won't get stranded at my parents if it snows (I carry snow chains as well).

Yes, I paid £800 for a spare set of alloys with Conti T850s. But during the 6 months of the year I'm running those, I'm not wearing my nice Goodyear shod 'summer' wheels. In the long term, the only 'extra' cost will be the alloys, which were only about £300 for the set.

The part I don't enjoy is swapping the wheels round twice a year, but at least I get to check the brakes properly at the same time.

What tyres are they pictonroad?

Got mine fitted 2 weeks ago - I would recommend them especially safety with kids in the car..

PeterPoddy - Member
Not singling this out in particular but statements like this

Mine have paid for themselves several times over in avoiding accidents.
really worry me.

Why? Well, you shouldn't be relying on special tyres to avoid accidents. If that sort of thing is true for anyone I suggest it's you at fault, not the weather!
Slow down and watch what you're doing FFS!

Clearly a guy driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway is my fault for driving too fast. What about when I've been stationary and able to move out of the way of someone sliding out of control? Or being able to brake and steer safely when someone has been coming round a bend too fast and slid across your path. My fault too I guess?

Mickey Thompson Baja Claw, going on a Hilux Surf once I remove all the bits in the way...

Got mine fitted today, so that means temps above 10C all winter:

[URL= http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l637/Chb_leeds/2015-11-22%2010.00.15.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l637/Chb_leeds/2015-11-22%2010.00.15.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

[URL= http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l637/Chb_leeds/2015-11-22%2010.01.01.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l637/Chb_leeds/2015-11-22%2010.01.01.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

PeterPoddy - Member

Why? Well, you shouldn't be relying on special tyres to avoid accidents. If that sort of thing is true for anyone I suggest it's you at fault, not the weather!
Slow down and watch what you're doing FFS!

Aye, when someone else comes round a corner too fast and loses control, and you're able to stop in time because you have winter tyres, you're definitely doing something wrong. Sometimes you cause your own "accidents" but sometimes, it's up to you to avoid someone else's.

andrw13 - Member

I've a fair bit of wear left on my summer tyres and don't want to bin them. If I change them to winter tyres do the garage give me the partly worn summer tyres To store over the winter and get them to refit in summer?

Do I need to buy a set of cheap wheels for the winter tyres so I can swap them myself?

A good way to do it is to look for used sets- people sell their cars then sell the wheels separately. If it's a common car you'll probably find some pretty easily, though, it's also worth being picky about exactly which tyres. For some cars, you'll find a lot of variants fit- I got mine cheap because they were advertised for a jaguar but they fit a mondeo, frinstance (on account of, it's basically the same car).

(OK, I also got them cheap because the alloys are hideous, but still)

pictonroad - Member

Mickey Thompson Baja Claw, going on a Hilux Surf once I remove all the bits in the way...

Interesting to see how the chunky all terrain type 'winter tyres' lack the many many sipes and cuts of a car/van style tyre. Makes you wonder if the manufacturer even bothers to use a winter compound or just hopes the typical user will use them in deep snow and not on ice. Saw some comments on a US video about how commercial/small truck tyres don't need to meet the same criteria as a car tyre and hence the manufacturers are able to stick the winter snowflake/mountain symbol on anything they want to market to the winter tyre market.

Fitted mine yesterday, 20 mins with a trolley jack and socket.
Good timing really considering it was raining slightly and about 2 degrees on the way home this evening

Why? Well, you shouldn't be relying on special tyres to avoid accidents. If that sort of thing is true for anyone I suggest it's you at fault, not the weather!
Slow down and watch what you're doing FFS!

I can't speak for everyone else, but I've been driving on winter tyres for the last four winters and far from using them as a performance aid, I simply drive with a greater margin for error, not more recklessly. They're a safety aid, not a performance enhancement. People skid on compacted snow, not necessarily because they're reckless or going too fast, but because - guess what - it's bloody slippery. Ain't physics a bitch...

Have you ever actually driven with winter tyres fella?

Going to get some winter tyres for the stealth camper - transit connect LWB. Any recommendations?.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I've been driving on winter tyres for the last four winters and far from using them as a performance aid, I simply drive with a greater margin for error, not more recklessly. They're a safety aid, not a performance enhancement.

Pretty much sums it up for me.

Fitting a new set next weekend.

That said, if I live in the south of England I wouldn't bother.

Interesting to see how the chunky all terrain type 'winter tyres' lack the many many sipes and cuts of a car/van style tyre. Makes you wonder if the manufacturer even bothers to use a winter compound or just hopes the typical user will use them in deep snow and not on ice. Saw some comments on a US video about how commercial/small truck tyres don't need to meet the same criteria as a car tyre and hence the manufacturers are able to stick the winter snowflake/mountain symbol on anything they want to market to the winter tyre market.

Mine aren't marketed as a dedicated winter tyre and I haven't bought them as such, despite the thread title. They are tyres that I've bought for winter. Very few off road tyres have the snowflake I don't think and I'm pretty certain those Mickey Thomson's don't ^^. The fact that the BFG's do have it did influence my purchase though.

[img] [/img]

same reason i bought the BFGs for my landy STR. and like you i refuse to have the stupid looking white advertising on the outside.

[img] [/img]

(snorkles below roof level now .... i do understand the stupidity of having a vehicle with an air intake above my breathing level....- since i dont carry a diving snorkle and periscope....)

Remember the day my neighbour in his rangerover came back past my house at 6am and said no point heading out - you cant get out the road the snows fence deep.......

yeah right - LSD in the rear ,a locked front diff , significant clearance- coupled with 33inch mud terrains and a tiny bit of offroad driving experiance.....

Got through no bother. Neighbour took his rediculous rubber bands off and fitted general grabbers from that day on .... - nothing quite like getting shown up by a vauxhall frontera.

DiscJockey - Member

If it's below 7°C then winter tyres have better stopping distance

And above 7C ...

"At temperatures above 7C they offer significantly poorer grip in dry conditions than the best summer tyres. This can mean a marked increase in braking distances and poorer handling and grip in bends."

http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/car-tyres/winter-tyres/

Alternative option below 7C is drive for the conditions, slow down, leave more room.

deadkenny - Member

"At temperatures above 7C they offer significantly poorer grip in dry conditions than the best summer tyres. This can mean a marked increase in braking distances and poorer handling and grip in bends."

Those are the situations where you have the most grip and also generally the best visibility. Giving away grip in the best conditions to gain grip in the worst seems like a pretty good deal to me. How often do you find yourself concerned about traction in the warm and dry?

At temperatures above 7C they offer significantly poorer grip in dry conditions than the best summer tyres

How much above 7C? Is it certain death at 10C?

https://ralphhosier.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/winter-tyres-the-truth/

deadkenny .

ill go with the other option - drive carefully in the odd occasion i drive when its above 7......for the reasons northwind states.......

*edit - not sure if hes actually trolling -- its a pretty good troll if he is because it seems like serious stupids....- or lives in south of spain .... scotroutes needs to post his graph of days when at peak commute it is under 7...

STR, at least there are some sipes on yours...it seems sizes of those come with a winter rating and others don't, but not sure what the rationale is. I know they are not aimed at the same market but just surprised by the lack of any roughage on that second set of tyres.

At temperatures above 7C they offer significantly poorer grip in dry conditions than the best summer tyres

Define significantly...they say the 'best' summer tyres which to me sounds like they compare well with an average summer tyre for braking.
I'm recall the performance drop for a winter tyre in summer is something like 5%, whereas a summer tyre in cold winter conditions is 20-30%, and in snow, something like 80%.

That said, if I live in the south of England I wouldn't bother.

Why's that then?

Why's that then?

To be fair. It depends!

How many untreated back roads do you deal with, at what time of day, etc, etc. Remember this is me viewing the value through my own experiences, not yours.

@Kenny, average maximum temp at my address is 4.9C to 5.2C between now and the end of February according to the Met.

I guess everyone without winter tyes is assuming that the councils can afford to grit the roads this winter...

How many untreated back roads do you deal with, at what time of day, etc, etc. Remember this is me viewing the value through my own experiences, not yours.

Excatly. Most of my regular driving is on backroads that never get gritted. They're also hilly. A short sharp 50m hill is still enough to stop you in your tracks. There's plenty of them in Surrey.
I've used winters for the last ten years, ever since we had that first of 5 years on the trot with snow.
Winter tyres give you the edge; they let you carry on as normal. For the price of a couple of days earnings spread over a few years they've been well worth it.

For the price of a couple of days earnings

50 mile journey to Oxfordshire some through the back roads around Marlow, -2 reported on dash RWD and no drama.

Having said that my "go to" winter wheels site has discounted Steels/Dunlop M3's this mornings *undecided from London*.

You can't see them in that photo but there are some sipes cut into the tread. They're US market tyres, no idea if they use the snowflake symbol.

I mainly bought them because they look cool.

[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/654/23213409196_07749485ba_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/654/23213409196_07749485ba_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/BnhMP3 ]2015-11-23_10-20-54[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

Been getting my first use out of them today. The grip is incredible in mud after coming from road tyres. Barely even need 4x4

@ andyl - it's going to be my fault if I stop normally and the muppet behind skids into my boot.

I remember when disc brakes were new: some cars had oval 'discs' stickers, I presume to avoid this.

Done.

The grip is incredible in mud

Oh wait, so parking in fields for XC races will be much less nerve wracking?

Ok, I've made my mind up.

Oh wait, so parking in fields for XC races will be much less nerve wracking?
Ok, I've made my mind up.

I've got some new tyres for my truck. I'm not insisting you should buy some. Calm down 😉

Got my winter tyres put on last Thursday. Turns out it was just in the nick of time. This morning we had several inches of snow on the roads and I had to drive through a fair old snow storm on the way to a cyclocross race yesterday. Would have been 'interesting' on summer tyres.