Anbody getting winter tyres

DuncanDisorderly said:
If Snow Socks will work on my car then it would be worth carry a set, just in case I meet similar conditions this winter.
Click to expand...

They work a treat according to friends of mine - but you'll need them on the front and the rear if you want to be able to go, steer, and brake! They also wear out very quickly if on dry tarmac. So you'd need 2 sets, and they'd probably only last one winter (depending on usage of course), so that's potentially £120/year (@£60/pair).
So it all depends on how likely you are to encounter snow and whether you have any other travel options available etc.
 
TopBanana said:
They work a treat according to friends of mine - but you'll need them on the front and the rear if you want to be able to go, steer, and brake! They also wear out very quickly if on dry tarmac. So you'd need 2 sets, and they'd probably only last one winter (depending on usage of course), so that's potentially £120/year (@£60/pair).
So it all depends on how likely you are to encounter snow and whether you have any other travel options available etc.
Click to expand...

Cheers - that confirms what I was thinking.
Though I'd only use them to get me out of trouble, so may last longer. Last winter they would have been really handy for a total mileage of about 5 miles, all on fresh snow.
 
This year, if we get the same snow and ice as last year my car will stay in the garage, rear wheel drive can be fun in dry and damp conditions but a V8 on ice.........nah....... I will get a lift to work:lol: so wont be bothering with winter tyres this year
 
wack61 said:
I bought these secondhand because I wasn't paying £700 to see if they made a difference, these are bought in bulk from Switzerland and most have 6mm of tread on them, apparently they change them at 5mm over there but nobody waits for 5mm like nobody waits for 1.6mm here
Click to expand...

You need to look in some of the scrap piles at a tyre dealer:lol:

nilagin said:
Tyres protruding outside th ebodywork is more likely to get you pulled over by the police, not only is it unroadworthy, it is also illegal.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm? Maybe plod but I'm pretty sure tyres extending beyond the bodywork is not illegal - Morgan or Caterham for example?

By that logic flaring wheel arches would also be illegal perhaps, or would that make it legal?
 
Last edited:
cyclamens said:
Hmmmm? Maybe plod but I'm pretty sure tyres extending beyond the bodywork is not illegal - Morgan or Caterham for example?

By that logic flaring wheel arches would also be illegal perhaps, or would that make it legal?
Click to expand...

Caterhams and Morgans do not have the tops of the wheels exposed, they have mudguards or similar. I think it has to be 120 degree coverage centred on the top for construction and use, but do not have a definitive source for that.

Flaring the wheel arches is to stop the wheel being exposed.
 
onomatopoeia said:
Flaring the wheel arches is to stop the wheel being exposed.
Click to expand...

At the risk of being slated for only quoting part of an answer...... I agree with this point, however it is also used to accommodate oversized tyre/wheel combinations which may foul the bodywork if left as standard.

Trouble is even with MOT and C&U regulations there is so much grey as to what may be an advise/illegality/complicated piece of legislation often things are let go - or just ignored at the 'right' place.

Anyway, looking at some other forums it appears this has been a grey area for some time - maybe an MOT tester could 'advise' us;)
 
TopBanana said:
They work a treat according to friends of mine - but you'll need them on the front and the rear if you want to be able to go, steer, and brake! They also wear out very quickly if on dry tarmac. So you'd need 2 sets, and they'd probably only last one winter (depending on usage of course), so that's potentially £120/year (@£60/pair).
So it all depends on how likely you are to encounter snow and whether you have any other travel options available etc.
Click to expand...

If the car is fwd, just one pair on the front will suffice as your restricted to 20mph anyway. RWD however I would recommend all four wheels if driving any sort of distance as you will still need the front wheels to provide some grip for steering. I bought 2 sets last year, one for me other form my son. Only needed to use them a couple of times and had to drive 3 miles on one occasion, eventually on just a wet road, as couldn't be bothered to stop to take them off again. Both sets are in as new condition and perfectly servicable for this year.
 
We've got tyres with M&S on the sidewalls of them on the CRV. I have no idea if they're any good or not.

Guess we'll find out if and when we get any bad weather! :D
 
cyclamens said:
At the risk of being slated for only quoting part of an answer...... I agree with this point, however it is also used to accommodate oversized tyre/wheel combinations which may foul the bodywork if left as standard.
Click to expand...
Not all cars have extended arches just to stop fouling bodywork. MK1 & 2 Fiestas had 12" wheels the Supersport and XR2's had wider 13" wheels and the cars had flared arch body kits to cover the wheels but still retained the standard arch underneath.
Having said that, I ran a couple of Mk1 Fiestas on 13" steel rims with slightly narrower tyres than the XR2's and had no problem with them protruding past the wheel arches.
 
We do over 40k miles a month and not one of my drivers failed to deliver last year. DHL on the other hand have to drive past my house twice each day and they failed to deliver.

Some of the drivers had winter tyres and they said its like driving on a normal wet road with them on. So much that they almost forget they were on snow.
 
well another way to think about justifying the cost of winter tyres is how much in lost wages it would cost you to not go in :thinking:

my Audi was a bit rubbish in last years snow as my front tyres were nearly bald but i got where i was going without too many dramas. replaced them last weekend (sorry officer i dont know how that worn through threaded carcass got there :cuckoo:) with some nice deeply treaded new boots which should be much better this time around. gotta love quattro :love:
 
They don't seem to have any problem with tyres protruding from the arches here in the US considering the thing that looked like Bigfoot driving down the road a few days ago.
 
wibbly said:
We've got tyres with M&S on the sidewalls of them on the CRV. I have no idea if they're any good or not.

Guess we'll find out if and when we get any bad weather! :D
Click to expand...

M&S mud and snow, so good for uk winters, not like illegal studded snow tyres

M&S is what i have, so will see how it goes. do you run yours all year round, what make and model are they?
 
p1tse said:
M&S is what i have, so will see how it goes. do you run yours all year round, what make and model are they?
Click to expand...

Can't remember what make they are, not one I'd ever heard of. They were on the car when we bought it in April this year.

I've ran them all summer and they've lasted well, not sure if that's a good point or a bad one. :shrug:
 
wibbly said:
Can't remember what make they are, not one I'd ever heard of. They were on the car when we bought it in April this year.

I've ran them all summer and they've lasted well, not sure if that's a good point or a bad one. :shrug:
Click to expand...

would be interesting to see what they are
 
p1tse said:
would be interesting to see what they are
Click to expand...

I'll have a look this morning, it's not a name I've heard of.

Would you recommend a particular all round make?
 
Had a quick butchers - they are Klever H/P's.

Never hear of them, can't even find them on Google!
 
cyclamens said:
Kleber - a Michelin associated brand - they used to always deny it;)
Click to expand...

p1tse said:
My wife ford ka 2004 came with kleber. I never heard of them either but looking at winter options compared to other brands they are mid range in price so got to be ok

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyres/car-winter-tyres-kleber-205-55-r16
Click to expand...

Ah cool, thanks chaps :thumbs:

I've never heard of them previously, and for us in our CRV they have been fine over the Summer. I guess the test will come now over the Autumn/Winter period as to what the grip is like.

At least I know where to get them from should I want to buy more. :)
 
I stand corrected on the secondhand tyres, I had a vibration I couldn't get rid of so got them replaced with new ones, the place I bought them from were fine about it, they looked OK to the naked eye but there must have been something wrong with them

no more secondhand tyres for me now
 
So I could get away with one axle set (a pair) of winter tyres on a fwd car? Spare set of steel wheels and keep them in the garage during the warmer weather ?
 
barneyrubble said:
The real actual outlay for winter tyres is only the set of wheels they go on (£135 from ebay) as whilst they are on - you are extending the life of your summer tyres by not using them. So the real cost is just the additional wheels that you wouldnt have had.
Click to expand...

Apart from the fact that I don't "do" E-Bay, I'm fairly sure I wouldn't be able to get even 1 wheel for either of ours for that! Luckily, we're within walking distance of the city centre and on (well, just off) a bus route so we can get in and back out of town easily if we need to. If we can get out of our road, the rest of the route is usually gritted and with a combination of DSC and ABS on both, we should be able to stay on the black stuff. Quite tempted by a 90 for winter use but don't really want to have to start again with NCB...
Could be tempted by a set of snow socks since one set would fit both cars (we rarely use both at the same time!)
 
bl0at3r said:
So I could get away with one axle set (a pair) of winter tyres on a fwd car? Spare set of steel wheels and keep them in the garage during the warmer weather ?
Click to expand...

Which axle? After all, you generally put the new tyres on the rear - even with FWD because that's the axle where grip gives the best stability.

So, no.. it's all or none with winter tyres. And remember if you're going from alloys to steels to check you're using the right wheel nuts. See AA guidance.
 
Alastair said:
Which axle? After all, you generally put the new tyres on the rear - even with FWD because that's the axle where grip gives the best stability. So, no.. it's all or none with winter tyres. And remember if you're going from alloys to steels to check you're using the right wheel nuts. See AA guidance.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I've used winter tyres on just the front axle of 4 fwd cars through deep snow and ice for the last 4 or 5 winters and never had any problems at all. The last pair I bought are still on now and have been used all through summer but need replacing before the white stuff gets here, I know I should have put the "summer" tyres on but it's been one of those jobs I'll get around to next week and before you know it it's time for winter tyres again.
 
chris954 said:
I disagree. I've used winter tyres on just the front axle of 4 fwd cars through deep snow and ice for the last 4 or 5 winters and never had any problems at all. The last pair I bought are still on now and have been used all through summer but need replacing before the white stuff gets here, I know I should have put the "summer" tyres on but it's been one of those jobs I'll get around to next week and before you know it it's time for winter tyres again.
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree here.
As long as you have an awareness of the problems I'm sure having more grip at the front is better than reduced grip on all wheels.

This is my first year on FWD after a few on RWD so I'm deciding if I should go all four tyres or just the front
 
I put 4 Contis on my Focus 4 years ago and swapped them out each summer/winter (Kwik Fit stored them) and have to say they were brilliant. Changed cars this year (another Focus) but the tyre size is different so have ordered another set, unfortunately they cant get Contis again so I am going with Goodyears that have had a good review, £125 a tyre but my summers would wear worse than the winters in the winter and tbh I dont think 2 tyres is really saving much money. They work well in cold, wet or snowy conditions, very confidence inspiring.
 
Advice from Michelin (who obviously want to sell more tyres, but it makes sense)

Cold weather tyres should be fitted on all four wheels

With cold weather tyres only fitted on the drive axle, traction is improved, but this is not enough to ensure good performance and optimal safety. With cold weather tyres only on the front axle, you risk losing grip on the rear tyres and going into a spin. With cold weather tyres only on the rear axle, you could lose grip on the front tyres and understeer instead of taking the corner.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/winter-tyres/

From Dunlop:

10. I can just fit Winter tyres to the “driven wheels”?
We strongly recommend you fit a complete set of winter tyres. This increases vehicle traction, stability , braking and cornering, ensuring your vehicle is well balanced and has a stable footing on all road surfaces. If your car is front-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the front, there is a greater risk of losing control of the vehicle. If your car is rear-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the rear, there is a greater risk of losing control when cornering. Finally, if winter tyres are fitted only on the non-driving wheel axle it will be very difficult to move on ice or snow.

and Finally a video test (again from Michelin)

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm

Its not just about stopping and starting in a straight line. If you have to brake when cornering your back end can step out and you may as well not have bothered with the 2 front ones.

Additionally - Most insurers want you to tell them you are fitting winter tyres. Good luck telling them you are only doing 2 :thumbs:

EDIT - its also illegal in some countries for a reason:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm
 
Last edited:
barneyrubble said:
Advice from Michelin (who obviously want to sell more tyres, but it makes sense)

Cold weather tyres should be fitted on all four wheels

With cold weather tyres only fitted on the drive axle, traction is improved, but this is not enough to ensure good performance and optimal safety. With cold weather tyres only on the front axle, you risk losing grip on the rear tyres and going into a spin. With cold weather tyres only on the rear axle, you could lose grip on the front tyres and understeer instead of taking the corner.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/winter-tyres/

From Dunlop:

10. I can just fit Winter tyres to the “driven wheels”?
We strongly recommend you fit a complete set of winter tyres. This increases vehicle traction, stability , braking and cornering, ensuring your vehicle is well balanced and has a stable footing on all road surfaces. If your car is front-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the front, there is a greater risk of losing control of the vehicle. If your car is rear-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the rear, there is a greater risk of losing control when cornering. Finally, if winter tyres are fitted only on the non-driving wheel axle it will be very difficult to move on ice or snow.

and Finally a video test (again from Michelin)

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm

Its not just about stopping and starting in a straight line. If you have to brake when cornering your back end can step out and you may as well not have bothered with the 2 front ones.

Additionally - Most insurers want you to tell them you are fitting winter tyres. Good luck telling them you are only doing 2 :thumbs:

EDIT - its also illegal in some countries for a reason:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm
Click to expand...

How about one tyre per axle, that would save money :)
 
MatBin said:
How about one tyre per axle, that would save money :)
Click to expand...

Or maybe just one tyre...... thats even cheaper! You can pick them up cheap on ebay for less than £30 if you are happy with 3mm tread

(and before anyone jumps on me about tread and winters, that was a joke)
 
cyclamens said:
unctures.

Do not buy second hand tyres - it's a false economy and think about it - it's not second hand because someone has become fed up with it.....unlike cameras!
Click to expand...

Agree with what you say apart from this.

We are discussing winter tyres, many of which are surplus because they don't fit a new vehicle.
 
If I was going to get winter wheels/tyres I'd only do it if I could get all 4.

I don't particularly like different makes of tyres on front/rear axel, let alone somethat are designed for snow and some that aren't.

I'm quite lucky in that I can work from home if it snows badly which I guess is the best/safest option anyway and especially if you follow the advice of "don't travel unless necessary".

Having said that I know winter tyres help improve grip safely when temps get below 7C and not just when it snows.
 
barneyrubble said:
Best not to.... The rears would break grip and might swap ends on you
Click to expand...

Not really likely in a fwd car unless it's lift off oversteer and accelerating again in the chosen direction of travel will straighten the car up again.
 
barneyrubble said:
Advice from Michelin (who obviously want to sell more tyres, but it makes sense)

Cold weather tyres should be fitted on all four wheels

With cold weather tyres only fitted on the drive axle, traction is improved, but this is not enough to ensure good performance and optimal safety. With cold weather tyres only on the front axle, you risk losing grip on the rear tyres and going into a spin. With cold weather tyres only on the rear axle, you could lose grip on the front tyres and understeer instead of taking the corner.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/winter-tyres/

From Dunlop:

10. I can just fit Winter tyres to the “driven wheels”?
We strongly recommend you fit a complete set of winter tyres. This increases vehicle traction, stability , braking and cornering, ensuring your vehicle is well balanced and has a stable footing on all road surfaces. If your car is front-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the front, there is a greater risk of losing control of the vehicle. If your car is rear-wheel drive, and winter tyres are fitted only at the rear, there is a greater risk of losing control when cornering. Finally, if winter tyres are fitted only on the non-driving wheel axle it will be very difficult to move on ice or snow.

and Finally a video test (again from Michelin)

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm

Its not just about stopping and starting in a straight line. If you have to brake when cornering your back end can step out and you may as well not have bothered with the 2 front ones.

Additionally - Most insurers want you to tell them you are fitting winter tyres. Good luck telling them you are only doing 2 :thumbs:

EDIT - its also illegal in some countries for a reason:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Video-Can-you-fit-just-2-winter-tyres.htm
Click to expand...

I don't dispute that 4 winter tyres will give you more stability than just 2,all I was saying is I've managed perfectly well with just the fronts for quite a few years, besides round here your chances of getting any speed up when it snows are somewhere between slim and zero because of all the muppets who have no idea how to drive in slippery conditions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top