Casualties of the snow

[impster]

It's amazing - this same debate about winter tyres is happening on virtually every forum I'm a member of. Even the dirty ones.

(Actually, the dirty forum's reference to 'rubber' might be about something else...)

2x Kleber Quadraxers on the front since November/December(All Season, with the 'Mountain and Snowflake symbol)
2x Pirelli Psomethings on the back since April/May(standard fitment on 406).

Will be swapping them round when the daffodils and snwodrops have died. And yes, for me, they do make a big diference. I don't think I'd be tempted to by 4 winter tyres, but having the 2 quadraxers on the front, being all season tyres, means I can make it to work where other cars (including a couple of 4x4s) couldn't the other day.

Cost of Klebers was around £60 each.
Cost of Pirellis around £70 each.

I reckon I can make the Klebers last at least 2 winters, if not more. I might well buy 2 more Klebers to replace the Pirellis when they wear out. They are a nice tyre to drive on - not a performance tyre, but a good all rounder which suits me.

Right, I'm back off to the window to see if there's any more snow coming down.

[steve_earwig]

I've not seen it on the bike forum.... It happened on the Rav forum at the end of last year though, one of the opponents of winter tyres managed to get a cheap set for his other half's RAV to try and couldn't believe the difference. I get all the stuff about it not being cold enough to justify the expence in the UK (I checked the stats for the UK on the met and temperature trends are upward too) but I can remember the times of absolutely crapping myself as I lost it going downhill at an incredible walking pace or being defeated by a slight incline and 2 inches of snow... My 406 has Kleber winter tyres on each corner (can't remember which, sorry), they were a bit iffy until they scrubbed in but, as budget winters go, they're pretty good, just as good as the Sava Eskimos I had on before it. It would be interesting to one day try some absolutely top notch winter tyres, if the price is anything to go compared to these budget tyres, they should be capable of driving up glaciers...

[KozmoNaut]

Are you purposely going out of your way to miss my point?

No.

The difference between summer tyres and winter tyres in winter is night and day. Anyone who's tried it will agree. Besides, it's a one-time outlay, the only real cost is a set of extra steel wheels, since you're saving wear (and curb rash!) on your summer tyres.

10 degree is the officially recommended changeover temperature around here, which is why I picked it. But even if temperatures vary, winter tyres in warm weather fare a lot better than summer tyres in cold weather do.

[DaiRees]

im sure Dai will oblige with a few photo's

Me? Photos? Again? Awwww go on then!!!!

Here she is playing in the snow




Basking in the sun with her bikini top on


Flexin




Showing off at a show


Playing in a forest






Having a rest, what a view!!


....and them's tyerz


She had alloys with wide summer tyres on when I first got her, I got the All Terrains second hand (for £15 a wheel ), then the Mud Terrains. Only other mod was a 50mm body lift to give clearance under the arches for the bigger tyres, oh and I took the front ARB off to allow it to flex, other than that she was standard.

I'd love to have another one but the old Zook, while amazing off-road, was just too much like hard work. Perhaps something a bit more road friendly like a Shogun, or even a Jimny...

[Doggy]

That does look like fun. I hired a SJ410 in Ibiza years ago, but the spoilsports had somehow disabled low range and 4wd, (IIRC).
Still fun though, until I tried to stop at a pedestrian crossing with those knobbly tyres and sailed on in a 4-wheel slide, for what seemed like most of the way across the island.

[DaiRees]

That does look like fun. I hired a SJ410 in Ibiza years ago, but the spoilsports had somehow disabled low range and 4wd, (IIRC).
Still fun though, until I tried to stop at a pedestrian crossing with those knobbly tyres and sailed on in a 4-wheel slide, for what seemed like most of the way across the island.

It was great fun Bad form of them to disconnect the transfer lever, that's just evil!

I feel your pain with the breaking issue, thing is there's not a huge amount of weight in them, so it is dead easy to lock it up even on good tyres. I only really had one braking near miss in it though, was following a discovery on a single track country road in torrential rain and he stopped suddenly going down a steep hill because he spotted something coming the other way, I dropped the anchors and we had a lovely slide. Combination of the shyte braking characteristics of the vehicle, steep hill and water running down the road, really thought I was going in but stopped just in time, was a real brown trouser moment though . It's part of the reason why I'm very cautious about braking distances and conditions nowadays!

[rwb]

Sorry to interrupt and drag this back to the original topic ;)

Here's the alloy



Got a replacement, now with this Michelin on it, got tracking checked this afternoon, and it all feels 'normal' again now

[lozz]

ive straightend -fixed worse,

keep it as a spare,

[Doggy]

Sorry to interrupt and drag this back to the original topic ;)

I should think so too! Where would we be if everyone did that?

Well done on getting it sorted.

[lozz]

pmsl

[DumDum]

I was amazwd to find that my new coupe came on a set of winter tyres. Great excuse to buy 18s as "summer wheels"

[rwb]

Sorry to be such a bore

Well one step forwards at least.
Tried to put in my replacement fog light, but couldn't budge the wheel bolts. The tyre place tightened them with a torque wrench on a very long bar, and quite a big guy was swinging his weight on it, so I expect it's a bit over-done.
How tight are they supposed to be? When I did up the spare wheel, and then the replacement alloy, there seems to be a point at which they start to squeak when you turn them. I did them up to there and then back a little. It's stupid but if a 'professional' does them up then I don't think about it, but when I do them up I've forever checking them.
Anyway, time to get a long bar and a socket. Is it 21mm?

[Busman]

The wheel nuts will be 17 or 19mm, and the torque is 66 foot pounds.

[DaiRees]

The wheel nuts will be 17 or 19mm, and the torque is 66 foot pounds.

Haha, you must've answered that while I was looking it up 90NM

[Bailes1992]

I think the 'generic' figure is 92NM.

Unfortunatley the Mondeo (Your V70 will be the same Dai... Bearing in mind it's a Mondeo with a posh body ) needs 140NM.
Annoying because the little torque wrench I have for wheel nuts is now useless on my Mondeo as it only goes to 100nm.