Snow socks/chains

[Pilch]

Winter tyres for me!

Picked up a complete set of focus alloys with winter tyres for £150 + £30 delivery- used them last winter for about 5 months...

Put them back on a week and half ago as the other half picked up a puncture in the normal tyres. Ok so slightly more road noise, but a lot more grip than normal tyres and it feels a lot more responsive in the wet and cold!

The other beauty is that as yet, I have only had to replace 1 tyre, the one that the missus punctured close to the sidewall!

A lot of people think that they should only be used in snow - but this time of year, with damp roads and cold ground temperatures they are so much better, I'd definately get another set if I changed the car....

[scotty73]

You're really swaying me on the winter tyres i noticed how slippery it was in the wet at 8am today the mixture of rain and rotting leaves i did spin the wheels at one point so if their good in the wet even better.

Plus a quick check on ebay i see chains and socks ain't much cheaper than a pair of winters/ so might pop to my local tyre fitter in the morning and see if he got any part worns and put the alloys away for a few months.

[Pilch]

I would say go for it bud. The difference is huge and you'll find it much better.

[mjb]

A lot of people think that they should only be used in snow - but this time of year, with damp roads and cold ground temperatures they are so much better, I'd definately get another set if I changed the car....

Indeed. I've bought some not for snow (which doesn't come until April anyway) but because driving on dry roads with my all-weather tyres when it's under 3c out is like driving in a thunderstorm Dunno if my Mitchellins are particularly bad in the cold or if it's because of the extra power in the new car, but I'm really feeling the difference on bends or when braking

[Welly]

Mine was starting to go a bit light on the front end and a bit slidey sometimes on the (fairly hard) summer Pirelli's.

[scotty73]

Interesting guys, i can get two part worn winters for £25 a corner fitted locally or ebay jobbies for £20 a corner but are to far away to save the postage so work out £53 before fitting.

Not going to have time today I'm waiting in for a parcel that might not come Then off to some swanky do with mayors and vip's where both my girls have been invited to sing (might have to suit up) .....The car is off shopping for they day tomorrow then another similar swanky tomorrow night so the tyres might have to wait til Monday.

[lozz]

Two?

you need 4 mate.
or you couid end up with problems.
winter tyres arnt just to aid grip theyre to help breaking two.
so id deffo fit 4 or none at all.

[mjb]

Indeed. You may think on a FWD car that just fitting front winter tyres would be better than nothing, but they'll let you (encourage you to, even) drive your car WAY out of the capability of the rear tyres, which is massively worse than not being able to start moving in the first place.

Imagine braking gently in a straight line and all of a sudden your car starts to spin. While that's going on, the ABS is releasing the brakes on your front (winter) tyres, so you're really up sh*t creek with no brakes... Or you could be turning a corner and for no apparent reason the back end steps out and you're spinning - again with a brake pedal that does nothing... Dangerous stuff

I know because I've previously driven a 406 in bad conditions with new front (summer) tyres and barely legal rears (also summer tyres). Having more grip at the front makes it so much easier to get yourself in trouble, and you get virtually no warning when your boot's going to try to overtake you! (also applicable to rwd cars when you're off the gas)

How does that disclaimer go? "I do these things, so you don't have to"...

[lozz]

That's well typed/explained

spot on mate.

[Welly]

Helloooooooooo there

K7xXDMkVFlE

[steve_earwig]

Deep snow a-gogo I'd like to see a similar test on a wet road at, say, 4 degrees please (off you go Welly )

[scotty73]

And that be the end of that idea then... Where did i put that drawing board?

[grasmere59]

Well all I can say is that I drove through 2 winters in my old Rapier with just winters on the front (goodyear ultragrip 7's) and one journey was 100+ miles in snow most of the way with no issues whatsoever,it didn't have ESP just ABS,i know that test looked conclusive but in reality who drives that fast in the white stuff anyway.I have only fitted 4 to my Exec as it has ESP.

[trufflehunt]

Winter before last, I bought a can of that snow grip stuff
you spray on your tyres.

One afternoon, the snow began to fall, so I nipped out to do
some shopping before it got worse.

About a mile up the road, as I drove downhill into the next village,
the snowfall became much heavier, and I could feel the front wheels
getting lighter.

I knew the hill got steeper ahead, so I stopped at a pull in.
Sprayed the tyres with the spray, turned round and headed back
up the hill.

Drove about 100 yards, going well.
Car coming down the hill skidded, back end sailed out, all over my 106.

So haven't yet really found out if the spray is any good. Supposed to be
OK for getting you out of trouble, rather than driving for miles.

[scotty73]

Been thinking all weekend about this, re-thinking that video in my head and telling myself we'd have to be pretty stupid driving like that in the snow and even wet conditions...Well the thinking has got me nowhere I'm still on the normal tyres but have just been to my local tyre place and he has a stack of part worn winters 195/65/15 all about 5 to 6mm for £20 a corner fitted.

Still unsure if I'm going to go for 2 or 4 especially has my steel set have two tyres that have only done 7000 miles...Guess i could have them back off him for spares for my alloys... Decisions decisions.