Winter Tyres.....
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Scooby Senior
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Harrogate
***Winter tyres feel crap Shocker***
I got these fitted on Saturday and i'm nervous about them at best. Initially on a frosty morning they felt suprisingly good and appeared to have a lot of bite into the tarmac. I've since done around 350 miles on them. For the past couple of days the temp has been between 7c and 9c and the roads have been damp and these tyres feel shockingly bad to the point it feels like i'm sometimes skating on ice.
Am i expecting too much from a tyre which is only 350 miles old? I would have thought they'd be scrubbed in by now?
I got these fitted on Saturday and i'm nervous about them at best. Initially on a frosty morning they felt suprisingly good and appeared to have a lot of bite into the tarmac. I've since done around 350 miles on them. For the past couple of days the temp has been between 7c and 9c and the roads have been damp and these tyres feel shockingly bad to the point it feels like i'm sometimes skating on ice.
Am i expecting too much from a tyre which is only 350 miles old? I would have thought they'd be scrubbed in by now?
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Harrogate
Having done a Google search i came across this. I can put up with the poor wet road performance if they do prove their worth in ice/snow
Last winter I ran a Mini John Cooper Works, which arrived before Christmas 2011 wearing Bridgestone Blizzak winter boots. In the month of mild weather that followed, I was far from convinced. It varied between reluctant to turn in to performing small-scale four-wheel drifts at low speeds. The cold-weather rubber turned a normally alert little car into one with unpredictable levels of grip.
Then one weekend in February 2012, the snow fell. The little Mini cut through it all like a stripy Ski-Doo, and was as driveable in snow as it proved to be on its normal Continental tyres in the damp. Everything suddenly made sense.
Then one weekend in February 2012, the snow fell. The little Mini cut through it all like a stripy Ski-Doo, and was as driveable in snow as it proved to be on its normal Continental tyres in the damp. Everything suddenly made sense.
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My winter tyres always feel a bit loose and squirrelly to me each year when I put them on for the first time on dry / not that cold tarmac , but I find I get used to the different feel and then actually enjoy the softer and quieter ride you get from them. My first set definitely took about 500 miles to really settle in though.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
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Joined: Jul 2008
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From: K
My winter tyres always feel a bit loose and squirrelly to me each year when I put them on for the first time on dry / not that cold tarmac , but I find I get used to the different feel and then actually enjoy the softer and quieter ride you get from them. My first set definitely took about 500 miles to really settle in though.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
no grip is no grip, no matter how many driven wheels you have (with no grip)
my story was rescuing a fully tooled up Landrover - ropes on the bonnet, spades and light on the roof - you know the type, from a muddy snow filled field (a good 3 ft of snow)
I was in my wifes LandCruiser, fresh from the school run -- complete with baby seats and sun blinds
simply hitched up his rope to my tow bar and dragged his car 100ft up an incline to the road
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 14,231
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From: Harrogate
My winter tyres always feel a bit loose and squirrelly to me each year when I put them on for the first time on dry / not that cold tarmac , but I find I get used to the different feel and then actually enjoy the softer and quieter ride you get from them. My first set definitely took about 500 miles to really settle in though.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
As the mini cooper guy says above - it's only when you hit the very cold temps or snow when you suddenly realise just what they can do though.
As an example of that, last winter in the Alps after driving all night I arrived near the foot of the mountains in the wife's front wheel drive Renault Espace on winter tyres behind a UK registered Range Rover. It was being driven fairly slowly (circa 70mph) in the fast lane of a dry 3 lane highway. I was doing about 90mph on cruise control up until then so I sat patiently behind him for a while (like 3 miles...), before he finally looked in his mirror, pulled in and then did the tosser's trick of accelerating hard away until he could pull out again and block the road when we got to traffic, whereupon he slowed down again. All this is just to establish what we are dealing with here - someone who didn't want to be overtaken, whatever it took...
We then hit the snow line and the narrow road up the mountain. Unfortunately he's going the same way as me and he's on summer tyres.
We start to drive up the mountain and its the usual hairpin after hairpin separated by short several hundred yard straights. I'm driving well within myself- just cruising along really- but despite his 4wd he's all over the snowy road due to his lack of grip and determination to stop me from overtaking in my mere MPV. I put up with it for a mile or two, but then get bored with him. so I wait for a steep uphill hairpin where I can see several hundred yards ahead and then pull out and just drive away for him as if he's stopped. He's got all 4 wheels spinning, he's doing the coffee bean shake at me, and frothing at the mouth. His (orange) other half has got her head in her hands and I'm just driving away from him despite being 5 up in a 2 litre Espace. In 6 or 7 hundred yards, I probably put 300 yards on him and can't see him at all by the time I arrive at the next hairpin a further 6 or 7 hundred yards away. I wasn't racing or dicing with him at all, but I was able to drive pretty normally whereas he was absolutely crippled. It's a good job that he wasn't being such a clown downhill as he wouldn't have been able to stop at the hairpins on those tyres.
I've adjusted the tyre pressures today and have racked up another 200 miles. Although the roads were not damp today, things did feel a little better. I'm going to reserve further judgement until I've stuck 1k miles on them.
Scooby Senior
Joined: May 2006
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From: Greater Manchester
I've dropped 2 sizes to 15" and knocked the width down from 245 at the back to 185.
First time on winter tyres all round and I just think that it is comical, now spins up off the power in 3rd and just drifts everywhere. I'm guessing that this is a combination of reducing the width, rolling radius, weight of wheel/tyre combo and still driving like a clown. it's not a daily so it's more of a fun car, these wheels have certainly made driving more fun.
Cant wait for the snow to see how they compare although it was fine on my old 225 40 18's with a welded diff, should be fun this year with an extra litre under the bonnet and now with a LSD.
Car is a BMW Compact with a 2.8 in it
First time on winter tyres all round and I just think that it is comical, now spins up off the power in 3rd and just drifts everywhere. I'm guessing that this is a combination of reducing the width, rolling radius, weight of wheel/tyre combo and still driving like a clown. it's not a daily so it's more of a fun car, these wheels have certainly made driving more fun.
Cant wait for the snow to see how they compare although it was fine on my old 225 40 18's with a welded diff, should be fun this year with an extra litre under the bonnet and now with a LSD.
Car is a BMW Compact with a 2.8 in it
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I never used to put them on but do now. Transformed my merc from terrible to very good in the snow over the last 2 winters.
Ps just had them fitted now given the weather is below 7 most mornings now
I do notice a bit less grip in the higher temps but nothing too severe. Well worth it for the fact I can get off my drive in the snow and stop far better in the icy weather.
Ps just had them fitted now given the weather is below 7 most mornings now
I do notice a bit less grip in the higher temps but nothing too severe. Well worth it for the fact I can get off my drive in the snow and stop far better in the icy weather.
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: North Yorkshire
Why must you tell them? If it doesnt make a difference to the premium how is them just 'knowing about it' going to make any difference to anything?
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: North Yorkshire
I heard that not driving on tyres causes premature aging. This happened with my Contisports when I left them off for 6 months. By swapping winter/summer tyres half way through the year couldnt this compromise them, potentially making driving over the course of a year less safe?
Probably so it gives them yet another excuse not to pay out if you have a bump.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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From: 32 cylinders and many cats
I left the winters on the Legacy through the summer due to laziness as I hardly do more then 500 miles through the summer. They felt fine, predictable, but this is Scotland, but on some 20C+ days they didn't feel bad and didn't melt. With only 245HP blunted by the languid autobox and soft suspension the Legacy doesn't struggle for traction though in any circumstances except ice.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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From: ....
I left the winters on the Legacy through the summer due to laziness as I hardly do more then 500 miles through the summer. They felt fine, predictable, but this is Scotland, but on some 20C+ days they didn't feel bad and didn't melt. With only 245HP blunted by the languid autobox and soft suspension the Legacy doesn't struggle for traction though in any circumstances except ice.
It feels a bit wobbly at 80mph on dry warm Tarmac in the summer, but the last few weeks in the cold mornings I can see what the big deal is fitting winters.
Oh, my traction light has NEVER lit up at ANY speed in any gear
(lack of any torque helps...)AWD + winters ftw
Last edited by zip106; Nov 30, 2013 at 03:07 PM.
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From: 32 cylinders and many cats
My Legacy winters are original speed and size/width/profile so maybe that is why it feels normal in summer, but couldn't wish for better traction in winter although have chains ready... need to be able to get to farms up hills etc. Noticed my colleague's RRS is wearing Toyo SUV tyres which look very summery to me so she might not get so well through snow. On the Golf we drop from 225/40R18 to 205/55R16 iirc.
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I think it's pretty obvious, you've modified your car.
Granted its only tyres but in some cases this involves wheels, possibly of a smaller diameter and tyres of a different size.
It probably says something the insurance document small print all modifications must be notified.
Failing to do so in the event of an accident is enough reason for the insurer to wriggle out of paying up.
I'm no insurance expert btw, just my take on it.
Nik.
Granted its only tyres but in some cases this involves wheels, possibly of a smaller diameter and tyres of a different size.
It probably says something the insurance document small print all modifications must be notified.
Failing to do so in the event of an accident is enough reason for the insurer to wriggle out of paying up.
I'm no insurance expert btw, just my take on it.
Nik.
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I could do with some advice re winter tyres. Earlier this year I got an 11 year old BMW e46 330i auto tourer which I couldn't have been happier with so far.
However knowing how bad they are in the winter months I have decided to get some winter tyres but have a few questions
The car is currently running 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear
Obviously a thinner tyre will be better in the snow cutting through, can I get the same smaller tyre all the way round and if so which one?
I know I cant go lower than 17's due to the size of the brakes.
My budget is around £500. Various sellers on ebay are doing deals of 4x new tyres the same size or 2x each of the size I've already got.
Should I go this route as I have a local garage that can fit them dirt cheap, or there are a number offering deals on used brand tyres with 5mm tread left.
Should I look at getting some cheap alloys to help swap the tyres straight over?
Not sure which route I should go down
However knowing how bad they are in the winter months I have decided to get some winter tyres but have a few questions
The car is currently running 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear
Obviously a thinner tyre will be better in the snow cutting through, can I get the same smaller tyre all the way round and if so which one?
I know I cant go lower than 17's due to the size of the brakes.
My budget is around £500. Various sellers on ebay are doing deals of 4x new tyres the same size or 2x each of the size I've already got.
Should I go this route as I have a local garage that can fit them dirt cheap, or there are a number offering deals on used brand tyres with 5mm tread left.
Should I look at getting some cheap alloys to help swap the tyres straight over?
Not sure which route I should go down
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Joined: May 2001
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From: The co-drivers seat
I use Nokian WR A3 obtained from mytyres.
They have your 225 tyres here and would not 4 of these do you for winter ?
http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rsh...ahrzeugart=PKW
Spare set of alloys is way to go if possible
They have your 225 tyres here and would not 4 of these do you for winter ?
http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rsh...ahrzeugart=PKW
Spare set of alloys is way to go if possible
Scooby Senior
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 14,231
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From: Harrogate
I could do with some advice re winter tyres. Earlier this year I got an 11 year old BMW e46 330i auto tourer which I couldn't have been happier with so far.
However knowing how bad they are in the winter months I have decided to get some winter tyres but have a few questions
The car is currently running 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear
Obviously a thinner tyre will be better in the snow cutting through, can I get the same smaller tyre all the way round and if so which one?
I know I cant go lower than 17's due to the size of the brakes.
My budget is around £500. Various sellers on ebay are doing deals of 4x new tyres the same size or 2x each of the size I've already got.
Should I go this route as I have a local garage that can fit them dirt cheap, or there are a number offering deals on used brand tyres with 5mm tread left.
Should I look at getting some cheap alloys to help swap the tyres straight over?
Not sure which route I should go down
However knowing how bad they are in the winter months I have decided to get some winter tyres but have a few questions
The car is currently running 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear
Obviously a thinner tyre will be better in the snow cutting through, can I get the same smaller tyre all the way round and if so which one?
I know I cant go lower than 17's due to the size of the brakes.
My budget is around £500. Various sellers on ebay are doing deals of 4x new tyres the same size or 2x each of the size I've already got.
Should I go this route as I have a local garage that can fit them dirt cheap, or there are a number offering deals on used brand tyres with 5mm tread left.
Should I look at getting some cheap alloys to help swap the tyres straight over?
Not sure which route I should go down
If your not bothered about the look then there are plenty of deals on eBay for brand new steel wheels with tyres fitted.
Thread Starter
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Not overly imressed with mine so far, temps have been in the 8-10 range, so above the optimum temperatures but car feels not quite right.
Managed to wheel spin at 80 yesterday without too much effort.
Guessing I will notice much better performance when temps get below 7.
Managed to wheel spin at 80 yesterday without too much effort.
Guessing I will notice much better performance when temps get below 7.
Last edited by hail-hail; Dec 3, 2013 at 12:11 PM. Reason: bad spelin
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From: Planet Earth
The Association of British Insurers have recognised that fitting winter tyres is going to improve safety and may lead to less claims. Most British RTA insurers have signed up to "the commitment".
Check https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files...ommitment.ashx this out to see if you need to notify your insurers at all. Most of them aren't interested if you aren't changing the size of the wheels.
I don't agree.
The Association of British Insurers have recognised that fitting winter tyres is going to improve safety and may lead to less claims. Most British RTA insurers have signed up to "the commitment".
Check https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files...ommitment.ashx this out to see if you need to notify your insurers at all. Most of them aren't interested if you aren't changing the size of the wheels.
The Association of British Insurers have recognised that fitting winter tyres is going to improve safety and may lead to less claims. Most British RTA insurers have signed up to "the commitment".
Check https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files...ommitment.ashx this out to see if you need to notify your insurers at all. Most of them aren't interested if you aren't changing the size of the wheels.
Nice to see there is some logic with most insurances at last.
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