Just discovered "winter tyres" ? Do any of you swap tyres each year ?

[jeremytaylor]

I originally bought a set of Michelin Alpins for our regular trips to the Alps - much easier and better than snow chains. Having bought them, I use them during our winter months, otherwise I'll never wear them out!

The level of grip they provide, especially on snow, is superb.

 

[AndyS]

Typically british response.
The average temp in the UK between Dec & March is only 3.6C.
"Cold Weather Tyres" are designed for temperatures below 7C.
You don't need snow or ice, they grip better on cold roads, wet or dry, they reduce your braking distances dramatically. If you do see snow or ice, you will not get stuck or bring the roads to a standstill as we see on TV every winter when the south gets half an inch of snow and everything grinds to a halt because no one is prepared for it.

Russ

Well I am typically British!

I do see your point, I was probably focusing too much on my situation and then generalising. For me personally they are not really viable and I only do about 8000 miles a year and probably have only driven in any kind of extreme cold weather no more than 10 times in all my 18 odd years of driving. In all that time I have never felt any lack of confidence in the cars handling in normal winter weather

 

[Redline]

Came up to a cue today with a W211 taxi behind me. Both he and I managed to stop, while the Opel behind him again plowed straight into the taxi (no damage to my car!)... Summer tyres anyone?

 

[Rory]

Typically british response.
The average temp in the UK between Dec & March is only 3.6C.

Is that the daytime temperature?

I looked at Michelin Alpins when I had my tyres changed at Costco the other day, but Alpin's aren't available in the size on the back of my car (225/50R16).

Ideally I'd get another set of wheels - presumeably best to get the same size all round rather than current 7J/8J staggered setup - but then is it OK to put narrower tyres on the rear, what about telling insurance company etc etc. It just all seemed too complicated.

I do have a set of SnowSocks for emergency use.

 

[Howard]

Came up to a cue today with a W211 taxi behind me. Both he and I managed to stop, while the Opel behind him again plowed straight into the taxi (no damage to my car!)... Summer tyres anyone?

Did the Opel have summer tyres on or was the driver just texting someone ?

 

[rf065]

but then is it OK to put narrower tyres on the rear, what about telling insurance company etc etc. It just all seemed too complicated.

I do have a set of SnowSocks for emergency use.

Mine left the factory with 225/45x17 Fronts & 245/40x17 rears,
I e-mailed Mercedes in Germany for info on winter tyres and one of the options was to fit 225/45x17 front and back. That's the one I went for, so if that's what the car manufactures advises, I can't see an insurance company arguing.

Russ

 

[smillion]

A planned trip to the Frenach Alps at Christmas prompted me to look for winter tyres as like many, I never considered them necessary in UK. From what I have read I have been very wrong and with average temperatures below 6 degrees I will be better off running my newly acquired Pirelli Snowsports - and not just saving them for the Alps.

I'm a convert - especially as my car is a handful in snow and ice.

Marc

 

[rf065]

That would never be the case though, certainly in the south of the UK.

According the BBC traffic report this morning, it was snowing in Cornwall?

Russ

 

[Chris Akabusi]

Make sure you get all 4 if you do opt for them.

Theres no point in having the rears on snow tyres and the fronts on summer tyores. You'll be able to get the power down (in a RWD car), but not beable to steer

 

[Rory]

Mine left the factory with 225/45x17 Fronts & 245/40x17 rears,
I e-mailed Mercedes in Germany for info on winter tyres and one of the options was to fit 225/45x17 front and back. That's the one I went for, so if that's what the car manufactures advises, I can't see an insurance company arguing.

Russ

Thanks - did you put 225 on the existing rear wheels?

I could drop down down to 205/55 all round, but if you look at wheel & tyre firtment guides, they generally recommend max 7.5J for 225's and mine are already 8J so I wouldn't want to fit narrower tyres.

 

[BTB 500]

According the BBC traffic report this morning, it was snowing in Cornwall?

Russ

It snowed here in Bracknell a week or so ago, but nothing actually settled on the roads.

I would fully support winter tyres where snow and ice are the norm in winter, and will certainly be putting them on the Vito if we drive to Germany next Feb. (as planned). But I've never missed having them in 30 years driving in the south of England.

 

[rf065]

Thanks - did you put 225 on the existing rear wheels?

Yes, rears are 8.5J & fitted with 225's.

Russ

 

[br0ke]

Is that the daytime temperature?

I looked at Michelin Alpins when I had my tyres changed at Costco the other day, but Alpin's aren't available in the size on the back of my car (225/50R16).

Ideally I'd get another set of wheels - presumeably best to get the same size all round rather than current 7J/8J staggered setup - but then is it OK to put narrower tyres on the rear, what about telling insurance company etc etc. It just all seemed too complicated.

I do have a set of SnowSocks for emergency use.

I couldn't get winter 225/50/R16 for my 16" either but the fitter suggested the Hankook 205/55/R16 that I put on the front were sturdy enough to cover the 8J at the rear. Haven't noticed any problems so far.

So now the emissions have changed from 191 to 183 and this brings it down a band, I wonder if this is worthwhile pursuing.

 

[Rory]

I couldn't get winter 225/50/R16 for my 16" either but the fitter suggested the Hankook 205/55/R16 that I put on the front were sturdy enough to cover the 8J at the rear. Haven't noticed any problems so far.

All the guides indicate 205's should be far too narrow for 8J - do the rims look exposed to kerbing etc?

With the way the tyres wear (edges at front and centres in rear) it's a real penalty that the wheels are staggered - I'll be avoiding that if there's a next time.

So now the emissions have changed from 191 to 183 and this brings it down a band, I wonder if this is worthwhile pursuing.

You can't do this - you're stuck with the band given at registration time. Apparently when the £25 congestion charge was in the offing, dealer in London were telling people to spec smaller wheels and then have larger ones fitted after registration so that they'd keep the lower emissions band.

 

[Redline]

Did the Opel have summer tyres on or was the driver just texting someone ?

It was a Polish car, and they don't seem to have winter tyres either!

 

[Satch]

.......I've never missed having them in 30 years driving in the south of England.

Gaaaaahhhhh see what you have done now? This is entirely down to you making such a statement!

Good mind to send a stiff letter in green ink to the Daily Mail.

Snow showers to sweep Britain

Snow storms are expected to sweep across Britain from today causing traffic chaos and plunging the country deeper into winter

Forecasters warned that a band of snow, sleet and rain is working its way southwards and could bring snow showers to southern England.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3540417/Snow-showers-to-sweep-Britain.html

 

[BTB 500]

We do get 'snow showers' in the winter, but it never really settles. I was trying to remember the last time I drove on actual snow ... probably 10-15 years ago?

As an aside, does anyone know if the Police in the UK switch to winter tyres? Or any other 'organisations' (AA, RAC, etc)??

 

[Satch]

We do get 'snow showers' in the winter, but it never really settles. I was trying to remember the last time I drove on actual snow ... probably 10-15 years ago?

As an aside, does anyone know if the Police in the UK switch to winter tyres? Or any other 'organisations' (AA, RAC, etc)??

Should not really associate winter tyres just with snow. They cope a lot better in cold, wet, icy and muddy conditions than normal tyres. It makes a big difference.

The main reason it all tends to go belly up in this country when it snows comes down to lack of tread depth though. Most tyres have some capabilty on snow but even winter tyres cease to work properly on snow when the tread depth drops below 4mm.

So being on ordinary tyres in snow with 4mm or less tread is not a happy place to be, around 2mm you might as well be on slicks.

How many cars would that apply to? Well, say 8mm to start, 2mm average before most people would change tyres and I would say at least 30% of cars on the road must have sub 4mm of tread at any one time.

 

[BTB 500]

Should not really associate winter tyres just with snow.

I wasn't, but I'm just not sure how quantifiable the benefits in plain 'cold weather' (for example) are. Hence asking whether any of the big 'fleet' owners in the UK (who are generally pretty obsessive about health & safety) switch their vehicles over to winter tyres.

 

[Satch]

I wasn't, but I'm just not sure how quantifiable the benefits in plain 'cold weather' (for example) are. Hence asking whether any of the big 'fleet' owners in the UK (who are generally pretty obsessive about health & safety) switch their vehicles over to winter tyres.

I know that happens in at least some parts of the frozen north (Scotland) but elsewhere?

Suspect it varies quite a lot.