The annual winter tyre vs snow chains thread

[Apial]

I drive with winter tyres. When I get stuck in deep snow I dig access to the driven wheels and fit the snow chains. I then reverse out of the problem. This has never failed to work. Basically the snowchains are just for an emergency.

If you fit the snow chains and then get stuck you have nothing to fall back on to get you out.

 

[x332race]

Try these chains....easy to fit and good for low profile tyres where clearance is poor.

RUD - Comfort Centrax Snow Chains www.rud.co.uk/snow_chains/snow.htm
www.spikesspider.com

Also snowsocks can be used for short periods...I have some for emergency use but have never had to use them.

Chains are no subsitute for good winter tyres but are good for occaisonal use especially if you have summer tyres fitted....in my opinion not worth getting winter tyres if you are only making one trip to the Alps...however, if you are going to be spending long periods of time in snow, then they are a must.

 

[Satch]

Winter tyres (or all season if you must) with a pair of chains as back up will be just fine. And get yourself a yellow Hi-Vis vest as well because that is now a legal requirement (both to carry and to use if fiddling around at roadside) in a number of countries in Europe.

Snow chains are odd. Yes, a full set is best yet there in the handbook of my S211 is a dire warning against using snowchains on the fronts. There is not enough clearance although it seems to me that a low profile set could be OK.

By all means have a go at fitting your chains at home to get the general idea. Then do it again outside at night with only a torch and have someone pour freezing water over your hands throughout. That does not give you the full effect because in reality your wheel arches will be packed with snow, ice and dripping slush and you will be kneeling in it as well but you will get the general idea.

The reality is that with decent winter tyres the need to use chains should be very rare.

 

[BonzoDog]

Winter tyres (or all season if you must) with a pair of chains as back up will be just fine. And get yourself a yellow Hi-Vis vest as well because that is now a legal requirement (both to carry and to use if fiddling around at roadside) in a number of countries in Europe.

Snow chains are odd. Yes, a full set is best yet there in the handbook of my S211 is a dire warning against using snowchains on the fronts. There is not enough clearance although it seems to me that a low profile set could be OK.

By all means have a go at fitting your chains at home to get the general idea. Then do it again outside at night with only a torch and have someone pour freezing water over your hands throughout. That does not give you the full effect because in reality your wheel arches will be packed with snow, ice and dripping slush and you will be kneeling in it as well but you will get the general idea.

The reality is that with decent winter tyres the need to use chains should be very rare.

And then you hear the snow chains knocking and thrashing everything under the wheelarches if they are in any way loose.

 

[mbz 6]

Just put 4 Avon winter tyres on my Subaru Legacy cost £224 plus £25 for the wheels off Ebay. They have been ok so far I am just waitng for snow or ice to try them out. They only have to get me home once for the cost to be justified.
I have been stuck in a car for a couple of hours in the snow not fun at all

 

[Spinal]

Just put 4 Avon winter tyres on my Subaru Legacy cost £224 plus £25 for the wheels off Ebay. They have been ok so far I am just waitng for snow or ice to try them out. They only have to get me home once for the cost to be justified.
I have been stuck in a car for a couple of hours in the snow not fun at all

Theres an ice rink just outside the tower of London ...

 

[mbz 6]

Thers one in Huddersfield town center.

 

[Subyland]

A frozen lake is much more fun...

 

[blackscooby]

Just ordered 2 pairs of Nokian WR's from mytyres. C32 isn't good in the wet let alone when it gets cold and nasty !

 

[Spinal]

I ordered 4 Goodyear Ultra Grip 7's (apparently the best witer tyres... )managed to get them sponsored by my parents too as I'm going to be bringing some of the furniture for their new house to Italy (over the alps) I'll tell you how I get on with them once I have them fitted!

Michele

 

[Birdman]

My sister lives in the French Pyrenees and uses Autosock on her Citroen Picasso. She has adopted them because she can easily fit and remove them unaided, something which often proved near-impossible with chains. According to her, most of the locals use them for the same reason and have discarded their snow chains.

TÜV tests compared the handling of a car using AutoSock, snow chains and normal winter tyres on snow, and type-approved them in 2001.

AutoSock got the best general traction, uphill and downhill course holding, and braking behavior. It was only slightly behind snow chains when it came to hill start traction and ground level starts and was an improvement over winter tyres in every area, except hill starts, where it was a match.

http://www.autosock.com/default.aspx?did=9049909&title=TÜV+test

 

[Spinal]

Problem is, the Italian police don't care too much about autosocks... I had a chat with my uncle (a now retired policeman, but with quite a few conenctions) and he said that a car MUST have all four tyre M&S rater (with an appropriate E-symbol) OR 2 snow chains (not necessarily fitted, but in the boot) to be classified as road worthy on most mountain roads. He said hes never heard of socks, and neither have his (still active) colleagues; it would be interesting explaining to the carabiniere why you have a piece of cloth instead of 12mm chains covering your tyres

and here is what I based my shopping on:

http://translate.google.com/transla...en&lr=&safe=off&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-04,GGLR:en

Michele

 

[Birdman]

I think the European legislators haven't caught up with the technology, while the French are very into new technology. Mind you, I don't know whether the TÜV tests included U-turns!

 

[Satch]

Taking my Land Cruiser to go skiing after Christmas and needed some new tyres. In the end went for a set of these, which are really good both on road and off road, summer or winter.

Done 300 miles on them now and they make nowhere near as much noise as I feared. Only feature people notice is a slight rumble/whirr at 10/15 mph, unless of course I drive over a bit of their front lawn on the way in. (Sorry about that, Mick)

http://www.bfgoodrich.co.uk/bfguk/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=13&codePage=BFG_PAG_PRODUCT1&lang=EN

If anybody is wondering the white lettering is on one side only and I had then fitted so it faces in!

 

[Sp!ke]

I hope those work for you satch but I suspect they wont be so good in the snow since they are not designed for it.

 

[Satch]

I hope those work for you satch but I suspect they wont be so good in the snow since they are not designed for it.

They should be OK although obviously as a 4 seasons tyre not as well as dedicated winter tyre.

They do meet the Rubber Manufacturers Association definitions for passenger and truck tyres intended for use in severe snow conditions so I would hope they work snow! Asked around in the 4x4 world and general view is they cope well with just about anything and are one of the best all-rounders.

Did some research and the consumer reviews on Tire rack and 1010Tires seemed favourable:

http://www.1010tires.com/tirereviews/BFGoodrich_All-Terrain_TA_KO_tire_reviews.html

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=All-Terrain+T/A+KO

Only one way to find out!

 

[blackscooby]

mytyres.... Amazing. Ordered late last Thursday, arrived yesterday, and they came from Germany.

Being fitted today

 

[Chris_J]

Sorry to bring back such an old thread, but how did you get on in the Alps, Michele?

 

[Spinal]

Went great! I was really happy with the tyres, and thanks to some serious planning and time-travel, I kept the tyres on long enough to have them in the snow we had last week (ok, fine, I admit it, it was lazyness )

I had a pair of chains in the boot, but never needed them; I did end up fitting them when climbing up a tiny mountain track (but more out of paranoia than out of any real need).

Now I need to buy 4 more rims and tyres for my "summer tyres" - in the long run its probably going to cost me less than having too pay the 25£ to have them swapped each time!

Michele

 

[124fan]

I'm a little concerned about driving on 18'' AMG's with high performance tyres for the coming winter. I was wondering how many members have fitted winter tyres?

I believe I will buy a set of 16'' or 17'' rims which ever pops up first and fit some winter tyres. I've been searching for advice on the best tyres to suit our road conditions, lots of rain, some frost and usually just a little snow?

I feel 700 - 800GBP spent now could save a lot of heart ache later.

Cheers