O/T Winter tyres

[Icy Gull]

Anyone have experience of them? Just had some fitted today and was wondering if the hype that they make a big difference in the winter is true? Found my car has been slipping around a bit on the unsalted back streets around here so decided to take the plunge having bought another set of reasonable condition wheels.


Gonna be an expensive waste of money if they don't make much difference

 

[Hillian1]

Anyone have experience of them? Just had some fitted today and was wondering if the hype that they make a big difference in the winter is true?


Gonna be an expensive waste of money if they don't make much difference

Expensive waste of money, unless it snows for weeks on end.

 

[Icy Gull]

Expensive waste of money, unless it snows for weeks on end.

The hype has it that they perform better at any temperature below 10 degrees. Apart from being better on snow they are ALLEGEDLY better on icy roads and deep road water as well as improving the stopping distance in cold weather.

Are you talking from experience??

*hoping you're not*

 

[BLOCK F]

Not a great expert,but they are meant to make a difference to grip,stopping distance etc. at 7 degrees celsius and under.Different rubber compound apparently.
Have recently been researching for a new car and those on the forum who have fitted winter tyres certainly rate them highly.

 

[gazingdown]

I rather suspect Hillian1 is confusing winter tyres with snow tyres......

 

[willyfantastic]

had them last year and year before when it was very icey and very snowy. They work wonders (especially going down the A23 when it was bucketing with snow and no gritters out yet, no problems) you will notice the difference vs. normal tyres when theres ice about

 

[severnside gull]

in icy or snow conditions they are worth the investment. In "normal" UK winter conditions their value is marginal at best but in a really severe winter they are well worth it
Bit of a lottery but if you can afford it and dont mind faffing about changing them and then back again in spring I would go for it. Otherwise (unless you live way up in the north of Scotland) I wouldnt worry too much

 

[spongy]

I have a spare set of wheels with winter tyres on, they have got me out of an accident once, so therefore they have already paid for themselves. Winter tyres are basically just a softer compound than work better in the wet/frost/ice/cold weather,

I would recommend everyone get a set.

 

[Magicman]

I have winter tyre fitted to the cab every year .
In my opinion they are well worth the investment , i get extra grip in the frost , ice and snow .
The tread pattern is a bit "aggressive" and does cause a bit of extra "road noise" but its a small price to pay when you way up the benefits.
In the winters of 2009 and 2010 when the snow and ice lingered for weeks they got me places safely that other cars couldn't go .
A huge thumbs up from me .

 

[Eddiespearritt]

In Switzerland if you haven't got winter tyres on your car after November 1st (until April 1st) your insurance can be invalid. They do make a huge difference in snow, ice and low temperatures. In a cold winter they can be invaluable in England too.

 

[Icy Gull]

In Switzerland if you haven't got winter tyres on your car after November 1st (until April 1st) your insurance can be invalid. They do make a huge difference in snow, ice and low temperatures. In a cold winter they can be invaluable in England too.

We've had two cold winters and as far as I remember it's not usually as cold as it has been recently at this time of year? I imagine we are in for another cold frosty one. I almost hope we are now

I have a friend in Germany who went off the road on ice and the insurance company refused to pay because he wasn't on winter tyres, so it seems Northern Europe is pretty strict on switching from summer to winter tyres.

Thanks for all the responses btw.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Well worth it in somewhere like Canada or Scandinavia. The difference is noticeable.

In this country? On the average three days or so when the country comes to the grinding halt, they may prove useful. Apart from that?

 

[gazingdown]

Well, they tend to work better than summer tyres under 7degrees C. So work out how many days of the year the temp is under that and there's your answer. Put it this way, it's more the "3 days"

 

[Hillian1]

I rather suspect Hillian1 is confusing winter tyres with snow tyres......

No expert but I do have a few mates in the mechanics game and they all say the same thing.

Mind you, I opened the thread and assumed it was snow tyres.

 

[Ralphingtonpuss]

Hi Icy Gull, we have them fitted to frv cars and ambulances, at the speeds I travel and in all conditions in the winter they do make a difference. Hope this helps.

 

[Hockley Blues]

Snow chains, anyone?

 

[Ralphingtonpuss]

Snow chains, anyone?

Maybe but don't get snow socks.......rubbish and shred very easily :-(

 

[upthealbion1970]

Winter tyres are extremely underrated in this country, the softer compound and tread type are specifically designed to work below 7 or 10 degrees depending on manufacturer. Always get a set of steel wheels if possible to put winter tyres on, and keep them stored in a garage or shed when not in use at around 20psi.

They most definitely aren't a gimmick or waste of money when used correctly, they may just save a catastrophic accident but do make sure they're on the right way around - most are directional with a distinct V shape tread, the V should point towards the front of the car at the top of the wheel, asymmetric tread will be clearly marked OUT or OUTSIDE on the sidewall that's meant to be on the outside, with IN or INSIDE on the opposite sidewall.

 

[upthealbion1970]

Maybe but don't get snow socks.......rubbish and shred very easily :-(

When used correctly snow sox are excellent but MUST be taken off as soon as you're not driving on snow

 

[Ralphingtonpuss]

When used correctly snow sox are excellent but MUST be taken off as soon as you're not driving on snow

Yer didn't do that oops!!! Not easy explaining I had lost one on the way to AE........someone should have read the instructions.