Winter tyres. Discuss.

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 4:16 pm

Is anyone using "all season" tyres?... if so, how are you getting on with them?

Doc883 · Post by **Doc883** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:18 pm

Dominic wrote:Is anyone using "all season" tyres?... if so, how are you getting on with them?

I have a pic n mix. The A4 shed has Goodyear Eagle Vector All Season, the S-Max has Toyo Snowprox winter tyres and the S3 has Yokohama W Drive winter tyres.
The S3 is epic in all conditions with quattro and Yoko winters and inspires huge levels of confidence. The S-Max although only front wheel drive is very sure footed as well and wasn't troubled in the snow we had in 2010.
The A4 with all season is a great all rounder and well suited to the Scottish climate. They tyres are excellent in the wet and perform well in the snow although you can tell they are not full winters. If you don't have room or the budget for a 2nd set of tyres/wheels then these could be your answer.

Doc883 · Post by **Doc883** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:27 pm

Newly arrived today from Amazon is my summer wheel tree to free up space in the garage

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:30 pm

I don't get it... What does the tree do?

Doc883 · Post by **Doc883** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:38 pm

graeme wrote:I don't get it... What does the tree do?

Allows you to have all 4 wheels taking up the footprint of a single wheel, takes any weight/pressure of the tyres if left for a pro-longed period, allows air to circulate, hopefully avoids me damaging the alloys

Might get a dust cover to throw over the top.

j2 lot · Post by **j2 lot** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:36 pm

Doc883 wrote:Newly arrived today from Amazon is my summer wheel tree ]

What did you get? I have just been looking at them

Doc883 · Post by **Doc883** » Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:46 pm

j2 lot wrote:
Doc883 wrote:Newly arrived today from Amazon is my summer wheel tree ]
What did you get? I have just been looking at them

I went for this as the tyres are 235/45/18: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002 ... 03_s00_i00

Suitable for passenger car rims and tyre width 285 mm with free-floating storage (up to 295 mm overlay if necessary). Suitable for tires of SUVs and sports cars
No deformation of the tyre with pressure drop, floating storage to prevent condensation, rim-friendly conditions
Maximum Capacity of 120 Kg
Completely free-standing
Keeps the garage or cellar tidy, easy to erect with a proven system

Stevoraith · Post by **Stevoraith** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:02 am

This is the first winter for a few years where I haven't had winter tyres.

Sold the BMW in the summer and the winters went with it, thought I was going to be selling the Octavia too so prematurely sold the winters for that but then decided it was staying.

We haven't had much snow by us, just a little bit of slush lying around so I haven't been anywhere close to thinking that winters are essential, and I'm coping just fine on the summer tyres.

However, driving on summer tyres in these conditions actually shows how good winter tyres are. The car feels so much more nervous and you've really got to be careful pulling away if you don't want wheelspin etc. I can only imagine how much longer my braking distances are.

Once the winter is over and prices have gone down again, I'll be buying another set of winters for the Octavia (and will do likewise when I replace the Golf with something which is a keeper).

Winter tyres FTW!

(on the subject of wheel trees, I bought two from Westfalia. One was £20 (which I see is now about the same price as the one above) and it stated it could take up to 225mm but I got the BMWs 255s on without any issue. It also came with a cover. I also bought a cheaper one from there (think it's £9 now) which can literally only take 225s and doesn't have a cover. I bought a cover for it from Westfalia too if you are looking for one Doc).

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:31 am

Doc883 wrote:
Dominic wrote:Is anyone using "all season" tyres?... if so, how are you getting on with them?
I have a pic n mix. The A4 shed has Goodyear Eagle Vector All Season, the S-Max has Toyo Snowprox winter tyres and the S3 has Yokohama W Drive winter tyres.
The S3 is epic in all conditions with quattro and Yoko winters and inspires huge levels of confidence. The S-Max although only front wheel drive is very sure footed as well and wasn't troubled in the snow we had in 2010.
The A4 with all season is a great all rounder and well suited to the Scottish climate. They tyres are excellent in the wet and perform well in the snow although you can tell they are not full winters. If you don't have room or the budget for a 2nd set of tyres/wheels then these could be your answer.

Thanks for the reply. I currently have summer tyres on the Audi and elise and have a spare set of wheels and some extra tyres for the elise in the garage, so don't really have the space for another set of spares. Will prob be needing some new boots for the Audi soon, so was considering my options. All seasons seem like quite a good proposition, although I also have a landrover on winter tyres at my disposal through the winter.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:18 pm

Only one way to test them all out.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1358893117.128540.jpg

ClarkyBoy · Post by **ClarkyBoy** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:43 pm

Almost off subject,

But me and the farmer took an old Skitroen Xsara grd up the forrest on tuesday night the snow was up passed the sills and we were on scabby old road tyres that i let down to 10psi and we managed to get 2 miles in and had to turn back!

Its amazing what you can do in a car you dont give a crap about!!

The corsa im running to work right now, whihc has colway snow tyres on the front has been EPIC!!!!! i have tried to stick it a few times now but it just doesnt happen!!!!

sendmyusername · Post by **sendmyusername** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:49 pm

i work in michelin tyre plc.
winter tyres give improved traction and grip from 8 degrees and below compared to normal tyres.(stopping distance about 4 car lengths better)
it doesn't need to be snowing for them to be better than summer tyres.
re: fuel economy, it doesn't have that large an effect, however driving winter tyres in summer destroys them a lot quicker. think of the F1 wets when driving in the dry, instead of getting 20 laps, they get 2, while not as extreme, this is the same effect of driving winter tyres in the summer)
also, wee foot note, buying one of the top range tyres (any of the top 5 really, not just michelin) and you will get about twice the life compared to a cheaper alternative,so it is a false ecomony buying the cheap tyres.

sendmyusername · Post by **sendmyusername** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:00 pm

p.s. i'm an engineer, that works on the machines that make the tyre, nothing to do with sales, before anyone pitches in...

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:11 pm

sendmyusername wrote:stuff

Thanks for sharing!

What are your thoughts on "All season" tyres?

j2 lot · Post by **j2 lot** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:02 pm

sendmyusername wrote: re: fuel economy, it doesn't have that large an effect,

Its not a large effect but I have seen an improvement over this winter and last when using Yokohama winter tyres on 15 inch wheels over 'summer' Goodyear F1 s on 17 inch rims.

Fuel consumption from March 12 to Nov( all summers) = 33.6
Fuel consumption from Nov 4 to date (all winters) = 34.53

Scottish Elises