Winter tyres. Discuss.

[SAJ]

I'm actually switching back from my winters to summers this week.

[campbell]

Would love to think about Winters in good time but it's a big ask when I have to fork out imminently for two Summers for the family barge!

We are going to need rims as well, because the approved sizes for the Skoda don't fit the current alloys.

Watch out, mind, Winter tyre pricing might not be optimum yet as it's so early in the season...unless they have some of last year's stock knocking about because they OVER-priced it all during the snow armageddon!

I will probably look at Snowproxes by Toyo, initially.

[Rich H]

Switched back about 4 weeks ago but it's a bit milder down here!

[Stu160]

My winter shed Subaru is parked up in the back garden, and if I dont sell the TT, it will be there , with the winter tyres still fitted, till next winter

Stu

[Doc883]

We swapped ours back to the summer wheels/tyres about 2 to 3 weeks ago, in fact it was 2 days before that last spow flurry we had Can't see it coming back now though so should be safe for everyone

[KevD]

Still got them on the mini - had quotes of up to £20 a tyre to switch them back will sort it this weekend for a bit less hopefully!

[Sanjøy]

Austria change them with the clocks.

[j2 lot]

Can't see it coming back now though so should be safe for everyone

Shouldn't say such things -you will jinx the weather

[campbell]

Austria change them with the clocks.

What, their tyres need to go forward a hour too? Shtrange...

[kerryxeg]

The clock change is not a bad guide, although I'd prob hold off until Nov if I can before fitting them. My main objective is to get them fitted before I end up doing it outside in the dark with sleet pelting down ontop of me + before |I end up in a ditch one icy morning.

The winter tyre capability to run in warm weather seems to vary quite a bit.

The really cheap ones are absolutely shocking in warm weather, if mixed with a bit of dual carriageway motoring you can find highspeed cornering interesting and far too unpredictable for my liking. Then when you come off the motorway the first roundabout is a surprise - obviously first hand experience. Having said that the Vredsteins I'm using seem fine. But I expect to get at least 3 winters out of them so no point in wearing them out.

Although the Austrians and the Germans have rules about getting snow tyres fitted, AFAIK they don't have any about fitting the summer tyres. So you have to be careful when you hire a car in Germany. Last July I was handed the keys for a C Class fitted with winter tyres and max 3mm tread left. Outside temp was 28 and I was heading off on 100km of unrestricted Autobahn. But it was cheap!

Most tyre companies will be ordering next years snow tyres soon. My work is trying to sort out a deal for employees with a local firm. He is saying he would offer good discount if they were pre-ordered, and highlighted feast or famine risk with preordering too many before you see the weather - hence there is a limit to the discount he would offer on winter tyres in season as he'll be trying to cover the initial risk of the order. This seems to stem back to the Manufacturers who apparently don't offer the suppliers great terms on a seasonal product. Any if we work out a deal and can pass on the deal to others I will let you know.

Kerry

[Dark]

Campbell,

This winter I've tried full winter tyres on both of our Subaru's. Cooper Weather Master Snow in 225/45/17/91H and Nankang Snow SV in 205/50/17/93V XL.

Both are 'budget' brands but are impressive on cold, wet roads. In the snow both were amazing, especially on slush & compressed snow. You could brake & steer with almost complete confidence. Overall I preferred the Nankangs, they felt more like a normal tyre. The Coopers have a very soft sidewall (225/45/17/91H rating) which makes for a nice ride but limited steering feel with a tendency to understeer even in the dry.

For winter use even in the dry you really want a tyre with more silica that operates at lower temperatures. It's only if you're driving on slush & snow that a full winter tyre with all the extra sipes cut into it really becomes effective. Full winter tyres have the mud & snow (M+S) marking to show they are approved.

The Mytyres website let you sort by summer / winter / cold weather / all season tyres which is useful for comparison. In general any winter specific tyre, even budget ones, are going to be so much better than a summer tyre once the temperatures drop and the roads become greasy.

When looking at winter tyres you can consider a H speed rating (max 130mph) and for the Subaru I would tend towards an XL load rating which usually have stiffer sidewalls. The Coopers I bought are a 91H and feel quite soft whereas the Nankangs are a 93V XL and feel great! For winter use I would buy the Nankangs again for £80 each, I don't see the point of paying almost double for a 'premium' brand.

Apart from http://www.mytyres.co.uk (ship from Germany very quickly!) it's worth looking at http://www.clickontyres.com and http://www.camskill.co.uk.

Also worth asking at the dealers for any spare rims that aren't in perfect condition, I picked up a set of OEM wheels for Alison's car for only £100!

Cheers, Mark

[GregR]

Still got them on the mini - had quotes of up to £20 a tyre to switch them back will sort it this weekend for a bit less hopefully!

For that price you could get a separate set of 2nd hand rims for the winters/summers

[campbell]

Thanks Mark, very comprehensive!

Problem I have on rims is the Octavia winter tyre runs on a steel which doesn't seem to have much application on other cars - it's a 6J or 6.5J 16", from memory, although will need to check. It seems to be a "winter tyre specific" size which makes it rather rare on eBay, and there also don't appear to be VW group alloys in that size either.

I really must make the time to research properly, obviously...alternatively, I can phone our insurer and ask if they care...if they don't, I can get Winters for our current rims or for any old 16" or 17" Skoda rim and be done with it

[thinfourth]

I'm intending to run all year on winters on the slocus.

yes you get a drop off in performance but its a £400 shed that lives in the middle of farmland, offroad adventures aren't unknown.

I can't see any reason why winter tyres will fail to get me anywhere summer tyres can get me.

[Sanjøy]

Friday night glass of red and tyre shopping for the winter it is.