Wheels244
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:11 AM |
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Cold weather tyres questions ??
Hello All
Has anybody got experience of cold weather tyres ?
As winter approaches, I'm thinking of fitting a set to my wife's car for family safety. Living in god's country we do get our fair
share of bad weather up here.
Are they worth it ?
Do they make a noticeable difference ?
Do I need to fit set of four or just a pair to fit to the drive wheels ?
Any particular make to go for ?
Cost ?
Has anyone got any ford wheels for sale to fit a 2010 CMax - I thing they are 108PCD 5 stud.
Thanks
Rob
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beaver34
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:15 AM |
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carnt help with supplying the tyres but i work for Ford parts and could help with a set of steel wheels for you to use for winter
drop me a u2u if you want
alastair
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Wheels244
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:17 AM |
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Thanks Alastair
U2U sent.
Rob
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:44 AM |
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I tried winter tyres on the front with Michelin E tyres on the rear ---- a lethal combination I ditched the Michelins and fitted a pair of new
budget tyres on the rear and had no problems.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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adithorp
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:49 AM |
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Short answers...
Q's 1,2,3,... YES !
Q4 All if you can afford them. If just the front you increase the risk of oversteer as the back slides; Thats OK if you know what you're doing
and/or are careful.
Q5 Not had any compliaints even with cheap ones though premium brands probably last longer.
Q6 How longs a peice of string.
Fitted some for my niece on her C-Max last winter. Previously she either couldn't get off the estate or get home with even the slightest snow on
the ground. She never even noticed any snow after.
Fitted some for a taxi driver last year and he made a fortune when no other taxis could run one Friday night.
The annoying thing with them on is you're still at the mercy of all the others blocking the road. Old guy who used to work for us lives on a
steep hill and got a call from his daughter/grandkids who due to visit. They were walking 'cos thier X3 was stuck. He went out and got them and
drove home zig-zaging through the abandoned 4x4's on the estate... in his Metro!
They're not just for snow/ice either. The softer compound gives better dry grip/braking below just 7c, up to 2m less stopping distance from
30mph.
Only complaint I've had is from one customer, who wasn't happy 'cos he's the only one in his office any time it snows.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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loggyboy
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:50 AM |
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Worth it IMO with recent winters we've had ive been saved by having half decent winters.
Even with out snow, the temperature range they work in is much more suitable.
Mistral Motorsport
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v8kid
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 11:53 AM |
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I used winter tyres all round on the mondeo and they were well worth the money as that was a bad winter. Traction was superb - can't remember
the make but they were Russian. I ended up using them all year round and they were fine.
Changed cars since and have still so sort out extra wheels 
Cheers!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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Slimy38
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:01 PM |
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They're well worth it in the run up to proper snow fall as well, even when it's a bit frosty the summer tyres can get a bit unpredictable
but a cold tyre will stay flexible and work so much better.
As mentioned, it does then come down to the other idiots on the road, particularly the 4x4 drivers who think they have an easier time. A two wheel
drive car on winters will run rings around a 4x4 on summers (or even 'offroad' tyres).
I bought mine a couple of years ago (Goodyear Ultragrip 7), and maybe done a few hundred miles on them? I don't expect to replace them for the
life of the car.
[Edited on 16/10/13 by Slimy38]
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:14 PM |
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I think its worth it, but then I run with summer tyres that don't exactly have the best tread pattern for snow, ice, mud, gravel etc... 
these were 'interesting' to drive with in the snow.... 
my 'winter' tires are actually just 'all season' ones (but complete with M+S and snowflake/mountain markings) - they are
plenty good enough in the snow and mud - in the bad snow I was out every single day with them and I never got stuck, not even on the untreated roads
(and they worked well in very muddy festival carparks in the summer too  )
but they are ideal as an intermediate tyre for the rest of the time when we've cold rubbish weather without the snow, even on a cold dry day
they definatly have a little more grip
and they are still quite decent in the warm weather too - so you really could leave them on all year if you liked
(but they could cost you a bit of fuel compared to good summer tyres, but not as much as full winter ones would)
and finally as a bonus you can get these in the better speed ratings too
(mine are V's - most winter tires only come in T or H at best)
these are the ones I use:
http://www.vredestein.com/car-tyres/all-season/quatrac-3/info/
I started out with a pair on the front which was ok, but it was a lot better I got a second pair (I put the half worn ones on the back for driving in
the snow)
[Edited on 16/10/2013 by mcerd1]
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mark chandler
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:16 PM |
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I binned the low (50) profile tyres on my old v40 last year for a set of higher profile winter tyres, 60 profile.
Car went from something that crashed on pot holes and was noisy to a much quieter ride although handling has suffered, car is now great in poor
weather so glad I sacrificed the handling. It's hardly a sports car @120bhp so horses for courses.
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Wheels244
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:29 PM |
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Thanks chaps
That's a resounding yes then.
Right, where's the best place to get a set and price please ?
Anyone on here supply them ?
Rob
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:36 PM |
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what size are the ones you've got now ?
that is assuming your sticking to the same size tyres and not getting smaller 'winter wheels' with high profile tyres....
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Wheels244
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:44 PM |
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205x55x16s
I know skinnier tyres might be more effective - but would the insurance company get funny about them ? Modification etc...
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chris mason
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:45 PM |
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Depends on your budget, but a quick search
here says £125 for a brand new
Bridgestone tyre fitted to a new steel rim.
I bought a set here last year, I went for Conti 830's, transformed the van, annoyed a few locals who were struggling to get up our road in their
Summer Tyre'd Audi A4/A6 Quattro's, while me in a 2wd van drove past them like it was dry
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mark chandler
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:46 PM |
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I just argued a 25% discount with 'just tyres', they agreed to match any internet price so found the cheapest and took my laptop.
Very competitive market
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peter030371
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:46 PM |
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For the last 3 years I have fitted them to both mine and the wifes car for winter and we would not be without them. I have got all of mine from
mytyres.co.uk as they have a great choice and for the first winter I got them supplied on steel wheels for not a lot more
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
I know skinnier tyres might be more effective - but would the insurance company get funny about them ? Modification etc...
one of the reasons why I got 'V' speed rated ones for mine
and 205/55 shouldn't be too bad anyway...
have a look on camskill:
http://www.camskill.co.uk/m139b0s8003p0/All_Season_-_Four_Season_-_All_Weather_-_Car_MPV_Tyres_-_16_inch_R16_inch_-_205_55_16_205_55R16
but shop around for a deal - I found that mytyres.co.uk seemed to have better stock than most (but then they do come from germany, where winter tyres
are a legal requirement)
I actually found my local independent tyre fitters were about the same price as most websites
[Edited on 16/10/2013 by mcerd1]
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dhutch
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:59 PM |
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I put a pair of Quatrac 3 'all season' tyres on the 306 the winder before last winter, leaving summers (firehawks i think) on the rear.
And certainly as the temperature dropped before about 5 degrees its was very noticeable that the grip ratio moved forwards significantly. I found this
ok, and they did give improved grip, and I then swapped them to the rear over summer to reduced the wear on them.
Cant really comment on the dry-weather wear from a 'normal use' prerogative, but if you mix it with driving offroad like a loon, as soon
as you brake traction the lose of rubber is huge, presumably due to the sipes.
Last year I had a set of winter tyres on the 3 series, but cant really comment I hadnt driven it on the summer tyres, and they where 6 years old an
quite worn.
Daniel
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by dhutch
...but if you mix it with driving offroad like a loon...
was that a 'private road' ? LOL
I I had great fun in a massive field of 6" deep mud - didn't wear out the tyres either
(but the car was covered in mud for about 4 months afterwards)
I've had my quatrac3's on all summer this year (never got round to changing them to the summer ones what with my broken bones etc....)
and they a million time better than some of the cheap and nasty budget summer tyres I've had before
they seem to last ok in the summer, but they'll not last as long as say michelin's
but I've got so many sets of tyres I loose track of how many mile each set have done (I've now got 11 wheels for my car )
so I'm guessing that I get about 12-15k out of them on the fronts - but then I only get ~30 mpg out of a 1.8 focus so you'll probably get
more miles out of the same tyres
ps - you can probably tell I love these tyres, they are perfect for what I want them to do
[Edited on 16/10/2013 by mcerd1]
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peter030371
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
205x55x16s
I know skinnier tyres might be more effective - but would the insurance company get funny about them ? Modification etc...
As long as you stick to 'standard' sizes for your model of car how can they complain? More and more dealers now offer winter tyres as a an
option i.e. Mini, BMW, Audi etc If you only fit two winter tyres though then that is against the vehicle and tyre manufactures recommendations so
then the insurance company could get funny...
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adithorp
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:20 PM |
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WORD OF WARNING
Don't be fooled by tyres just marked M+S as many are just a wider tread. They're not the same as winter tyres.
Proper winter tyres will have either a snowflake or a mountain symbol on them (may ALSO have M+S). They have more silicone in the tread so it stays
softer in low temps and a lot of ziz-zag sips in each tread block; It's these grip the snow as the block distorts under load.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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Charlie_Zetec
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:44 PM |
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For what it would cost for new wheels and winter tyres, I'd consider buying a cheap Discovery or similar for a winter hack!
But then again, I do like a project and expanding the fleet....
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity!
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40inches
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:46 PM |
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Fitted Avon Ice Touring tyres to the SAAB's, the difference was outstanding. The colder they get the stickier they become, brilliant on
ice and snow, wet grip is superb but they don't like it when the temperature is over 10 degrees, gets a bit interesting on long motorway bends
at anything over 60
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peter030371
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 02:15 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Charlie_Zetec
For what it would cost for new wheels and winter tyres, I'd consider buying a cheap Discovery or similar for a winter hack!
But then again, I do like a project and expanding the fleet....
I had great pleasure in driving past a stuck Land Rover in the snow two winters ago. He had more normal 'summer' tyres and I had full
winter tyres on my old Zafira....until you have driven your normal car in snow on proper winter tyres you have no idea just what you are all missing
PS I suspect the driver on the Land Rover was partly an idiot when it comes to winter driving but it gives you an idea just what winter tyres can do
PPS Cheap winter tyres are cheap for a reason....just like summer tyres you generally get what you pay for, plenty of German magazines review winter
tyres though so look for the best buys and you won't go far wrong.
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ReMan
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 06:30 PM |
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If your interested theres a lot of part worn winter tyres on eBay.
I'm looking for all year round tyres for my RAV , with any tread at all and keep falling over them!
www.plusnine.co.uk
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