Winter tyres vol 2

[Pooh]

Pooh said:

DeaconFrost said:

Pooh said:

I haven't read through the entire thread but does anybody have any experience of the Nokian WR A4 winter tyre? It is quite new and there do not seem to be any reviews of it.
I am looking for winter tyres and they seem to be good without being too expensive.

I have them and had the WRA3's before. They're excellent. I'd never run anything else. They seem particularly suited to UK winters.

Thanks, I will get them ordered.

Very impressed with them so far, a bit squidgy when the temperature has been high for the time of year but very good on a few mornings when the temperature has been sub zero and the roads where wet and muddy.

[RammyMP]

Pooh said:

Pooh said:

DeaconFrost said:

Pooh said:

I haven't read through the entire thread but does anybody have any experience of the Nokian WR A4 winter tyre? It is quite new and there do not seem to be any reviews of it.
I am looking for winter tyres and they seem to be good without being too expensive.

I have them and had the WRA3's before. They're excellent. I'd never run anything else. They seem particularly suited to UK winters.

Thanks, I will get them ordered.

Very impressed with them so far, a bit squidgy when the temperature has been high for the time of year but very good on a few mornings when the temperature has been sub zero and the roads where wet and muddy.

I've done 4000 miles on mine so far. Very pleased with them, wet grip is great.

[Slow]

Bought a pair of winters today. Ruined my car. Only got them on the rear the same as what I did with my E46 2 years ago which still handled like a dream.

Mine now feels like the rear end is about to jump out sideways even on a straight road, feels incredibily twitchy. If I shake the car side to side by hand I see the sidewalls flexing so much compared to summers. Like the actual wheels inside the tyre are moving side to side with the tyre.

Traction control keeps flashing up too now when I havent changed driving style at all. Been a solid 1-4 degrees all day with some snow in sections (freshly landed with no ice so summers were fine).

Really doesnt feel safe atall, went for a overtake on a NSL road and booted it in 3rd at 45 mph and pulled out only for the traction control to flicker and almost send me into the side of the truck as the power cut from the wheel which must of span up, the car isnt a rocket ship as it only has 230bhp and in third. My summers which are half worn cheap-ish brands never did this, even on the same journey 20 minutes prior to tyres fitted.

Could it be tyre defects? Doesnt feel right at all.

[irish boy]

This years winter beater, '99 Honda hr-v. Tyre choice...vredstein snowtrack 5. Just need some cold weather now!

[bertie]

Slow said:

Bought a pair of winters today. Ruined my car. Only got them on the rear the same as what I did with my E46 2 years ago which still handled like a dream.

Mine now feels like the rear end is about to jump out sideways even on a straight road, feels incredibily twitchy. If I shake the car side to side by hand I see the sidewalls flexing so much compared to summers. Like the actual wheels inside the tyre are moving side to side with the tyre.

Traction control keeps flashing up too now when I havent changed driving style at all. Been a solid 1-4 degrees all day with some snow in sections (freshly landed with no ice so summers were fine).

Really doesnt feel safe atall, went for a overtake on a NSL road and booted it in 3rd at 45 mph and pulled out only for the traction control to flicker and almost send me into the side of the truck as the power cut from the wheel which must of span up, the car isnt a rocket ship as it only has 230bhp and in third. My summers which are half worn cheap-ish brands never did this, even on the same journey 20 minutes prior to tyres fitted.

Could it be tyre defects? Doesnt feel right at all.

I know it's too obvious but have you checked the pressures?

Just a thought

[Pooh]

Slow said:

Bought a pair of winters today. Ruined my car. Only got them on the rear the same as what I did with my E46 2 years ago which still handled like a dream.

Mine now feels like the rear end is about to jump out sideways even on a straight road, feels incredibily twitchy. If I shake the car side to side by hand I see the sidewalls flexing so much compared to summers. Like the actual wheels inside the tyre are moving side to side with the tyre.

Traction control keeps flashing up too now when I havent changed driving style at all. Been a solid 1-4 degrees all day with some snow in sections (freshly landed with no ice so summers were fine).

Really doesnt feel safe atall, went for a overtake on a NSL road and booted it in 3rd at 45 mph and pulled out only for the traction control to flicker and almost send me into the side of the truck as the power cut from the wheel which must of span up, the car isnt a rocket ship as it only has 230bhp and in third. My summers which are half worn cheap-ish brands never did this, even on the same journey 20 minutes prior to tyres fitted.

Could it be tyre defects? Doesnt feel right at all.

Which tyres did you fit and why did you only put them on the back, surely being able to stop is important?

[RicksAlfas]

Pooh said:

Which tyres did you fit and why did you only put them on the back, surely being able to stop is important?

Or steer?

[Pooh]

RicksAlfas said:

Pooh said:

Which tyres did you fit and why did you only put them on the back, surely being able to stop is important?

Or steer?

Good point, I didn't think of that.

[Prinny]

Slow said:

Bought a pair of winters today. Ruined my car. Only got them on the rear the same as what I did with my E46 2 years ago which still handled like a dream.

Mine now feels like the rear end is about to jump out sideways even on a straight road, feels incredibily twitchy. If I shake the car side to side by hand I see the sidewalls flexing so much compared to summers. Like the actual wheels inside the tyre are moving side to side with the tyre.

Traction control keeps flashing up too now when I havent changed driving style at all. Been a solid 1-4 degrees all day with some snow in sections (freshly landed with no ice so summers were fine).

Really doesnt feel safe atall, went for a overtake on a NSL road and booted it in 3rd at 45 mph and pulled out only for the traction control to flicker and almost send me into the side of the truck as the power cut from the wheel which must of span up, the car isnt a rocket ship as it only has 230bhp and in third. My summers which are half worn cheap-ish brands never did this, even on the same journey 20 minutes prior to tyres fitted.

Could it be tyre defects? Doesnt feel right at all.

Or it could be that they're still covered in release agent / got 8-9mm of tread depth compared to your tyres you've taken off/ much softer sidewalls / wrong pressures?

Honeslty, given where you are in the country, I'd expect you to see some benefit from them (I do, even on the Pennines), check pressures (maybe add 2-3psi over summer rating), and give it 500 miles - if you still think they're rubbish then - fair enough - but 1 day is never enough to form a definitive opinon (in my opinion! )

[Slow]

Pooh said:

RicksAlfas said:

Pooh said:

Which tyres did you fit and why did you only put them on the back, surely being able to stop is important?

Or steer?

Good point, I didn't think of that.

Not quite sure on the brand, friends with a local tyre garage and he said they are Michelin cheap brand I think, they werent hugely cheap compared to some stuff though. 2 years ago I ran £40 a corner winters and they performed better than these.

Why I only fit them to the back is I live up a single track lane, if I have drive I can get up the hill. Yes having the fronts too would be nicer but I only run them for a month or so when the snow is bad so not worth it for me. The moment the snow is gone for the year (generally late jan) I swap straight back to summers.

I dont buy into the whole better below 7 degree stuff. I drive to the conditions and the winters are purely for the snow as theres large ungritted/unplowed hills.

[Slow]

Prinny said:

Or it could be that they're still covered in release agent / got 8-9mm of tread depth compared to your tyres you've taken off/ much softer sidewalls / wrong pressures?

Honeslty, given where you are in the country, I'd expect you to see some benefit from them (I do, even on the Pennines), check pressures (maybe add 2-3psi over summer rating), and give it 500 miles - if you still think they're rubbish then - fair enough - but 1 day is never enough to form a definitive opinon (in my opinion! )

Tyres just came off have only done 1000 miles so hope they are still pretty fresh! Checked the pressures and they are spot on, might try bump it up a few psi.

The sidewalls are what appears to be made of paper, the wheel just moves side to side in the tyre really easily.

[Pooh]

Slow said:

I dont buy into the whole better below 7 degree stuff. I drive to the conditions and the winters are purely for the snow as theres large ungritted/unplowed hills.

The fact is, a good winter tyre will give you better grip and shorter stopping distances on a cold wet road than a summer tyre, particularly a high performance summer tyre. How do you drive to the conditions, do you drive everywhere more slowly?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/should-i-bu...

[Fox-]

Pooh said:

The fact is, a good winter tyre will give you better grip and shorter stopping distances on a cold wet road than a summer tyre, particularly a high performance summer tyre.

I don't think this is the fact at all. It's also a scenario that is curiously avoided whenever any objective test data is published.

Any data from Continental showing a SportContact 6 versus a WinterContact TS850P braking distance in the wet? Didn't think so, plenty showing the TS850 against a 'Summer Tyre' or a random midrange though.

Remember too that not all UHP summer tyres are equal. I have Pirelli PZero's all round this year. They are absolutely dire and if I hadn't spent years driving on Eagle F1 Assymetric 2's knowing how good a UHP tyre can be when its cold and wet I'd probably be on the 'UHP tyres suck in the cold' bandwagon as well.

Last year in a 245ps 530d I could count on one hand the number of times I saw the DSC light over winter on the Assymetric 2's. This year in a 258ps 530d on PZero's I'm constantly fighting for traction even with half throttle get aways!

[Slow]

Pooh said:

Slow said:

I dont buy into the whole better below 7 degree stuff. I drive to the conditions and the winters are purely for the snow as theres large ungritted/unplowed hills.

The fact is, a good winter tyre will give you better grip and shorter stopping distances on a cold wet road than a summer tyre, particularly a high performance summer tyre. How do you drive to the conditions, do you drive everywhere more slowly?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/should-i-bu...

Dont disagree with the facts, but I find a summer tyre still good enough for me.

I drive to the conditions by not being a fanny on the road. Even when I meet a car head-on on the single track lanes my Abs doesnt have to kick in so im not losing any stopping distance by being locked up anyway.

Only car ive ever had 4x winters on was my Range Rover when I owned it, only did this because was towing trailers with 3ton on while it snowed/was icy. Other than that my fwd cars have never had winters and rwd has only been on the rear.

We arent talking south of England flutter of snow either. Talking ramming 2 foot snow drifts.

[andyps]

Slow said:

Why I only fit them to the back is I live up a single track lane, if I have drive I can get up the hill.

I'm intrigued to know how you steer down the hill and stop at the bottom if it is covered in snow, or do you just stay at home

[Slow]

andyps said:

Slow said:

Why I only fit them to the back is I live up a single track lane, if I have drive I can get up the hill.

I'm intrigued to know how you steer down the hill and stop at the bottom if it is covered in snow, or do you just stay at home

You can steer down a hill on summer tyres that you couldnt drive up. Yes its not perfect but keep the car in a low gear and be gentle with inputs. Its not exactly some magic trick. If its that icy you have absolutely no steering or breaking your winter tyres arent going to help, you need studded ones.

Its worse to get 3/4 the way up on summer tyres and get stuck. You can stop moving but that blocks the road so you must come back down however theres no real steering when going down a hill backwards (had no abs either due to a fault with a speed sensor) that if you touched brakes went sideways. Like I did, into a ditch. Took 2 land rovers and a gritter lorry to get me out. Have since done that hill countless times on just winter tyres on the back and never had a problem.

[diddles]

Pooh said:

Slow said:

I dont buy into the whole better below 7 degree stuff. I drive to the conditions and the winters are purely for the snow as theres large ungritted/unplowed hills.

The fact is, a good winter tyre will give you better grip and shorter stopping distances on a cold wet road than a summer tyre, particularly a high performance summer tyre. How do you drive to the conditions, do you drive everywhere more slowly?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/should-i-bu...

+1

Driving everywhere slowly during the winter months with the added hassle of getting stuck really sucks.

I choose to continue to enjoy driving through the winter months as I fit the correct boots for the job.

[loskie]

"Talking ramming 2 foot snow drifts"

Whilst "not being a fanny".

Mmm really.

[Slow]

So the tyres have 45 psi in them.... This might explain things!

[bertie]

Slow said:

So the tyres have 45 psi in them.... This might explain things!

Errrrr, I hate to say.......