Winter tyres vol 2

[FiF]

alistair1234 said:

RicksAlfas said:

The door jamb sticker should tell you the correct size winter tyre for your car.
If not the handbook will.

Strangely I've checked both and neither tell me.

I know how tyre sizes work, I just don't know how small I can go to 16"/17", and then what corresponding tyre sizes I need.

Also at the moment the rears are wider than the front. Do I still keep this or go the same size all round.

That's surprising re the door sticker, not the owner manual either? Sometimes it's not explicit and all a bit inscrutable with the code.

[ATM]

[FiF]

Is this the sticker or similar? The tyre sizes you're looking for have M&S after them, but need to be 17s to clear the calipers. Obviously you have to refer to your own sticker to make sure.

[Munter]

ATM said:

I'm no expert. But I don't like the look of that camber.

[RicksAlfas]

alistair1234 said:

RicksAlfas said:

The door jamb sticker should tell you the correct size winter tyre for your car.
If not the handbook will.

Strangely I've checked both and neither tell me.

I know how tyre sizes work, I just don't know how small I can go to 16"/17", and then what corresponding tyre sizes I need.

As FiF says look for the ones which say M+S.
(These are not just tyres they are...)

[f1nn]

HocusPocus said:

For the extra grip in cold weather, improved stopping and handling, winters are no brainer.

Not as expensive as people might think for second set of wheels and tyres. About £400 for set of continental winter tyres on steel rims for a VW golf.... buttons relative to the value of the car or the price of a new bumper. I prefer to pay for that one moment when I might need the car to perform an emergency manoeuvre rather than suffer the consequences.

Personal choice on how you want to manage your motoring risks.

You make an interesting point, but on the assumption that winter tyres become less effective at around 7 degrees, how do you manage your motoring risk on a relatively mild day such as today, where the temperature has been over 10 degrees.

You've essentially fitted a set of tyres which make your car handle and stop worse than summers.

[RicksAlfas]

f1nn said:

You make an interesting point, but on the assumption that winter tyres become less effective at around 7 degrees, how do you manage your motoring risk on a relatively mild day such as today, where the temperature has been over 10 degrees.

You've essentially fitted a set of tyres which make your car handle and stop worse than summers.

There isn't a sudden drop off in performance with winters, just as there isn't with summers. It's a gradual process. As the weather gets warmer their tread starts to move around a bit more, an emergency stop would take a bit further, and maximum lateral grip around a corner will be slightly decreased. Your average driver who views any tyre as a necessary evil and will run their £30 Linglong down to the canvas would think the grip from a winter tyre on a hot summer's day was amazing. What I'm getting at is that in normal driving you wouldn't worry. Those very rational and safe Germans are quite happy for most of their population to be running winters from October to March every year.

Out of interest, the max temp I have seen in my car for the last few days has been 5 degrees. We had snow and ice on Saturday and into Sunday. Don't fall into the trap of thinking where you drive is the same for all of us.

[PorkInsider]

ATM said:

Could be wrong but I don't think you've fitted them correctly, they usually go on the outside in place of the ones which are currently under the arches.

[vrsmxtb]

I've been in Tromso, North Norway the last few days and had a rental Opel Mokka. Was on Nokian Haakepelliita's with studs and the grip was amazing!!

Winter tyres definitely justifiable, in fact absolutely necessary there. I might replace my Hankooks with a milder climate Nokian when they wear down or get too old.

[HocusPocus]

If it is a very warm day, I have other cars with summer tyres on, but even then winters should be fine unless you push v hard. If it gets frosty, the grip drop off on summer tyres can be dramatic, and you can feel a huge difference on winter tyres.

Whatever you drive, suggest you never skimp on decent rubber as it is the only bit of your car that touches the road.

[Cliftonite]

HocusPocus said:

If it is a very warm day, I have other cars with summer tyres on, but even then winters should be fine unless you push v hard. If it gets frosty, the grip drop off on summer tyres can be dramatic, and you can feel a huge difference on winter tyres.

Whatever you drive, suggest you never skimp on decent rubber as it is the only bit of your car that touches the road.

Unless, of course, one skimps on decent rubber when other parts may come into contact with the road. And other stuff.

[blearyeyedboy]

HocusPocus said:

If it is a very warm day, I have other cars with summer tyres on, but even then winters should be fine unless you push v hard.

I've run winter tyres all year round without crashing and dying of death. No, you shouldn't take liberties while driving on them but a decent winter tyre in summer is less of a liability than a summer tyre in very cold weather.

[jshell]

blearyeyedboy said:

HocusPocus said:

If it is a very warm day, I have other cars with summer tyres on, but even then winters should be fine unless you push v hard.

I've run winter tyres all year round without crashing and dying of death. No, you shouldn't take liberties while driving on them but a decent winter tyre in summer is less of a liability than a summer tyre in very cold weather.

Probably said it each year, but my Cayenne runs Wintrac Extremes all year round and never once been a problem even in the height of summer on a 180 motorway trip.

[Mr E]

Winters on. 7 degrees at 7am. Typical...

[jon-]

19" winter tyre test up:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Sport-Au...

No surprises with Conti winning again. The Star Performer budget tyre actually looked OK. Sure, it finished 6th but was strong in the wet and dry. Looking at a performance winter tyre for the UK climate, according to this test it's a smarter purchase than the likes of the Nokian and Vred... which is something I didn't think I'd be concluding for another few years

[giblet]

Ran an XJR on winter rubber through the summer a few years back. Didn't have any issues with grip. Ran winters on my awd Galant from November last year through to last month when I switched to a new set. No grip issues again, wasn't exactly driving like a grandad at times either.

On a part worn set of winters this year in the Galant. For £120 including fitting and balancing I can't complain.

[jagnet]

jon- said:

19" winter tyre test up:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Sport-Au...

No surprises with Conti winning again. The Star Performer budget tyre actually looked OK. Sure, it finished 6th but was strong in the wet and dry. Looking at a performance winter tyre for the UK climate, according to this test it's a smarter purchase than the likes of the Nokian and Vred... which is something I didn't think I'd be concluding for another few years

Interesting results. I see the other two tests on the Star Performer rate its wet and dry performances as lacklustre at best, so some major inconsistencies there. Different test conditions perhaps? Not that the main brands are immune to wildly varying test results, but I'd still see it as something of a leap of faith to want to put my own money into a set.

[jshell]

REAL winter tyre test: https://www.naf.no/forbrukertester/dekktester/vint...

[tenohfive]

jon- said:

19" winter tyre test up:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Sport-Au...

No surprises with Conti winning again. The Star Performer budget tyre actually looked OK. Sure, it finished 6th but was strong in the wet and dry. Looking at a performance winter tyre for the UK climate, according to this test it's a smarter purchase than the likes of the Nokian and Vred... which is something I didn't think I'd be concluding for another few years

Are Star Performer the budget arm of one of the major players?
I know it's not unknown in other product circles for the big guys to sink a bit more into their budget arm, bringing them head and shoulders above other budget brands. Wondered if that was in play this year.

Either way, unless I can find a decent discount on Alpin 5's (surprised they tested the 4's in that test btw) I think that's pushed me towards the Conti's as a year round winter tyre.

[nickfrog]

jon- said:

19" winter tyre test up:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2015-Sport-Au...

No surprises with Conti winning again. The Star Performer budget tyre actually looked OK. Sure, it finished 6th but was strong in the wet and dry. Looking at a performance winter tyre for the UK climate, according to this test it's a smarter purchase than the likes of the Nokian and Vred...

In my winter size (225 45 17) the Star Performer is £58 against £74 for the Nokian D4 (Tyreleader). I'd rather spend the extra £16 per tyre, but I can see where you're coming from.