Winter tyres fitted today
Discussion
To answer some of the questions.
I was very lucky with the wheels. Spoke to monkfish about recommendations and implications and they said it's fine to run with them. Said ideally I needed 19's to clear AP's. Suggest I call Brett who had the wheels now on my car.
Insurance company admiral knows all my cars have winter tyres and does not need to know when I swap them over. Their only interest is wheels are oem.
As for driving with them you fall in one of two camps:-
Those that have used them
And those that have not.
The difference is night and day. The best analogy that's car related is a F1 car on slicks when the rain is pouring compared to wets.
For me it's a matter of safety. I travel with both my kids and the winters in sub 7 degrees grip, corner and stop better then summers. In icy or snow conditions they are 1000% better. From 7-12 degrees there is not a huge difference and above this you can really start to feel the tread blocks move about, but you get a lot of tactile feedback so you know where you are grip wise. I have now done 100 miles of bedding in on the new tyres and today was around 14 degrees. On a slightly damp road they can take full throttle in second until about 4500rpm when they start to break away. I really don't think this is terrible.
The skeptics out there need to experience to believe, but once you have run on winters you will understand. I can assure you it's not marketing BS. I suggest you check out evo magazine where there is an article about winter versus summers using Bedford coveres in snow and a car jaguar. Chris Harris I believe was the journalist driving and this was my catalyst for buying.
James
I was very lucky with the wheels. Spoke to monkfish about recommendations and implications and they said it's fine to run with them. Said ideally I needed 19's to clear AP's. Suggest I call Brett who had the wheels now on my car.
Insurance company admiral knows all my cars have winter tyres and does not need to know when I swap them over. Their only interest is wheels are oem.
As for driving with them you fall in one of two camps:-
Those that have used them
And those that have not.
The difference is night and day. The best analogy that's car related is a F1 car on slicks when the rain is pouring compared to wets.
For me it's a matter of safety. I travel with both my kids and the winters in sub 7 degrees grip, corner and stop better then summers. In icy or snow conditions they are 1000% better. From 7-12 degrees there is not a huge difference and above this you can really start to feel the tread blocks move about, but you get a lot of tactile feedback so you know where you are grip wise. I have now done 100 miles of bedding in on the new tyres and today was around 14 degrees. On a slightly damp road they can take full throttle in second until about 4500rpm when they start to break away. I really don't think this is terrible.
The skeptics out there need to experience to believe, but once you have run on winters you will understand. I can assure you it's not marketing BS. I suggest you check out evo magazine where there is an article about winter versus summers using Bedford coveres in snow and a car jaguar. Chris Harris I believe was the journalist driving and this was my catalyst for buying.
James
Sohlman said:
The skeptics out there need to experience to believe, but once you have run on winters you will understand.
Too true.The "We never needed them in years gone by" brigade forget that the tyres we use for most of the year have gone from being a general purpose tyre to quite a specialised tyre.
Yes, if you had 20 year old tyre technology today, you'd only need one set for the year - and while they would work better in the cold and snow, they wouldn't hold the road so well in the summer.
stigmundfreud said:
how did we ever survive in the days of drum brakes, all year tyres, no abs, no traction control, no airbags? We drove safer. Ultimate worse combination for winter = 4x4 owner WITH winter tyres
I know nothing you ever say is intended to be taken seriously, but in my experience BMW owners on Summer tyres who don't even know their car is RWD are a far bigger liability.Sohlman said:
To answer some of the questions.
I was very lucky with the wheels. Spoke to monkfish about recommendations and implications and they said it's fine to run with them. Said ideally I needed 19's to clear AP's. Suggest I call Brett who had the wheels now on my car.
Insurance company admiral knows all my cars have winter tyres and does not need to know when I swap them over. Their only interest is wheels are oem.
As for driving with them you fall in one of two camps:-
Those that have used them
And those that have not.
The difference is night and day. The best analogy that's car related is a F1 car on slicks when the rain is pouring compared to wets.
For me it's a matter of safety. I travel with both my kids and the winters in sub 7 degrees grip, corner and stop better then summers. In icy or snow conditions they are 1000% better. From 7-12 degrees there is not a huge difference and above this you can really start to feel the tread blocks move about, but you get a lot of tactile feedback so you know where you are grip wise. I have now done 100 miles of bedding in on the new tyres and today was around 14 degrees. On a slightly damp road they can take full throttle in second until about 4500rpm when they start to break away. I really don't think this is terrible.
The skeptics out there need to experience to believe, but once you have run on winters you will understand. I can assure you it's not marketing BS. I suggest you check out evo magazine where there is an article about winter versus summers using Bedford coveres in snow and a car jaguar. Chris Harris I believe was the journalist driving and this was my catalyst for buying.
James
This ^^^^^^^I was very lucky with the wheels. Spoke to monkfish about recommendations and implications and they said it's fine to run with them. Said ideally I needed 19's to clear AP's. Suggest I call Brett who had the wheels now on my car.
Insurance company admiral knows all my cars have winter tyres and does not need to know when I swap them over. Their only interest is wheels are oem.
As for driving with them you fall in one of two camps:-
Those that have used them
And those that have not.
The difference is night and day. The best analogy that's car related is a F1 car on slicks when the rain is pouring compared to wets.
For me it's a matter of safety. I travel with both my kids and the winters in sub 7 degrees grip, corner and stop better then summers. In icy or snow conditions they are 1000% better. From 7-12 degrees there is not a huge difference and above this you can really start to feel the tread blocks move about, but you get a lot of tactile feedback so you know where you are grip wise. I have now done 100 miles of bedding in on the new tyres and today was around 14 degrees. On a slightly damp road they can take full throttle in second until about 4500rpm when they start to break away. I really don't think this is terrible.
The skeptics out there need to experience to believe, but once you have run on winters you will understand. I can assure you it's not marketing BS. I suggest you check out evo magazine where there is an article about winter versus summers using Bedford coveres in snow and a car jaguar. Chris Harris I believe was the journalist driving and this was my catalyst for buying.
James
I loved my winters when I had them and needed them. Kumho I'Zen I had and perfectly adequate. Also very resistant to aqualplaning in standing water due to very large deep grooves.
007 VXR said:
KMud said:
I know nothing you ever say is intended to be taken seriously, but in my experience BMW owners on Summer tyres who don't even know their car is RWD are a far bigger liability.
t, you saying my bimmer was rwd. Would never have guessed!To be serious for a second, my next door neighbour tried convincing me that his Saab was also rwd. The fact his front wheels were spinning in the snow had totally escaped him!
R8VXF said:
007 VXR said:
KMud said:
I know nothing you ever say is intended to be taken seriously, but in my experience BMW owners on Summer tyres who don't even know their car is RWD are a far bigger liability.
t, you saying my bimmer was rwd. Would never have guessed!To be serious for a second, my next door neighbour tried convincing me that his Saab was also rwd. The fact his front wheels were spinning in the snow had totally escaped him!
Buy a cheap Discovery and use that when there's snow on the ground (its also useful for popping over to France and filling up with wine, or and pushing the steam engines around in the summer)
For those odd days when there is a good covering of snow I leave the Ro at home - not because of my driving ability but because of all the other drivers out there who don't have a clue
The rest of the year I drive it like I stole it!
For those odd days when there is a good covering of snow I leave the Ro at home - not because of my driving ability but because of all the other drivers out there who don't have a clue
The rest of the year I drive it like I stole it!
stigmundfreud said:
Ultimate worse combination for winter = 4x4 owner WITH winter tyres
Yeah, tell me about it, I mean, a competent 4x4 with the correct tyres, loads of clearance, gearboxes (low and High) suited to the speeds and conditions of the road surface, carrying equipment to help others if need be...Gawd... whats the world coming to?!
My daily drive...
So far, with 200 bhp, I've not held anyone up, I can out pace most folk off the traffic light grand prix, carry a tonne, tow another 2.5 tonne, carry 5 adults in leather comfort and ford a 4' deep river without blinking an eye...
We are not all the same.
Not quite my daily drive but about the best off-road fun you can have.
I have used the Defender a lot more than the Gen-F this year but still love it.
I would not bother fitting winter tyres to the Gen-F as I have a few other interesting toys to play with and IF it snows the Quad will be the first thing to play with.
Wife always shakes her head when it snows as it does not matter what time day or night I will be out in it.
Two winters ago my son James and myself too the Can-Am Commander out green laning at night in the snow, what a blast.
Edited by Sarge 4x4 on Saturday 20th December 08:07
Sarge 4x4 said:
Wife always shakes her head when it snows as it does not matter what time day or night I will be out in it.
Two winters ago my son James and myself too the Can-Am Commander out green laning at night in the snow, what a blast.
I can relate to that. On the road, it's not just finding the snow, but it's mentally working out the best route for the conditions, and then when an abandoned car blocks your way on one road, working out the best detour.Two winters ago my son James and myself too the Can-Am Commander out green laning at night in the snow, what a blast.
'Laning used to be horrible on a bike, not knowing where roots and ruts were, under the snow.
Wolfracer said:
stigmundfreud said:
Ultimate worse combination for winter = 4x4 owner WITH winter tyres
Yeah, tell me about it, I mean, a competent 4x4 with the correct tyres, loads of clearance, gearboxes (low and High) suited to the speeds and conditions of the road surface, carrying equipment to help others if need be...Gawd... whats the world coming to?!
My daily drive...
So far, with 200 bhp, I've not held anyone up, I can out pace most folk off the traffic light grand prix, carry a tonne, tow another 2.5 tonne, carry 5 adults in leather comfort and ford a 4' deep river without blinking an eye...
We are not all the same.
btw just checked, I was sure my m5 was awd but s
t the bed its rwdGary H 2008 said:
Possibly stupid question:
With Snow Socks, you only put them on the driven wheels.
With Snow tyres, can you do the same?
Possibly not a good idea. RWD you are not providing the front wheels decent rubber to handle the braking and cornering, FWD you could have some lairy back end action going on in corners.With Snow Socks, you only put them on the driven wheels.
With Snow tyres, can you do the same?
Snow socks are only to get you out of a sticky (stuck or uphill) situation, amazing how many I saw two winters ago laying on hill and in dips.
We will only fit winter/snow tyres to all four corners.
Did see a chap fitting chains to the rear of his Golf..................Yep, FWD Hahaa, he was very embarrassed when I pointed it out.
We will only fit winter/snow tyres to all four corners.
Did see a chap fitting chains to the rear of his Golf..................Yep, FWD Hahaa, he was very embarrassed when I pointed it out.
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