Winter tyres, to bother or not ?

[Nigel Worc's]

Just looking for thoughts, as I'll have to make my mind up this week.

I am driving a VW Caddy van for work, it will need a couple of tyres on the front this week.

I could put winters all round, keeping the two good tyres until spring, or I could just fit new summer tyres to the front.

I've been trying to read up, it looks like all season tyres aren't worth the effort, so either winter or summer, and in this Country winters could be an expensive waste of time.

Over to you lot.

[Nigel Worc's]

I've never had winters on in this country, but I have driven with them in other countries, and if it snows they are worth the effort.

[Nigel Worc's]

Pie with sauce said:

Nigel Worc's said:

and if it snows they are worth the effort.

So you've answered your own question then!

Not really, that's the problem with old Blighty, we haven't even had a frost yet !

[Nigel Worc's]

Fire99 said:

Depends what your 'regular' tyres are...

Budgets, Mohawk, don't get carried away though, the van has all of 69 bhp.

[Nigel Worc's]

DrDoofenshmirtz said:

As a side note - you always fit new tyres to the rear, the existing rear tyres move to the front. In other words, the 'best' tyres go on the back where you need the best traction under heavy braking (where the front's are heavily loaded giving maximum grip, and the rears go lighter giving less grip).

I'll have to think about that.

On BMW's, where I come from as it were, you always put the new ones on the front, as odd as that may seem, as the setup is so sensitive regarding tyres.

[Nigel Worc's]

DrDoofenshmirtz said:

Nigel Worc's said:

DrDoofenshmirtz said:

As a side note - you always fit new tyres to the rear, the existing rear tyres move to the front. In other words, the 'best' tyres go on the back where you need the best traction under heavy braking (where the front's are heavily loaded giving maximum grip, and the rears go lighter giving less grip).

I'll have to think about that.

On BMW's, where I come from as it were, you always put the new ones on the front, as odd as that may seem, as the setup is so sensitive regarding tyres.

Being a BMW makes no difference.

Yes it does I promise you, I've had six of them.

[Nigel Worc's]

Sparkov said:

Try reversing the question and ask yourself why you need summer-specific tyres at all when all seasons or winters would do you fine for the whole year. I imagine year round mobility is more important for a work van than achieving the best possible dry weather grip during the warmer months.

I believe, but I'm open to be wrong, that summer tyres are harder, so last longer, so cost less per mile.

[Nigel Worc's]

Don't laugh guys, these seem to have a C rating for wet grip, better than many more expensive winter tyres :

http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/ling-long/gr...

I'm seriously thinking of getting four (I have some spare wheels), at that price it seems like a good bet to have two sets of tyres, changing back and forth as needed.

Anyone any experience of them ?