Winter tyres.. wheels... partworns?
Discussion
First off I'm sorry, I know another thread about winter tyres ect.
So I'm off to Luxembourg at the end of November and the rules suggest that it's likely we might need winter tyres,
so rather than risk it I'll get a set put on the Tucson.
My questions are thusly :-
1. Part worn? Does one get a set, have the current original tyres taken off, the winter part worn put on, go to on holiday, come back
and then reverse the operation (I can't image it's good practice to keep taking tyres on and off? )
2. New tyres only? Get a new set, swop over using the existing wheels, go on holiday and then swop back.
3. New wheels fitted with winter tyres and get the local garage to swop the whole wheel set ? The current wheels are 19inch, do I have to have
the same size or can I put slightly smaller ones on?
I suspect the only sensible answer is 3 and then just have a set of winter tyres to use each year. But I'm new to this idea!
Current tyres are only summer rated and only have 3.5K miles on from factory fit (April 2023)
Thanks
So I'm off to Luxembourg at the end of November and the rules suggest that it's likely we might need winter tyres,
so rather than risk it I'll get a set put on the Tucson.
My questions are thusly :-
1. Part worn? Does one get a set, have the current original tyres taken off, the winter part worn put on, go to on holiday, come back
and then reverse the operation (I can't image it's good practice to keep taking tyres on and off? )
2. New tyres only? Get a new set, swop over using the existing wheels, go on holiday and then swop back.
3. New wheels fitted with winter tyres and get the local garage to swop the whole wheel set ? The current wheels are 19inch, do I have to have
the same size or can I put slightly smaller ones on?
I suspect the only sensible answer is 3 and then just have a set of winter tyres to use each year. But I'm new to this idea!
Current tyres are only summer rated and only have 3.5K miles on from factory fit (April 2023)
Thanks
Bluemondy said:
First off I'm sorry, I know another thread about winter tyres ect.
So I'm off to Luxembourg at the end of November and the rules suggest that it's likely we might need winter tyres,
so rather than risk it I'll get a set put on the Tucson.
My questions are thusly :-
1. Part worn? Does one get a set, have the current original tyres taken off, the winter part worn put on, go to on holiday, come back
and then reverse the operation (I can't image it's good practice to keep taking tyres on and off? )
2. New tyres only? Get a new set, swop over using the existing wheels, go on holiday and then swop back.
3. New wheels fitted with winter tyres and get the local garage to swop the whole wheel set ? The current wheels are 19inch, do I have to have
the same size or can I put slightly smaller ones on?
I suspect the only sensible answer is 3 and then just have a set of winter tyres to use each year. But I'm new to this idea!
Current tyres are only summer rated and only have 3.5K miles on from factory fit (April 2023)
Thanks
I've had RWD BMWs for years, and after finding out how useless they are in snow in 2010 I've been fitting winter tyres every year. So I'm off to Luxembourg at the end of November and the rules suggest that it's likely we might need winter tyres,
so rather than risk it I'll get a set put on the Tucson.
My questions are thusly :-
1. Part worn? Does one get a set, have the current original tyres taken off, the winter part worn put on, go to on holiday, come back
and then reverse the operation (I can't image it's good practice to keep taking tyres on and off? )
2. New tyres only? Get a new set, swop over using the existing wheels, go on holiday and then swop back.
3. New wheels fitted with winter tyres and get the local garage to swop the whole wheel set ? The current wheels are 19inch, do I have to have
the same size or can I put slightly smaller ones on?
I suspect the only sensible answer is 3 and then just have a set of winter tyres to use each year. But I'm new to this idea!
Current tyres are only summer rated and only have 3.5K miles on from factory fit (April 2023)
Thanks
I wouldn't bother with part-worn winters as I believe they only cope properly with snow if they have at least 4mm of tread, although they'd still be better than summers in low temperatures especially on damp roads.
You can use smaller diameter wheels. On BMWs there is a sticker on the driver's door jamb that lists the various sizes and the tyre pressures and the winters are usually at least an inch smaller, but they still need to be big enough to clear the front brakes.
I had an E91 325i that came fitted with 16" winters and I used 17" summers, but the E90 330i I replaced it with needed 17" winters because it had bigger front breaks.
I couldn't be bothered with getting tyres swapped each time - I've always had a set of wheels fitted with each type then just swapped wheels.
You could buy used ones - I got my first set of winters with good tread depth for an E46 3 Series from someone who had sold his car.
Or buy a cheap set of used wheels with worn tyres and put new winter tyres on them.
If you'll never need them again you could always sell them when you get home.
A second set of wheels is by far the easiest option rather than paying for swapping tyres on and off rims.
I run all terrains with 3 peak mountain symbol on my Landrover all year round so don't need to but my son has a VW Polo, picked up a set of decent second hand alloys which came with used winter tyres for £100 2 years ago. Ran those tyres the 1st winter then bought 4 new winter tyres at start of November last year. Seems initially more expensive but you're spreading out the miles over 2 sets of tyres. We live down a lane off a single track road in an area prone to snow. His 2wd Polo on winter tyres copes perfectly and never got stuck yet.
I run all terrains with 3 peak mountain symbol on my Landrover all year round so don't need to but my son has a VW Polo, picked up a set of decent second hand alloys which came with used winter tyres for £100 2 years ago. Ran those tyres the 1st winter then bought 4 new winter tyres at start of November last year. Seems initially more expensive but you're spreading out the miles over 2 sets of tyres. We live down a lane off a single track road in an area prone to snow. His 2wd Polo on winter tyres copes perfectly and never got stuck yet.
Thanks. Seems the most sensible option is too have two sets of wheels.
I can't quiet get my head around going from the fitted 19" to maybe 18" winters as it seems you don't get the width?
I'll give Rimstyle a call tomorrow as they gave a good selection of alloys and can fit XL rated Winter tyres as a package. Seems like a decent set if alloys with mid range named winter xl's is running around £1500.
I can't quiet get my head around going from the fitted 19" to maybe 18" winters as it seems you don't get the width?
I'll give Rimstyle a call tomorrow as they gave a good selection of alloys and can fit XL rated Winter tyres as a package. Seems like a decent set if alloys with mid range named winter xl's is running around £1500.
Note that the tyre label on the driver’s door is not always a good indication of the minimum size. My tyre label includes 17” sizes, but has the larger brake size, so 18” is my minimum. Yes, the car is from new and the brake size is from new.
You won’t want a wide tyre for winter, narrower tyres work better for snow grip.
You won’t want a wide tyre for winter, narrower tyres work better for snow grip.
I've usually bought a set of used OE wheels same or smaller rims for winter. Tyres should be same or narrower too. The data on the door pillar will tell you exactly what to get.
Narrower tyres put more pressure on the contact patch making it grip better in ice and snow.
Mytyres.co.uk sell complete wheel and tyre packages matched to your car reg for decent money too (but check the small print on the tyres).
Narrower tyres put more pressure on the contact patch making it grip better in ice and snow.
Mytyres.co.uk sell complete wheel and tyre packages matched to your car reg for decent money too (but check the small print on the tyres).
Worth giving https://www.mrwinterwheels.co.uk/hyundai-winter-wh... a call, they were very reasonably priced when I bought a set for my BMW.
Just a thought. Rather than buying a new set of winters and alloys to suit, what about about fitting Michelin Cross Climates? They are apparently certified for countries where winter tyres are mandatory. But you could then use them when you return and continue using them till they wear out, and then return back to your current tyres.
If you didn’t then want to use them back home and swap back, and my hunch would be that Cross Climates may be easier to sell than dedicated winters?
I’ve been running all seasons for a couple of years and haven’t experienced any more road noise and certainly no worse performance in dry and sunny conditions. If they are truly certified for winter use in euro countries that require it I’d not hesitate to swap to all seasons instead.
I found this article too:
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonhea...
As an aside if you did go for winters, and a new set of wheels, I’d go for black steels! That seemed to be the done (cool?) thing a few years ago when I saw many a high performance merc on black steels. Possibly cheaper than a nice set of alloys?
Enjoy your holiday!
If you didn’t then want to use them back home and swap back, and my hunch would be that Cross Climates may be easier to sell than dedicated winters?
I’ve been running all seasons for a couple of years and haven’t experienced any more road noise and certainly no worse performance in dry and sunny conditions. If they are truly certified for winter use in euro countries that require it I’d not hesitate to swap to all seasons instead.
I found this article too:
https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonhea...
As an aside if you did go for winters, and a new set of wheels, I’d go for black steels! That seemed to be the done (cool?) thing a few years ago when I saw many a high performance merc on black steels. Possibly cheaper than a nice set of alloys?
Enjoy your holiday!
I’ve a neighbour that has a Tuscon that has all season tyres on it from the factory .. might be worth checking yours
On that point I run a Mini Countryman with Goodyear Vector 4 seasons on it all year round and the tyres are ace in all weathers and almost as good as full winters in bad weather
For reference I also run a BMW where i swop between winter/summer wheelsets
Depending where you are in the U.K. I think all seasons should be the default tyre
On that point I run a Mini Countryman with Goodyear Vector 4 seasons on it all year round and the tyres are ace in all weathers and almost as good as full winters in bad weather
For reference I also run a BMW where i swop between winter/summer wheelsets
Depending where you are in the U.K. I think all seasons should be the default tyre
I buy used winter tyres all the time. The perfect time to by them is in the spring/summer after the ski season when people find them cluttering up their garages. Many people sell them having only covered one trip and changing cars leaving them spare and sizes no longer matching. When I buy them they normally have 7+mm on them and I take my depth gauge along to check or renegotiate.
What's so good about buying used winters? 1) Cheap; 2) you can see inside the carcass for puncture repairs and damage - you can't do that with tyres that are already fitted on alloys.
What's so good about buying used winters? 1) Cheap; 2) you can see inside the carcass for puncture repairs and damage - you can't do that with tyres that are already fitted on alloys.
Earthdweller said:
On that point I run a Mini Countryman with Goodyear Vector 4 seasons on it all year round and the tyres are ace in all weathers and almost as good as full winters in bad weather.
Snap! And also the same experience as you 
I stopped short of recommending them for Luxembourg as I haven’t checked their certification as ‘winter tyres’ as my brief googling came up with Michelin’s first. Will go away and research whether the Good years hold the certification.
I have a second set of wheels and run Continental AllSeasonContacts when the weather is regularly below 8c. They have the three peak alpine symbol so should be compliant for winter tyre requirements in Europe. Were fine in France and Spain last year in the snow, just treat them as slightly less good winters which then perform better than winters in our UK temperate weather in winter.
thepritch said:
Earthdweller said:
On that point I run a Mini Countryman with Goodyear Vector 4 seasons on it all year round and the tyres are ace in all weathers and almost as good as full winters in bad weather.
Snap! And also the same experience as you I stopped short of recommending them for Luxembourg as I haven’t checked their certification as ‘winter tyres’ as my brief googling came up with Michelin’s first. Will go away and research whether the Good years hold the certification.
Set of spare steels is the easiest. In fact alloys cost about £5 more a corner for my Yeti so I got them.
Regarding tread depth, it's not really the tread that grips in snow, it's the sipes. The micro slits all over the tread surface. They fill with snow and that snow grips the snow on the ground. Obv tread helps! But it's the sipes that do the real work. Part worns can be a bargain, and changing tyres doesn't do them any harm :-) more likely to scratch your rims.
Regarding tread depth, it's not really the tread that grips in snow, it's the sipes. The micro slits all over the tread surface. They fill with snow and that snow grips the snow on the ground. Obv tread helps! But it's the sipes that do the real work. Part worns can be a bargain, and changing tyres doesn't do them any harm :-) more likely to scratch your rims.
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