Calling all winter tyre users
Discussion
Another heavy dump of snow overnight in the Midlands. What a joy to drive up the long gentle slope from our house on my £67 budget Ovation winter tyres with no loss of traction whatsoever. Last year the front wheels were spinning on a leading brand of summer tyre with the car wanting to slip sideways down the camber into the wall.
kambites said:
Apologies if this has been asked before, but presumably you have to meet the speed and load rating requirements when fitting winter tyres just as with summer tyres?
Check with your manual.My manual (Lexus GS) states that it is acceptable to go down one speed rating for winter tyres. So my car is on H rating = 130mph. Doubt I'll be getting close to that this winter.
Load ratings i guess should be the same.
My daughter's Aygo are on same ratings as her summer tyres as they are easy to find.
kambites said:
The manual doesn't say, it just recommends one particular model of tyre which is now out of production.
What car is it & what is the size suggested standard & winters? Most tyre manufacturers update their tyre models every year or so its not unusual. Also check the tyre pressure sticker that usually has the sizes & ratings for each type written on it.
Ullevi said:
kambites said:
Apologies if this has been asked before, but presumably you have to meet the speed and load rating requirements when fitting winter tyres just as with summer tyres?
Check with your manual.
The Golf is cleared to run on H, and I've assumed the 'teg is the same, as it's very difficult to get V-rated winter tyres in 15" fitment (OE spec is W-rated)...
On my 1994 G-wagon I have fitted the narrowest winter tyre I can find that maintains the original rolling radius.
Yokohama Geolandar I/T+ winter ice traction in 215R16.
When I first fitted them I was simply gobsmacked how much better they were compared to my factory fitted M+S Goodyear Wranglers 255/65 R15 (with 7mm).
The difference is that from walking pace the Yokohamas will stop my heavy 4x4 easily on the steep ice encrusted slope of my driveway, the Goodyears won’t. It is truly amazing to see.
The Subaru was fitted with Continental winter tyres and can drive straight out of this:
Yokohama Geolandar I/T+ winter ice traction in 215R16.
When I first fitted them I was simply gobsmacked how much better they were compared to my factory fitted M+S Goodyear Wranglers 255/65 R15 (with 7mm).
The difference is that from walking pace the Yokohamas will stop my heavy 4x4 easily on the steep ice encrusted slope of my driveway, the Goodyears won’t. It is truly amazing to see.
The Subaru was fitted with Continental winter tyres and can drive straight out of this:
This sounds a sensible thing to do, along with fitting ambulances with winter tyres:
MSP in snow tyres for Highland community nurses call
Community nurses working in rural parts of the Highlands have asked that cars they are provided with be fitted with snow tyres as standard in winter.
Staff have contacted Labour MSP Rhoda Grant to highlight that under car leasing agreements they have to pay for the tyres themselves.
Ms Grant said it was "ludicrous" nurses were having to foot the bill.
NHS Highland said it would investigate whether the agreements, which are set at national level, could be changed.
Ms Grant said: "It seems to be ludicrous that community nurses are prevented from having their cars fitted with tyres that are more appropriate to the winter conditions in the areas they cover.
"These journeys would be safer if their cars were better equipped to deal with winter conditions."
MSP in snow tyres for Highland community nurses call
Community nurses working in rural parts of the Highlands have asked that cars they are provided with be fitted with snow tyres as standard in winter.
Staff have contacted Labour MSP Rhoda Grant to highlight that under car leasing agreements they have to pay for the tyres themselves.
Ms Grant said it was "ludicrous" nurses were having to foot the bill.
NHS Highland said it would investigate whether the agreements, which are set at national level, could be changed.
Ms Grant said: "It seems to be ludicrous that community nurses are prevented from having their cars fitted with tyres that are more appropriate to the winter conditions in the areas they cover.
"These journeys would be safer if their cars were better equipped to deal with winter conditions."
Ozone said:
So having waded through about 20 pages of this thread and giving up, (i decided not to start another thread), has anybody tried Nanking Snow SV-2s (225/40 R18 92H XL), Mytyres have them up at £100 each - just asking.... 
The issue with budget winter tyres is not the snow performance, it's how they cope when it gets warm (above freezing) and wet. This is where cheap winter tyres can show their budget nature and perform terribly.The new Nokian WR A3 is under £150 a tyre in that size, and there's still a few WR G2s floating around for under £130. I've heard reports of people leaving the Nokians all year, so they can certainly cope with our mild winters.
I'm of the opinion budget winters are, ironically, only any good where there's lots of snow.
I'm also interested in the Nankangs. Mainly because they are about the only tyres that seem to be available in the size 205/55 R16 91V. I can get a lower speed rating, higher axle load or run flat. I'm a bit surprised at the lack of available tyres in the size as I thought it a very common spec.
Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
niva441 said:
I'm also interested in the Nankangs. Mainly because they are about the only tyres that seem to be available in the size 205/55 R16 91V.
You can match the speed rating and get a slightly higher load rating (94V XL) in the Dunlop Winter Sport 4d. I had the fortune of driving on these in Sweeden, they're just about as good as they get in the snow and ice before you start sticking studs in the tyres.Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it, but I'm trying to avoid stiffer, higher load range tyres. So that the car can better cope with our cack road surfaces, the same reason I downgraded the Volvo to 16" wheels. However given any decent tyres seem only to be available in the higher load range, I may well end up compromising.
niva441 said:
I'm also interested in the Nankangs. Mainly because they are about the only tyres that seem to be available in the size 205/55 R16 91V. I can get a lower speed rating, higher axle load or run flat. I'm a bit surprised at the lack of available tyres in the size as I thought it a very common spec.
Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
I bought a Nokian WR G2 in that size and load rating last week from Oponeo.Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
Speed rating was H, but I think 130MPH should be enough.
niva441 said:
I'm also interested in the Nankangs. Mainly because they are about the only tyres that seem to be available in the size 205/55 R16 91V. I can get a lower speed rating, higher axle load or run flat. I'm a bit surprised at the lack of available tyres in the size as I thought it a very common spec.
Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
I bought HS439s last winter to fit my 123d (225/40-18) and I can thoroughly recommend them on the slight proviso that they're the only winter tyres Ive ever driven on. I fitted them in late October and due to the summer tyre of choice being in short supply, they were left on until mid May including through what turned out to the UK summer in late April having covered about 8k miles. Overall in snow and ice they were very good, the car went from being a liability even getting it off the drive to something that I sought the uncleared / ungritted back roads to work in 6" of snow with no concerns at all about getting stuck or losing control. http://youtu.be/RmDmSk-ddA4Alternatively has anyone tried Falken HS 439?
On dry tarmac they don't have the outright grip of a good summer tyre as there's more block movement when cornering hard, but they werent at all bad and quite fun to push to their limit. Economy was no different to my summer tyre and they've only worn about 1.5mm on the rears so with a bit or rotation should be good for 2-3 more winters before getting down below the ~4mm threshold most recommend not to go past with winter tyres.
LocoBlade said:
I bought HS439s last winter to fit my 123d (225/40-18) and I can thoroughly recommend them on the slight proviso that they're the only winter tyres Ive ever driven on. I fitted them in late October and due to the summer tyre of choice being in short supply, they were left on until mid May including through what turned out to the UK summer in late April having covered about 8k miles. Overall in snow and ice they were very good, the car went from being a liability even getting it off the drive to something that I sought the uncleared / ungritted back roads to work in 6" of snow with no concerns at all about getting stuck or losing control. http://youtu.be/RmDmSk-ddA4
On dry tarmac they don't have the outright grip of a good summer tyre as there's more block movement when cornering hard, but they werent at all bad and quite fun to push to their limit. Economy was no different to my summer tyre and they've only worn about 1.5mm on the rears so with a bit or rotation should be good for 2-3 more winters before getting down below the ~4mm threshold most recommend not to go past with winter tyres.
Thats handy to know, thanks.On dry tarmac they don't have the outright grip of a good summer tyre as there's more block movement when cornering hard, but they werent at all bad and quite fun to push to their limit. Economy was no different to my summer tyre and they've only worn about 1.5mm on the rears so with a bit or rotation should be good for 2-3 more winters before getting down below the ~4mm threshold most recommend not to go past with winter tyres.
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