Winter tyres vol 2
Discussion
jon- said:
Mr Happy said:
I'll be in the market for a set of winters, probably this coming week.
Anyone used or have an opinion on the Uniroyal MS Plus 77s? I'm not too worried about longevity as I do less than 10k/year, plus they'll only be on the car until spring.
They seem pretty well liked on Tyre Reviews ( here) so should be a relatively safe punt.
13th overall in a test from this year:Anyone used or have an opinion on the Uniroyal MS Plus 77s? I'm not too worried about longevity as I do less than 10k/year, plus they'll only be on the car until spring.
They seem pretty well liked on Tyre Reviews ( here) so should be a relatively safe punt.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2017-Auto-Bil...
The poor dry performance would put me off
Dry braking over the best winter is only +1.5m (43.7m vs 45.2m) and dry handling against the best winter is 108.3km/h against 110.8km/h - or 2.5km/h difference. Even dry handling against the summer tyre is only 4.9km/h difference.
nickfrog said:
matthias73 said:
Has anyone bought 17" steelies for a 3er?
Don't want to use my staggered 18s but a quick glance online suggests it's not much cheaper to buy steelies over alloys.
You can usually buy cheap 2nd hand square set up alloys, including BMW OE. Look on both ebay and forums. I did it twice and buy selling the alloy+winters package when I sold the car, the depreciation was very small, none on one occasion.Don't want to use my staggered 18s but a quick glance online suggests it's not much cheaper to buy steelies over alloys.
NB 17s won't fit over the m power brakes option
matthias73 said:
Has anyone bought 17" steelies for a 3er?
Don't want to use my staggered 18s but a quick glance online suggests it's not much cheaper to buy steelies over alloys.
I have a set of 17inch bmw alloys complete with a set of pirelli sottozero winters that I need to stick on ebay, if you are interested pm meDon't want to use my staggered 18s but a quick glance online suggests it's not much cheaper to buy steelies over alloys.
Does anyone have a small trailer recommendation?
I may buy a set of winters & switch the wheels over when the temp drops to 4.7 degrees
Then switch back when the sun comes out.
Or maybe I could pass & drive a tad more carefully for the 5 cold days a year
Added bonus, wont get my hands dirty & wont spend an hour changing the wheels to save 5 minute total extra journey times.
After all, you cant go faster than the guy in front & brakes are the same regardless...
I may buy a set of winters & switch the wheels over when the temp drops to 4.7 degrees
Then switch back when the sun comes out.
Or maybe I could pass & drive a tad more carefully for the 5 cold days a year
Added bonus, wont get my hands dirty & wont spend an hour changing the wheels to save 5 minute total extra journey times.After all, you cant go faster than the guy in front & brakes are the same regardless...
Going too have to change to winters tomorrow morning before work. Arrived back from the airport today and it was 0 degrees with heavy frost and frozen rain. The MX-5 was wheel spinning and the back trying to step out at something like 1500rpm in 3rd gear going up the hill to my house. Was wondering if I would actually make it!
Well, my tyres have paid for themselves yesterday - had to do a massive emergency stop. A tanker pulled straight in front of my path, i was travelling at 50mph, he didn't see me coming...
It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
Edited by DailyHack on Monday 23 October 09:13
Dog Star said:
I've been a winter tyre convert for several years now, however the price for my E class on 19"s is a bit rich for me (it also goes back next December) so I'm giving it a miss - I'm allowed to work from home and our other car has them so I'm sure not spunking out over £700.
Actually gave up with that idea and I've just ordered some from tyreleader.co.uk, Toyo Snowproxes. It actually makes good sense as it means I will end up giving the car back with it's original tyres on (they'd have needed changing otherwise) and the winters will do me another two winters on my next car (which I plan on being the same car).The OH made me do it as she was flapping about my drive to work plus the very bad smash we had last year in awful winter weather.
matthias73 said:
In the long run you won't be spending any more (or much more) than you would if you'd not bought winter's. Consumables need replaced and the thing about wheels and tyres are they can be replaced on to subsequent cars.
Plus now you won't did in a fireball
Since the car is leased it works out even better - I don't end up buying tyres that I only stick about 6000 miles on before giving it back - plus I end up with winters for the next car (assuming it's the same car) AND I won't have to replace the tyres on that car either.Plus now you won't did in a fireball
DailyHack said:
Well, my tyres have paid for themselves yesterday - had to do a massive emergency stop. A tanker pulled straight in front of my path, i was travelling at 50mph, he didn't see me coming...
It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
This scenario is precisely how I justify the cost of the tyres and the associated hassle. It's the ability to avoid and retain control of the vehicle in express circumstances.It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
Edited by DailyHack on Monday 23 October 09:13
DailyHack said:
Well, my tyres have paid for themselves yesterday - had to do a massive emergency stop. A tanker pulled straight in front of my path, i was travelling at 50mph, he didn't see me coming...
It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
Unless your standard tyres are awful it's likely with decent non winter tyres on your braking distance would have been even shorter.It was a tense moment, I actually bit my lip as was hurling towards him, on the brakes and horn. I know for a fact if i was on lesser grippier rubber without massive loads of winter thread, i would of t-boned that lorry, food for thought. But i was glad i was on these tyres.
The lorry driver was very apologetic, and even said, he didn't know how i managed to stop in the conditions.. Luckily no-one was behind me!
So you can drive as safely as you can, but you never know at the end of the day.
Edited by DailyHack on Monday 23 October 09:13
Having a deliberation about whether to buy a set of winters again now we are replacing the car.
We’ve got them for the current Mini – a set of standard Cooper 15’s with Goodyear Ultra Grip 8’s. I bought them at the end of 2013 and they’ve lasted all this time and helped to keep the factory 17’s in immaculate condition. So from that angle, they were a worthwhile purchase.
However in non-wintry conditions they offer no performance benefit over the Continental SportContacts fitted to the 17’s, infact it is likely that most of the time the overall performance levels are inferior as it’s almost never -2c outside and a decent UHP tyre will walk over a winter in the wet and dry in non-sub-zero conditions.
I ran them over 4 winters and the only time they ever came into their own was when we deliberately went in search of snow – a couple of times on Dartmoor and a week in the Yorkshire Dales. In this environment they were absolutely fantastic and we had a great time sightseeing in a winter wonderland but day to day there was no real benefit as the weather we get in England simply isn’t wintry enough.
They were so cheap (£300 for the set of brand new at the time wheels and £50 each for the tyres) that I never regretted going for it and its likely that the tyres have been ‘free’ given they save wear on the more expensive summer tyres.
However this time around the story is a bit different. The wheels we have do not fit the new model Mini and the only available 15” size is fairly horrible looking. So, we’d opt for a set of 16 inch MINI Winter wheels and this brings with it a tyre cost increase – we’re looking at about £1k for a set this time which seems rather more expensive and stops it being the ‘well why not’ that it was last time.
Hmmmmm.
We’ve got them for the current Mini – a set of standard Cooper 15’s with Goodyear Ultra Grip 8’s. I bought them at the end of 2013 and they’ve lasted all this time and helped to keep the factory 17’s in immaculate condition. So from that angle, they were a worthwhile purchase.
However in non-wintry conditions they offer no performance benefit over the Continental SportContacts fitted to the 17’s, infact it is likely that most of the time the overall performance levels are inferior as it’s almost never -2c outside and a decent UHP tyre will walk over a winter in the wet and dry in non-sub-zero conditions.
I ran them over 4 winters and the only time they ever came into their own was when we deliberately went in search of snow – a couple of times on Dartmoor and a week in the Yorkshire Dales. In this environment they were absolutely fantastic and we had a great time sightseeing in a winter wonderland but day to day there was no real benefit as the weather we get in England simply isn’t wintry enough.
They were so cheap (£300 for the set of brand new at the time wheels and £50 each for the tyres) that I never regretted going for it and its likely that the tyres have been ‘free’ given they save wear on the more expensive summer tyres.
However this time around the story is a bit different. The wheels we have do not fit the new model Mini and the only available 15” size is fairly horrible looking. So, we’d opt for a set of 16 inch MINI Winter wheels and this brings with it a tyre cost increase – we’re looking at about £1k for a set this time which seems rather more expensive and stops it being the ‘well why not’ that it was last time.
Hmmmmm.
Fox- said:
Unless your standard tyres are awful it's likely with decent non winter tyres on your braking distance would have been even shorter.
That is my understanding too. Although I don't know if that always applies ? Heavy rain / standing water for instance, I don't know. Which may be more critical than on a dry road emergency braking situation.RicksAlfas said:
Jimboka said:
brakes are the same regardless...
Are you suggesting the level of braking is the same regardless of tyre?
t everywhere, then fly off.NRS said:
Going too have to change to winters tomorrow morning before work. Arrived back from the airport today and it was 0 degrees with heavy frost and frozen rain. The MX-5 was wheel spinning and the back trying to step out at something like 1500rpm in 3rd gear going up the hill to my house. Was wondering if I would actually make it!
Glad I changed this morning - coming home from work today and someone had binned it coming down the hill. Summer tyres will out brake winter tyres in the dry at most temperatures, it does get much closer in the wet, and towards freezing the winter should have the advantage.
Fox-, have you considered the CrossClimates? Small dry braking penalty but night and day ahead of any summer in the snow and ice. The wear rates is really strong too.
Fox-, have you considered the CrossClimates? Small dry braking penalty but night and day ahead of any summer in the snow and ice. The wear rates is really strong too.
Gassing Station | Suspension, Brakes & Tyres | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff