Winter tyres vol 2

[irc]

NomduJour said:

bolidemichael said:

I'm surprised that they are more comfortable, my lazy assumption being that the winters have XL sidewalls but not the summers. Greater stiffness would mean less comfort.

I’d wager a couple of psi either way would make more difference to ride than going up or down a load rating.

My Goodyear Vector 4 Season have standard sidewalls.

https://www.asdatyres.co.uk/goodyear/vector-4seaso...

Though I agree that many all seasons are XL.

Biggest surprise was how well the fronts did on recent snow despite being down to 4mm. I was thinking of changing them soon but quite happy to go to around 2.5mm-3mm now. Might get as better deal come the summer anyway.

[NomduJour]

XL doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stiffer, just that the construction is designed for higher pressure and load.

[5s Alive]

NomduJour said:

XL doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stiffer, just that the construction is designed for higher pressure and load.

Indeed, last winters I ordered arrived as XL when I had actually ordered the standard version. Expecting the ride to be a bit harsher I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were comfortably compliant.

[bolidemichael]

NomduJour said:

XL doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stiffer, just that the construction is designed for higher pressure and load.

It seems quite self evident, now that you state it like that.

[brickwall]

bolidemichael said:

NomduJour said:

XL doesn’t necessarily mean they’re stiffer, just that the construction is designed for higher pressure and load.

It seems quite self evident, now that you state it like that.

I don’t know if mine are XL or not - they’re on an M140i and (I think) 95 load rating. They’re also V speed rated (240 kph) vs the ZR rating on the summers. W-rated versions were available (270 kph) but were a lot more expensive.

Also the rears are slightly larger profile than the summers they replaced (235/40 vs 245/35) which might be helping a bit.

[MesoForm]

F20CN16 said:

“It’s only one or two days a year”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-643...

Thankfully no one died in this one.

We had 5 die in Norfolk over the weekend.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23254910.police-warni...

Couldn't find any winter tyres to fit my wife's A5 this year but she's working from home and can use my car (on Cross Climates) when it's cold.

[BoRED S2upid]

First time in years the cross climates on the Volvo came in handy today. Loads of people stuck in 2cm of snow and ice whilst the wife zips past them worth the extra few quid.

[Sheepshanks]

Sheepshanks said:

otolith said:

It is at least four wheel drive, so it gets going OK, but any braking gets some immediate ABS action.

To be fair, as I commented a few posts ago, wife’s 4Motion Tiguan on Winter’s pulls away like it’s on dry tarmac.

Brilliant, you think. Then brake, and the ABS goes mental. Lateral grip isn’t great either.

I really wouldn’t fancy trying to hold the car on much of a downslope yet I’d be totally confident it would drive up it.

Replying to my own post.

Had to do a few miles on Cheshire back roads this morning - untreated and with intermittant light covering of snow / hail.

Car was fine where there was a bit of a covering but blimey, where it had blown off and there was just icy road surface it really wasn't funny. It'd be very easy to get carried away and come a cropper.

[Bonefish Blues]

Vred Quatrac 6. Very very good AS tyre for cheaper than the premium brands - secure in these icy conditions.

[FiF]

Sheepshanks said:

Sheepshanks said:

otolith said:

It is at least four wheel drive, so it gets going OK, but any braking gets some immediate ABS action.

To be fair, as I commented a few posts ago, wife’s 4Motion Tiguan on Winter’s pulls away like it’s on dry tarmac.

Brilliant, you think. Then brake, and the ABS goes mental. Lateral grip isn’t great either.

I really wouldn’t fancy trying to hold the car on much of a downslope yet I’d be totally confident it would drive up it.

Replying to my own post.

Had to do a few miles on Cheshire back roads this morning - untreated and with intermittant light covering of snow / hail.

Car was fine where there was a bit of a covering but blimey, where it had blown off and there was just icy road surface it really wasn't funny. It'd be very easy to get carried away and come a cropper.

That situation is one of the most tricky. Learnt about that in Sweden where you get stretches where the weather condition of 'snowsmoke' occurs, essentially very fine wind blown snow. You can be on a snow covered stretch then hit an exposed part where snow has been blown away apart from a very very light blown flakes on top of ice. Go from brilliant grip to quite difficult, noticeable even on decent spiked tyres, much more so on studless friction tyres. Catches people out every year.

Downhill you can get to the point where you have to rely on the old tricks, ie not just going v slowly, but actively searching for areas that might give slightly better grip. In extremis have even stuffed the nearside wheels right into the gutter and kerb to keep it from just sliding away downhill.

[QuartzDad]

Do motorway police cars use winters and/or all seasons?

Question came to mind when I got the "you probably want to get to the hospital pdq" call at 4am this morning, did 120 miles quite quickly, not sure I would have felt as confident on summers.

[Golfgtimk28v]

Goodyear 4 seasons well worth money, no issues at all, driving like no snow at all

[mmm-five]

Golfgtimk28v said:

Goodyear 4 seasons well worth money, no issues at all, driving like no snow at all

That's odd, because I came tear-arsing around a snowy bend this morning in my grandad's 760iL (with GY 4S on) and it nearly went into a field...it never does that in the dry

[blueST]

QuartzDad said:

Do motorway police cars use winters and/or all seasons?

Question came to mind when I got the "you probably want to get to the hospital pdq" call at 4am this morning, did 120 miles quite quickly, not sure I would have felt as confident on summers.

It's probably force specific, but I've seen GMP traffic cars on winters. The ambulances around here are on cross climates

[Golfgtimk28v]

mmm-five said:

That's odd, because I came tear-arsing around a snowy bend this morning in my grandad's 760iL (with GY 4S on) and it nearly went into a field...it never does that in the dry

Refund...

In my case steep bank , car turning around I got up no bother. On fresh snow very good, ice less. But I like the performance in wet and rain, so probably not ultimate winter but decent compromise.

[brickwall]

Sheepshanks said:

Replying to my own post.

Had to do a few miles on Cheshire back roads this morning - untreated and with intermittant light covering of snow / hail.

Car was fine where there was a bit of a covering but blimey, where it had blown off and there was just icy road surface it really wasn't funny. It'd be very easy to get carried away and come a cropper.

I too found myself in the northern snowstorm this morning. Felt completely confident on winters, would absolutely not have felt the same way on the Pilot Supersports I was running before.

[Sheepshanks]

brickwall said:

Sheepshanks said:

Replying to my own post.

Had to do a few miles on Cheshire back roads this morning - untreated and with intermittant light covering of snow / hail.

Car was fine where there was a bit of a covering but blimey, where it had blown off and there was just icy road surface it really wasn't funny. It'd be very easy to get carried away and come a cropper.

I too found myself in the northern snowstorm this morning. Felt completely confident on winters, would absolutely not have felt the same way on the Pilot Supersports I was running before.

At first I was very frustrated by other drivers doing literally 10MPH. Passed a couple of them, but then had the first ‘moment’ on ice and thought ‘I’m going to look right div if I bin it’ so slowed down.

Second one I was behind an X7 again at 10MPH - the road was narrow for a mile so no chance of passing and I was taken aback by how the car moved sideways at that speed on a slight uphill bend.

[21st Century Man]

I've been in Japan this winter and there's an absolutely huge amount of winter tyre choice, you can priorities ice performance over snow performance, there will be a number of ice optimised tyres just from a single manufacturer in their winter tyre range, which will be huge. People leave their summer/winter wheels stacked up on their drives, by the front door, by their designated parking space on an apartment block car park or by the pavement. Nobody nicks them, they wouldn't last ten minutes in the UK before some scum bag had them away.

[bolidemichael]

Checking in after having had a long drive to Provence from London and back -- outbound as a driver and return as a passenger.

The Michelin Pilot Alpin 6 are quite remarkable in replicating the attributes of a decent summer tyre, in climate. Whilst I haven't rested them in snow (perhaps not even ice), the 'usual' parameters of operation that we'd mostly experience on a day to day basis leaves them as stable, comfortable and quiet.

[brickwall]

Agree. Though now warming up in the UK, I’m planning to switch back to summers towards the end of March.