Snow Socks

[scotty_d]

Has anyone used these , do they work or just rubbish?


Like these...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-Pair-Snow-Chain-So...

[Shaw Tarse]

I've seen an ambulance use them to drive out of a snow covered road.

[Stu R]

Nowhere near as well as snowchains, but they certainly seem to do the trick.

[Leicesterdave]

If you can afford them, get winter tyres. Less faff!

[Elroy Blue]

I've just bought some for my car. £49.

Can't justify extra wheels with snow tyres (price and storage) for what might be a few days of snow. I've had a trial fitment and they took a couple of minutes to put on. I looked at them last winter and they were impossible to get. All the independent reviews seem to suggest they do what they say on the tin and the ambulance service use them.

If they fail, I've lost £49. I think I can risk it.

[jonnydrama]

I used them (I have weissocks) on my 335i last winter, I wouldn't be without them now on any car I own. I've put Wintrac's on the wifes mini but that's only because she has a far longer commute than me.

Edited by jonnydrama on Saturday 2nd October 19:39

[Stu R]

Elroy Blue said:

I've just bought some for my car. £49.

Can't justify extra wheels with snow tyres (price and storage) for what might be a few days of snow. I've had a trial fitment and they took a couple of minutes to put on. I looked at them last winter and they were impossible to get. All the independent reviews seem to suggest they do what they say on the tin and the ambulance service use them.

If they fail, I've lost £49. I think I can risk it.

Not sure if you're aware but snow tyres and winter tyres are very different. Winter tyres you'll find useful for probably 4 to 6 months of the year, snow tyres...not.

[Elroy Blue]

Yep I am..I was generalising. Regardless, I haven't got the space to store 4 other wheels and I haven't got the spare cash to pay for four tyres I may never need.

I can spare £49 for something that I keep in the boot.

[sprouting]

I got some last year and they were excellent, bit of a faff to fit when the cars all dirty and there's a few inches of snow on the ground though.

[Stedman]

Y2BLADE where are you?

[chucklebutty]

I have been planning to get 2x wintertyres for a lowly Punto - figuring the rears are redundant for traction out of the snow - then swapping the winters to the rear for summer use. Most of my drive mileage is A road, it's the drag to and forth in winter where I'd be lacking.

Sensible strategy?

[blank]

chucklebutty said:

I have been planning to get 2x wintertyres for a lowly Punto - figuring the rears are redundant for traction out of the snow - then swapping the winters to the rear for summer use. Most of my drive mileage is A road, it's the drag to and forth in winter where I'd be lacking.

Sensible strategy?

If you're good at dealing with oversteer...

[oilslick]

chucklebutty said:

I have been planning to get 2x wintertyres for a lowly Punto - figuring the rears are redundant for traction out of the snow - then swapping the winters to the rear for summer use. Most of my drive mileage is A road, it's the drag to and forth in winter where I'd be lacking.

Sensible strategy?

Crap strategy during the winter, especially if we see snow. Front end has lots of grip, rear end has none. Should make for some interesting cornering!

[Stu R]

chucklebutty said:

I have been planning to get 2x wintertyres for a lowly Punto - figuring the rears are redundant for traction out of the snow - then swapping the winters to the rear for summer use. Most of my drive mileage is A road, it's the drag to and forth in winter where I'd be lacking.

Sensible strategy?

4 winter tyres or nothing I'd suggest, or you'll get lots of lift off oversteer surely? As I understand it, winter tyres are more effective than most other tyres from somewhere around 7 or 8 degrees C and below. Take a look at the average temps for the UK and it doesn't take much working out that they can be used effectively for 4-6 months. Just to re-iterate: Winter tyres are NOT the same as snow tyres!

Winter tyres make a massive difference in grim conditions, my 7 series didn't give so much as a hint of unexpected traction loss last winter. It doesn't make them snowproof by any means, so if you're planning on getting lost somewhere in Austria or Switzerland across the winter, or a quick blast down to the alps, it might be advantageous to keep a couple of snow socks in the boot just in case, but I've yet to find anything that could trouble Vredsteins or Nokians.

Edited by Stu R on Saturday 2nd October 20:24

[MattW]

I used a set of snow socks last year on my annual ski run down to Switzerland, I bought them because although I have winter tyres on my car they were nearing the end of the life i.e. last year was the last time I used them with 4mm of tread left on them.

The car was a little skitish when I came over the mountains in a foot of snow so I stopped and used them when the road started getting steeper. They gave me a noticable increase in traction, well worth the £50 and got me along all the roads I needed to pass. And MUCH easier to put on and off than chains.

Couple of things to note though, you cannort run them very long once the snow has gone, pull over quickly and take them off or they will quickly wear. Also they are no good if you can't get you hand between the tyre and wheel arch, unless you want to jack the car up......and that is not recomended in the snow!!

I've used several types of chains and can honestly say that for the odd bit of European snow (before the ploughs clear the roads) these things are great - if you are going anywhere where the snow is going to be deep and you don't expect to see a plough for a few hours then I'd opt for chains.

[y2blade]

Stedman said:

Y2BLADE where are you?

sorry Stedman, I was at a party

your message made no sense at all at the time lol


anyway back to the topic in hand
my reply from another thread

y2blade said:

Stevesh said:

Those socks look good in the company videos. I would be interested in hearing from someone who has used them for an impartial view of their effectiveness.

Steve

I have
copied from here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...



they are truly amazing, the hill I stopped my FWD Volvo on is VERY steep with no grit.. it is very hard to cycle up (bottom gear on the mountain bike), and Thurs night the Quad was wheel spinning just to maintain a steady speed...the car just gripped and pulled away without any wheel slip at all

this is the first time I've tried them
I honestly didn't think they would make that much difference

---

see below...don't worry about the "fitted over winter tyres" bit
I emailed them to ask the question and they said it wouldn't matter what tyres the socks are fitted over, they would work the same with slicks or winter tyres underneath as the tread does nothing once they are fitted

Edited by y2blade on Tuesday 12th January 10:50[/footnote]

[footnote]Edited by y2blade on Sunday 3rd October 10:57

[scotty_d]

Thanks for that and for 50 quid ideal just sit in the boot until needed i drive to my holiday home which is in the highlands so these will be good for the single track roads which dont see grit for days on end, my volvo does well as is but these will come in handy to get up the hill to the cabin which is on a very big hill.

[y2blade]

scotty_d said:

Thanks for that and for 50 quid ideal just sit in the boot until needed i drive to my holiday home which is in the highlands so these will be good for the single track roads which dont see grit for days on end, my volvo does well as is but these will come in handy to get up the hill to the cabin which is on a very big hill.

yep that is exactly what they are designed for

like I said in the reply above, the grip they find even on hardpacked icy snow is truly amazing

Edited by y2blade on Sunday 3rd October 11:31

[Poledriver]

I bought a pair last year because of the horrendous conditions. We didn't have any snow after the day they arrived! So they invoked sod's law perfectly!

[Tallbut Buxomly]

Had a pair last year worked very well.

Worked out the easiest way to put them on is pull them over the top half of the tyre put car in reverse lightly lift off the clutch and let wheel turn halfway pull over the other half. Thats if on snow/ice. On Tar its much easier.