Winter tyres

[northwest]

A like is not good enough really , that Sir is excellent ***** five stars

It is pretty epic. Proves the adage you reap what you sow.

My latest is a potential customer who needed directions. "yes sir, the postcode is blah blah five Quebec Alpha". Spelling it out to the chap so there would be no mistakes. Right he says, "how do you spell Quebec". My brain just stopped for a bit.

 

[sako243]

I just slow down and adapt to the conditions .

We don't get enough of a variance here in the winter to warrant having a different set of tyres. Now I've moved to sunny west Wales there's even less chance of cold weather (20 miles from the coast so get mild winters unless it's a NE wind).

I may drive a 4x4 (maybe a 6x6 soon hopefully) but its still quite a heavy thing to get stopped, easy to get going though. Best cars I've seen in the snow were a mates Nissan Micra (old shape) and Mum's old shape Suzuki Swift. Light, narrow tyres and cut through the snow.

The last day of snow that we had in the SE I didn't have any problems towing cars and vans up sheet ice in the North Downs on the BFG KM2s. But then a fellow LR driver commented how easy I made it look. I pointed out it may have had something to do with all three diffs being locked.


Although people did find it odd why a Defender on chunky off road tyres, snorkel, winch and tow rope hung off the tow bar would get out and push. When asked I'd ask back: do you know where your eye for the tow point is? Uh, no?! Well there you go

 

[Rannsachair]

I got my BFG’s taken off my Ranger. Absolutely shocking tyres, they would loose their grip on tarmac when you least expected it. The old BFG’s were good but the newer ones with lugs on the side walls are rubbish. Got continentals put on, way better all round. Not had one scary moment yet. No problems on the forest tracks or in snow.

I changed my old BFG muds after 12 years use for the new style KM2's 2 years ago and never had an issue. Perhaps a Defender with constant 4 wheel drive gives them an easier life than a pickup normally in 2WD with a more powerful engine. Or may be my wimpy driving

 

[bricol]

Well mines not leased, it’s auto and recently had four new Bridgestone Tyres as recommended by BMW (but not bought from them).

Lovely car but not good on the snow and ice

These days smallest smattering of snow and it’s an official WAH day, this involves a short walk to the barn

I'd walk if it was closer

It's tyres still - wrong ones for the conditions. Modernish wide low profile tyres with circumferential bands of tread don't work very well in snow, mud. Older, narrower, tyres with more defined tread blocks had something to grip with, and being narrow, cut down to the grip - well unless it was too deep to do so.

My Lancia integrale, despite all wheels being driven, a rear limited slip diff, a locking centre diff, on the usual low profile tyres wouldn't go up the road from my mums in light snow. Once I'd managed that, I couldn't steer (pull handbrake applied braking, through the transmission to all four wheels) or stop very well.

Four 20 quid Colway winter remoulds and it only stopped when the snow got deep enough and packed under it to lift the wheels off the ground, ie twice since 1997 - my back road home when the snow blew off the fields and filled the single track road in between the dry-stone walls.

Fitting winter tyres, just noticed less grip overall on dry roads when fitting winters. But take the winters off, refit the usual low profile Michelins and I found I was steering too much, too soon. The winters, being a slightly taller profile, with deeper tread blocks that moved around, required more steering, earlier, to get everything flexed into position to turn - no tyre squeal or sliding, just lack of precision in response - which of course is why low profile tryes came about.

Towing my trials car into fields for competition, I could easily get most of the wheels spinning on the Lancia with the Michelins on mud or wet grass. I used to fit the winters just for those trips to provide more grip to be able to get in and out.

 

[4String.]

I just slow down and adapt to the conditions .

Same here.

Drive a bog-standard Nissan van fitted with bog-standard tyres, never gets stuck in anything or anywhere.

 

[8ob]

Same here.

Drive a bog-standard Nissan van fitted with bog-standard tyres, never gets stuck in anything or anywhere.

You are not trying hard enough, most vans would need recovering off a blade of grass

Bob

 

[arther dailey]

you cant move a iveco daily off wet grass, unless it has the traction control fitted or its on a slope..the traction control brakes spinning wheel to give the other one a chance. yet my old type you could drive on snow relatively easily.

 

[sako243]

Funnily enough just had the local builders merchant turned up to drop off some scaffolding boards in a transit flat bed thingy (didn't actually pay attention to the make), facing downhill on the lawn just sat there spinning his wheels until I gave it a little push by hand.

 

[Migmac]

I changed my old BFG muds after 12 years use for the new style KM2's 2 years ago and never had an issue. Perhaps a Defender with constant 4 wheel drive gives them an easier life than a pickup normally in 2WD with a more powerful engine. Or may be my wimpy driving

I was never above 50mph when they let go, often slower and with a trailer on the back. You never knew which end of the truck would go, most times it was the back but a few times the front went. Wasn’t nice when cars are coming towards you and your waggling about like a fish on a line. I’m not getting a defender to try them on !

Wimpy driving, no. Sure I’ve seen the defender doing at least 29mph

 

[fizzy]

All terrains and mud terrains might work well in soft snow but on ice they are useless. Proper winter tyres have a compound that stays soft at low temperatures. You need plenty of small sipes not big chunky blocks on icy road.

 

[Rannsachair]

I was never above 50mph when they let go, often slower and with a trailer on the back. You never knew which end of the truck would go, most times it was the back but a few times the front went. Wasn’t nice when cars are coming towards you and your waggling about like a fish on a line. I’m not getting a defender to try them on !

Wimpy driving, no. Sure I’ve seen the defender doing at least 29mph

I have not done any heavy towing in the last couple of years, I was surprised that for me they are ok on the tarmac, not noticeably worse than the goodyear Wranglers it came with.

That is a great thing with Defenders: 29 mph feels much much faster than doing 60mph in the Lexus.....

All terrains and mud terrains might work well in soft snow but on ice they are useless. Proper winter tyres have a compound that stays soft at low temperatures. You need plenty of small sipes not big chunky blocks on icy road.

I agree, I have driven through a Minnesota winter in a rear wheel drive car with winter tyres and only occasionally got stuck. Though for ice i prefer studded tyres ( Drove hundreds of miles in the Swedish winter), not for here though.

 

[Turbo]

All terrains and mud terrains might work well in soft snow but on ice they are useless. Proper winter tyres have a compound that stays soft at low temperatures. You need plenty of small sipes not big chunky blocks on icy road.

Agree 100%.
A few years ago during heavy snow I fitted the rims off my rally car shod with knobbly rallycross tyres. On deep fresh snow they were fantastic, simply cutting a path through the 4"+ of snow with minimal wheelspin in my 406 diesel. But on packed snow & ice they were useless, no grip whatsoever, my std road tyres were better!

 

[optima21]

a few years ago when it was snowing, I was sliding backwards down an A class road with summer tyres on my car (with 5mm tread depth), so I didnt want that to happen again, I dont drive enough to warrant to warrant separate winter tyres, so I have all weather tyres, one one car I use goodyear vector 4 seasons and on the other I use hankook optomo s4 tyres. the all weather tyres tend to wear faster than summer tyres but Im still getting 7 or 8 years to a set due to the mileage (1000 to 1500 miles a year) that I drive

 

[bricol]

I fit 'em for that one time I can stop to miss the kid on the sledge that just shot across the road . . . plus driving cars that bits are expensive for, I like to minimise chances of incidents.

Did have someone comment somewhere on line that fitting winter tyres was dangerous . . . because if you stopped quicker through more grip, the car behind would slide into you . . .

If you want a real discussion about winter tyres - look them up on Pistonheads - I've not looked at that site for several years, but winter tyre discussions used to run to hundreds of pages . . .

I'm always amused by "driving to the conditions" comments . . . watching those cars crawling along, fighting for every inch of ground gained . . . sliding helplessly down slight slopes as gravity and no grip work together . . . ABS banging away/wheels locked dependant on age of car. I too "drive to the conditions" but with safe grip - not necessarily to get going, but so I can stop.

I can understand those who can't be bothered to change over/can't justify the cost as we don't really need them here in most of the UK, as we don't get bad conditions for long enough - but when you do it once and realise just how much difference they make . . . plus living somewhere where every approach involves a hill. And I'm too lazy to dig the drive out . . .

 

[8ob]

We also need to be mindful that the car manufacturers themselves throw millions at tyre R&D,if confused by choice you could do worse than to follow the car manufacturers recommendations. There is not one tyre fits/suits all made hence the huge variety available.

Bob

 

[anto]

a few years ago when it was snowing, I was sliding backwards down an A class road with summer tyres on my car (with 5mm tread depth), so I didnt want that to happen again, I dont drive enough to warrant to warrant separate winter tyres, so I have all weather tyres, one one car I use goodyear vector 4 seasons and on the other I use hankook optomo s4 tyres. the all weather tyres tend to wear faster than summer tyres but Im still getting 7 or 8 years to a set due to the mileage (1000 to 1500 miles a year) that I drive

How do you find them in the winter months?

 

[anto]

I fit 'em for that one time I can stop to miss the kid on the sledge that just shot across the road . . . plus driving cars that bits are expensive for, I like to minimise chances of incidents.

Did have someone comment somewhere on line that fitting winter tyres was dangerous . . . because if you stopped quicker through more grip, the car behind would slide into you . . .

If you want a real discussion about winter tyres - look them up on Pistonheads - I've not looked at that site for several years, but winter tyre discussions used to run to hundreds of pages . . .

I'm always amused by "driving to the conditions" comments . . . watching those cars crawling along, fighting for every inch of ground gained . . . sliding helplessly down slight slopes as gravity and no grip work together . . . ABS banging away/wheels locked dependant on age of car. I too "drive to the conditions" but with safe grip - not necessarily to get going, but so I can stop.

I can understand those who can't be bothered to change over/can't justify the cost as we don't really need them here in most of the UK, as we don't get bad conditions for long enough - but when you do it once and realise just how much difference they make . . . plus living somewhere where every approach involves a hill. And I'm too lazy to dig the drive out . . .

I was crawling down towards a blind T junction on the downslope of a hill, and I mean absolute minimal speed. Slid right out into traffic with one faint touch of the brakes. Thankfully those on the road must have seen my lights coming and adjusted their speed/ direction and avoided me. Excellent driving by them.
Had I had winter tyres on this would be a non story.

 

[Ped]

We also need to be mindful that the car manufacturers themselves throw millions at tyre R&D,if confused by choice you could do worse than to follow the car manufacturers recommendations. There is not one tyre fits/suits all made hence the huge variety available.

Bob

Yeah I'm not sure about that tbh. I should imagine many manufacturers go with the best deal/lowest price that fits rather than the best tyre for the job. I had a new Indian Scout that came fitted with Kenda tyres (Branded Indian) and they were shocking. OK, not a car I know but I can't imagine it's much different in the four wheel world.

 

[fizzy]

One things that needs mentioning is tyre width.
Snow is sadly pretty rare in the UK but rain isn't. Modern cars with very wide tyres are very prone to aquaplaning. The cars I usually drive have 245 width tyres. New with plenty of tread or bald slicks makes no difference. They aquaplane like crazy even at low speeds.
I have driven new Range Rovers in wet weather - just as bad. Tyres are 275 width!

I am currently driving a very exotic vehicle - a Mercedes Sprinter! It has skinny tyres and it NEVER aquaplanes - feels so much better in the wet.

So the moral of the story.

Don't just fit winter tyres - come down a size or two in width.

And it is perfectly safe to do. Cars come with all sorts of wheel/tyre options. The Insignia varies between 225 and 245 - the 225 understeer a bit on dry roads but for winter are much better.

I was once invited to an offroad day at Eastnor Castle by Land Rover. The new Range Rover had just been launched and was awesome. I noticed the ones we drove on the road were fitted with 275s but the ones we used offroad were 255s.

 

[R-D-R]

I fit verdestein wintrac extremes to the disco 5 and full fat range rover and then Bridgestone Blizzak on the BMW I3. All perform really well, winter tyres for me are not about avoiding getting stuck they are about stopping power the difference is night and day on ice and snow. They don't make you invincible you can't beat physics no matter what you're driving.