Winter/Snow tyre discussion thread

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Mine weren't that expensive, although next time I need to buy new winter tyres, I think I may do the same. I didn't this year as tbh I cba with the hassle of changing the brakes... I've had enough of brakes this year

 

You and me both :lol:

 

I think the puddingy sidewalls of 50 and 55 profile helps this time of year :D

[Ben-B 0]

Mine weren't that expensive, although next time I need to buy new winter tyres, I think I may do the same. I didn't this year as tbh I cba with the hassle of changing the brakes... I've had enough of brakes this year

 

You and me both :lol:

 

I think the puddingy sidewalls of 50 and 55 profile helps this time of year :D

 

I'd certainly agree with that, the only reason I can't drive the normal way to work (the back roads) is cos there's so much compacted ice (with the way global warming is I'm sure it's at least as thick as the polar ice caps) that is as uneven as any road I've ever driven on... grip isn't a problem on it, but it's so bumpy that you have to do about 5mph or you get thrown about too much, and I'm also worried about damaging my sump (I saw a 4x4 drive at about 30mph over one bit and smash their rear transmission gearbox thing to bits on ice). Higher profile wouldn't help me much there, but it would reduce the ride harshness on most of the ice and potholes you get around winter

[davidwort 0]

narrow tyres and a bit less tyre pressure makes a big difference, I remember driving about in an old mk2 polo in the snow all around the country lanes near me, only time we got stuck was when the snow compacted under the front and lifted both front wheels off the ground :lol:

can't beat 145's on a 13" rim :lol:

 

add the extra traction from a purpose designed winter/snow tyre and I can see why you're laughing

watching 4x4's crabbing sideways up the gentle hill past our nearby school is well funny, they've got such fine tread road tyres on, the 4 wheel drive is next to useless

[Kevin Bacon 5]

It does make me laugh seeing all the Designer Chelsea tractors crawling along slower than the 2WD cars. The only 4x4s that seem effective are the old school Defender 90s and Toyota Amazons etc :D They are PROPER 4x4s.

 

And yeah, I've felt several deep chested clumps through the floor in my C over ice and snow, fearing it was the sump, but turns out it was just the chin spoiler. Makes a surprising amount of noise hitting a bit of plastic on the ground !!

[Ben-B 0]

It does make me laugh seeing all the Designer Chelsea tractors crawling along slower than the 2WD cars. The only 4x4s that seem effective are the old school Defender 90s and Toyota Amazons etc :D They are PROPER 4x4s.

 

And yeah, I've felt several deep chested clumps through the floor in my C over ice and snow, fearing it was the sump, but turns out it was just the chin spoiler. Makes a surprising amount of noise hitting a bit of plastic on the ground !!

 

Indeed, I'm not sure why, but everything in a Corrado is louder... stones/grit hitting the windscreen... slush/snow coming off the tyres and hitting the underside of the arch... anything hitting the subframe/sump/exhaust... tyres scrubbing the arch

[Guest]

There's talk of investing in the infrastructure to be able to cope better with this weather but... no matter how many snow ploughs etc clear main routes there is no way all the minor roads will be cleared so anyone not running winter tyres will still moan about the country being pathetic and not being able to cope.

 

And almost all of those moaning will probably throw up their arms in horror at the thought of having to spend their own money on making their own transport better equiped to cope.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

There's talk of investing in the infrastructure to be able to cope better with this weather but... no matter how many snow ploughs etc clear main routes there is no way all the minor roads will be cleared so anyone not running winter tyres will still moan about the country being pathetic and not being able to cope.

 

And almost all of those moaning will probably throw up their arms in horror at the thought of having to spend their own money on making their own transport better equiped to cope.

 

Yep. People wear appropriate boots and clothing for the conditions, but equipping their cars with the appropriate boots to cope as well? "Goodness gracious, winter tyres? Are you stark raving mad? Next they'll make us pay for our own road salt" rah rah rah....

 

And the media don't help do they? Making sensationalised announcements that petrol and milk supplies are drying up because the delivery trucks can't get through the snow, so naturally everyone piles out onto the roads in their ill equipped vehicles, compounding the problem because they suddenly need some petrol and milk :roll: For fun's sake, I wish the media would just keep their sensationalising gobs shut and just tell us the weather forecast and nothing more. Grrrr.....

[Guest]

Paying for their own road salt...

 

I saw on local news yesterday that a village somewhere in Yorkshire did club together to pay for an equipment hire etc company to come and clear their roads.

Ploughing machinery was cutting the compacted snow and blowing it out the way (like a silage machine or something). Then a seed spreader was used for road grit.

 

It all looked very funny but seemed to have worked.

[Ben-B 0]

Paying for their own road salt...

 

I saw on local news yesterday that a village somewhere in Yorkshire did club together to pay for an equipment hire etc company to come and clear their roads.

Ploughing machinery was cutting the compacted snow and blowing it out the way (like a silage machine or something). Then a seed spreader was used for road grit.

 

It all looked very funny but seemed to have worked.

 

I overheard someone elses conversation and apparently somewhere they were using a pnuematic drill to break up the ice... tractors with ploughs had ploughed the snow into high banks on the side of the road, but there was only enough room for one and a half cars at a time... and those snow banks have since turned to ice walls. They used pnuematic drills to break the ice walls up enough to fit two cars down, and used the same tractors to plough the blocks of ice out the way.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Good work! These people should get a partial Council tax refund :D

[Ben-B 0]

Good work! These people should get a partial Council tax refund :D

 

I did my part to... I dug my way from the flat to the main road... which also provided 15 other flats/houses in our courtyard with access to the main road... do I get a tax refund?

[borders16v 0]

Did you get any thanks for doing it ? I did similar last year and no one said nothing,so this year i got my winters on and left them to struggle. :reindeer:

[Ben-B 0]

Did you get any thanks for doing it ? I did similar last year and no one said nothing,so this year i got my winters on and left them to struggle. :reindeer:

 

Did I balls, one prick had a go at me for parking in his space.

 

The reason I parked there... when HE shovelled the snow out the way of his garage door, he piled it straight into my parking space... and I saw him do it as well, so I'll park in his space until he clears the snow.

 

He's a real cnut anyway, one day I came home from work at 3am and it had been pissing it down, all the parking spaces were taken up, and I wasn't gonna drive up to the square and park there then walk all the way back down again, not when it's dark, cold and wet... so I blocked him in, but I left a note on his windscreen (and also one visible on my dashboard) explaining it was 3am, pissing with rain and I was too tired to move it up to the square... also said if he needed me to move it, ring me on my number and I would happily move it for him.

 

So at 7.30am he rings me up and asks me to move it... which I am more than willing to do, seeing as though I was blocking him in... then he doesn't move his car until 4 in the afternoon, I'm pretty sure he was trying to be awkward and wanted to wake me up right in the middle of my sleep

[dj_singh 0]

How are the Kumho KW23's holding up those of you who have them fitted?

 

I was considering getting some but I havn't got any g60 steels to put them on.

 

Im currently running Kumho KH31 asymmetrical on BBS RZs and I have been doing really well over the past few weeks. I live in the country side and work nights so I drive in the worst conditions hence why I was looking at the KW23's.

[tony_ack 0]

Really annoyed that the media have now suddenly realised that snow tyres are a 'good thing' and everyone has rushed out to buy them... I won a set of cheap speedlines on ebay a few weeks back to use as winter wheels with winter tyres, but only managed to collect them last weekend, ironically due to the snow. In the meantime, the media have sensationalised winter tyres and everyone has sold out. Grrr at the media!

[dragon green 5]

How are the Kumho KW23's holding up those of you who have them fitted?

 

I was considering getting some but I havn't got any g60 steels to put them on.

 

Im currently running Kumho KH31 asymmetrical on BBS RZs and I have been doing really well over the past few weeks. I live in the country side and work nights so I drive in the worst conditions hence why I was looking at the KW23's.

I love them ! not only brilliant in the snow,but a godsend in the ice as well !!

I cant praise them enough,but they are the only snow tyres i have had,so probabally a little biased :D

[Critical_Mass 10]

I'll be waiting until the summer to buy some winter tyres to put on a spare set of wheels. The amount they've gone up is shocking, plus its a bit late now considering the snow has come and gone.

 

Spent an afternoon clearing the drive and front of the house on the street, a neighbour opposite did the same and his next door neighbour. Our part of the street was clear. If only other people in the street had done the same, it only takes peopel to do in front of their house and thats only half the road, the person opposite can do the other half. But no one does.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

There's still 2.5 months of snow season left though, so it will more than likely come back! I reckon if you bought them in the summer (if available) they would cost just as much. Low demand = High price. High demand = Even higher price :wink:

 

I'm finding the Contis to be a bit soggy when cornering quite hard in the warmer temps we're seeing, 7 - 8 deg. I think next year i'll get a more sport orientated winter tyre that's a bit firmer for the dry days :D

 

Wet grip is epic though. Better than Eagle F1, Contisport, Rainsport etc etc.

[Veearrhsix 0]

Right - the TS800 'Conties' were out of stock after I ordered them, so waited and waited and then bought some Nokian WR G2 instead. And wow put them on today, and feel like a different (tighter) chassis! I was wearing Avon Z3 boots before which in all honesty are sh*t in any weather. Now just waiting for the ice and snow now :cheers:

[Dan_Storm 0]

bought some Nokian WR G2 instead. And wow put them on today, and feel like a different (tighter) chassis!

 

Good to hear :-) I got a set of Nokian WR G2's delivered today, I am hoping to get them fitted to the Leon on Friday. From what I have read they are not a top tyre for all out snow but good for slush, cold damp roads and even handle well on dry roads at warmer temperatures. Sounds like they will handle the snow we get here with ease too.

 

They're probably a bit of jack-of-all-trades but seem to be a good compromise for our Winter weather.

[colinstubbs 0]

I'll be waiting until the summer to buy some winter tyres to put on a spare set of wheels.

 

Good luck there - I looked 6 months ago in preperation and no-one had any to order!!

[Critical_Mass 10]

I'll be waiting until the summer to buy some winter tyres to put on a spare set of wheels.

 

Good luck there - I looked 6 months ago in preperation and no-one had any to order!!

 

Ah, that could be an issue. Hmmm.... need to get some spare cheap wheels first anyway, which will have to wait til after christmas.

[colinstubbs 0]

it p!ssed me off at the time and then when i needed to buy them, I had to wait to clear some debt first, could probably have saved some cash if I'd bought them a few weeks earlier, in the end they shipped direct from germany!!

[Veearrhsix 0]

bought some Nokian WR G2 instead. And wow put them on today, and feel like a different (tighter) chassis!

 

Good to hear :-) I got a set of Nokian WR G2's delivered today, I am hoping to get them fitted to the Leon on Friday. From what I have read they are not a top tyre for all out snow but good for slush, cold damp roads and even handle well on dry roads at warmer temperatures. Sounds like they will handle the snow we get here with ease too.

 

They're probably a bit of jack-of-all-trades but seem to be a good compromise for our Winter weather.

You'll be chuffed to bits - seriously! Still wear'n mine in obviously - but they've been like glue in these cold damp conditions so far 8)

[dannyboy 0]

oh boy, ive got 27 inches of snow coming to where i live in germany.not even snow tyres have any grip(bring on the chains!!!! :lol: )

 

quite funny driving home from work today,my raddo turned into bit of a snow plough.germans are quite switched on and roads are usually clear but theyre having trouble clear it where i live. my garden is three feet of snow at moment and worried the car wont get out tomorrow :(