Snow/Ice solutions?

[Dr Forinor 0]

I was just wondering about the solution to wintery weather and thought it might actually be decent discussion.

 

I know many of us consider winter tyres, which are a great option. What if you can't afford the money/space for another set of tyres/wheels, perhaps due to lack of funds, or space or you own a number of vehicles which you use all year round?

 

Snow socks, or as the proper term is "AutoSocks" I think it is?

 

Tyre spray? (Various other YouTube vids available of them showing it on ice aswell and various other names but essentially same idea)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hALJDiNnq-k

 

Next generation snow chains?

 

SnoClaws (They show you how it fits towards the end of the vid)?

 

(How do you get youtube vids to come up automatically?)

 

 

Any ideas people? I actually really like the idea of the spray in the can, or perhaps even the sock? What's the general consensus?

[Philuk 0]

at work we have been selling snow Socks! they are a flourescent sock that fits over the tyre and is a mesh kinda stuff! sold a few sets and have had alot of good feedback from em.

chains are good but only used in deep snow or it just shreds em and they get really cold really quick when your pissing about at the side of the road!

 

a chap with a beemer said that pirrelli snow tyres were awesome! the spray i think might be a bit umm ahhh.

 

another option is if you are stuck on your driveway for example is grip mats which are a grooved usually yellow plasitc track which you drive on!

[Rob_B 0]

I think the sock looks the best. Not sure the spray would be that good, and only lasts for a few minutes

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

at work we have been selling snow Socks! they are a flourescent sock that fits over the tyre and is a mesh kinda stuff! sold a few sets and have had alot of good feedback from em.

chains are good but only used in deep snow or it just shreds em and they get really cold really quick when your pissing about at the side of the road!

 

a chap with a beemer said that pirrelli snow tyres were awesome! the spray i think might be a bit umm ahhh.

 

another option is if you are stuck on your driveway for example is grip mats which are a grooved usually yellow plasitc track which you drive on!

 

Same with snow socks i'm afraid. As soon as you hit compacted snow they start to shred. This is why Audi have withdrawn them.

 

The spray stuff is partially effective for half a mile then you're back to square one. Personally I wouldn't want that uncertainty of not knowing what stage the wear is at. Too risky in my eyes.

 

As long as you prepare beforehand (i.e. order in July/August) new winter wheels & tyres can be had on a C for well under £300. At the end of the day it should be a legal requirement to be using them like in Germany. It scares me that about 95% of the people driving on the roads are using unsuitable tyres on there cars at the moment :shrug:

[Dr Forinor 0]

Any comments on the "Next generation snow chains" then?

[Ben-B 0]

I personally have winter tyres, and I think they should be a legal requirement on all 4 wheels during winter months. That'd also do us a favour with traffic jams as 90% of people probably don't have winter tyres, and at 3 points a corner that's an outright ban for them!

 

I do like the idea behind snow socks, easier than snow chains, but a colleague at work has them on his 1-series BMW and said they're great on the snow, but on tarmac they'd wear out before he even got halfway to work if he tried, so they're only good on the snow.

 

Chains are the same, but more of a hassle to fit.

 

Those SnoClaws look dubious, I'd rather spend 2 minutes watching him fit them than see a "2 minutes later" caption pop up in the video.

 

Finally that spray on stuff won't convince me... that hill didn't look that steep tbh, and if I was selling a product like that, if I was able to sensibly and slowly drive up a slight snow-covered slope, then I'd also be able to wheelspin halfway up and "get stuck" to make it look like my product works. At £10 a can or whatever it is, that will do 2 tyres four times, lasting half a mile a time... that's not a safe option... like the video comments say, it's for getting your car off the driveway, shouldn't be for any road use

[philie 0]

Snow socks got them for the rado which was stranded for a week in a foot and a half of snow no problem with the snow socks at all just take them off when you get to tarmac.Here are the ones I got perfect just dont go over 30mph.

 

http://www.weissenfels.com/eng/WeissSock

[Purple Tom 0]

I also am a firm advocate of winter tyres. My local Ambulance authority have invested in a pair of Snowsocks for every one of their ambulances and I watched with interest as the Paramedics fitted them to their motor to get it off a slightly inclined car park. It took about 10 minutes to fit them and when I asked how long they could keep them on for they said "until we get back onto the tarmac, and we can't do more than 30mph with them on".

 

What this boiled down to for me was that although the ambulance did have a semblance of adverse weather mobility, it took far too long to mobilise it effectively, costing a lot in time and resources.

 

Snowsocks cost £60/pr, which is the equivalent of £120 to equip all 4 wheels. In terms of their practicality, I think compared to winter tyres they come a very definite second place. I also think that although it might cost £300 to equip an ambulance with winters all round (if purchased at the right time), the savings in terms of time taken to fit and operational effectiveness would be noticed almost straight away. Imagine if you were in need of an ambulance and you could hear it coming but it couldn't reach you because of the snow and its crew had had to stop, waste 10 minutes putting snowsocks on to drive the last 500 yards to you, only to have to stop and take them off again before they could get on their way to hospital - a very real, possible scenario with untreated housing estates etc.

 

I know its only one example and I am definitely biased as I've been running winters since before the snow came and have had NO trouble getting anywhere. But winter tyres, in terms of both practicality and value for money, beat any of the products listed by the OP hands down.

 

Just my thoughts :)

[Ben-B 0]

I also am a firm advocate of winter tyres. My local Ambulance authority have invested in a pair of Snowsocks for every one of their ambulances and I watched with interest as the Paramedics fitted them to their motor to get it off a slightly inclined car park. It took about 10 minutes to fit them and when I asked how long they could keep them on for they said "until we get back onto the tarmac, and we can't do more than 30mph with them on".

 

What this boiled down to for me was that although the ambulance did have a semblance of adverse weather mobility, it took far too long to mobilise it effectively, costing a lot in time and resources.

 

Snowsocks cost £60/pr, which is the equivalent of £120 to equip all 4 wheels. In terms of their practicality, I think compared to winter tyres they come a very definite second place. I also think that although it might cost £300 to equip an ambulance with winters all round (if purchased at the right time), the savings in terms of time taken to fit and operational effectiveness would be noticed almost straight away. Imagine if you were in need of an ambulance and you could hear it coming but it couldn't reach you because of the snow and its crew had had to stop, waste 10 minutes putting snowsocks on to drive the last 500 yards to you, only to have to stop and take them off again before they could get on their way to hospital - a very real, possible scenario with untreated housing estates etc.

 

I know its only one example and I am definitely biased as I've been running winters since before the snow came and have had NO trouble getting anywhere. But winter tyres, in terms of both practicality and value for money, beat any of the products listed by the OP hands down.

 

Just my thoughts :)

 

Exactly. I'm sure ambulances have to be able to respond to a call within 8 minutes of the control centre receiving the 999 call as well... taking 10 minutes to cover 500 yards ain't gonna meet that target!

 

 

I know in rural areas where there is not much ambulance cover they first-aid train people to respond to calls until a paramedic can arrive at the scene, perhaps those people, and other people vital to the country (doctors, nurses, teachers* etc) should receive discounts or subsidies on winter tyres.

 

* teachers get a star cos it seems most schools close anyway so perhaps not such a wise way to spend the money

[Dr Forinor 0]

Hhhmmm, seems winters tyres are still winning, interesting!

[psiburr 0]

I also am a firm advocate of winter tyres. My local Ambulance authority have invested in a pair of Snowsocks for every one of their ambulances and I watched with interest as the Paramedics fitted them to their motor to get it off a slightly inclined car park. It took about 10 minutes to fit them and when I asked how long they could keep them on for they said "until we get back onto the tarmac, and we can't do more than 30mph with them on".

 

What this boiled down to for me was that although the ambulance did have a semblance of adverse weather mobility, it took far too long to mobilise it effectively, costing a lot in time and resources.

 

Snowsocks cost £60/pr, which is the equivalent of £120 to equip all 4 wheels. In terms of their practicality, I think compared to winter tyres they come a very definite second place. I also think that although it might cost £300 to equip an ambulance with winters all round (if purchased at the right time), the savings in terms of time taken to fit and operational effectiveness would be noticed almost straight away. Imagine if you were in need of an ambulance and you could hear it coming but it couldn't reach you because of the snow and its crew had had to stop, waste 10 minutes putting snowsocks on to drive the last 500 yards to you, only to have to stop and take them off again before they could get on their way to hospital - a very real, possible scenario with untreated housing estates etc.

 

Yep, we had these but only for the cars. I had to fit them onto the Rapid Response Vehicle (police spec Volvo) I was on that day. Not easy to fit esp. When the arches are full of snow and the bottom of the tyres are dug in !! Problem was they had been used once before and were slightly torn (only one set per vehicle with no replacements). In the end after they flew off, relatives came out and pushed me !! :mad2:

[Jim Bowen 1]

My solution was to buy this for £150, seems to of got me everywhere so far :)

 

[colinstubbs 0]

Winter tyres are fit and forget - job done. If they were a legal requirement there would prob be less accidents and the country wouldn't grind to a halt whenever we had 1/2" of snow costing everyone in the long run.

 

Winter tyres for the WIN :clap: Just my Twopeneth

[Dr Forinor 0]

My solution was to buy this for £150, seems to of got me everywhere so far :)

 

 

Wasn't able to find anything that cheap otherwise that would have been my solution also!

[colinstubbs 0]

buying a sh!te banger only protects your C not you!!!

[Jim Bowen 1]

here it is after a couple of weeks on the road, hit a kerb, blew out two tyres and bent the alloys beyond repair, its great fun.

 

 

saved the rado from all the salt, which was my main concern

[Philuk 0]

i got myself a Subaru Justy about 3 years ago now and its awesome in the snow. it loves it :D