Winter tyres in summer

[jamiehamy 0]

So!

 

I've been running about since start of the year with WinterContacts on the front since they were lying about with loads of tread. They have been perfect to drive on, and I've never noticed any situations where I knew I was on Winter tyres.

 

Having used Winter tyres in the snow a few times, I will want a set to keep safe and mobile when the snow and ice appears. So, do I buy new Summer tyres now, knowing in October time I'll be sourcing (probably part worn) winters, or do I just put winters on now and be done with it?

 

As the car is never driven on the limit, or tracked, I'm not too fussed about perceived lack of performance.

 

Interested to hear thoughts or experiences.

[chubbybrown 0]

for comparison.

Scottish national heritage binned all thier summer tyres and run solely on winters all the time now.

I swop over myself but as its not as warm as it used to be back in the day,I would consider using winters all the time or at least an all season tyre.

[dannyboy 0]

im running on my winter tyres at the moment as im going back to canada and wont be back til christmas so theyll be on ready for winter went i get back.

 

Only two things i noticed was compond is softer under breaking car seems to wobble a bit and wears quicker and wet weather breaking is not as good. It could be the fact that theyre cheap remoulds but at £75 a corner isnt exactly cheap.But german laws are getting very tight and winter tyres are law now.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I noticed mine got skittish and felt soggy at around +8 degrees as winter tailed off. That's on WinterContacts too. I wouldn't use them in the summer months but that's not to say they're unsafe. It's just a handling thing really.

[tony_ack 0]

If they wear quicker then it seems a bit of a waste to run winter tyres in summer.

 

If you have funds and room, then a second set of winter wheels may be a better option, and a harder wearing summer compound on now if you don't drive it too hard.

[Yandards 0]

If you run winter tyres in summer (or outside of their operating range) the compound gets too hot and wears out the hard edges of thread blocks.

 

As this is one of the factors that makes winter tyres effective in the cold then by using them in summer they don't work well when you need them again.

[jamiehamy 0]

Thanks guys. The WinterContacts have not showed any abnormal wear since March, I've kept a close eye to see.

 

Hmmm, what to do! I prefer to be prepared for all weathers, so think I'll go winter again and see how it goes. With the mileage I do, I'll be looking for new fronts at the end of the year again anyway, and with the rears barely wearing, I'll have 4 fairly new winters all round.

Def don't have room for a spare set of wheels, which would have been my preference.

 

oh well. who knows, with the weather we have these days, we might have our first snowfall in a few weeks :)