How many Cali owners fit winter tyres?

[Borris]

You owe me a pint in a micro brewery somewhere Boris ! Just put winter wheels on our diesel Smart car today . Sticks to the road like glue with them when icy .

With pleasure Trebor.

 

[larrylamb]

not planning on doing much mountain driving this year

Yorkshire today.

 

[CALI FATE]

Not sure its a good a idea to mix tyre types. You might find the back end sliding with winters on the front and summers on the rear.
If you have two sets of wheels why not get all four. You're only using one set of tyres at once so no extra wear.

My tyre man says there is no issue with mixing the tyres - front and back. I will get two new winters in time, but i am trying to wear out two more standard fronts before i can do that

 

[sbmcd]

My tyre man says there is no issue with mixing the tyres - front and back. I will get two new winters in time, but i am trying to wear out two more standard fronts before i can do that

Your tyreman is wrong, do a Google search, I have seen a video demonstration of whet happens when you do mix summer and winter tyres in snow.

 

[Loz]

My tyre man says there is no issue with mixing the tyres - front and back. I will get two new winters in time, but i am trying to wear out two more standard fronts before i can do that

Not true I'm afraid, although not a 4wd so no transmission issues, the ABS/ECS systems are expecting the grip levels to be within the same levels on each corner, the differences between summer and winter tyres could cause the abs/ecs to make incorrect decisions.
Personally I wouldn't do it and if you have an "off" the insurance could easily use this as a "won't pay" get out..

PS. If you need a complete set of wheels to get you by, you are welcome to borrow my 17" set of wheels with new Turanza's that are sat in my store..

 

[Teejay]

My tyre man says there is no issue with mixing the tyres - front and back. I will get two new winters in time, but i am trying to wear out two more standard fronts before i can do that

From the research, I've have done my conclusion would differ greatly from your tyre man.

 

[bigmac77]

You'd think the tyre man would want to sell some more tyres. If he does indeed sell them and isn't some sort of tyre oracle in the local pub.

 

[CALI FATE]

From the research, I've have done my conclusion would differ greatly from your tyre man.

SKI TYRES - Gloucestershire - has 4 or 5 branches ?? - http://www.skityres.com/ i think they know what they are doing - if you have info to the contrary id be interested to see it - cheers

 

[bigmac77]

SKI TYRES - Gloucestershire - has 4 or 5 branches ?? - http://www.skityres.com/ i think they know what they are doing - if you have info to the contrary id be interested to see it - cheers

Not a Cali but a front wheel drive VW.

 

[andyinluton]

Been here discussed this before..... what that video doesn't show is how much worse no winter tyres would be than just 2 .

I would put the winters on the front though for most benefit.

If you put the winters on the front, the back won't be sliding anymore than it would with summers all round. But you should have the benefit of the wheels that are providing traction, the majority of the braking and all the steering having the best grip for the conditions.

 

[briwy]

Califate. Hope that video convinces you it's not a good idea.
People on here would not like to see you or your van hurt hence the advice.

 

[CALI FATE]

Been here discussed this before..... what that video doesn't show is how much worse no winter tyres would be than just 2 .

I would put the winters on the front though for most benefit.

If you put the winters on the front, the back won't be sliding anymore than it would with summers all round. But you should have the benefit of the wheels that are providing traction, the majority of the braking and all the steering having the best grip for the conditions.

I agree - i ran winter front / summer rear for 3 months last year and it was fine - noticeably more grip on the front when slippy - it makes sense to swap all 4 and i will have that set-up shortly, but will swap the fronts in the meantime ............. and put the chains on the rear

 

[Keith Smith]

I've run winters on the front wheels for over 30 years on various fwd vehicles and they have got me home/ out of trouble on numerous occasions, but as a Loz pointed out I wouldn't fit just two to the Cali due to the complicated traction system and the unknown effect it may have.

 

[jamessclarke]

I have just swopped from Cargo Vector Marathons to Cross Climate + (4 season with snowflake). Temperatures have been below 5 degrees since. I feel the Cross Climates are more compliant and there is definately better grip. I am really happy with them.

Didn't get steel wheels, just fitted on the original 16" alloys

 

[Erem]

Went to swap mine today and found that 2 tyres were fitted to the alloys wrong way round. I have different directional tread patterns on 2 pairs of tyres and the way the tyres were mounted meant there would be one tread pattern on the left of Albert and a different tread on his right. Didn't think that was best so getting my local garage to spin 2 tyres so I can have the same tread on the front pair of wheels and the different tread pattern on the back pair. Just worth checking that directional mark on the tyre wall as easy to fit the wheel on the wrong side. Did this last year on a car and didn't notice till fitting the summer tyres back on. Doh!

 

[bigmac77]

Went to swap mine today and found that 2 tyres were fitted to the alloys wrong way round. I have different directional tread patterns on 2 pairs of tyres and the way the tyres were mounted meant there would be one tread pattern on the left of Albert and a different tread on his right. Didn't think that was best so getting my local garage to spin 2 tyres so I can have the same tread on the front pair of wheels and the different tread pattern on the back pair. Just worth checking that directional mark on the tyre wall as easy to fit the wheel on the wrong side. Did this last year on a car and didn't notice till fitting the summer tyres back on. Doh!

With directional winter tyres what do you do with the spare?

 

[WelshGas]

With directional winter tyres what do you do with the spare?

Hope.

 

[Erem]

Same for any directional tyre. Perhaps 2 spares or some handy gloop and no spare

 

[alter]

but sorry, from what tires do you go, are they drunk? how you can mount the directional tires on the rims in the wrong direction !! ..... returning to the reason of the tread .... I live in a city by the sea but more and more frequently than the past a strong wind blows .. the bora ... even now at about 70 miles per hour (in 2013 there were gusts at 212km / h ...) and the wind also lasts several days bringing in winter cold air from the Balkans ..... if it rains it snows and the ice is formed on the ground therefore it is obligatory from November 15th until April 15th, to assemble tires from snow .. I tried on ebay.de rims and snow tires, you can find everything at great prices and with the Germans there are no problems to take the cheats ...., and I took 4 used iron rims and 4 new Nokian Weaterproof. .. they're fine ... even in the mud ..

 

[Keith Smith]

but sorry, from what tires do you go, are they drunk? how you can mount the directional tires on the rims in the wrong direction !! .....

If they put all four tyres on the rims running in the same orientation you would have four offside or nearside wheels.

 

[Actionwave]

I have just had fitted 4 new Goodyear vector All Season to my Cali 4motion.
Oh my word, what a difference its like driving a new vehicle completely. Ride softer and quieter, very happy.

 

[Walrus]

Just picked up some ratty but sound genuine VW steelies from the bay and ordered 4 Bridgestone Blizzak W810's from Oponeu in Poland. The European mainland dealers have a much wider choice of tyres I found. The reviews seem ok. My issue now is do I accept scruffy wheels for a few winter months or attempt to paint them before fitting. Indolence might win .

 

[B J G]

With directional winter tyres what do you do with the spare?

Use a non directional one, it is only a spare so think of it as emergency use only.

In reality how many have 2 spares, winter & summer ones?

 

[bigmac77]

Use a non directional one, it is only a spare so think of it as emergency use only.

I bought a set of 5 winter tyres all directional, so decided to mount the spare for the near side as that is the side my tyre fitter said he deals with the most punctures on. Not very scientific I know but it was either that or flipping a coin. If it's required on the offside I'm sure it'll get me to a tyre fitters to get it changed round.

 

[andyinluton]

When I bought a new MGF when they first came out, the front wheels were a different width to the back & all were directional.
The factory space saver was a front passenger side wheel sprayed orange! it could be used instead of any of the four wheels but had stickers limiting the speed to 50mph.