Nokian Hakkapellita R3 Winter Tyres

[Lightning]

As you may not be using your vans much this summer, time to start thinking about winter tyres.

I have used these for a few months in Norway and Finland in winter, on the front wheels of my 2WD van.
I have driven thousands of miles through all types of snow, slush, solid ice, wet mud, icy mud, up mountains, and back down.
They are amazing. I have gone down muddy hills where I didn’t dare stop, and thinking there was no way I’d get back out, and I got back out. I felt like I could go anywhere after I fitted them, and I went to places that were not possible with the all season tyres.

They were expensive in Norway (£300 each) for my 18 inch wheels, which is why I only brought two, the back wheels had all season tyres, this was a mistake, as I lost the back end a couple of times while going very slowly round roundabouts, and once in a sudden whiteout blizzard at the top of an arctic mountain pass where I flicked the steering wheel to avoid an oncoming car, and span the van, and got stuck in ditch at the side of the road.
I’m not sure how long they last yet, but they are not very noisy, and they seem fine on dry roads too.
It was like driving a tractor through the snow. On a 4WD I think it would be like driving a Unimog.

Heated wing mirror on, waiting for tow truck.

 

[westfalia]

I put Nokians on last winter and the fekkers haven't seen
a bit of snow and now its time to change back over.

Im looking for someone to blame for this un-seasonal weather but
can't think who.

A real comfy ride though, i will get them again.
Although you made a bit of a school boy error only fitting 2.

 

[TripleBee]

Im looking for someone to blame for this un-seasonal weather but
can't think who.

Well you could start blaming yourself for driving a VW, with a diesel engine. We all know the reputation of VW.
If you draw the line further, blame us all for driving ICE vehicles.
Just blame all ICE machines all over the world, including factories who pollute.

Or just stick to natural evolution in weather?
We don't live in an ice age now. The last (very small) ended in 1850.

My Roadstones are utter rubbish to drive (a lot of shaking). But they seem to have a good winter profile:


I haven't had the chance to test them wel, as it hasn't snowed since I have them. Apart from 2 or 3 days worth of calling it snow...

 

[bvddobb]

We are changing our winters for our (summer) AT's today (no idea if and when they will be of any use, this corona summer...), and by the look of them, we will need a new set next winter.

But here we are wondering: we have been to Poland/Belorussia, to Sweden and to Scotland the last three X-Mas holidays, and never saw temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius, typically the cut off below where winters are recommended. So, we have been driving winter tyres in situations where they are actually not meant for, for nearly three winters... And we have been told these Scandinavian winter tyres are actually meant for even worse conditions. @Lightning has seen those, we haven't these last three winters.

So: why bother? We are thinking of changing to BFG AT's , with the M+S and mountain/snowflake indication. Only issue we see they are not available with load index 103 or higher, only 102.

 

[kurienp]

We are changing our winters for our (summer) AT's today (no idea if and when they will be of any use, this corona summer...), and by the look of them, we will need a new set next winter.

But here we are wondering: we have been to Poland/Belorussia, to Sweden and to Scotland the last three X-Mas holidays, and never saw temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius, typically the cut off below where winters are recommended. So, we have been driving winter tyres in situations where they are actually not meant for, for nearly three winters... And we have been told these Scandinavian winter tyres are actually meant for even worse conditions. @Lightning has seen those, we haven't these last three winters.

So: why bother? We are thinking of changing to BFG AT's , with the M+S and mountain/snowflake indication. Only issue we see they are not available with load index 103 or higher, only 102.

A question on that @bvddobb - will the M&S tyres pass the legal test in Scandinavian countries where snow tyres are mandatory in winter?

 

[Jay20cali]

As you may not be using your vans much this summer, time to start thinking about winter tyres.

I have used these for a few months in Norway and Finland in winter, on the front wheels of my 2WD van.
I have driven thousands of miles through all types of snow, slush, solid ice, wet mud, icy mud, up mountains, and back down.
They are amazing. I have gone down muddy hills where I didn’t dare stop, and thinking there was no way I’d get back out, and I got back out. I felt like I could go anywhere after I fitted them, and I went to places that were not possible with the all season tyres.

They were expensive in Norway (£300 each) for my 18 inch wheels, which is why I only brought two, the back wheels had all season tyres, this was a mistake, as I lost the back end a couple of times while going very slowly round roundabouts, and once in a sudden whiteout blizzard at the top of an arctic mountain pass where I flicked the steering wheel to avoid an oncoming car, and span the van, and got stuck in ditch at the side of the road.
I’m not sure how long they last yet, but they are not very noisy, and they seem fine on dry roads too.
It was like driving a tractor through the snow. On a 4WD I think it would be like driving a Unimog.

Heated wing mirror on, waiting for tow truck.View attachment 57748

Did you get these in 255 45s??
I looked but cannot find any to suit my cali with 18s

 

[Lightning]

Did you get these in 255 45s??
I looked but cannot find any to suit my cali with 18s

Yes, from.a tyre place in Norway.

 

[bvddobb]

A question on that @bvddobb - will the M&S tyres pass the legal test in Scandinavian countries where snow tyres are mandatory in winter?

Well, the KO2 225/70/R16 102 R have the (international?) snowy mountain symbol on them, so we suppose so.

Their site lists them as 'severe snow rated year-round tyres'


Don't think the rubber will be as soft as on Scandinavian winter tyres, though.

 

[Lightning]

Well, the KO2 225/70/R16 102 R have the (international?) snowy mountain symbol on them, so we suppose so.

Their site lists them as 'severe snow rated year-round tyres'
View attachment 57813

Don't think the rubber will be as soft as on Scandinavian winter tyres, though.

My All season tyres had that snowflake symbol. They we’re frightening in Norway, I had to change them.

 

[Lightning]

My All season tyres had that snowflake symbol. They we’re frightening in Norway, I had to change them.

They are legal their though.

 

[Lightning]

They are legal their though.

There not their...

 

[bvddobb]

My All season tyres had that snowflake symbol. They we’re frightening in Norway, I had to change them.

Can imagine. They are all seasons, after all. A compromise. In extreme low temperatures you will want softer rubber, like the Nokians. Which you will not want in the Spanish Pyrenees in summer, obviously.

But our point was we heven't seen any such circumstances for three winters in a row, not even in East Poland or Sweden, what with climate change and all. So we are tending towards a set of 4 all season AT's of this calibre that may still handle wintery conditions, rather than a set of 8 and the half yearly changes.

Still a bit further off, though: we have just had new Michelin Latitude Cross AT's mounted for the summer. Optimists that we are...

 

[Lightning]

Can imagine. They are all seasons, after all. A compromise. In extreme low temperatures you will want softer rubber, like the Nokians. Which you will not want in the Spanish Pyrenees in summer, obviously.

But our point was we heven't seen any such circumstances for three winters in a row, not even in East Poland or Sweden, what with climate change and all. So we are tending towards a set of 4 all season AT's of this calibre that may still handle wintery conditions, rather than a set of 8 and the half yearly changes.

Still a bit further off, though: we have just had new Michelin Latitude Cross AT's mounted for the summer. Optimists that we are...

You are probably right, if you will not be spending lots of time in snow. All season ATs are probably what I will fit on some new steel wheels, if I escape from Scandinavia.

 

[Ardbeg]

You are probably right, if you will not be spending lots of time in snow. All season ATs are probably what I will fit on some new steel wheels, if I escape from Scandinavia.

As you may not be using your vans much this summer, time to start thinking about winter tyres.

I have used these for a few months in Norway and Finland in winter, on the front wheels of my 2WD van.
I have driven thousands of miles through all types of snow, slush, solid ice, wet mud, icy mud, up mountains, and back down.
They are amazing. I have gone down muddy hills where I didn’t dare stop, and thinking there was no way I’d get back out, and I got back out. I felt like I could go anywhere after I fitted them, and I went to places that were not possible with the all season tyres.

They were expensive in Norway (£300 each) for my 18 inch wheels, which is why I only brought two, the back wheels had all season tyres, this was a mistake, as I lost the back end a couple of times while going very slowly round roundabouts, and once in a sudden whiteout blizzard at the top of an arctic mountain pass where I flicked the steering wheel to avoid an oncoming car, and span the van, and got stuck in ditch at the side of the road.
I’m not sure how long they last yet, but they are not very noisy, and they seem fine on dry roads too.
It was like driving a tractor through the snow. On a 4WD I think it would be like driving a Unimog.

Heated wing mirror on, waiting for tow truck.View attachment 57748

Good to see another Nokian user. I'm running Nokian WRC3 van rated tyres (215/60 R17) that I got from Nordic Tyres down in Lockerbie. Really good tyres although not really tested in snow. Had a similar pair on my previous vehicle which was a rear-drive BMW and felt really safe with them in the winter. I toohave a 204 Ocean that is 2WD so good to see that you managed in Scandinavia even if you only had the Nokians on the front.