Winter Tyres

[bigmac77]

Totally confused......I think All Season as I don’t fancy switching tyres twice a year !

It’s a bit of a PITA but at least your rims won’t be corroded to the hubs when you get a flat tyre.

 

[356DNA]

Scottish perspective... (We live in the Angus Glens about 250m above sea level)

I have run winter tyres on all the cars for the last 12 years or so. It's an additional outlay but as others have pointed out you wear out the 2 sets of tyres at roughly half the rate. Careful car choice means that often wheels / tyres are interchangeable.

For 4-5 months of the year we regularly have frost / ice / mud combinations and to a lesser extent in recent years snow. The biggest difference with winter tyres compared to m&s marked non winter or cross climate tyres is the additional grip at low temps with frost / ice. When it actually snows it's night and day. I managed to tow my father's A3 quattro (summer tyres) out of a car park using my front wheel drive golf with winter tyres. When it's really cold and frosty / icy the cars with 4 winter tyres feel a lot more stable than those with cross climate tyres.

Compared to summer tyres, the ability to drive in standing water is also much improved.

For reference I have always fitted Goodyear Ultragrip (6,7,8, performance gen1) tyres and compared them to premium summer tyres such as Eagle F1s, Bridgestone Potenzas etc. I had some cheaper Avon Ice Touring winter tyres which I removed after 4 weeks as they were horrible, bordering on dangerous on damp roads.

If I lived by the coast, Edinburgh or other low lying areas I think the cross climate tyres would be my first choice. A non alpine marked m&s offers better grip on potentially muddy campsites for out Campers but I would stick to summer tyres for the cars. I can't see the need for the 2-3 lighly snowy days per year and certainly in the low lying areas of England it seems unnecessary. Accept on those days you may stay home.

In the main our family Skoda 4x4 on Ultragrips is pretty unstopable assuming ground clearance issues don't arise. Or you get stuck because others have got stuck first. The problem we have here is that its all a bit digital.. When it snows properly everything gets stuck. Even the ploughs. And my Landrover on Insa Turbo Special tracks with 2 locking diffs...

 

[Rowls1958]

Scottish perspective... (We live in the Angus Glens about 250m above sea level)

I have run winter tyres on all the cars for the last 12 years or so. It's an additional outlay but as others have pointed out you wear out the 2 sets of tyres at roughly half the rate. Careful car choice means that often wheels / tyres are interchangeable.

For 4-5 months of the year we regularly have frost / ice / mud combinations and to a lesser extent in recent years snow. The biggest difference with winter tyres compared to m&s marked non winter or cross climate tyres is the additional grip at low temps with frost / ice. When it actually snows it's night and day. I managed to tow my father's A3 quattro (summer tyres) out of a car park using my front wheel drive golf with winter tyres. When it's really cold and frosty / icy the cars with 4 winter tyres feel a lot more stable than those with cross climate tyres.

Compared to summer tyres, the ability to drive in standing water is also much improved.

For reference I have always fitted Goodyear Ultragrip (6,7,8, performance gen1) tyres and compared them to premium summer tyres such as Eagle F1s, Bridgestone Potenzas etc. I had some cheaper Avon Ice Touring winter tyres which I removed after 4 weeks as they were horrible, bordering on dangerous on damp roads.

If I lived by the coast, Edinburgh or other low lying areas I think the cross climate tyres would be my first choice. A non alpine marked m&s offers better grip on potentially muddy campsites for out Campers but I would stick to summer tyres for the cars. I can't see the need for the 2-3 lighly snowy days per year and certainly in the low lying areas of England it seems unnecessary. Accept on those days you may stay home.

In the main our family Skoda 4x4 on Ultragrips is pretty unstopable assuming ground clearance issues don't arise. Or you get stuck because others have got stuck first. The problem we have here is that its all a bit digital.. When it snows properly everything gets stuck. Even the ploughs. And my Landrover on Insa Turbo Special tracks with 2 locking diffs...

View attachment 54988

Thanks, what’s m&s ?

 

[356DNA]

Thanks, what’s m&s ?

Sorry. M&S is mud and snow and is found on several tyres. True winter tyres have a little mountain icon that accompanies m&s to indicate the specific winter rubber compound.

See image...

 

[Rowls1958]

Cheers

 

[DAVE54]

theres quite a few countries and especially Germany were they are mandatory with a fine if checked

 

[Rowls1958]

Just an update, bought the new Bridgestone A005 All Season Evo - brilliant tyres, quiet, great in mud, great in the wet, done 4,500 miles only 1.5mm wear.......

 

[kurienp]

Just an update, bought the new Bridgestone A005 All Season Evo - brilliant tyres, quiet, great in mud, great in the wet, done 4,500 miles only 1.5mm wear.......

They seem to be a good choice. Came up trump's in some tests that I have been reading about. Maybe my next change as well

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[2into1]

Just an update, bought the new Bridgestone A005 All Season Evo - brilliant tyres, quiet, great in mud, great in the wet, done 4,500 miles only 1.5mm wear.......

Do we know what depth they start with, and typically call our tyres shot?
The 'summer' Bridgestone 235x55x17 tyres that were / are supplied on some Cali's were noted as having very poor life. 1.5 mm in 4,500 miles doesn't sound brilliant to be, but I'll be a better judge with the above info.

 

[TripleBee]

Do we know what depth they start with, and typically call our tyres shot?
The 'summer' Bridgestone 235x55x17 tyres that were / are supplied on some Cali's were noted as having very poor life. 1mm in 4,500 miles doesn't sound brilliant to be, but I'll be a better judge with the above info.

Normal tyres come at about 8mm, and are worn at 1,6mm.
Snow tyres should be about 9mm, but most only have 8mm too. The winter function stops at 4mm. Then they are considered as normal tyres, and can be run down to 1,6mm, but with impaired performance as they are not really normal tyres. They will melt at higher temperatures, so don't expect a very long lifetime.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Normal tyres come at about 8mm, and are worn at 1,6mm.
Snow tyres should be about 9mm, but most only have 8mm too. The winter function stops at 4mm. Then they are considered as normal tyres, and can be run down to 1,6mm, but with impaired performance as they are not really normal tyres. They will melt at higher temperatures, so don't expect a very long lifetime.

The Good year vector gen 3 seem to cone with two wear markers. Assuming one for snow and for general summer use.

 

[TripleBee]

The highest marker will be at 4mm, the other at 1,6mm.