Winter tyres

[jakebullet]

Idiot sister has read the tea leaves and it's going to snow lots any minute now. Idiot sister also thinks if she puts winter tyres on her picanto it's going to be a mega brilliant off roader.

 

So I told her get hold of a pair of steel wheels, stick snow tyres on them and put on the front end when/if it snows. But she's looked on the internet and fitting 2 will be illegal and dangerous and will explode on the motorway. You must always have 4 identical tyres. Sounds like shite to me, but what doth the experts think?

 

Picanto steels also appear to be thin on the ground. Is there anything more common with the same pcd?

[andrew e]

Put the tyres on the alloys - thats what I do. The theory behind winters all round is that just on the front, will be like driving with 2 bald rears, i.e. quite good fun if you like that, terrifying if you don't

[John F]

Yep... whenever I've used winter tyres before I've always fitted them to all 4 wheels.

[CIH]

Offically winters on the front only will lead to OMG DRIFT OVERSTEER under braking, which may or may not be true. Probably isn't.

[jakebullet]

Ok, I can see the logic.

 

So any suggestions on getting 4 steels cheaper than her cunning plan of buy on ebay for only £220

I think scrapyards are also going to be pricey due to the cars not having a spare wheel as standard, so demand for them.

 

I wouldn't care, but I can see my Mum being stupid enough to give her my disco, followed by idiot girl putting it thru a wall.

[andrew e]

Why steels? Run the alloys man!

 

[andrew e]

Probably to rich for the shitter's budget (£99), but might be worth it for loved ones - if you can handle an Elk-mobile A klasse on the skid pan in Brooklands, I'm sure you might survive winter.

 

http://uk.mbdrivingacademy.com/advanced ... er-driving

[barefoot]

Ice bears all round is what I've done the last couple of years - sensationoli

I can see your thinking re. snow tyres on driven wheels, but...

think about trying to slow down and come to a gentle stop on a very steep hill

& think for the briefest of moments about what would happen if the rear

tyres were polished to a mirror shine and / or down to the steel cords

& you don't even come close to how good winter tyres are compared to

boggo tyres in the snow.

 

Hey, it's your sister, I didn't use to like mine much.

but I wouldn't like to have seen her as Picanto sandwich filling...

 

run on alloys this year, look for steelies over the summer.

[dollywobbler]

Probably to rich for the shitter's budget (£99), but might be worth it for loved ones - if you can handle an Elk-mobile A klasse on the skid pan in Brooklands, I'm sure you might survive winter.

 

http://uk.mbdrivingacademy.com/advanced ... er-driving

 

That's not a bad shout. I worry that this winter is going to be ruined by idiotic arseholes with winter tyres thinking they're invincible. It's bad enough with the 4x4 lot. At least you can spot one of those coming1

[dieselnutjob]

I did fit winter tyres to only the front a couple of years ago.

In snow and slush it was a bit OMG rear wheel drift but it was better than not stopping at all.

Last year I got some part worn ones on the back and it was completely fine.

Apparently the Germans have to throw away winter tyres when they get near 4mm tread so it's easy to get part worn ones with 4-5mm on.

It doesn't really cost money because when the winters are on the summers are in the shed not getting worn out so costs the original purchase price but then you don't buy more tyres for longer.

[John F]

It's bad enough with the 4x4 lot. At least you can spot one of those coming1

 

Hehe, sold the Rangie then Ian?

[marcello-gandini]

Winter tyres will be fine alone on the driving/steering/most of the braking wheels if the tyres on the back axle are in decent nick.

You can end up going faster in the snow than the 'normal' tyres on the back can cope with, so that's why it's suggested that 4 are fitted, especially for people who can't slow down through the gears.

[whitevanman]

Well as the P100 should be back on the road this week I am gonna be a lot happier driving RWD than FWD, it has ordinary tyres and I have had no problems in the snow the last two years....though I must admit that I have a pair of winter tyres for the front of the Rover if needed, I consider front only to be sufficient, unless you think that having winter tyres means you can drive faster, rather than provide you traction that you don't get with non winter tires in the snow....guess it all comes down to what you want them for.

[marcello-gandini]

But you can go faster, and safely.

[Split_Pin]

I still had the steel wheels lying around for my car. I couldn't afford 4 winter tyres so put 2 on the front and I have normal tyres on the bacl which are almost unworn.

 

I don't intend on driving fast anywhere in the snow so will hopefully be ok. As long as I can get up hills which was the problem last year.

 

Hopefully all will be ok!

[Guest]

It'll be quite funny if it doesn't snow at all this year, I think I've had about 10 different reports that it'll definitely snow this week/on the weekend/tomorrow over the last couple of months and I'm still waiting.

[Albert Ross]

I use these. Goodyear G90.

Or these. Michelin XCL.

 

I don't seem to have trouble in snow.

[AnthonyG]

^^^ Doubt they would fit a Picanto!

 

Re your sister - I would get the tyre fitter to put the winter tyres on the alloys, and change back in March or whatever, and look for steels over the summer when they will cheaper.

 

A VW dealer I know used to crush all the steels once they had fitted alloy upgrades, they weren't allowed to sell them on .

[dollywobbler]

It'll be quite funny if it doesn't snow at all this year, I think I've had about 10 different reports that it'll definitely snow this week/on the weekend/tomorrow over the last couple of months and I'm still waiting.

 

Aye. I doubt we'll get any before Christmas. Will we get any afterwards? Well, we've got a big freezer this year, so I don't really care. We'll just stay in.

[dieselnutjob]

whether it snows or not is not the point of winter tyres

 

winter tyres are made of a different rubber which is far more effective at lower temperatures

the problem with my 607 is that the tyres are quite wide (225) and they are hopeless in slush and aquaplane badly at higher speeds

the winter tyres really do seem to help

 

I would have narrower tyres on it but a suitable wheel doesn't seem to exist and apparently it would cause insurance hassles anyway

 

our 806 has narrower tyres and seems pretty good in snow without winter tyres

[Mr Lobster]

^ As above. Winter tyres work well in low temperatures as well as snow.

 

I had two on the front of the SEAT last year and did find that the back (which had decent Michelins on) could still wander on roundabouts etc. This year I've gone for winters all round so should hopefully be ok.

 

Kangoo has brand new skinny 165 tyres on the front so I'm expecting that should be decent in the snow as well.