Winter tyres

[ravydavygravy]

Anyone going to swap their tyres next month? I'm tempted for peice of mind although i didnt have too much bother last winter.

Do normal clio steelys fit the T btw?

 

[ed55j]

There was only one time I wished I had better tyres on the car last winter. We had freezing rain and the roads were literally covered in ice. I drove 10miles down the a49 to work in my e36 BMW which was terrifying, sideways the whole journey doing no more than 30mph. I remember their being dozens of accidents that moring. I think the clio may have coped a little better

 

[BenG]

I'm not going to bother, I didn't have any problems coping last year, it's a short journey to work and I limit my miles.
I did wish I had a Defender though, my friends Defender didn't struggle at all last year travelling around the lakes.

It amazes me why people head out in their cars when the conditions are that bad, I see it on the news, cars piled up and ditched everywhere, serves you right you nobs!

I have no sympathy, except for those who are hurt, injured or killed because of idiots with no sense driving with no respect to the conditions.

 

[j333evo]

I have spare 15" alloys fitted with new Hankook iCept EVO winter tyres.

The difference is unbelievable unless youve tried. I passed stricken 4WD cars last year in the villages above Silverstone as although 4wd gives better traction, it diesnt help stopping. Though in previous years both my Celica GT4 & Lancia integrale proved entertaining in the snow as the diffs on those cars especially the integrale make most 4x4 wagons feel like they are, basic, not active seeking out which wheel has best grip instantly constantly shifting not only between wheels on same axle, but front to rear.

The stand outs from this months EVO mag article on the subject of tyres, which like F1 if your on the wrong one you loose.

Braking on snow in MK6 Golf from 25mph, best winter tyre 19.7m, ContiSport 3 summer tyre last 72.7m, over 50 m longer!

Snow lap times winter best107.2secs worst 108.4, summer didn't reach start line.

Traction longitudinal force generated winter best 291.3deN worst 262.4deN, summer last 69deN.

Wet circuit temp below 7deg, winter best 87.2secs worst 89.1secs, summer 91.6secs
Wet braking from 50mph; winter best 35.8m worst 37.6m, summer 43m.

Dry circuit best summer 114.6secs, fastest winter 118.1secs slowest winter 119.2secs
Dry braking from 50mph best summer 37.1m, best winter 42.9m worst winter 43.6m.

Interesting to note a winter tyre stops in a shorter distance in the wet than a summer does in the dry.

My friend is a tyre development engineer based at MIRA for Continental & he said tyre companies spend more on developing winter tyres than summer as the rewards in terms of development are higher, whereas it's such small margins in summer tyres & the knowledge base is deeper that it's all much of muchness.

Many tyre companies recommend that if you do a low annual mileage, that running winter tyres all year round makes more sense than a summer tyre as the loses in the dry are much lower than the gains in winter.

But one area a summer tyre wins hands down is subjective feel, winter tyres do feel a little less positive on turn in & feedback.

I have Hankook I-Cept EVO 195/50/15 which cost little over £50 each delivered next day from http://www.tyremen.co.uk

 

[PAGANI]

winter tyres are designed to work below 7deg and they will perform better than summer tyres in all conditions.

 

[PAGANI]

Actually reminds me why i put new ps3 on the front, coming up to a four way junction last winter at under 10mph because of the conditions, was letting the engine do the braking but i knew i would have had to kiss the brakes, so giving myself plenty time i touched the brakes, got abs right away,no way was i stopping, came off brakes tried a bit of cadence, made no difference, handbrake turn,nope, narrow road. parked cars , anything to slow my self down, car coming from the right, accident coming up i thought, anyway last chance gave it a controlled bootful and sailed through the junction on a bit of oppo missing the car by a rizla. Tried to get some winter tyres, none available due to the harsh winter. I once had an original fiat panda 4x4 on winter tyres and on a snowy car park while all the other max power corsas were going no where i was doing donuts, four wheel drifts and scandanavian flicks. I had them all stop and just watch the fun i was having and gained a bit of respect, i miss that car it taught me a lot about car control.

 

[j333evo]

Fitted my winter wheels & tyres today in preparation as temperatures already dropped down to 3degrees on my early morning shifts leaving home at 0600.

Picture taken at 1615 today and can already see the due misting on the rear quarter of the car where it's more exposed to the elements.

 

[Supersonic]

Are they 15's? I'm trying to stay with the standard wheels but I can't seem to get tyres in that size.

 

[j333evo]

Yes they are 15" 195/50/15 Hankook iCept EVO winter tyres bought from www.tyremen.co.uk for £50 each about 6 weeks ago. Winter tyre stocks are now running very low & prices are going up at the same time on what's left.

 

[PAGANI]

I live on the south coast and we did have some fairly harsh weather at one point but if i lived in my native Scotland i would not hesitate to have a set of winter and summer tyres, get some cheap 15 inch alloys for the winter and you can use them for track days as the tyres are much cheaper. Keep us posted on how you think they perform.

 

[j333evo]

It's not just harsh weather that you feel benefit, though you get a massive advantage when they are. it just needs to be below 7degrees and wet which describes the UK from Nov through to March even though we are experiencing some above average temps at the moment.

I found the most startling figure that on a cold wet track a winter tyre stopped in less distance than a summer tyre did in the dry.

I'm from Glasgow and find that due to the Scottish authorities being more capable to deal with conditions & drivers having more experience than in the south the roads are actually better to drive on, whereas here in the midlands it grinds to a halt as drivers have less ability & authorities less capability to deal with the conditions.

When I moved to Bournemouth from Glasgow I couldn't believe how often the Wessex Way used to get blocked by folk crashing in the rain & making me late for work, yet I'd never once been late in Glasgow. I'm not having some misplaced patriotism when I say I believe driving standards are poorer in the south than the north & I've lived here for 10 years next year. Though may be a reflection of me getting older but think they are going down everywhere.