Wheels/Tyres: Anyone else getting their Winter tyres ready?

[SonyVaio]

Just the excess re-balancing costs for switching.

The gold plated solution would be a second set of rims.

GMAD: I take it there are no hills where you live (or at least steep ones)?

[Bill_56]

Originally Posted by GMad

I have never fitted winter tyres and I'm not about to start!
I simply adjust my driving style accordingly

No offence Gmad, but I can't help but get a feeling of deja-vu from the 1970s, before seat belts became law. Following quote could've been so many people I knew then...

I have never worn a seat belt and I'm not about to start.
I simply drive more carefully so that I won't have an accident.

another one used to be along the lines of...

I may get trapped in a burning car if I have an accident wearing a seatbelt, whereas without one I could be thrown out of the car and land softly and uninjured on a nearby haystack

But just like seat-belts, which most people now accept are actually quite a good thing, I sadly suspect the only way we'll see mass uptake of winter tyres is if they make it a legal requirement.

[Oilydad]

Not going to buy winter tyres, but can anyone remember some devices that had three arms that went over the tyre, (like a modern wheel clamp) and then you used a winding handle that was incorporated to wind them in to secure them?

Used a set years ago in Germany and they were excellent, but they seem to have gone. I know they were pretty old.

[961]

Originally Posted by Brodick

Well there is snow up here! - ok on the hills not far north of here.
4 winter tyres sitting in the garage just waiting for me to pull the trigger
(so to speak)

I only have the tyres (not a second set of alloy / steel wheels) apart from a little more hassle for myself anyone see anything wrong with me just swopping the tyres over each time ?

Only that you need to re balance the wheels each time and there is always the risk that changing will damage a tyre bead

I was fortunate in finding a complete set of alloys from a car breaker which produced the right price at less than the cost of new steel wheels. Otherwise I agree the price can be prohibitive

[GMad]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

GMAD: I take it there are no hills where you live (or at least steep ones)?

I live in Shropshire and travel far and wide with my work, so yes I do encounter hills.

Originally Posted by Bill_56

No offence Gmad, but I can't help but get a feeling of deja-vu from the 1970s, before seat belts became law. Following quote could've been so many people I knew then...


another one used to be along the lines of...


But just like seat-belts, which most people now accept are actually quite a good thing, I sadly suspect the only way we'll see mass uptake of winter tyres is if they make it a legal requirement.

You are of course correct, if they made it a legal requirement, then of course I would fit them and indeed have used them (when legally required to so) on my many trips to the continent.
As for seat belts and indeed crash helmets on a motorcycle, I have always used them, even when there has been no legal requirement for me to do so.
However in the thirty five years that I have held a UK driving license, I have never been stuck as a result of inclement weather and thus see no reason to fit winter tyres. That said, I don't have a problem with anyone else who chooses to fit them. Each to there own and all that

[Bendolfc]

Well I finally did it, went for Winter complete wheel for VOLVO S40 2.0 D (Type M 100kW), Rim DEZENT V 7.00 x16 (LK 5/108, OS 48) with Nankang Snow SV-2 205/55 R16 94H.

Might not be the best tyre in the world but read a few reviews on other forums and they should be decent enough and they are going to be a lot better than 225/45/17 summer tyres.

Cost me £540 less 3% cashback via topcashback from www.mytyres.co.uk. I figure having spent a fortune on 3 wheel bearings and an alternator, I may as well go for them as I don't particulally want to bin it now.

[Gazdok]

Originally Posted by GMad

I live in Shropshire and travel far and wide with my work, so yes I do encounter hills.



You are of course correct, if they made it a legal requirement, then of course I would fit them and indeed have used them (when legally required to so) on my many trips to the continent.
As for seat belts and indeed crash helmets on a motorcycle, I have always used them, even when there has been no legal requirement for me to do so.
However in the thirty five years that I have held a UK driving license, I have never been stuck as a result of inclement weather and thus see no reason to fit winter tyres. That said, I don't have a problem with anyone else who chooses to fit them. Each to there own and all that

And of course you could say "what use are they" as I got stuck with winter tyres and AWD, but only because I "beached" the car last year in 50 cm of snow in Germany's massive winter snowfall.
I got out when everybody weighing the car down had got out and the "little feet" could touch the solid snow again.

[Daim]

Winter tires aren't a thing for people who can't drive... It seems a lot of people are simply saying "I never needed them sofar, I'll never need them in future". Maybe... But a good driver doesn't only drive different in winter conditions, he/she will also equip his/her car to the conditions. Anti-freeze in windscreenwasher is a common thing now... As I lived in England we never needed it... How often were the temperatures below freezing in Lowestoft? I only remember one day, where we had snow and ice... My parents STILL bought antifreeze... Because you don't know IF you'll need it. Instead of being caught out, you can simply prepare for worse.

In my area in Germany here, we had a fantastic Indian summer. Last week, temperatures around 29°c! And that in October. The thermometer on my house wall says at this very moment 7°c. It is only one week later. In other parts of Germany, snow has fallen EARLIER than ever. I've still got my summer tyres on my C30 at the moment, but lastest end of the next week, I'll fit them. Even if the car looks less pretty... Even IF it doesn't snow here... I NEED to get out of the house and to work... So it means my car MUST be drivable at all times! And therefore: winter tyres are a must have!

[volvorocks]

Having read all the thread and done some pretty exhaustive independent research elsewhere over the weeks I have come to the conclusion that we should fit:

Winter tyres for Winter
Summer tyres for Summer

Pretty simple conclusion really.

Bit like having the central heating on in winter and the air conditioning on in summer.Pretty straightforward.

The only "valid" reasons not to is "inconvenience" in changing over (not really valid at all) and the cost (valid)

[961]

Originally Posted by volvorocks

I have come to the conclusion that we should fit:

Winter tyres for Winter
Summer tyres for Summer

Pretty simple conclusion really.

The only "valid" reasons not to is "inconvenience" in changing over (not really valid at all) and the cost (valid)

What has confused many (including local councils, airports etc) is a succession of mild winters over the last 10/15 years

Leaving that aside, once you get over the initial cost, running winter and summer tyres costs little more than sticking with summer tyres all year round

The only difference is the fact that when winter comes you can continue to get around safely