XC60 AWD & 2WD Tyres & Winter

[844PHW]

While all this enthusiasm for winter tyres is admirable, it does throw a spanner in the works regarding spare wheels. Is one to have two sets of five tyres? It is beginning to look unwieldy. There is also a downside with having a set of winters if replacements are difficult to obtain/ expensive to obtain /unobtainable. What do you do in the eventuality that you need a replacement tyre. Is a mixed set (of makes not styles) good enough.
Winter tyres in the UK seems to be a developing market. Perhaps in a few years the situation will be clearer. I am staying with the Michelin Diamaris for now. I may look at all-weather tyres when new tyres are needed, possibly they will be a more attractive proposition at that point.
And whatever happened to volvo's claim that the spacesaver spare had to be withdrawn to reduce rubber consumption, they are now encouraging everyone to have two sets of tyres. In the short term this amounts to a major increase in rubber consumpton.

[XC60MY12]

Originally Posted by Brodick

It may be the case that Volvo can't make their dealers store the tyres. especially if they have smaller premises. I haven't asked my dealer. I am going to get them to swop my tyres over but I will bring my summer tyres home and store them myself

Certainly Taggarts have limited space and it will need to be secure. However they are trying to organise something and have told me I am at the head of the queue.

[XC60MY12]

Originally Posted by 844PHW

While all this enthusiasm for winter tyres is admirable, it does throw a spanner in the works regarding spare wheels. Is one to have two sets of five tyres? It is beginning to look unwieldy. There is also a downside with having a set of winters if replacements are difficult to obtain/ expensive to obtain /unobtainable. What do you do in the eventuality that you need a replacement tyre. Is a mixed set (of makes not styles) good enough.
Winter tyres in the UK seems to be a developing market. Perhaps in a few years the situation will be clearer. I am staying with the Michelin Diamaris for now. I may look at all-weather tyres when new tyres are needed, possibly they will be a more attractive proposition at that point.
And whatever happened to volvo's claim that the spacesaver spare had to be withdrawn to reduce rubber consumption, they are now encouraging everyone to have two sets of tyres. In the short term this amounts to a major increase in rubber consumpton.

I take your point about the spare but, if it's a spacesaver as mine is, it's only for use in an emergency so would not need to be replaced for different climate conditions.

As far as the increase in rubber consumption is concerned, again a very good point. Perhaps winter tyres is a better use of a limited resource than spares which may not be used at all? Still potentially a big increase in consumption though. Perhaps someone who was given this excuse by Volvo for not providing a spare might like to take it up with them, although life's probably too short!

[XC60MY12]

Originally Posted by Teejay1

I paid 1300 for 4 Segin wheels with Continental tyres last year 1800 seems a lot.

Thanks for that Teejay1. Taggarts are going to give me a 10% discount. It still sounds a lot but, given others' comments on shortages of winter tyres this year, maybe not surprising.

[polsesnabb]

Originally Posted by Brodick

No I have not driven with them in warmer weather but am not surprised by what you say. I would assume itis similar to running summer tyres in the winter at low , low tempratures.

Summer tyres are made of hard rubber compared to winters wich are softer. In decreasing temperatures no tyres get softer. However, all tyres get softer in increasing temperatures. Summers are made for thet, so you will never see them get too soft on you, but winters are made for lower temperatures. Therefore, they become very soft in summer, and are regarded as dangerous to drive with. In a comparison test I just read, the winers performed worse in all summer diciplines, than ANY of the cheapest summer tyres available on the market, including the chinese, retreaded ones.

[Gazdok]

Originally Posted by volvorocks

Hi Guys

Thanks so far for your responses

My understanding is that winter tyres on a 2 wheel drive car will grip corner and stop better than a 4 wheel drive (or AWD) on summers but you will not be able to get going as well. Obviously it goes without saying 4 winter tyres on a 4WD (AWD) will be the best of the bunch. Winter tyres on any car in summer will not stop as well as the same car with summer tyres.As Wimorrison quite rightly says this has been exhausted in previous threads on general cars

Winter tyres on a FWD car will get you going far better than summers on a AWD / 4WD car in snow. RWD with winter tyres can be different. They need some extra weight in the boot to get good traction.

[darbs]

Originally Posted by Gazdok

Winter tyres on a FWD car will get you going far better than summers on a AWD / 4WD car in snow. RWD with winter tyres can be different. They need some extra weight in the boot to get good traction.

there is a link somewhere on this site to a video which shows a 4x4 on summers out accelerating an FWD on winters on packed snow by a long way. on snow, when accelerating a 4x4 and an AWD will most likely perform pretty similarly, ie using all 4 wheels to get traction.

in the same video the fwd on winters corners and stops better than the 4x4 on summers.

[Gazdok]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazdok

Winter tyres on a FWD car will get you going far better than summers on a AWD / 4WD car in snow. RWD with winter tyres can be different. They need some extra weight in the boot to get good traction.

Originally Posted by darbs

there is a link somewhere on this site to a video which shows a 4x4 on summers out accelerating an FWD on winters on packed snow by a long way. on snow, when accelerating a 4x4 and an AWD will most likely perform pretty similarly, ie using all 4 wheels to get traction.

in the same video the fwd on winters corners and stops better than the 4x4 on summers.

In our last V70 (PI) - 2.4L, 170 BHP, FWD - I was driving on winter tyres and a Subaru with proper 4WD, not just Volvo / Haldex AWD, and plenty of power could not keep up with me at all. He was just fishtailing. The slightest incline left him stranded and I was going like on rails.
This was a few years ago on fresh snow.

[darbs]

Originally Posted by Gazdok

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazdok

Winter tyres on a FWD car will get you going far better than summers on a AWD / 4WD car in snow. RWD with winter tyres can be different. They need some extra weight in the boot to get good traction.




In our last V70 (PI) - 2.4L, 170 BHP, FWD - I was driving on winter tyres and a Subaru with proper 4WD, not just Volvo / Haldex AWD, and plenty of power could not keep up with me at all. He was just fishtailing. The slightest incline left him stranded and I was going like on rails.
This was a few years ago on fresh snow.

haldex AWD 4th gen does have it advantages over 4x4 in some situations.

in heavy snow conditions last dec i was able to outmanoeuvre a grand cherokee which appeared to experience obvious wheel slip much more often than i did. 4th gen will send up to 85% traction to a single wheel if the other 3 are spinning.

on the other hand, in normal driving conditions, i would have thought a normal 4x4 would outperform an AWD in cornering. haldex 4th gen only kicks in if there is wheel spin, not if there's lateral slip. 4x4 reduces lateral slip.

btw, i found the vid i referred to in my last post. here it is. the 4x4 is on the right. it does fishtail, but the driver is skilled enough to keep control: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zJc...filepage#t=62s

not that i would ever consider racing in snow! it's just good to know you can get going, as i was able to in dec, including on steep inclines. it's always worth remembering though that a 4x4 or AWD is just as hard to stop as an FWD on summers.