S40 (New) G/box : t5 auto snow

[garyreiff77]

I am on mission snow storm where i try to escape using the boat. Everytime I get the boat I use the R2 and L2 buttons to start the boat but it never starts.

[v40bart]

Originally Posted by garyreiff77

I am on mission snow storm where i try to escape using the boat. Everytime I get the boat I use the R2 and L2 buttons to start the boat but it never starts.

Now, is this a bizarre post or what?

[benf]

Originally Posted by v40bart

Wrong. On winter tyres you need to go down on the width, example if you normally run 205 get 195 with suitable rims. Get your wheels from eBay,no need to pay over the odds for something you will only use for a couple of months at best. a set of four can be sometimes bought for less then £100. My tyres can supply decent tyres for around £75 a hoop. No need to go for bigshot brands, I had Avons and Federals and they were great. Tread pattern is important, you are going for GRIP on snow, ice and slush so deep, blocky tractor like tread is a winner. Road noise is always there with good winter tread so good and quiet winter tyres don't really exist. You don't really need a mad speed rating, it's not like you are going to drive at 140+ on snow, are you?

Whats wrong ? If a understand tyre sizes correctly - 215 to 205 is a reduction in width ? Cheapest I have found just for wheels is £260 (new) from ebay Last Winter I could of done with winter tyres from middle of November till March, about 4 months - remember cross-over is 7c, don't need to wait till its 6" of snow before putting them on

and of course not, I don't even do 140+ in summer ...

[tayandre]

Originally Posted by v40bart

Wrong. On winter tyres you need to go down on the width

The handbook says use 205/55/16 M+S. that's what Volvo supply if you buy from them at rather high prices. I used 205/55/16s last year and the Goodyear Ultragrip 7s were excellent.

Winter tyres are not just for snow so in the majority of the winter when snow isn't on the ground then I'd rather have 205 section for the majority of time when it's just cold and damp and get a little extra grip. There seems to be a fixation winters are only for use on snow and ice - they are designed for use in low temperatures - dry, wet, snow and ice included. So using them in winter even if you don't see a single flake of snow is still gonna make you safer on the road.

[DCN85]

There seems to be a fixation winters are only for use on snow and ice - they are designed for use in low temperatures - dry, wet, snow and ice included. So using them in winter even if you don't see a single flake of snow is still gonna make you safer on the road.

I agree. Winter tyres do have tread patterns which through mechanisms such as 'block edge penetration' etc will be massively better in snow and ice. However, one of the most important aspects of a winter tyre is the rubber compound. Winter tyre compounds have a lower 'glass transition temperature' which is precisely the reason they are better at low temperatures even on a clear and dry road. The rubber is softer and hence the tyre can adhere to the road surface better. This is why they are termed 'winter tyres' and not snow/ice tyres.

This compound characteristic is the same reason why they shouldn't be used in summer. The rubber will be too soft, resulting in excess adhesion (lower mpg and efficiency) and greatly increased wear.

[v40bart]

Oh nothing wrong with your post regarding sizing. Just don't buy steel wheels from mytyres when you can get alloys cheaper (or even steel ones). There are plenty of steel ford wheels that nobody wants and that will fit you Volvo. If you don't see them in flebay call beakers.

I know that winter tyres are not only about snow. But softer low temperature compound will not keep you going without proper tread pattern if it snows. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

I confess that I don't always go down on the width, I don't think it's worth it in UK. Not enough snowy days here.

But I tell you, it's a grat thing to be able to move when everyone else is stuck!

[DCN85]

I know that winter tyres are not only about snow. But softer low temperature compound will not keep you going without proper tread pattern if it snows. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

Definitely. On this point, the thin 'sipes' which you will see on a winter tyre are very important, particularly on ice. These close in like pincers when they traverse through the contact patch, grabbing the asperities/surface between them. The larger block edges are important in lying snow.

[Bendolfc]

Originally Posted by benf

Been looking at winter tyres myself (current fit is 215/45 R18), and seems best way to go is steel wheels fitted with winter tyres - mytyres.co.uk will do a set of Steel wheels with winter tyres + Vredestein SNOWTRAC 3 M+S 205/55 R16 91H for just under £600.

Check out the prices of them on Alloys too, seems to be cheaper than on Steel.

[benf]

Originally Posted by Bendolfc

Check out the prices of them on Alloys too, seems to be cheaper than on Steel.

Where from ? Been looking around for the last hour or so :-P

Still unclear if ford 5 studs wheels are a straight swap, PCD looks correct, but offsets is unclear ...

[Bendolfc]

The complete alloys on mytyres.co.uk were cheaper than complete steels when I looked last week.