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In praise of winter tyres


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Just had a look back through the search archive and last Feb we were all posting about the snow and the chaos on the roads. I remember the scenes on the roads and most of these were repeated on Sunday. So why does nobody bother fitting winter tyres? On the continent it is law or strongly advised from an insurance point of view during winter.

 

I've had a pair up for sale for a while now and not one enquiry, not even from a taxi driver, whose income you would think depends on being able to drive about in all weathers.

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Perhaps because a pair isn't enough?

 

Although I agree about winter tyres. For info, cold weather tyres or winter tyres have different compounds and tread patterns which grip the snow better and bite into colder surfaces. A winter tyre with 3mm will grip when a summer tyre with 8mm would just spin.

 

It is not just snow either. Winters give you massively improved grip when road temps drop below 8c and in reality cost next to nothing as your summers tyres get a winter rest. So over a period of 3 years you will pay around the same in tyre costs.

 

Once temps get up above 15c, winter tyres start to perform much more poorly, the different tread pattern allows more 'squirming' of the tread, which is great to get the snow to fall out, but once the temp rises it gets too soft and moves too much so steering precision is reduced. So they ain't much cop in our hot summers.

 

If you want to know more http://www.etyres.co.uk/bad-weather-tyres

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I've just opted for some autosocks for my car. I know some people who have had them and they are suppsoed to be great in ice and snow but should be taken off when driving on tarmac. It should hopefully make driving around crookes a bit easier if the snow comes again and I urgently need to move the car... though to be honest im enjoying the walk to work at the moment even if it does mean an extra hour.

 

video of them in action here.

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these look good simple but they work , where from and how much?

 

I've got mine on order from roofbox.co.uk. I think there are only a couple of distributors in the UK but I believe you can get them from ebay as well. I paid £100 for two pairs but to be honest I think you only need to put one pair on the back wheels just to prevent the wheel spin.

 

I'm having a nightmare because I can't turn the traction control off in my car so hopefully these will help me when I need to just get to get off the sidestreets and onto the main road.

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I've got mine on order from roofbox.co.uk. I think there are only a couple of distributors in the UK but I believe you can get them from ebay as well. I paid £100 for two pairs but to be honest I think you only need to put one pair on the back wheels just to prevent the wheel spin.

 

I'm having a nightmare because I can't turn the traction control off in my car so hopefully these will help me when I need to just get to get off the sidestreets and onto the main road.

obviously only if you're car is rear wheel drive. Try the front wheels if it's front wheel drive!

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Its compulsory over here to change to winter tyres after 1st december hence you don´t see the problems on the roads that happens in the uk. Mud&Snow marked tyres are better than summer tyres but studded tyres are just fantastic. However i don´t think its really practical for every car owner to have two sets of tyres just for a couple of days of snow each year , better just to take the warnings seriously and don´t drive unless you have to when there is this much snow.

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I've just opted for some autosocks for my car. I know some people who have had them and they are suppsoed to be great in ice and snow but should be taken off when driving on tarmac. It should hopefully make driving around crookes a bit easier if the snow comes again and I urgently need to move the car... though to be honest im enjoying the walk to work at the moment even if it does mean an extra hour.

 

video of them in action here.

 

How come in the clip, when he first fits the socks they are not under the tyre but when he sets off they are.:suspect::suspect:

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I've got 4 Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D fitted on my C4 Grand Picasso uphill and downhill on sheet ice has been no problem. We will be getting a set for our Clio as well for next winter.

 

The initial outlay was a lot as we bought them fitted on a set of steel wheels but having just completed a round trip to Stuttgart on them and having had no problems over the last couple of days I would not be without them and they will not cost us anything for the next couple of years other than time changing over and a bit of storage space

 

A word of caution if you are thinking of getting some I would NOT recommend http://www.mytyres.co.uk as their delivery times and customer service are pants

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