Winter tyres...practical all year round?

[otherclive]

We were in Germany in late November and noticed that most cars had winter tyers on, which to be honest did not look too different in tread pattern to UK tyre of about 10 years ago. With this recent snow and ice I I find my wife's Mondeo distinctly sensitive and loses traction easily in snow. It is fitted with unidirectional Falkens. I have lived in Ontario, Dartmoor and Cumbria and did not have too much trouble with cars fitted with normal road tyres. In Ontario it was illegal to drive with studs or chains except for on unmetaled roads. Recaling some of my old cars (Marina, BX, Imp, Maxi) the tyers used affored some measure of grip (in snow), which today's tyres don't seem to possess. So I am thinking of changing the Mondeo over to European winter tyres which I would probably keep on all year around. But what would they be like in normal 3 seasons conditions, and what sort of reduction in life would I expect?

The Sorento has no problems whatsoever on its Yokohama Geolanders.

Cheers

Other Clive

 

[602]

Hi,

Do Winter tyres comply with the manufacturer's speed rating for your car?

I don't know, just asking.

602

 

[xtrailman]

how wide or your tyres, narrow tyres along with 4x4 are best in snow.

 

[Lutz]

Winter tyres are made of a softer rubber compound. This leads to increased wear. The only disadvantage of using them all year round is therefore reduced mileage that you would get out of them. Performancewise they should not be at a disadvantage in summer.

In reply to 602's question, winter tyres are readily available with up to a 210km/h speed rating.

 

[xtrailman]

how wide or your tyres, narrow tyres along with 4x4 are best in snow.

are

 

[otherclive]

The tyres are Falken 452 sized 205/50/R17 witha V rating. But I assume that German Mondeos would be the same when supplied as OEM fits. Often the manufacturers fit tyres from new that are significantly above the speed capability of the car. My Sorento has H rated tyres but would not exceed about 110mph on a very good day. Likewise the Mondeo with its 115bhp motor is hardly rocket ship. There are a number of tyre makes out there that would be suited to the Mondeos OEM spec.

Cheers

Other Clive

 

[Lutz]

Cars are not built ex-works with winter tyres, not even during the winter months in those countries where winter tyres are a legal requirement. It is the responsibility of the owner to have them fitted.

 

[jerry1]

look at vredestein quadtracs which is a winter and snow tyre in one or vredestein wintracs which i have on my avensis fantastic tyres cant tell you have them on until it snows that is i even tow the van with them on just got home thru 12 inch drifts no problem its bleak here on the pennines!

 

[otherclive]

Cars are not built ex-works with winter tyres, not even during the winter months in those countries where winter tyres are a legal requirement. It is the responsibility of the owner to have them fitted.

Lutz,

I was answering the previous question about what size my Mondeo tyres were. What I was trying to say was that UK and Ggerman Mondeos would probably have the same size tyre ex works, so on this basis a German Mondeo with its OEM tyres would be as 'sensitive' in snow as is my wife's car. It's the change to winter tyres that gives the improvment. As an aside do the majority of German drivers have two sets of tyres or do they stick to Winter ones for all year round?

Cheers

Other Clive

 

[otherclive]

look at vredestein quadtracs which is a winter and snow tyre in one or vredestein wintracs which i have on my avensis fantastic tyres cant tell you have them on until it snows that is i even tow the van with them on just got home thru 12 inch drifts no problem its bleak here on the pennines!

Jerry,

do you keep them on all year?

Other Clive

 

[Lutz]

Cars are not built ex-works with winter tyres, not even during the winter months in those countries where winter tyres are a legal requirement. It is the responsibility of the owner to have them fitted.

Most people over here have two sets of tyres for their cars. Many tyre shops offer storage facilities for customers who haven't got the space at home to store a second set. Until last year I had a lease car from the company which was changed every year and therefore more often than not had a different tyre size each time. In order not to suffer the full extra cost of a second set of tyres each time, I usually bought a set of winter tyres and then sold them again before the next winter by putting them in Ebay. I usually managed to recover more than half the original purchase price that way.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi clive

I have winter snow and mud tyres on the front drive wheels of the megane during the winter months and never had any traction problems even during this cold snap. in the spring when the last early morning frosts have gone they will be going on the back wheels for the summer and the normal wet road tyres will go on the front (now on the back wheels)

the advantage of this is two fold 1. I only need one set of tyres for all road conditions and 2. putting the winter tyres on the back during the summer reduces the tyre wear (softer compound and less tyre noise) as the rear wheels are only trailing and dont seem to scrubb the tread.

 

[Dave_374330759]

An interesting video

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s0p0

 

[Sproket]

That's an interesting video,

We have BFGoodrich T/A KO All Terrain on the disco, over 70,000 miles and still 7mm of tread, and im trying General Grabber AT2 All Terrain on my truck, both sets are on all year round, only real diference is the price BFG's =

 

[jerry1]

look at vredestein quadtracs which is a winter and snow tyre in one or vredestein wintracs which i have on my avensis fantastic tyres cant tell you have them on until it snows that is i even tow the van with them on just got home thru 12 inch drifts no problem its bleak here on the pennines!

quadtracs are designed to keep on all year but the wintracs i will take off in the spring i have a spare pair of alloys with wintracs fitted for my old mazda 6 surplus to requirments i am now looking for a pair of alloys for the new avensis

 

[Lutz]

Neither of the two tyres that you have mentioned are classed as winter tyres, though.

 

[Sproket]

Ok !

but with the big self cleaning tread i have not had a problem, they just dig you out.

 

[Lutz]

OK for snow, perhaps, but they're not going to help under icy conditions (as the link that Dave posted, shows).

 

[Sproket]

Lutz

Where i live we have not / will not ever see a snow plough or gritter, there is ice under the fresh snow, it climbs up nicely for about 150yds, its were all the boy racers do there polishing act, you cant buy experience, & you cant buy common sense, but you have to drive to the conditions.

 

[xtrailman]

All the ice road truckers lorries in the first series, only had a tyre tread that appeared to be square blocks, about 2"x2", they were driving on ice and snow!

 

[Lutz]

Tyres with a tread like that would probably be hellishly uncomfortable once the snow and ice clears, but the weather is still cold enough for winter tyres. The tread's got to be a compromise for those conditions, too.