Winter tyres?

mrbadexample

I wouldn't normally bother, but since I need two new front tyres anyway...is there any value in having just two? I thought I might grab a couple - car is FWD.

mikey72

sunshinetours wrote: »

Absolutely they make a huge difference as I said. There are plenty of experienced winter drivers who would still drive safely without them though. I don't doubt tehy would drive even better with winters but that doesn't mean they are unsafe without

I am a huge convert now having tried them as otehr psots will testify but not everyone drives a low profiled heavy powerful rear wheel drive car - think we just need to keep things in perspective despite how good they are!

I can drive safely without them. I can drive rwd cars without them. (I'm not entirely convinced fwd is any better)
But I can go up my drive with them. I wouldn't swop back to summer tyres in winter again.

mikey72

mrbadexample wrote: »

I wouldn't normally bother, but since I need two new front tyres anyway...is there any value in having just two? I thought I might grab a couple - car is FWD.

Yes. Grip is better, and you can drag the back end along. If it goes wrong, you'll lose the back before the front though. But it won't go wrong as easily.

mikey72

marlot wrote: »

Just to say M+S is a tread pattern, and does not signify a winter tyre (though it could be M+S and a winter tyre). You need to look for the snowflake symbol.

Totally agree, and hopefully the link is here this time.

http://www.snowtyres.com.au/severe-service-emblem

andy8442

Mytyres.com. Get the cheapest they do for that size, you'll only need them for a few months a year and the difference is amazing.

Lum

Got some being delivered to my local tyre place at some point next week (Nokian WR-G2s)

The snow started falling in the afternoon today so the idiots and queues started forming. Silly me thought I'd go through the lanes to avoid it all, still on summer tyres. Even worse is said tyres are Goodyear Eagle F1s.

Overtook a parked up Range Rover who appeared to be thinking about it, at which point they followed me (people tend to assume my car is RWD even though it's 4WD, so I guess they assumed I knew something they didn't). Unfortunately they decided to follow me with their full beams on

First leg of the lanes (M4 J30 -> Rudry -> Lower Machen for those who know the area) went well enough, it was pretty much pre-cleared thanks to other people, so I decided to do the second leg as well (Lower Machen to Ochrwyth, over the mountain) which almost became a mistake. On the steep downhill is soon became a controlled slide and took a lot of very careful braking to bring the car down to a sensible speed (1-2mph) without actually braking traction. Brake too hard and I would have slid all the way to the corner with the stone wall at the bottom. Survived without incident but it was a bit sketchy and I'm not going to attempt it again without winter tyres.

It was shortly after that that I noticed the Range Rover was no longer following me, but I don't think there's any turn offs around there either. Oh dear.

iNath

mrbadexample wrote: »

I wouldn't normally bother, but since I need two new front tyres anyway...is there any value in having just two? I thought I might grab a couple - car is FWD.

Not a good idea. When you lose control at the back end on a FWD car it is very difficult to control.
Watch this video from 0:55 onwards.

mikey72

iNath wrote: »

Not a good idea. When you lose control at the back end on a FWD car it is very difficult to control.
Watch this video from 0:55 onwards.

Fair point, but I'd like to see the same test on 4 summer tyres, or two winter tyres at less than 30mph. tbh if you want to slalom thru traffic at that speed, you're probably asking for trouble.
Even with winter tyres at the front, it doesn't go out out shape until the end, and they don't even compare the cornering, as it will probably make it with the two winter tyres on the front with no problems.
Not really a like for like comparison, more a tyre company advert.

mrbadexample

Well, as it happens, I had been considering 4 for that reason. Guess it depends on how much I can get them for.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I have a Mazda MX5 RWD, just wondering what make of winter tyres best suit this car?


At the moment, I'm struggling reversing mainly as the wheels are just spinning with no grip on the road.