Winter tyres?

Lum

Doh, didn't realise it was the same person.

I think I gave a list of other Suzukis that use the same wheels in an earlier post, did you try searching for those?

Edit: FWIW, I've decided that I can't be bothered crawling around in the snow with a jack and wheelbrace, so will just pay the tyre shop to swap the tyres over and keep the old ones. My local will do this cash in hand if it's quiet and I take the tyres away.

Maybe not moneysaving but at 15 quid to swap 4 tyres and, say, £100 for a set of 4 wheels, it will take a while before it ends up costing me more.

Any

Lum wrote: »

Doh, didn't realise it was the same person.

I think I gave a list of other Suzukis that use the same wheels in an earlier post, did you try searching for those?

NO, I just got the numbers...Don't remember any other Suzuki models. But they mean nothing to me, I don't know which ones have to be exactly the same and which can be little bit different..
No one lists them all on Ebay.

zappahey

Any wrote: »

Well, I tried search for a wheel/rim (of my car make) and only 1 came up anyway... not even a set.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FELGEN-WINTER-REIFEN-14-Zoll-SUZUKI-SWIFT-AWD-EZ-/230507548740?pt=Auto_Komplettr%C3%A4der&hash=item35ab521044 and says they ship worldwide

wuckfit

here's some more tyre related videos.
one for RWD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFYXOJ5KEXM&feature=related

and one for FWD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdtAm7RsTmE&feature=related

Flying-High_2

http://www.reifen.com

Highly recommended on another forum I frequent.... Site available in English aswell...

Not 100% sure how the prices compare with the UK.

Any

zappahey wrote: »

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FELGEN-WINTER-REIFEN-14-Zoll-SUZUKI-SWIFT-AWD-EZ-/230507548740?pt=Auto_Komplettr%C3%A4der&hash=item35ab521044 and says they ship worldwide

Thank you very much...
but I can get brand new alloys and winter tyres here for that price..
I wasn't exactly looking to spend £450.

I was more thinking about second hand cheap wheels.

spikedouglas

I don't think winter tyres are needed down here in my southern part of the country, even through the local tyre warehouse has sold out. In fact, I remain unconvinced about any special tyre for normal motoring and can't understand why you'd want to spend ££££ on tyres.

But then I don't think that 4 x 4s are needed for the school run either, and that opinion hasn't changed one person either

bigjl

Winter tyres are of benefit even when the roads aren't covered in snow, as they have a softer compound they have better grip in cold and wet conditions, even well above freezing.

I think the main issue is lack of understanding of what a winter tyre does, and the fact that there are different types of winter tyres, not just the studded ones that are used in some Scandanavian countries, and the fact that in, in general, drivers in the UK have a tendancy to want to spend as little on their car as possible, though I should add that people that I know originally from Scotland, Wales and Ireland seem to have a slight tendancy to look after their vehicles mechanical well being slightly better than most Londoners I know, this may have something to do with availabliity of other ways to get home when the worst happens, where I come from nobody would even consider putting on second hand tyres, servicing is rarely overlooked and the use of cheap oil is thought to be false economy.

I never saw a car with four different makes of tyre fitted before I moved to London, and to be honest in my home town very few people used tyres till the legal minimum.

Now I have the space to store a second set of wheels I will be looking into putting aside my steel wheels for winter tyre duties and putting alloys on my car.

The difference between the grip I had last winter with a set of almost new matched tyres and this winter with the same set of matched tyres with 3mm tread remaining was an eye opener.

My car has a lot less grip for example than my wifes Clio which has a set of new Avons on the front.

Spikedouglas may feel that winter tyres are a waste of time and money, but the London Ambulance Service has started to fit winter tyres to the fleet this year, from Oct/Nov till about Feb/Mar, they are obviously in a position to have space to store the unused wheels, but everybody I have spoken to has reported a noticable improvement in grip with the winter tyres, though in fairness we have had expensive Michelins fitted, they will however last for 3 or 4 winters.

Thinking about it in a different way I don't think there will be much of a cost difference over three or four years as the miles that you do will be gettinbg divided between two sets of tyres, with the extra grip on offer and extra control it may even work out cheaper due to less damage caused by impacting kerbs etc when sliding about at low speed due to a reduction in grip in the cold and wet.

sunshinetours

spikedouglas wrote: »

I don't think winter tyres are needed down here in my southern part of the country, even through the local tyre warehouse has sold out. In fact, I remain unconvinced about any special tyre for normal motoring and can't understand why you'd want to spend ££££ on tyres.

But then I don't think that 4 x 4s are needed for the school run either, and that opinion hasn't changed one person either

They aren't "needed" as such for most, but they massively help especially on some cars.

Those who have tried the direct comparison on the same car with the two types of tyre generally seem to agree. I also live in the South but really struggled last year - the difference this year has been huge. Its also not an expensive option if you plan ahead and buy the tyres before it snows!

Not really sure what 4x4 use for school runs has to do with choosing a type of tyre but heyho

mra12345

sunshinetours wrote: »

They aren't "needed" as such for most, but they massively help especially on some cars.

Those who have tried the direct comparison on the same car with the two types of tyre generally seem to agree. I also live in the South but really struggled last year - the difference this year has been huge. Its also not an expensive option if you plan ahead and buy the tyres before it snows!

Not really sure what 4x4 use for school runs has to do with choosing a type of tyre but heyho

You are correct, the person above is talking nonsense. I have made a direct comparison changing from summer to winter tyres up here in Scotland where it is -13 degrees just now. I simply would not have gotten to work or any of the shops to by food etc if I did not have them and would most probably have been involved in a serious accident if I had tried to do so without them. I have gone from no traction at all in snow / ice to being able to drive most places with almost 4 x 4 like grip. It does not been you can be reckless but will enable you to get places if like me you stay out in the sticks. Case closed.