Change to 'all weather' tyres one by one?

socks_uk

Hi all... after seeing my Canadian husband dig my car out of 9 inches of snow to go to work on Wednesday (his car is off road at the mo - gear trouble), I then became worried about him driving on the compacted snow. The Canadian in him was so determined to do it that it took him 2 hours!

Anyway, been thinking... I'm due to get a new tyre soon and thought about getting 'all weather' tyres but can't afford a full set so, with my 'spare' tyre being a full size tyre/wheel, what about this...


If I ask the garage swap the spare tyre for the one that needs changing and then have an all weather tyre put on the spare. And then, later on in the year when I have a little more spare cash, change the tyre on the car in the worst condition BUT have a swap around of all tyres putting the all weather spare and the new all weather tyre on the 'drive' wheels. Further down the line when I need another tyre changing do the same - swap the 'spare' first until another tyre needs changing and then put the 2 tyres on at the same time. (does this make sense?)

Is it safer or more dangerous to have 2 all weather tyres on just the 'drive' wheels until I can afford to replace 4 tyres?

Thanks in advance!

mikey72

Have a read of the last few pages of
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2889082
for varying views on this.

I would at least buy the two together, then you would have a matched pair on the same axle. Buying one at a time means if any changes happen, or you can't get the same type, you'll have different tyres on each side.
What's your spare like, if it's good, I'd put the poorest trye as the spare for now, use the spare until you have another tyre that needs replacing, then get both swopped, and use the next worse as the spare.
Like what you proposed but with the risk the spare is close to the limit if you need it. But no worse than it is now really, and with the benefit that you can buy a matched pair of tyres.

Wig

What's your garage storage space like? If you have enough room for 4 full tyres and wheels stacked up in a corner somewhere then the best option is to go to scrap yard buy 4 steel wheels for your car - they will come with tyres on, get them changed for all weathers and swap them over. A good scrappy will only charge maximum £30 for a full set. Some cheeky scrappys will try to fleece you for £20 - 25 per wheel - walk away from them.

As you don't have enough money, I think your plan is absolutely fine. I just would not be throwing away good tyres that haven't worn out yet just to get a winter tyre. If after reading that other thread you are worried about unbalanced breaking - personally I wouldn't be- then just fit the two winters to the rear, it would be physically impossible to "swap ends" if your rear has more grip than the front. But I'd rather have the winters on the front

missile

Please do not put different tyres on the same axle, Change two at a time if money is tight.

You might want to consider Autosocks?

neilmcl

missile wrote: »

Please do not put different tyres on the same axle, Change two at a time if money is tight.

You might want to consider Autosocks?

+1, I agree.

Wig

missile wrote: »

Please do not put different tyres on the same axle, Change two at a time if money is tight.

You might want to consider Autosocks?

This is not what OPs plan is. She wants to change the worn tyre for a winter, put the summer spare onto the car and put the new winter in the boot until she has enough money to buy another winter, at which point she will put two winters onto one axle and put the 'spare' back in the boot.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

This is a stupid idea. Different compound tyres will have different levels of grip. It isn't safe to drive a car with one tyre that has much higher levels of grip than the three next to it.

If you want winter tyres, buy four and fit four. Don't fit one at a time, or you'll end up stuck in a tree or a hedge. Or sliding over a pedestrian.

missile

Wig wrote: »

This is not what OPs plan is. She wants to change the worn tyre for a winter, put the summer spare onto the car and put the new winter in the boot until she has enough money to buy another winter, at which point she will put two winters onto one axle and put the 'spare' back in the boot.

I did read that, but it makes no sense to me. Why buy one winter tyre to put in the boot until she has enough for another, presumably next summer?

Having a well worn tyre on one side and a new tyre on the other is not very clever either.

socks_uk

Thank you for all your replies.

I certainly can't afford a set of winter tyres (complete wheels) sitting in my garage for my car (Skoda Fabia 02 plate) and, in this country I wouldn't ever buy winter tyres unless I well enough off to be able to afford a newer car which is why I thought 'all weather tyres' was the better option in my financial position.
Yes, I could probably get the garage to look at the spare & the one that the MOT flagged up last month as 'needs replacing soon' and change 2 in January/February when money is less tight. It didn't fail the MOT but (as you can see by me posting on here) I am trying to sort it and get it right. I could ask the garage if I buy one now (to put on the spare) would the exact make/type still be available in a couple of months time. That is the only option I have apart from doing what I normally do and buy a 'normal' tyre.

mikey72

All season, not all weather. All weather is a standard summer tyre, all season, like Vredestein Quatrac 3 are a good option.
As to the same tyre being available in a couple of months, with the conditions at the moment I wouldn't gamble on it. You may find the uk could be ok, but all the stock has gone to europe, or elsewhere.

socks_uk

mikey72 wrote: »

All season, not all weather. All weather is a standard summer tyre, all season, like Vredestein Quatrac 3 are a good option.
As to the same tyre being available in a couple of months, with the conditions at the moment I wouldn't gamble on it. You may find the uk could be ok, but all the stock has gone to europe, or elsewhere.

Thanks for the information. It'll probably be a couple of months before I'm purchasing them anyway.

Just asking but, do the 'winter tyres' over here in UK have spikes in them like (so my husband says) the ones in Canada do? No wonder they have so many potholes on Canadian roads!