Winter Tyre Test Video

OddballJamie

neilmcl wrote: »

If he's running 18"/19" wheels I'd doubt that he could go down to 16". Usually, as in your case, you tend to drop a size smaller. Even so, his £800 estimate sounds a tad high.

Can't see why not, an Astra H VXR comes with 18" (19" are an option) and will take 16" steel radials. As long as the wheels clear the callipers and you get your ratios right there shouldn't be any issues.
Same story with BMW 1/3 Series M Sport too I've been told.

Jamie_Carter

King_Nothing wrote: »

Never had a problem using regular tyres during the past few winters, plus haven't got £800 for a set of extra tyres.

And that's the same for most of us. It is only when you do use a set of winter tyres that you will notice the difference.

Jamie_Carter

Ultrasonic wrote: »

In the following braking test you'll see that the WET braking figures for the all season tyres (positions 35, 42, 50 and 52) are worse than the better summer tyres, and on a par with the rest? You may have a point in relation to resistance to aquaplaning, but for general driving on wet summer roads I firmly stick to my view that summer tyres are safer. Aquaplaning is not the major concern when it starts raining.

You have it all mixed up.

The reason summer tyres work better on warm dry roads is because they have more surface area in contact with the road. Winter tyres have less surface area so that water can be dispersed more effectively.

Winter tyres are a softer compound that summer tyres, so that the rubber will still stay supple when it is cold.

If summer tyres used the same compounds as winter tyres, then they would give incredible levels of grip in the dry, but would wear out very quickly. And they would have a higher rolling resistance, which would make fuel economy worse.

Jamie_Carter

reeac wrote: »

I'm puzzled: why are tyres for steel wheels cheaper?

Because the tyres have a higher profile. Low profile tyres cost a lot.

Jamie_Carter

OddballJamie wrote: »

Can't see why not, an Astra H VXR comes with 18" (19" are an option) and will take 16" steel radials. As long as the wheels clear the callipers and you get your ratios right there shouldn't be any issues.
Same story with BMW 1/3 Series M Sport too I've been told.

That would mean to give the same circumference as the low profiles on the 19" rims, those on the 16" rims would have about a 5" profile.

OddballJamie

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

That would mean to give the same circumference as the low profiles on the 19" rims, those on the 16" rims would have about a 5" profile.

Here's a calculator for working it out
http://www.etyres.co.uk/tyre-size-calculator

245/30/19 would go down to a 205/55/16.

Jamie_Carter

OddballJamie wrote: »

Here's a calculator for working it out
http://www.etyres.co.uk/tyre-size-calculator

245/30/19 would go down to a 205/55/16.

A 30mm profile would mean loads of broken wheels with the roads in this country. :eek:

OddballJamie

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

A 30mm profile would mean loads of broken wheels with the roads in this country. :eek:

It's not mm it's a percentage of the tyre width.
Plenty of cars about have tyres with a 30 ratio.

Strider590

OddballJamie wrote: »

It's not mm it's a percentage of the tyre width.
Plenty of cars about have tyres with a 30 ratio.

And plenty get it wrong and fit skinny tyres to new alloys that are the same diameter as the old ones, resulting in wheels that look stupid, don't fill the wheel arches and mess up the cars speedo.
Quiet often seen on the old Renault Megane coupe for some strange reason.

Jamie_Carter

OddballJamie wrote: »

It's not mm it's a percentage of the tyre width.
Plenty of cars about have tyres with a 30 ratio.

It is still extremely low profile, and would still lead to damaged rims.