Advice needed about winter tyres please....

GolfBravo

funguy wrote: »

Im happy to purchase a new set of 16" steel [strike]alloys[/strike] rims and get the new tyres fitted etc if i can find a company that will send them fitted and balanced so the garage just has to swap the sets over (much cheaper i assume than asking the garage to do the fitting, balancing etc.)

mytyres.co.uk deliver them fitted and balanced.

Each wheel "freshly" fitted and balanced. Delivery time is about 4 working days. Although we try our best to avoid any shortages in supply, if there's any problem in delivery, we'll inform you as soon as possible.

scheming_gypsy

Why aren't you comfortable visiting a scrapyard yet you'd buy some off eBay?

ali-t

I bought snow tyres a few weeks ago that can be left on all year. This would mean you didn't have to keep changing them.

DTDfanBoy

I buy factory alloys cheaply then fit winter tyres, I normally only get two seasons use and the wife gets three, I then sell them as a wheel/tyre set on Ebay, some people will pay crazy money for used winter tyres


If you keep your eye on Ebay you can normally pick up a set for less than what steel wheels would cost.


I changed over to my winters last Friday, this year I've gone for Nokian WR A3's, they hold the road a lot better in the dry than the Continental winter tyres I used the year before :beer:


I've got a test corner near me which has enough margin built in for me to fully test how sticky the tyres are, at 6c the Nokians are nearly as good in the dry as my summer tyres. The Continentals I had last year never matched my Summer tyres on dry road regardless of how cold it was, I suspect that these Nokians only need a couple more degrees and they'll be surpassing the summers on dry road :j

Ultrasonic

ali-t wrote: »

I bought snow tyres a few weeks ago that can be left on all year. This would mean you didn't have to keep changing them.

Leaving winter tyres on all year is a BAD idea. Hopefully you bought what are generally described as 'All season' tyres? Although an option to consider, all season tyres are a compromise. Not as good as winter tyres in winter, or as good as 'summer' tyres once the weather warms up again. I'm not saying All season tyres are a lousy idea, but from a performance point of view a second set of wheels with winter tyres is a better option, albeit one that is more expensive.

funguy

Ive priced up tyres and steels on mytyres. Any other sites that do good packages?

jwruk

Don't forget to factor in a possible insurance premium charge for adding the modification onto your insurance policy, and a subsequent admin fee for switching back to normal wheels/tyres after winter.

scheming_gypsy

As long as you're using manufacturer standard tyres and rims (sizes), there shouldn't be any need to inform them

Gloomendoom

jwruk wrote: »

Don't forget to factor in a possible insurance premium charge for adding the modification onto your insurance policy, and a subsequent admin fee for switching back to normal wheels/tyres after winter.

I just use the original size and spec tyre for both summer and winter use. One set has a snowflake on the sidewall and the other doesn't.

SilverSaloon

get 4 steel wheels (or alloys) that are compatible with your vehicle from a scrap yard.

Get the winter tyres fitted to these

bear in mind you may need different wheel bolts on the steels instead of alloys (not sure on Fords).

then next year you can swap around to the winters and back to the summers yourself