Winter Tyres / Snow Socks

[super_vlad]

Has anyone splashed out yet and got winter tyres put on ? if so was there much difference ? I've got a X5 and even being 4 wheel drive its still hellish out there, was thinking of changing but the cost is over 800 pounds so not sure if it is worth it ?

 

Also show these 'snow socks' http://www.autosock.co.uk/ on the internet, they are plastic covers that fit over your wheels and seem to give you more grip and less friction, which means no getting stuck in the snow. Any one have any real life expereince of these products ?

[Bert Le Clos]

Alternatively, you could have spent your money on something like a Discovery, which actually works off road and in the snow

[The People's Chimp]

Driven with snow tyres when I lived in the alps. They're brilliant. For example, you can stick snow tyres on a Fiat Panda 4x4 and it'll pretty much go anywhere, even when it's dumping over a foot overnight. Used snow chains as well, which are ok, just go slow.

 

I've got terrible tyres for this weather, and would love to put snow tyres on, but unless this kind of "deep freeze" becomes the norm, I don't really see the point in splashing out the best part of a grand for a week or two of use - plus the hassle of storage and getting them changed over.

[super_vlad]

Driven with snow tyres when I lived in the alps. They're brilliant. For example, you can stick snow tyres on a Fiat Panda 4x4 and it'll pretty much go anywhere, even when it's dumping over a foot overnight. Used snow chains as well, which are ok, just go slow.

 

I've got terrible tyres for this weather, and would love to put snow tyres on, but unless this kind of "deep freeze" becomes the norm, I don't really see the point in splashing out the best part of a grand for a week or two of use - plus the hassle of storage and getting them changed over.

 

Cheers mate, The weather is not suppose to be as bad as last year so not sure if the cost is justify.

 

As for the discovery comment, One of the most unrealiable cars i've ever own was a petrol land rover, blew the gasket twice !!!

[IronJambo]

its pretty much the norm in sweden. all my friends in stockholm change their tyres over every year at the start of the winter (mostly on volvo's) and it makes a huge difference for them.

 

i guess you've just got to weigh up the cost and decide if the investment is worth it in this country.

[jimjamjolly]

its pretty much the norm in sweden. all my friends in stockholm change their tyres over every year at the start of the winter (mostly on volvo's) and it makes a huge difference for them.

 

i guess you've just got to weigh up the cost and decide if the investment is worth it in this country.

 

In Sweden, by law, all cars have to change to snow tyres between Nov and Apr. If they don't they get a hefty fine.

[IronJambo]

In Sweden, by law, all cars have to change to snow tyres between Nov and Apr. If they don't they get a hefty fine.

 

didn't know it was law, but theres clearly good reason for it.

[Jaap's Sigh]

My dad got a set fitted to his car. It's a Skoda Yeti. It cost about 500 notes but this includes the garage changing them over in the winter and then back again in the summer. They will do this year on year without charge.

He says its the best money he's spent and can really feel the difference.

 

Hope this helps.

[Bert Le Clos]

Cheers mate, The weather is not suppose to be as bad as last year so not sure if the cost is justify.

 

As for the discovery comment, One of the most unrealiable cars i've ever own was a petrol land rover, blew the gasket twice !!!

 

There's your mistake!

 

But I was only joking, Land Rovers did used to be seriously undreliable but the new ones have really got there act together.

[Tasavallan]

In Sweden, by law, all cars have to change to snow tyres between Nov and Apr. If they don't they get a hefty fine.

Pretty much the norm in Scandinavia. However snow tyres would not work in UK. In Scandinavia they do not salt/grit roads, instead they snowplough the roads and leave a layer of compacted snow which the studded or chained tyres can grip. The snow in Scotland is too humid for compacting.

 

BTW it is not the law, however, if you are in an accident between Nov and Apr without winter tyres then your insurance will not cover you.

 

 

[trotter]

OR,

 

overinflate your tyres a bittie. Less surface area on the road increases grip (counter-intuitively) as the weight of the car is spread over a smaller area of tyre (if you overinflate the tyre less of the tread wil be in contact with the road). As pressure is Force x Area (N/m2) and Force essentially = weight you get more pressure on the road and thus more 'force' to grip with. This does assume that there is some grip admittedly. Snow tyres are generally just skinny ones anyway if you dont go for studded / chains.

 

But there is a limit before you damage the tyres!!

 

Kinda similar as to why on top gear they let all the air out the tyres when they were driving across the powder snow in the Arctic. But there they were in danger of sinking into the snow so they tried to spread the weight over a bigger area.

[Jambof3tornado]

Winter tyres don't help those that drive like total ******s!

[Mister Dee]

I bought winter wheels for my 3 series E90.

 

They've worked well so far, but I have my doubts about tomorrow.

We're up to about 19/20" of snow now & as it's been getting more compacted it's like sheet ice.

Time will tell!