Winter wheels

With the British weather being so un-predictable is it worth buying a set of winter wheels ?










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Ok, i might just be trying to start a conversation here as no one else seems willing to

 

I fit winter wheels/tyres on my wifes and sons cars and I can say it transforms the cars ability in snow and frosty conditions.

 

Doesn't need to be snow or ice in order for them to be better, anything 7o [degrees...doesn't seem to be a 'superscript button yet] or below will see them perform better than 'convential' rubber.

Me? If the weather's that bad I don't go anywhere......

 

Definitely,
You don't need to spend a fortune on the wheels, but put decent money into the tyres....
If you internet buy them now, they should be cheaper than nearer winter time....(tyres that is...)
Choose the wheel size carefully.... There are some great guys on here with great knowledge in this area... Mr singvogle for eg...he has helped numerous people in the past with tyres and wheel sizes etc...

Your car door post should also give you an idea of wheel and tyre sizes that suit your car...
Any questions just ask...

 

I have a set of winter tyres on my crappy old M3 reps.
I fit them every year from November to March.

 

Hello Helen! Winter tyres are an excellent tool to have if you're planning on driving in wintery conditions - no doubt about it.

If you haven't already seen this piece of footage, you may find it of interest.

My personal reservations re winter tyres are twofold:

(a) they don't stop the horrendous ingress of road salt into the car's underside, and
(b) they don't protect you against the actions of other road users who may well not be as well equipped or competent in winter conditions as yourself.

My uncle discovered this latter point to his cost in Germany where winter tyres are compulsory. A car which was illegally still on summer tyres failed to stop as quickly as he did, striking his Audi from behind and writing it off. The insurance claim was obviously completely in his favour but it still caused a great deal of misery. I was particularly annoyed as my 92 year old grandmother was a passenger in his Audi at the time.

I am a great believer in a well maintained and solidly built winter snotter to soak up the salt. And if others are near you, treat them as if they are still on summer tyres which many probably will be (especially when they are inevitably and obliviously tailgating you in the snow).

 

Alternatively you can carry a set of snow socks in the boot. I did this for a couple of years before investing in a set of winter tyres.

 

I have ran winter rubber on the E60 during the cold months since around 2010 - also run them on the Golf too.

Its just become a normal thing now to me...

 

Helen great to see you on here, I was the RO for PCGB NE region.

I never bothered when i was running 911s but I have always had a set for the BMWs, I like the peace of mind for when the temperatures drop irrespective of whether there's snow or not

 

You re only as good as your grip on the road Helen, as said winter tyres come into there own when the temperature drops to 7c or lower as they are made from a slightly different rubber. Another advantage of winter wheels and tyres is that your summer set lasts twice as long as does your winter set as you re basically halving there use .

 

Likewise i never bothered on my 911's (ok this example is a 4S but its still on summers) but we had some for the 330 & 530GT however i am still not sure i would want to use the M6 on icy roads. Even with winters on. Seems a bit more of a beast (unpredictable) than a 911. Although that could just be my inexperience

 

It's all about lateral grip and been able to stop if someone jumps out in front of you in my opinion.

 

See it that way, if you HAVE to go out, just one day on Winters can pay for more than any possible damage a rear wheel drive car can inflict on ya.
Would you go on a Himalaya tour in flip flops?

 

Thanks for that link - I'd lost it (on BMWland) but have over the years used it to show many colleagues why its important (especially on RWD) to fit winters. I used to run an E61 and an Audi A3; Even on the Audi, winter tyres made a huge difference - I remember following a golf (similar car) one morning (End Nov ish) when it had snowed overnight but was icy -after many near miss skids the driver parked up and gave up...I had no issues. Similarly in my E61 I went to Stanstead to collect relatives that had been on a plane on the runway when the airport was closed due to snow - they would not go back to oxford with their parents due to the horrendous drive to the airport. I collected them from Birchanger services in the E61 and had no issues, even with all the thick fresh snow on the motorway. The only 'moment' was when in a queue to get up a hill and a fuel tanker next to me obviously didnt have winters on and the tanker bit started to come towards me!!!.
Now as a family we have an E61 and F10 and a full set of winter wheels & tyres stored for each - they get fitted early Nov when the temperature for my morning commute in Suffolk drops below 7 degrees. I keep the lower rim (stock size) wheels for the winters and have 1" bigger rims for the summer tyres. On the F10 both summer and winter tyres are runflats and I carry an inflator kit. On the E61 both are non runflat (its an 2006 model and runflats are bad!) and I have a full spare wheel kit (bouight from Cotswold some years ago)

Even if I move to a FWD I will always in future keep two sets of wheels and tyres. I've personally experienced the difference even being a southerner.

 

I live in a hilly area in the south east of England. When we had those 2 or 3 bad winters in a row I got fed up of not being able to drive anywhere for a few weeks. I have a long commute over country lanes and some of them can be sketchy in the ice. I like to drive quickly & I knew it would only be a matter of time before I put it in the hedge.

So a few years back I bought a cheap set of steel wheels and budget (but recommended) winter tyres for less than £200. I swap them over later than most people do, only when the temperature is around 5c in the early mornings and evenings. Last year I remember it was very late, I think I put them on in December and they were off by Feb. I think this season will be their last as they're down to about 5-6mm and I believe they're no good below 3-4mm?

They paid for themselves in the first year. Even with our recent mild winters when it is cold and icy it is comforting to know I can drive wherever I want. As others have mentioned its not that they're just snow tyres, they're useful throughout winter with the extra confidence in ice and I know they've kept me out of the ditch on more than one occasion. I have used them abroad in proper snow too. Very much recommended, and this is coming from a penny pincher.

 

I echo what's been said already. I put winter tyres on my original wheels 3 years ago and use them every winter from November to March generally. Still on the original tyres with a lot of tread left.

@neemz from what I've heard the ability of the tyre to remove water drops rapidly below 3mm.

 

I ran a set of winter tyres on the E90 (still got them), but on the F30 they don't fit due to brake callipers and offsets (they would just look daft). I liked the grip and trust you had in them when it was very cold. However for the 2 winters that I fitted them we had 2 warm winters and ZERO snow! This time I am holding off winter tyres for cost reasons and simply hoping I don't get caught in deep snow in my 20 mile commute. At least it would be a reason to stay at home!