Rear wheel drive on snow/ice

[TimberWolf]

Mine are on their way. I'm going to start fitting these each year now after being caught out in the snow for the last three years, either needing to abandon the car or get help moving it from a parked position to get it moving. As you said, much better than summer tyres when temp below 7C.

I ordered Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes

Do you fit the tyres yourself? I've never fitted tyres (only entire wheels), is it simples?

[SuperZ]

Do you fit the tyres yourself? I've never fitted tyres (only entire wheels), is it simples?

No, the tyres need balancing each time they're changed, wouldn't be easy to do that without specialist machinery and a load of assorted weights to attach. The best way to run winter and summer tyres is as you mentioned, have two sets of wheels. The cost of changing a tyre isn't much though so so for now I'm just going to have my summer tyres replaced with the winter ones at the local dealers who are more than happy to change the tyres without buying new ones. Tyre fitters will also do this but some refuse to unless you buy tyres from them - duh. ATS once did this when I bought new tyres online and tried to get them to fit them for me - "no can do, against our rules" was the reply.

[BlasterBates]

You will find that a lot of new cars are fitted with tyres with winter tread. This is what you need. Makes a big difference. Though on a steep hill you may need snow chains as well, if the road is covered in thick snow. These are quite cheap, but my feeling is that winter tyres may just do the trick.

When I was home over Christmas, my parents new VW had winter tread.

The trouble is most people, including car dealers don't know what a winter tread is.

I noticed in the Tesco's car park that most fairly new cars have them.

I would enquire with a knowlegdable dealer. I think they are "All year round" tyres, in that the rubber can handle summer temperatures, and they would have thought they would be in stock.

[SuperZ]

When I was home over Christmas, my parents new VW had winter tread.

The trouble is most people, including car dealers don't know what a winter tread is.

I noticed in the Tesco's car park that most fairly new cars have them.

I would enquire with a knowlegdable dealer. I think they are "All year round" tyres, in that the rubber can handle summer temperatures, and they would have thought they would be in stock.

I suspect the tyres fitted to the VW are probably all-season tyres.I'm hearing that many of these types of tyres are however less all-season than they used to be, but still better than summer tyres though in the winter. WInter tyres would not be advisable for summer use.

[BlasterBates]

That's what I mean they have the winter tread (i.e.those tiny slits), but a different rubber that isn't quite as soft as Winter tyre rubber in cold temps, and they are all seasonal. Traditionally UK tyres have always been all seasons, but just because of the rubber, and slide around in snow. This is the first time I saw the tread was suitable for snow. Anyway my parents car performed admirably on the ice we had on the small road, which admittedly was flat.

[VectraMan]

Aha! The philosophy that says cars should be made from glass and have a big sharpened spike sticking out of the steering wheel and pointing at the driver's chest as a way of ensuring road safety.

You have to admit, it would probably work.

[VectraMan]

That's what I mean they have the winter tread (i.e.those tiny slits), but a different rubber that isn't quite as soft as Winter tyre rubber in cold temps, and they are all seasonal.

See the video I posted above. They show that "all season" tyres don't make a lot of difference.

Proper winter tyres have softer rubber, and have smaller blocks designed to move around more and generate a lot more heat. Use them in the summer and they'd overheat in no time, which is why nobody has them here.

A second set of second hand wheels wouldn't cost much, and you're saving your main set from being eaten by all that salt as well. Buying compromise tyres seems a bit pointless.

[BlasterBates]

Ice Grip

Ice grip requires lots of rubber touching the road, like a racing slick made of winter rubber compound.

This slick would have tens of thousands of tiny slits called sipes cut into it. Sipes are not tread blocks but rather just cuts in the tread rubber. The Pirelli Winter Carving tire has more than 120 metres of sipes in just one tire.

Sipes are the key component in ice grip. Even the coldest ice releases a film of water when weight is put on it and this film acts as a lubricant between the tire and the ice.

http://www.wheels.ca/article/470620


This is the real key to handling icy roads. If you pop round a car park and look at tyres you'll see they've become quite comon. This is fairly recent, I reckon 10 years ago tyres in the UK wouldn't have had these "sipes". However real winter tyres would be made from a different material. I couldn't see the snowflake symbol on the tyre, but it didn't slide on the icy road, and felt like my continental winter tyre. I presume the material is akin to a summer tyre but with the sipes perform well in winter, ie all season tyres that actually work.

[TimberWolf]

Even the coldest ice releases a film of water when weight is put on it and this film acts as a lubricant between the tire and the ice.

That theory has gone out of fashion now.

[Moscow Mule]

Our Rav4 came with Pirelli Scorpioin STRs which are supposedly "All season" tyres. I've never had to use snow chains (even on 6 inch snow & ice in the alps) and the grip is pretty good.

That said, Mrs MM managed to get the ABS alarm to go off this morning as she was driving normally on an icy road.

So I think it's a combination of the tyres and actually being able to drive in the conditions...