THE Winter Tyres Thread

[Looie]

After today's snow chaos around the Essex/Herts area, and the constantly spinning front wheels, I think I need to fit winter wheels/tyres on as well......... trawling fleebay I came across these:

4x (1 Set) 6.0j x 16" Black Steel Wheels Fitted and Balanced with 205/55 R 16 91H LingLong 650 Winter Hero Winter Tyres, Brand New for Skoda Octavia II, 1.2 TSI, 1.4i 16V, 1.6 MPI, 1.4 TSI, 1.6 FSI, 1.6 TDI 1.8 TSI, 1.9 TDI 2.0FSI, 2.0 TDI, 4x4 - 04 Onwards. Wheels are manufactured exactly to OEM specification and designed for use with your original bolts. (No additional bolts are required). Wheels are offered with a 2 year warranty and are produced by German company Kronprinz, - one of the largest steel wheel manufacturers in Europe. Offset is a quoted 50........

Never heard of those tyres, but price is good at £479 delivered......... before I order these - can anyone actually confirm these WILL fit a 2011 VRS Hatch? - they "say" they do, but as I've never had winter wheels before, I don't want to make a costly mistake, so thought I woulds ask on here first...

Thanks for any replies.

[Gizmo]

They will fit your car, BUT really… LingLong Winter Hero?? :no:

[trundlenut]

A bit of shopping around and I reckon you could pick up some suitable size alloys off ebay for about £100 and then get some reasonable winter tyres bought and fitted for £280-£320 which will be cheaper.

[sharkrider]

you'd be better off buying part worn winters from a known manufacturer than linglong.... they have been slated as deadly in magazine tyre tests......

[The Plumber]

Or try mytyres or tyremen on the web.

TP

[avie rose]

Ok guys, more of a logistics question, but wondered if any of you fine fellows had come up against the same problem and found a way around it.

I'm getting 4 winter boots delivered from mytyres with wheels and have the technology to swap them out with the summer tyres. Only problem I am facing now is where the hell to store them? I live in a teeny tiny flat in Greater London, which does have a small garden with a (dilapidated old) shed, which I literally couldn't swing a mouse in let alone a cat.

I've looked at big yellow and the like & it would cost me the same as I have paid for the new wheels and tyres to store for a year!! (i.e. 6months summer, 6 months winter).

I can probably convince the missus to let me have them in the flat for a week, maybe two while I find a more suitable location but any longer than that and it will probably be me that has to find alternative accommodation. I guess leaving them outside to the elements would be pretty bad?

Avie.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Ok guys, more of a logistics question, but wondered if any of you fine fellows had come up against the same problem and found a way around it.

I'm getting 4 winter boots delivered from mytyres with wheels and have the technology to swap them out with the summer tyres. Only problem I am facing now is where the hell to store them? I live in a teeny tiny flat in Greater London, which does have a small garden with a (dilapidated old) shed, which I literally couldn't swing a mouse in let alone a cat.

I've looked at big yellow and the like & it would cost me the same as I have paid for the new wheels and tyres to store for a year!! (i.e. 6months summer, 6 months winter).

I can probably convince the missus to let me have them in the flat for a week, maybe two while I find a more suitable location but any longer than that and it will probably be me that has to find alternative accommodation. I guess leaving them outside to the elements would be pretty bad?

Avie.

1. What have you got in your shed that is more important than four wheel/tyres? or

2. With a suitable sheet of 18mm plywood they'd make an excellent base for your mattress, in lieu of the regular frame/divan base or just slide them under the bed, or

3. Worst case scenario; get a paving slab as a base, tyre tree and double up on a garden chair cover, with suitable strapping/cord to hold in place, and store them outside in the garden next to the house. This can't be any worse than having them outside on the road, fitted to your car; which is otherwise where they will be.

[stuart vrs]

trying to find steelies for the fabia to put winter boots on, help needed, size and best tyres.

[ACSC]

Got my 15"s from my local dealers for £138

[900000]

Ok guys, more of a logistics question, but wondered if any of you fine fellows had come up against the same problem and found a way around it.

I'm getting 4 winter boots delivered from mytyres with wheels and have the technology to swap them out with the summer tyres. Only problem I am facing now is where the hell to store them? I live in a teeny tiny flat in Greater London, which does have a small garden with a (dilapidated old) shed, which I literally couldn't swing a mouse in let alone a cat.

I've looked at big yellow and the like & it would cost me the same as I have paid for the new wheels and tyres to store for a year!! (i.e. 6months summer, 6 months winter).

I can probably convince the missus to let me have them in the flat for a week, maybe two while I find a more suitable location but any longer than that and it will probably be me that has to find alternative accommodation. I guess leaving them outside to the elements would be pretty bad?

Avie.

Have a look at this:

http://www.michelin.co.uk/tyres/learn-share/care-guide/the-storage-story

So no, do not store them outside next to the shed... Best to have them inside somewhere.

I'm a bit perplexed though why you did not think of this problem before you bought them!? :-) And living in London you don't really need them either. I live in London and have them, but I also just about have space in my shed.

[avie rose]

Yes I live in London, but trust me where I am the roads do get icy, I'm not in central I'm on the Kent border.

Also I travel a lot around the country so even if it didn't get icy round here, that doesn't mean I shouldn't get them.

What is in my shed that is more important, all my landlords stuff which I can't get rid of.

[900000]

Yes I live in London, but trust me where I am the roads do get icy, I'm not in central I'm on the Kent border.

Also I travel a lot around the country so even if it didn't get icy round here, that doesn't mean I shouldn't get them.

What is in my shed that is more important, all my landlords stuff which I can't get rid of.

As I said I'm here in London too and I have them so I understand. And your safety is most important.

I was going to suggest buying a bigger shed... but sounds like that is also out of the question. You will have to ask mates with bigger sheds if you can have some space in theirs if you send a box of beer their way!

[djcat]

A word of warning on here as I understand many British motorists are not familiar with winter tyres and with identifying one that will be considered legal in regions where they are a legal requirement.

I contacted an ebay trader about tyres he had listed as winter tyres, looking at the pictures they missed the little crevices winter tyres usually have for snow traction. I asked for better pictures of the sidewall to see the “M+S” or snowflake symbol they need to have per industry and legal standards, trader turned defensive to me claiming to have many years experience and that he is not an idiot, and that the “MFS” in the (Dunlop) tyre description means “mud/fine snow”, and that there is a difference in “snow” and “winter” tyres.

Pity all of his statements are not true.

MFS Stands for Maximum Flange Shield:

http://www.dunlop.eu/dunlop_euen/wha...w.jsp?id=61294

Winter tyres need the "M+S" mark:

http://www.blackcircles.com/tyres/wi...nd-legislation

And this is a legal requirement in many countries:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...nter-tyres.htm

Hence beware of rogue tyre traders that just want to profit from the winter conditions and safety conscious people/who need to travel to Europe, selling tyres that are not fit for purpose as winter tyres.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...:RTQ:GB:1123

[nudger2000]

I'm 99% sure about this but I am not an expert:

M+S is an arbitrary and unregulated marking.

The snowflake symbol is what designates the softer compound that confirms a true winter tyre.

[The Plumber]

I'm 99% sure about this but I am not an expert:

M+S is an arbitrary and unregulated marking.

The snowflake symbol is what designates the softer compound that confirms a true winter tyre.

Yes this is correct a true winter tyre will carry the mountain and snowflake, see these articles;

http://www.snowtyres.com.au/severe-service-emblem

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/automobile/themes/van-tires/winter-tires/markings/markings_en.html

http://www.tyrepress.com/News/1/18147.html

TP

[marmac]

Hi newbie here and newbie to winter tyres.I am picking up my new to me yeti on Wednesday and will be fitting some conti 830`s and wondering if there is a running in period with winter tyres.Cheers

[cheezemonkhai]

Running in is basically running them on tarmac long enough to take the mould release coating off them.

If that's a no go, a quick run around with some fine sandpaper over the tread, just to get rid of the sheen should do the job.

[marmac]

Thanks for the reply cheezemonkhai.No snow here at the moment so tarmac option it`ll be.Just wasn`t sure how much grip they would have from new but i will take it easy.

[RizzoTheRat]

I found my Avon Ice Touring needed several hundred miles to bed in properly, they felt quite skittish for the first week or so.

[okenobi]

Just an update from Italy. The Nokian WR A3s have been PHENOMENAL. Everything from 10 degrees and wet in Cornwall, to 3 inches of fresh and falling around town, uphill and down at 2000m in the Alps. Ice, snow, -20, nothing is too much. Haven't had to use my socks at all and the 180ps is all still there with judicious use of the pedal.

Impressed doesn't cover it. Throroughly recommended.

[paddypaws]

When would be the best time to buy winter tyres. Its mid summer now so will winter tyres be on sale? Perhaps nobody stocks winter tyres until later in the year? When do you buy your winter tyres?

[dbg400]

I bought mine in May last year, before my Yeti had arrived! They are currently the same price at Oponeo as I paid then - £80/tyre delivered for Nokian WR A3s in 205/55/16 94 H XL - and they've shown as having stock every time I've looked. The most expensive I've seen them was £86 before I bought mine, and since then they've varied from £78 to £82

[bilun777]

Wow Guys....30 degrees and already the winter tyre talk has started.

Check out some of the dealers for old stock.

I did a super deal last year for a complete set of steel wheels with Continentals fitted from Hortons.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Check out some of the dealers for old stock.

 

That's the appropriate point IMHO 'OLD STOCK' i.e. tyres may well have been manufactured last year (or before). 

 

I'd wait until September by which time this summer's production will be filtering through to dealers which means that you will get 'fresh rubber'.

 

Guy

[paddypaws]

It does seem a bit silly to talk about winter tyres when its 30 c. Still, I like to be prepared! I like the look of those Nokians from Oponeo dbg400 I might just go for those. They seem to get very good reviews!