Driving on a couple of inches of snow the summer Dunlop's were fine. Yesterday I decided I needed to get to the supermarket and so cleared the snow from the car and then cleared about 3 square metres of 12 inches of snow so I could open the gate to my parking area. I got stuck twice before I got out of my parking area, about 25 metres long, and had to dig snow away from the tyres to get moving again. I got stuck again about 5 metres outside blocking everyone's exit from the courtyard where they park and had to dig the tyres out again. I then slipped, slid, went sideways round a bend on a slight uphill then finally made it up a slight incline to the tarmac. We only have a dirt track and a gravelled drive. Even on tarmac it was difficult to keep going in a foot of snow although when I made it to a road that had been gritted but was covered in slush, it was OK.

I suspect winter tyres would have made it easier and I will probably try to source some if the prices are not too stupid now.

Stewart

I have managed to get everywhere I have needed during the snow but have had more than 1 scary moment whilst trying to slow down corner or stop. ( applologies to the focus driver whom I am sure cr*pped himself on Wednesday morning as I slid past him on hartcliff hill) therefore I have ordered a set of steel wheels complete with winter tires from mytires. I hope they turn up this side of spring.

Edited 4 December, 201015 yr by danbarnes

I think if you were expecting a trouble free journey then you're expecting far too much of summer tyres, irrespective of the manufacturer and the 4x4 nature of the car. 12 inches of snow is far too much for summers and I've little doubt that winters would have fared a whole lot better.

If it really was 12" then I'm not surprised you were having problems!

The ground clearance is not that much, so you were acting as a snow plough, plus were potentially lifting the front up slightly, therefore decreasing the weight over the front wheels.

Don't think it would have mattered what tyres you had on.

I suspect winter tyres would have made it easier and I will probably try to source some if the prices are not too stupid now.

Stewart

Hi Stewart

As youknow there is a lot of information on winter tyres on this forum, and a lot of people have bought online from MyTyres and similar dealers very happily. That said, if you have a local tyre supplier with several branches it might be worth giving them a try - my local branch sourced Michelin Alpin A4s (202/55/R16 91H) for me at September prices (that have not gone up as a result of demand and cheaper than current on-line prices) last week when Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop and Goodyear were reporting nill stock until January.

The reason appears to be that the Michelin Alpin A4s were only released at the end of September in the UK and are not well known. They did come 1st in one of the European winter tyre tests though. It was said that there were still "plenty" in stock.

Can't comment on how good they are yet because although I have the winter wheels our Yeti has been snowed in at Sheerness and we don't get for another week.

Anyway, good luck with getting some, whatever make and model you choose.

For StewartK;-

Are you using the Dunlop Sport 01s or the Dunlop Sport 01 All Seasons?

The reason I ask this is that my dealer tells me that Yetis being delivered now are being supplied with the 'all season' variant.

For StewartK;-

Are you using the Dunlop Sport 01s or the Dunlop Sport 01 All Seasons?

The reason I ask this is that my dealer tells me that Yetis being delivered now are being supplied with the 'all season' variant.

Mine are summer tyres, the Dunlop Sport 01.

Stewart

For StewartK;-

Are you using the Dunlop Sport 01s or the Dunlop Sport 01 All Seasons?

The reason I ask this is that my dealer tells me that Yetis being delivered now are being supplied with the 'all season' variant.

Not aware that a Sport 01 all season existed :wonder: cannot find mention of it on the Dunlop site either or any other all season tyre design in the correct size.

Regards,

TP

Hi Stewart,

if you have difficulty finding tyres then I'm going to be advertising my 205/55 R16 Nokian's once this Freedom membership I applied for last weekend gets up and running. If of interest let me know.

TP

TP,

now with a set of steelies they'd fit mine!!

Not aware that a Sport 01 all season existed :wonder: cannot find mention of it on the Dunlop site either or any other all season tyre design in the correct size.

Regards,

TP

Have a look here;- http://www.dunlop-tires.com/dunlop_uk/I_want_new_tyres/tyre_range/passenger/summer/sp_sport_01.jsp?OpenMode=SameWindow&car_type=passenger

the 225/50 17 is listed as 'all season' and if you look at the picture there are loads of sipes in the tread.

Not sure if this helps anyone, but one of my work colleagues has just bought a set of part-worn Michelin Alpin winter tyres at £20 each.

I presume that these have come from Europe where the minimum legal tread depth for winter tyres is 4mm.

Just a thought.

John

Not sure if this helps anyone, but one of my work colleagues has just bought a set of part-worn Michelin Alpin winter tyres at £20 each.

I presume that these have come from Europe where the minimum legal tread depth for winter tyres is 4mm.

Just a thought.

John

The reason the tread depth is 4mm in Europe on winter tyres is because that pretty much when they stop working, they then sell them to unsuspecting Brit's who think they have just picked up a bargain .

BTW I had Dunlop Sport 01's on my old Superb and they never got me stuck last year (despite many others getting stuck), this included a steep hill that most could not get up.

Have a look here;- http://www.dunlop-ti..._type=passenger

the 225/50 17 is listed as 'all season' and if you look at the picture there are loads of sipes in the tread.

Many thanks,

for some reason I cannot get this site to work; maybe why I found nothing first time round and have yet to find any images :wonder:

Regards,

TP

I started using winter tyres in 1990 after getting marooned in a blizzard on the way home in my Mk 2 Golf GTI. I have used them ever since and would not consider being without them.. Some threads on websites do make the whole thing sound impossibly complicated- and if you allow it to do so it will, like most car stuff. Here is what I do-I buy a set of winter tyres in same size and rating etc as normal ones. Have tried various manufacturers and can't say have noticed a massive difference between any if I am brutally honest. I usually end up with Vredesteins because that's what is usually easiest to buy at local tyre shop. I stick them on in November and take 'em off in April, maybe earlier in a warm spring. I chuck the unused rubber into the back of the coal shed.Never saw point in buying another set of rims- and I have too much Caterham rubber cluttering things up as well.In 20 odd years of driving up the 1 in 5 single track road to my home in up to up to 12" of snow, I have never been stuck. I have had 4wd for last few years but cannot see why anybody bothers with 4 WD unless they need it(I do- lots of driving down river banks and forest tracks and ground clearance as important as grip) .If you do have 4wd not having proper winter tyres is like going out in extreme weather gear but wearing trainers. If you have never experienced the grip levels on snow which decent tyres give you will be gobsmacked. I drove a Kia 4Wd the other day with stanard tyres and it was comically dreadful on the snow...

D'you know? If I hadnt bought a Yeti, and if a mate hadnt suggested I join Briskoda, I would not have had a clue about winter tyres!

I would have rejected the concept as being for Scandinavians, or Alpine dwellers or whatever, and would never have even given them a thought.

Now, though, it is a different thing altogether. Given unlimited funds it would be done TOMORROW.

However - given that my Dunlop factory fit sports jobbies have sufficed for the moment, and given the straitjacket of the current dosh-in-the-pocket, I will postpone judgement once again.

Time will tell if I am a clot, or not!!

G

Edited 4 December, 201015 yr by Freshacre

D'you know? If I hadnt bought a Yeti, and if a mate hadnt suggested I join Briskoda, I would not have had a clue about winter tyres!

I would have rejected the concept as being for Scandinavians, or Alpine dwellers or whatever, and would never have even given them a thought.

Now, though, it is a different thing altogether. Given unlimited funds it would be done TOMORROW.

However - given that my Dunlop factory fit sports jobbies have sufficed for the moment, and given the straitjacket of the current dosh-in-the-pocket, I will postpone judgement once again.

Time will tell if I am a clot, or not!!

G

Have a close look at your tyres and in particular the tread blocks; if they are solid 'blocks' then you have regular Sport 01s. If they have several 'sipes' in each block then you have the newer Sport 01 All Season and you are halfway to having winter tyres.

Back to the original post - doubt if many tyres would make a difference in 12 inches of snow ! I noticed that mine on Vredesteins, though good on hard snow etc, stuggled this morning on 8 inches or so of part hard snow / part slush on Whinlatter Pass.

The more I look at this issue, more I think that the narrower the wheel/tyre, the better. Although the grip on most surfaces has been great, with any depth of snow, you need cutting ability to get through to tarmac.

Do you remember the days when the Saab 96's were wiping the floor with everything on winter rallies ? (Well, no probably not seeing as it was back in the 70s) They used to have spiked/studded tyres about the thickness of a bicycle wheel, and I don't remember their 2wds getting stuck.

Suggest you look at narrowest option of winter tyre for best performance.

Thanx for all the comments and suggestions. The piggy bank won't run to winter boots at the moment. I walked a mile to get the papers this morning, no big deal and good excercise cough, cough, anyway. There seems to have been a lack of gritting on all but the main road through the village, or else it's a lack of traffic to get the grit working on the other roads. Side roads were just sheets of ice. A guy in an L200 came into our courtyard today and struggled to get out which persuaded me to leave the car at home. I don't need to use the car, no work to travel to, so Netto will be getting my custom until the roads are in a better state.

Stewart

You can survive a long time on Netto.

Back to the original post - doubt if many tyres would make a difference in 12 inches of snow ! I noticed that mine on Vredesteins, though good on hard snow etc, stuggled this morning on 8 inches or so of part hard snow / part slush on Whinlatter Pass.

The more I look at this issue, more I think that the narrower the wheel/tyre, the better. Although the grip on most surfaces has been great, with any depth of snow, you need cutting ability to get through to tarmac.

Do you remember the days when the Saab 96's were wiping the floor with everything on winter rallies ? (Well, no probably not seeing as it was back in the 70s) They used to have spiked/studded tyres about the thickness of a bicycle wheel, and I don't remember their 2wds getting stuck.

Suggest you look at narrowest option of winter tyre for best performance.

I used to have a 2CV which was brlliant in snow on it s mighty 125x15 Michelins.12" snow demands care but perfectly do- able with care on winter rubber in my experience- in normal tyre size.

Edited 5 December, 201015 yr by grayson

Hi Stewart,

if you have difficulty finding tyres then I'm going to be advertising my 205/55 R16 Nokian's once this Freedom membership I applied for last weekend gets up and running. If of interest let me know.

TP

Hi TP

I thought you had already sold them back in November.

Freedom took over a week when I applied for it.

Haven't used it yet because the Yeti arriving early (originally predicted as Jan - Feb) means the Octy will be P/Ex rather than sold privately.

I used to have a 2CV which was brlliant in snow on it s mighty 125x15 Michelins.

Yep. Remember passing tailbacks of bigger cars in the left lane as I ploughed through the snow in the right hand lane in my Citroen Dyane (same chassis as the 2CV). 32 bhp at 6,000 rpm and it didn't slip or slide once, gentle on the brakes though.

If it hadn't been for the ice on the inside of the roof dropping down my neck and onto my head it would have been more fun. I didn't discover that somebody had blocked off the heater vents until just before we got rid of the car.

Hi TP

I thought you had already sold them back in November.

Freedom took over a week when I applied for it.

Haven't used it yet because the Yeti arriving early (originally predicted as Jan - Feb) means the Octy will be P/Ex rather than sold privately.

Hi Fred,

fell though unfortunately, although I've now decided to hang onto the rims and just part with the tyres if I can find any takers.

Regards,

TP