http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205-45-16-GOODYEAR-ULTRAGRIP-GW3-BRAND-NEW-WINTER-TYRES-x-4-/251188075761?pt=UK_Cars_Tyres_RL&fits=Tyre+Width%3A205|Aspect+Ratio%3A45|Diameter%3A16&hash=item3a7bf9dcf1

 

will post £100 each though (new) the hankooks will probably be cheaper new....

kuhmo's are £70 ish each ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINTER-TYRE-Kumho-KW23-205-45-R16-87H-XL-/151101963139?pt=UK_Cars_Tyres_RL&fits=Tyre+Width%3A205|Aspect+Ratio%3A45|Diameter%3A16&hash=item232e60fb83

 

these are really cheap, but they are good , I've used them before! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WINTER-TYRE-Nankang-Snow-SV-2-205-45-R16-87H-XL-/151101273170?pt=UK_Cars_Tyres_RL&fits=Tyre+Width%3A205|Aspect+Ratio%3A45|Diameter%3A16&hash=item232e567452 not premium, but much better than summers

Nankang used to be called "ditchfinders"....but they have probably improved now I'm sure.

The problem with a mail order purchase is you can add £15 for fitting as well as the carriage.

I'm going to try my local tyre garage first who have always bettered everyone,including Camskill,on Falken tyres,that way you get an inclusive price....however I'm not sure if Falken do a winter tyre in that size.

One problem with winter tyres is how slow everyone is when there is snow or ice on the roads. You are all holding me up. Now if you could all get winter tyres we could all keep up a steady 30mph.

 

Seriously though after having winters for the last 2 years I will allways use them when the temp drops below 7c. I have Dunlop SP Sport 4D`s and I was amazed at the grip they have in snow. Ice is no problem just like a wet road with the summer tyres.

Edited 8 September, 201312 yr by bobjob49

Nankang used to be called "ditchfinders"....but they have probably improved now I'm sure.

The problem with a mail order purchase is you can add £15 for fitting as well as the carriage.

I'm going to try my local tyre garage first who have always bettered everyone,including Camskill,on Falken tyres,that way you get an inclusive price....however I'm not sure if Falken do a winter tyre in that size.

I'm lucky, camskill are local (15 mins away) from me, so I will be using them in the spring for my "track day" tyres

 

One problem with winter tyres is how slow everyone is when there is snow or ice on the roads. You are all holding me up. Now if you could all get winter tyres we could all keep up a steady 30mph.

 

Seriously though after having winters for the last 2 years I will allways use them when the temp drops below 7c. I have Dunlop SP Sport 4D`s and I was amazed at the grip they have in snow. Ice is no problem just like a wet road with the summer tyres.

biggest problem is the poeple behind me! I know I can brake, and they cant :(

Well it was 4*0C here this morning, up to 16.5*oC pretty soon after.

but considering the dryness of the air, & the roads, and Air Temperature is not Ground/Grass temperature,  (measured at a different height above the ground.)

i think we are OK for a few weeks without Cold Weather tyres. But Black Ice can occur right enough anytime.

 

george

bloody hell george, I still have two track days booked! cant put my winters on before then! lol....

bloody hell george, I still have two track days booked! cant put my winters on before then! lol....

Are you going to Oulton Park by any chance?

3rd November last Year was when i first towed or Jump started some stuck cars,

then the thaw for that happened in 3rd December.

5 Weeks of 7 days Freezing or below last winter. From Nov-end March, then it got Cold in April.

(2010, the Snow fell here on the 24th October & was on the Ground till the thaw at the Start December,  no blacktop on anything that was not the main routes.and then came back Jan 2011, everything moved about pretty well)

Suzy Jimmys are great in snow ^^^^

Are you going to Oulton Park by any chance?

yes, last track day of the year castle combe next weekend too

Suzuki Jimnys are rear wheel drive most of the time unless you select AWD when suitable to,

and very short and fun in snow, not very good in blizzards. 

due to lightness and the square side.

(Great Heaters though. so toasty when everyone around is stuck and no matter what you are in, you are stuck, and a JImny burns up fuel too fast, you need something that the engine can run while stationery for hours and the engine not stop.)

 

Like anything, only as good as the tyres they have fitted for the conditions used in,

& Suzukis standard fit Bridgestone Duelers are next to hopeless even on a warm damp day.

I will choose to drive a Picanto Automatic on Snow tyres everytime rather than a Jimny if the roads are treated and the snow is not deep. 40+MPG if moving and also toasty inside.

Totally safe and dependable. & loads of fun.

I expect a Citigo is equally as good.

 

george

Suzuki Jimnys are rear wheel drive most of the time unless you select AWD when suitable to,

and very short and fun in snow, not very good in blizzards. 

due to lightness and the square side.

(Great Heaters though. so toasty when everyone around is stuck and no matter what you are in, you are stuck, and a JImny burns up fuel too fast, you need something that the engine can run while stationery for hours and the engine not stop.)

 

Like anything, only as good as the tyres they have fitted for the conditions used in,

& Suzukis standard fit Bridgestone Duelers are next to hopeless even on a warm damp day.

I will choose to drive a Picanto Automatic on Snow tyres everytime rather than a Jimny if the roads are treated and the snow is not deep. 40+MPG if moving and also toasty inside.

Totally safe and dependable. & loads of fun.

I expect a Citigo is equally as good.

 

george

I changed the Bridgestone Duellers on my Vitara for the same reasons. They are pants.  Consumption is also terrible, but there again it is a 2.4 litre brick

Anybody have any experience of Nexen Winguard. I'm thinking of using my new 16s for (Nexen?) winters (possibly selling the delivery miles 205/45 16 Contis) and getting some 17" Summers - either 205/40 or even 215/40 if anyone knows whether they fit.

I had them on mine from December to May (!) in full spec vRS size (one of the few XL winter tyres in that size without needing a remortgage) and no issues with them at all.  Bit noisier than the Dunlops but the cold weather confidence over the OE Dunlops was like night and day - the reason I didn't swap back to "Summers" until May this year.  That reminds me, need to book up to get them put back on next month (working in Germany and driving there every fortnight).  On the odd day it crept over 20 degrees in Germany (but still hovering about 10 degrees at home) you could feel them going "off" though, so changeover time is a bit hit-and-miss.

 

Bought them in Germany (got caught when the first snow hit) and had a full set fitted for €280 all in by a local guy.  As he sees a lot of winter tyres, he was almost certain they were the previous years Hankook pattern as he'd not fitted Nexens before

 

As has been said, they're not just for snow; I think Summer spec Contis are classed as "unsuitable" below 10 degrees anyway?  Dunlops certainly feel like they're made of stone approaching freezing point..

yes, last track day of the year castle combe next weekend too

I still can't decide whether to do Oulton Park that weekend. I think i'll put the saved pennies towards the track days and car meets next year instead!

I had them on mine from December to May (!) in full spec vRS size (one of the few XL winter tyres in that size without needing a remortgage) and no issues with them at all.  Bit noisier than the Dunlops but the cold weather confidence over the OE Dunlops was like night and day - the reason I didn't swap back to "Summers" until May this year.  That reminds me, need to book up to get them put back on next month (working in Germany and driving there every fortnight).  On the odd day it crept over 20 degrees in Germany (but still hovering about 10 degrees at home) you could feel them going "off" though, so changeover time is a bit hit-and-miss.

 

Bought them in Germany (got caught when the first snow hit) and had a full set fitted for €280 all in by a local guy.  As he sees a lot of winter tyres, he was almost certain they were the previous years Hankook pattern as he'd not fitted Nexens before

 

As has been said, they're not just for snow; I think Summer spec Contis are classed as "unsuitable" below 10 degrees anyway?  Dunlops certainly feel like they're made of stone approaching freezing point..

Cheers Phil. Going to order some now and just keep them on all year as they're inexpensive if they do wear out in the summer. Mileage should be low and the car will be low powered and a local runabout, with no high speed cornering (in theory). Online price is £20+ lower than my normal fitter, so even with his fitting costs its a no-brainer.

5 Weeks of 7 days Freezing or below last winter. From Nov-end March, then it got Cold in April.

 

 

Bloody hell, you argued with me in this thead that we only had a few days cold enough for winter tyres last year!  Make your mind up!   :p

You never had all that in Fife though,other than the top of Falklands,  how many cold weather triggers for cold weather payment were there.?

When they were done from Leuchars there were 1 or 2 a winter then when we got them from Dyce a few more,

now Aboyne does them for DD8. Some they get right and some still miss out by maybe 1 day that is not at of forceast for the 7 days.

 

Were we not talking Glasgow to Edinburgh and Central Belt, "Only about 10 days around Glasgow where it was ...........".

and did i not say South of Rosyth or Scone, yes i know it grinds to a halt between Perth and Dunblane on occasion. & Fife gets its share of cold in places.

But Fife is not the Central Belt.

Quick note - and this is from the knowledgeable guy at ATS (no, really) who did the swaps who told me that the Octavia Estates that the Paramedics use round Stoke use winters all year round...

For the likes of this Sundays coming downpours, winters can be some of the best rain tyres to have on.

 

george

I've found super heavy rain and deepish standing water is no problem for winter tyres, but most magazines and tyre specialists, publish tests that show winters are not as good as regular tyres in in normal wet conditions. especially stopping distance. These tests are done in warmer (above 7C) temperatures

George, yes we were talking central belt (which is where I commute to).

 

I wasn't talking about weather so bad the traffic grinds to a halt, just temperatures under 7degC which is the optimum range for winter tyres.

 

The vast majority of my driving last winter was done in temps below that level.

 

We do both agree that wonter tyres are useful though

Quick note - and this is from the knowledgeable guy at ATS (no, really) who did the swaps who told me that the Octavia Estates that the Paramedics use round Stoke use winters all year round...

My plan too with my (not so Rapid) Reaction. My blinkers have been lifted since leaving the Mich empire, but the Training Centre there did work and ATS had some good guys many of whom left following its centralization.

Sorry to open up an old thread.. But can someone explain why people swap the whole wheel? Why don't they just put winter tyres on the wheels they've got swap them over?? Is there much of a reason apart from the cost of swapping back and forth or? I'm curious to know what winters to put on mine, this thread has given me a few good ideas though.. I think I've also decided against getting some fancy alloys.. The amount of salt used round these 'salt towns' is literally ludicrous.. But safe I suppose..

Many tyre places do not want to change tyres on and off, 

and those that do can sometimes mess up the beads.

 

Some might not want the Winter Tyres on the whole winter,

there can be Mini Heat waves early in the new year, followed by proper cold weather.

 

Gigaro Alloys are easily damaged by hashy tyre fitters, so each time they do them it is a lottery.

Dark Chrome Gigaro corrode badly enough in the Summer,

the winter or bad tyre fitters can really ruin them.

 

............................

Remember.

Gigaro off pre winter and some Copper Slip between Alloys & Hub before the become 'Near Welded on'.

From the factory there is no barrier to inhibit the reaction that occurs.