Driving in Snow tips ?

[mike597]

19 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

Maybe the key point is whether they were FWD or RWD; as most cars these days are FWD (exception Merc, BMW?) that would seem sensible enough. A bit puzzling if RWD though.

All front wheel driver euroboxes, clios, Peugeots and the like. 

[Jon61]

The AA (who unlike tyre retailers probably don't have such an interest in selling tyres ) do not recommend fitting only 2 winter tyres: https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk

I'm sure 2W+2S will give you more grip on snow or ice than 4 summer tyres, which I think is what Guvs etc are saying above. I think the crucial thing though is that winter tyres are meant to stay on all winter, so that they are on ready for an bad weather. But that means that in practice - in places like UK at least, not the case in all countries - they will inevitably be on the car during substantial periods of warmer weather, when the driver will NOT be pussyfooting around with a light right foot as some posts are suggesting above. In this higher speed driving. the fact that the car has mismatched rubber front and rear probably WILL have a discernable effect on the handling in bends - perhaps similar to having well-worn tyres on one axle and new tyres on the other. And this will probably be the case (though with potentially different results) whether the car is FWD, RWD or AWD. I could also imagine that the different scrub rates of the tyres front to back could possibly fool the ALB/PSM wheel rotation sensors into thinking that one axle is losing grip when it isn't, with unwanted consequences.

So although I don't have any experience of driving on 2W+2S, my guess would be that it would be beneficial in icy/snowy conditions, but is far from ideal - and in some situations potentially troublesome - in more normal UK winter driving.

[Guvs]

On ‎07‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 10:22 PM, Jon61 said:

The AA (who unlike tyre retailers probably don't have such an interest in selling tyres ) do not recommend fitting only 2 winter tyres: https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk

I'm sure 2W+2S will give you more grip on snow or ice than 4 summer tyres, which I think is what Guvs etc are saying above. I think the crucial thing though is that winter tyres are meant to stay on all winter, so that they are on ready for an bad weather. But that means that in practice - in places like UK at least, not the case in all countries - they will inevitably be on the car during substantial periods of warmer weather, when the driver will NOT be pussyfooting around with a light right foot as some posts are suggesting above. In this higher speed driving. the fact that the car has mismatched rubber front and rear probably WILL have a discernable effect on the handling in bends - perhaps similar to having well-worn tyres on one axle and new tyres on the other. And this will probably be the case (though with potentially different results) whether the car is FWD, RWD or AWD. I could also imagine that the different scrub rates of the tyres front to back could possibly fool the ALB/PSM wheel rotation sensors into thinking that one axle is losing grip when it isn't, with unwanted consequences.

So although I don't have any experience of driving on 2W+2S, my guess would be that it would be beneficial in icy/snowy conditions, but is far from ideal - and in some situations potentially troublesome - in more normal UK winter driving.

+1

Guvs.

[thanatoid]

Snow? Distant memory now :-)

 

Thursday to Thursday diff was 14C, -4 with the white stuff, week later +10C....

[Dave_4]

A bit late to this one.

Last Friday I had to drive from west London to Dorset, with all the bad weather reports and on the strength of what I’ve read on here, I had winters fitted on the Wednesday. (Oh how they laughed at me at work!) I was asked if I just wanted two? I didn’t see much point in having just two fitted and for £214 for four fitted it seemed very reasonable. 

To say I was impressed is an understatement, they are the best £200 I’ve spent on a car (van) mod. They were faultless, even the recovery man in his big 4x4 came and had a chat while we waited for a car to be pulled out of the way, he had been behind me for about 10 miles and was convinced my caddy was four wheel drive. 

There’ll now be a set all so fitted to the wife’s polo for winter use, and my only question is when’s the best time to remove them?

 

[Pinewood]

I change them when the clocks go forward on the X3. Like you had folks laugh at my buying a winter wheel set.

"But you have a 4 wheel drive SUV"

I explained to the doubters about increased traction below 7 deg C, due to different rubber/silica ratios and tread patterns.

They weren't laughing when i made it into the office every day,and helped some patients get home after outpatient appointments

[Guvs]

6 hours ago, Dave_4 said:

There’ll now be a set all so fitted to the wife’s polo for winter use, and my only question is when’s the best time to remove them?

All I can say to that question is when the temperature is averaging above 7 deg c I think in the past it's been end of April beginning of May.

Much easier if you have the winter tyres on a spare set of alloys, or even steel rims for work horse cars.  

Guvs.