[Hamish Young]

When it's not in the Garage.....

Alex

Oddly enough.....

[Matt Henderson]

I'm still going strong on my two all season tyres on the front. Bought two years ago and not had a problem yet. Only once have I lost traction and it was at 0500 accessing the cairngorm carpark before a days climbing, more to do with it being an automatic than the tyres once I tricked the focus into 2nd it was fine. However should be noted that the back end can get a little light so as always be careful when you need to slow down. I live in town and I'm not in deepest darkest countryside that often.

I find it odd that people claim that their tires are good on ice. Because I've always thought that when the roads are slushy/icy/hard packed snow then just driving slowly works, I've never had a problem on icy roads even with summer tyres with icy roads. Also my outlaws live in Canadia and they have used all season tyres for years without issue. Studded tyres are for where there are hard packed roads of snow for weeks on end!

[Jim Eddie]

Could be wrong, but I thought studded tyres were not legal in the UK ?

 

Jim

[Matt Henderson]

Could be wrong, but I thought studded tyres were not legal in the UK ?

 

Jim

I think so and to be honest I'm not sure where the conditions would exist in the UK to need them.  I keep meaning to buy snow socks just in case but keep forgetting to buy them.

[Iain Goolager]

Why?   

Iain

[Matt Henderson]

Why?   

Iain

In case I get cold feet? Why else?

[Rob Brownfield]

Well, I discovered tonight that winter tyres are TOO good! I now face a £1k repair bill! Arrrghh!!!

Cass had trouble getting up the track to the house, so I did the man thing and said "watch this"..and managed to get up (with her in the back for ballast!)

Great thinks I, but i better move my car just now so I can get out past her stupid rear wheel drive numpty car.

To do this I had to drive over ruts that the tractor left. Tyres handled the ruts/ice fantastic...unfortunately the Catalytic converter did not! The ruts were frozen solid, banged up into the underside of the car and sheared the flange off the cat. Its around £1k for a new cat and connector pipes.

Sooo..all that money on tyres and I will have to take the C30 in on summer tyres tomorrow..ARRRGH!!

[Euan Innes]

Now heres a thing. My boss, being from Londinium, moved up here and bought "winter" tyres for our VW Transporter 4motion van. I found out today that, after having the tyres swapped, they were M+S tyres. This resulted in;

Much better handling on the main road in and about town today(because he bought 215/60/16 instead of 205/60/16)

AND

Absolute fecking nightmare on the Cairn tonight going from under to over steer on the cold slush, vague braking and all round just sh1te, scary sh1te. My old Fabia on summer tyres went faster, my Alfa is like warp 9!

Conclusion? WINTER tyres are for winter, M+S aren't.

Re transporter 4motion vans - never had a 4x4 that understeered like a fwd and didn't seem to have the rear axle engaged.

Nice socks Iain.

Alfa in garage = warm. They are sensitive you know Catman.

Spiderman - winter alloys AND summer alloys are the way to go, unsprung weight and all.
Summer ones are shinier!  
Winter ones are anthracite grey to hid the dirt.

 

[Euan Innes]

Rob,

Was Cass going through Banchory at around 18.45 tonight? Red GT, slow and careful?

Many horses, wrong axle??

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Rob,

Was Cass going through Banchory at around 18.45 tonight? Red GT, slow and careful?

Many horses, wrong axle??

 

That would have indeed been her.

15 minutes later I was sliding it up the drive, lots of right foot, no traction control...much more fun!..lol

[Rob Brownfield]

Absolute fecking nightmare on the Cairn tonight going from under to over steer on the cold slush, vague braking and all round just sh1te, scary sh1te.

I would have said it was more likely to be the fact the tyres are the wrong size, being too wide and perhaps not pushing through the snow onto tarmac.

Typical issue with Landy drivers that stick fat tyres onto Defenders and then wonder why when they hit the first puddle they are pulled across the road into a ditch. Defenders work best on the original 205 narrow tyres, pushing through standing water with ease.

[Euan Innes]

That would have indeed been her.

15 minutes later I was sliding it up the drive, lots of right foot, no traction control...much more fun!..lol

Bet the Mito would have been fine up the drive 

Wrong size tyre? By an Englishman? In a Scottish winter? Surely not?!
I know exactly what the problem is Rob....
There wasn't any real snow, just slush. Can't imagine what real snow would feel like 

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Bet the Mito would have been fine up the drive 

Aaaaaaaaactually, two winters ago when we did have proper snow, the Mito got up the drive whilst my Volvo, you know, those cars made by a nation who have snow for 8 months of the year, bottomed out on the snow and smashed all the under car plastic shields and then got so stuck I had to pull it out with a tractor!

The Mito was pretty good on hard packed snow on Pirelli standard tyres.

[Euan Innes]

Update on my van tyres.
Vredestien Comtrac tyres are pretty good on wet roads, dry roads and everything that is not winter. Took it on some snowy B roads today and they are SH1TE. I could go on but I can't be bothered they are that bad.

They are NOT winter tyres, just an allrounder. I will say that they are better than the crap that was on the van before though 
I will also say that VW Transporter 4motion vans have the worst gearing in the world.

 

[Hamish Young]

........ whilst my Volvo, you know, those cars made by a nation who have snow for 8 months of the year, bottomed out on the snow and smashed all the under car plastic shields and then got so stuck I had to pull it out with a tractor!

Remember Rob it might be a Volvo in name but the C30 is just a Focus in drag 
Sorry about that.

H