Not your usual question for a forum for modding cars, but it's something I've been thinking about (especially since I've got an old man car, which you can't make go faster without forced induction anyway )

So, even though I know the IS isn't fast or high power, but it is the first RWD car I've ever had, and on par with 3 series beemers and C class mercs as far as driving in the snow - ie, it doesn't fucking move (from what I've read / been told - I've not had it long enough to have driven it in winter)

Next door has a C180 Kompressor, and last two years hasn't even been able to move it from the front of the house - just sits there and spins. One of the problems is it's a 90deg turn onto an upward incline before getting to the main road, because my estate isn't council maintained it never gets gritted/treated/cleared, and lastly it's block paving not regular tarmac, so seems to suffer worse with compaction and icing.

I've never had a problem on it with my works van (until last year when I even got that stuck trying to get out of it's parking space!), Escort or Rover (both the cars had fairly narrow tyres - 195 and 185 I think), but the IS has 215/45 17s, so I'm expecting it to be as much of a pig as the other Beemers and Mercs I see everywhere getting stuck!

So, I've been thinking of getting a spare set of, standard, rims (17x7) and shoeing them with Winter tyres - probably 205/50's (as that's close enough to standard rolling radius, and a fairly common size I think). I'd rather get a set of 16's and run 205/55's, but it's a choice between £50 for a set of 17's, or £200+ for a set of 16's

My reasoning for being a pussy and getting winter tyres is
1) I want to be able to actually get the car off the drive and onto the road (and be able to park it back and not leave it by the side of the road somewhere)
2) Not slide all over the place and mash the wheels (freshly refurb'd) and tracking (freshly reset) on kerbs etc
3) The added stopping ability

Question is (after all that ) is what tyres?

1) Part worn decent brand (IE, dunlop), but only 4/5mm tread (cost, roughly £135, not fitted)
2) Retread (not remould) with 10mm tread (roughly £180, not fitted)
3) Brand new, non-brand (LINK) which I assume are 10mm tread too (cost £188, not fitted)

(obviously all are plus roughly £40 for having them fitted and balanced, plus the cost of the wheels - probably £80/£90 inc shipping to me)

 

well all 3 are going to be miles better than summer tyres.

To differentiate between them youll need reviews from people whove used them to be fair. they could all be great, they could all be shit when compared to the best winter tyres.

Id invest in a set of snow chains as well to get up the slope.

The problem with RWD is getting moving. once moving youll be fine on most roads as long as youre a gentle driver.

the problem with that is most drivers are complete twats in the snow and rather than driving slowly and progressively they drive like cunts stop starting all over the shop. Really pisses me off as driving in snow isnt difficult at all if you use a bit of common fucking sense.

I dont know why people turn into retards when it snows but they do so youre best keeping clear of others as much as you can.

the worst enemy you can have is stop starting. Once youre moving, even a powerful RWD car can be kept moving even if at crawling speed.

Some people swear by putting a couple of bags of cement or similar in the boot!!

ive never had a problem these last 3 bad winters as ive got 4wd even on wide summer tyres and a very aggressive AP paddle clutch i had no problems except other road users being bellends

 

Snow tyres need tread depth in order to work, little different than wet tyres need tread in order to do their job.

So I'd sooner choose a full tread depth cheap tyre over a bald branded tyre

Couple of years ago I got some Marix remoulds and they worked great. Only bought them as it was all that anywhere had in stock.
Bought a pair of Avon snow tyres a few months later in readiness for the snow the following year ( ie last winter ), and we got fuck all lol

Whatever you do, DO NOT fit only 2 tyres. You must do all 4 unless you want to crash.

 

4/5mm is hardly bald though is it??

 

Used winter tyres for 20 years (as we go skiing ) by far the best brand i have had is michelin, for wear and grip,you will be surprised how much grip you actually have with them

 

Winter tyres are mandatory in Germany and German ebay is full of half worn winter tyres. What does this tell you about the effectiveness of half worn winter tyres?

 

very true, i only run mine to about half tread depth then replace

 

Warren, sometimes you do talk sense

I agree, first criteria is to get moving, and I'm thinking even though I've got what seem to be pretty good summer tyres on - with quite deep tread, as they're fairly new - that's not gonna happen without winter tyres. And with all the mongs stop starting (pissed me off no end when in a heavy FWD van, as I have to stop, and I just wanna keep moving to carry momentum )

But with a 70L fuel tank, I don't think I'll need the bags of sand/cement!!!

Makes sense. I just don't think I can stretch to the cost of "proper" new, good brand tyres I'm only gonna use for a couple months of the year. When it does snow, the last few years it's come down 6-8 inches of the stuff at first, a lot of which gets cleared or compacted down. The fresh stuff isn't too bad, it's when it gets compacted down is the biggest problem. I just a) wanna be able to get moving, b) be able to control it, and c) be able to stop

That sir, is a very good point!

So, I'm thinking the part worns aren't such a great idea - as to be fair, I've probably got more tread on my current summer tyres than they have (even though they will be the better cold weather compound rubber, and better tread pattern), so it's down to either the retreads (using Dunlop tread patterns) for £180, or the budget Asian brand for £188 brand new. Both are a bit of an unknown quantity, but so closely priced...

 

I bought retread winter tyres a couple of years ago as didn't want to pay over the odds, used them last two winters no problem and just fit them in December and put summer ones back on about march, remember winter tyres work better in cold weather so don't need to wait for the snow before fitting them. I live at the top of a very steep hill so wanted to make sure I was as safe as I could be

 

Bought a set of continental winter contact's last winter and it was money well spent!

I drive a remapped st tdci so there's plenty torque and I had no probs with them at all. I was actually very surprised at how much grip they give. Snow, ice and rain posed no problems what so ever. Breaking was also spot on, along with next to no road noise.

Fitted them in November and removed them in march. Can't recommend them highly enough!

 

The more I look into them, the more it seems a good idea; increased traction (with most reporting "night and day" difference in moving off from stand still); increased stability while moving and cornering; increased braking and deceleration

I know what will happen though - I'll spend £300 on wheels and tyres, and then we won't get any snow

 

2 years ago in the bad winter was the first I had ever used them. And the difference really was staggering.

But I will say again, fit 4, do not be tempted to fit 2 otherwise handling will get very lively ( ie dangerous )

 

Oh, I'd be fitting four; 2 is more than pointless - it's downright dangerous, as you say

 

Winter tyres are great not just in the snow but in the cold weather as the compound stays soft when the tempretures get low. Anything under 7°c and Winter tyres are better than Summer tyres.
But once the tread dips below 5-6mm on winter tyres they aren't that good in the snow.

 

Yeah, I understand that, which is another plus point for them. But the only time I've ever had any trouble has been with the actual snow, and ice, as opposed to just cold, wet roads. Granted you can never be too safe, but my main worry was actually being able to get it off the drive in the first place, then on any untreated roads. Other than that, driving in cold shitty conditions is easy so long as you have a bit of common sense - and hopefully aren't surrounded by retards who drive just as dangerously in those conditions as they do in summer

 

Got another Q... I'm potentially looking at these : http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rsh...110&sowigan=Wi

Yes there's gonna be MUCH better tyres out there, but my budget just doesn't stretch to them, and since the retread ones are the same price, might as well buy new I guess

But my question is the load rating. I understand tyre sizing, and speed rating (H=130mph), but I don't understand load rating. These tyres have a load rating of 89, which after some googling tells me an 89H tyre is rated to carry 1300lbs at 130mph

However my car is 3000lb (according to Wikipedia)

So, what might be a stupid question, but is EACH tyre rated to carry 1300lbs, or is is a maximum load of 1300lbs across all 4 tyres? Because if it's each, then I would think that a set of 89H tyres can carry a car that weighs a little over 5000lbs, or am I completely wrong a set of 4 89H tyres can only carry a car that weighs no more than 1300lbs?

 

i used a set of snow chains for the first time int hat bad snow a couple of years ago, they were fucking brilliant!

but your limited to 3mph or less really. was very funny passing everyone on the duel carrageway in the outside lane in 2 foot of snow. unit i got on the motorway and there wasnt any snow in lanes 1,2 and 3...

but there was 2 foot on the hard shoulder, so if i had stopped to take the chains off, id have got stuck....

so everyone went back past me as i could only do 30mph for about 20 miles

 

Load is for each tyre. ie max plated axle weight divided by 2.

http://www.tructyre.co.uk/commercial...load_index.asp

 

So 4 89H tyres will support my 3000lb vehicle just fine then?

 

Ive no idea what the axle weight distribution of your vehicle is, nor the maximum vehicle weight.
It's usually on a plate somewhere on the car.

 

 

There ya go then. 1055kg divided by 2 = 527.5kg per tyre.

89 will support 580kg per tyre

 

FWD and Skinny tyres would be better than anything you could do to that car.

With the money it'd cost for a spare set of wheels plus new tyres you could probably buy a small FWD basic car and then sell it on once the bad weather is over...

 

That did actually enter my mind Mike - I was pondering just getting a Fiesta or something - wish I hadn't sold the Rover now With it's complete and utter lack of both power and torque, coupled with it's 165 tyres, it was perfect

 

FWIW, I was surprised how well my IS coped with the little bit of snow we had a couple of years ago.

I would go for these to get you on the main road then whip them off.



Michelin easy grip. I bought a pair last year to keep in the car to get me out of the shit. It didn't snow

 

Get a Metro/Rover 100, easy to get a cheap basic spec one, but nowhere near as common as they once were, so easy to shift on as there's a small, enthusiastic following for them. And as good as it gets in the snow without going 4wd.

 

I thought at one point to get a little 1000cc Panda 4x4 - then I saw a) how few of them there are, and b) how fooking much they cost when available!

To be honest, although getting another car is probably the better option, I'll probably get a spare set of rims and winter tyres; mainly because I bought my IS because I was sick of running around in shitters, so don't really wanna get another shitter, even if it's only for a couple months, and also because a spare set of rims with winter tyres will last for years, with the little use they'll get, whereas I'd need to buy a shitter every year, or buy one to keep and have to maintain it and tax and mot it every year, plus dealing with the SORN which I think you have to do if you intend to keep an uninsured car on non-private land...

 

Going to add my to cents

How about some Avon Ice Tourings or Avon Ice Touring STs (basically the same tyre just one if up to 15" and the other is for 16" and above) They are a good mid randge set of tyres that i'll probably stick for a while (due to cost effectiveness)

Last winter i used the Ice Touring 185/70/14 T and these gave me lots of confidence in the snow (driving in freshy laid snow at 50mph on dual carrigeway with no worries). They are brilliant for pulling off/not losing traction. As they are asymetics they are good for moving forward and reversing (as, well, they don't have a direction) (this was the reason why i got them as i do a lot of reversing/maneuvers)

I would loved to of kept these but the new st170 brakes i've fitted don't allow me to do so (pita) so i'll be getting some 205/55/16s

 

£140 each I don't have a spare £560

 

£140?? really?? Guessing that your size is 205/50/17

Just found 205/50/17 93V for £96 delivered so that would be roughly £111 fitted per corner, so £444 for a full set.

Are 17"s the smallest you can go down to? as you can get205/55/16 91H for £58 delivered, £73 fitted, £292 a set

Also, what is the car your fitting these to, Is it a lexus? as all i can work out from your first post is that its RWD.

The site I used
http://www.oponeo.co.uk/

 

Finally got some, after getting outbid on a virtually brand new set of Continental's, two sets of Avon IceTour's, a set of Dunlop 3D's and a set of Khumo's, I managed to pick up a set of Uniroyal Plus 66 winter tyres. Not had them fitted yet, but looking them over they look good - loads of tread (been run for one winter, allegedly). 205/50 17 93V, £251 delivered

Just been down to a garage local to me, and shocked he wants £23 PER WHEEL to swap the tyre, valve it and balance it! £92 to swap 4 tyres! He doesn't even need to jack the car up as I'd be bringing 4 loose wheels with 4 loose tyres!

Getting my mum's local mechanic to do it all for £50, but still! Not as cheap as it was! I'd have expected to pay about a tenner a wheel!

Hopefully I can sell the two just above legal Continental tyres I'll have left over for £20-£30, but probably not.....

 

£8.40 per wheel fit and balance at costco wholesale.

 

Damn son!! Does he used diamond encrusted weights and pure nitrogen?? the nerve of some people

The going rate round by me is £15 per corner, have found a bloke who can do them for £12.50 but that's the cheapest thus far.

But glad you've managed to find some tyres, (just got a pair of ice touring st's) you've love them as soon as the snow hits, just don't be overzealous with them

 

I know right?!?! I was thinking along the lines of it's a "family/local" small business, so surely he'd be appreciative of the work rather than losing business to a large/chain/brand company, yet is asking £9.50 tyre fitting + £4 valve + £9.50 balancing PER WHEEL!?!? Madness!

National Tyres said they'd do it for me for £15 a wheel, everything inc, and a local used tyre place also said £15 a wheel, everything inc, then my mums local mechanic also said the same, but since my family has been going to him for years, he said if I could wait till during the week he'd do £50 all in.

Just hope the tyres are fine and hold pressure. Tread wise they look fine, but I won't know till I get them on and up to pressure, then run them for a bit I guess. Always a little skeptical with used tyres, but I just don't have the funds for new ones, at least not decent new ones. My original budget of £300 for rims and tyres has already been blown (£379 inc next weeks fitting cost, so far - then next year I wanna get the rims refurbed too )