I had 4 185/65/15 on my old car that were put on my newer car (but manufacturer recommends 195) I got a puncture and now realise I should have 195's.
Can I keep 185's on the front and put 195's on the back or should I simply bite the bullet and get 4 195's fitted. Another alternative would be one 185 of a different brand to match up.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Keep your tyre sizes as they should be....any bumps and your insurance company are liable to say "cheerio" and that's on top of any potential police interest.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
AFAIK, there's no regulation in UK law to stop you having different sized tyres front & rear - indeed, lots of cars come from the factory like that.
It would make sense to ensure the profile of the 195's was a bit lower than on the 185's so the circumferences were the same (though, thinking about it, I don't suppose it really matters if your front wheels rotate at a different rate to the rears - lots of bikes have different sized wheels). Just don't mix 185's and 195's on the same axle
Proper 195's on all four corners and the three I have will be on Gumtree.
Anyone on here (collect in Glasgow) want 3x continental winter contact TS 830 185/65x15 for £75
Condition is good and only used for two winters (and very low milage)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@glasgowcyclops, I'm starting to get nervous about the tyres fitted to our new X-trail. Says M&S on them, but web searching suggests they are summer tyres as oopsed to all-season, and they aren't even listed on the Dunlop website.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@bagginsmum, I've been looking at these too. Very pricy though I did find them on Amazon for less.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@WindOfChange, I am sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hells Bells wrote:
@glasgowcyclops, I'm starting to get nervous about the tyres fitted to our new X-trail. Says M&S on them, but web searching suggests they are summer tyres as oopsed to all-season, and they aren't even listed on the Dunlop website.
My company car is a Freelander (new) and has M+S tyres on it. In the MacDonalds carpark in Perth in a few inches of snow I was skidding about in it. I think these are not full winter tyres. My personal car 04 plate Honda Accord would be grippy as heck with Winter tyres.
@glasgowcyclops, We've used the original M&S tyres in the past on our previous X-trails, but last one had high performance tyres which we changed to Continental Winter Contacts. Doing a search, there are not many 225/55 R18 s available either. Tyremen have nothing.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I'm driving from London to Chamonix in late Jan - to the apartment car park in the town centre and not moving. Have chains, albeit need to practice fitting but was hoping to get away without purchasing 4 new tyres. Bad/reckless/dumb decision? Bite the bullet and put them on? Car's an elderly Ford Mondeo...
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Most car rims would accept a tyre of plus or minus 10mm width difference from original with no problem at all and you may even find this to be the case from differnt production runs. even tyres of the same spec and numbering from different tyre manufacturers can physically differ by as much as that. shouldn't mix sizes on one axle though.
The load index e.g. 91v would arguably have more impact as this is the rated load the tyre will be expected to take and if not up to spec could potentially fail when the vehicle is run fully loaded even if the tyre is brand new.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@joe1890, I always run winter tyres, but a friend did a season in chamonix a couple of years back in a focus with summers, if it was bad he left the car at the appartment. You might want to check exactly where you will be. Cham sud shouldn't be an issue but if you are up the hill at the Brevent you may not get there in Jan. If your trip coincides with a storm like the one last weekend you might not make it up to the resort for a couple of days. You will want to run the engine a few times while you are there plus do a bit of winter prep, basic stuff, extra strength anti freeze etc.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@bagginsmum, @Hells Bells, we have the Thule K Summit chains. They are very good and very easy to put on. Pretty much the only chains if you have no clearance. But they are expensive. Hubby just bought the weissenfell clack and go chains for the other car. Equally simple, quite a lot cheaper.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@sarah, no problem with clearance on our car, but thinking if we do need to fit chains, conditions are likely to be very bad. However the previous set lasted for 8 years and were never used in anger.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Just to reiterate the utility of winters - I just drove home from the Clubhouse in around 6 inches of fresh snow, winter tyres, 4 wheel drive and sailed up our steep drive almost as if it were dry. Strangely the turn off the main road was slippy, where the snowplough had been
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hells Bells wrote:
@WindOfChange, I am sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about.
Sipes are narrow cuts/slits accross the tread blocks. Usually they're zig-zag cuts. These grip the snow as the block distrots under load. They also help hold snow on the surface of the tyre to grip the snow covered road.
Beware of the cheapest snow chains out there (those you can get for £25-£30 or so). Last Feb I was caught by rather generous snow fall in Sansicario in my beemer 1-series. Parked at the bottom of chairs in the morning and it snowed all day. After having finished the day winter tyres couldn't handle it (225 at the back, bit too wide for snow really), so the chains went on. I managed to do about 50cm until one of them snapped (that bit which links ends of the cable which goes along the wheel rim). Needles to say I had to download to Cesana (where I stayed) in a cable car and came back for the car the following day. A few days later I bought used Thules with auto-tension for 50 euro. Served me reliably till the end of my stay (another week, but in MdC).
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Hells Bells, could be worth it then as you will have them for years. When we've used ours it's been in anger and glad to have been able to get them on in a flash in an awkward spot.
@sarah, as I've ordered the winter tyres, I might have to reduce the spend on the chains, although I will still make sure they are automatic. I found some at a good price, but not sure they will arrive in time.
@adithorp, thanks. I was at work so didn't have time to Google.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
On the 4x4 front, my Defender is stunningly, jaw-dropping good uphill on snow on just about any tyre. Going downhill, it is utterly terrifying, reduced to only occasionally terrifying with proper winter tyres and extensive use of the low-ratio box.
Having pretty massive experience (8 years living in the Alps) of all sorts of weird and wonderful vehicles (Defender, mini-buses, big cars, small cars, cheap cars...) in the snow, I would honestly take a front-wheel drive car with good winter tyres (and chains in the boot) over the Landy 99% of the time. But for that 1% of the time when it's past midnight, there's 6" of compacted snow on the road and it's still coming down hard, the cops are turning people back, you've got a worried family in the car who've just stepped off a much delayed train, there is nothing quite like a Landy for when you need to KNOW you're going to get there no matter what.
I don't have chains for it. There's no point. There are no conceivable circumstances in which it would need them going uphill and it would still slide even with them if you get it wrong going downhill. Downhill on snow in a big Landy is an art!
After all it is free
After all it is free
bagginsmum wrote:
.......... I've seen some Thule 'quick fit' snow chains that can allegedly be fitted in 12 seconds each. Anyone tried these? Are they worth the investment?
They are what I bought and I have the time down to around 20 seconds.
I have a very steep (circa 17%) hill to climb to get to my place and every now and again I can't make it (and my mates in his 4WD VW T30 Van can).
They are superbly engineered, expensive yes, but cheaper than 4WD.
This is a video of me fitting them for the first time, no editing etc
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
stevomcd wrote:
On the 4x4 front, my Defender is stunningly, jaw-dropping good uphill on snow on just about any tyre. Going downhill, it is utterly terrifying, reduced to only occasionally terrifying with proper winter tyres and extensive use of the low-ratio box.
Having pretty massive experience (8 years living in the Alps) of all sorts of weird and wonderful vehicles (Defender, mini-buses, big cars, small cars, cheap cars...) in the snow, I would honestly take a front-wheel drive car with good winter tyres (and chains in the boot) over the Landy 99% of the time. But for that 1% of the time when it's past midnight, there's 6" of compacted snow on the road and it's still coming down hard, the cops are turning people back, you've got a worried family in the car who've just stepped off a much delayed train, there is nothing quite like a Landy for when you need to KNOW you're going to get there no matter what.
I don't have chains for it. There's no point. There are no conceivable circumstances in which it would need them going uphill and it would still slide even with them if you get it wrong going downhill. Downhill on snow in a big Landy is an art!
Interesting point and I can't challenge your experience, however I've had personal experience of the Landy downhill slide and it ain't fun. But take extra care in a Defender downhill and it's still a car I would feel safe in and one I personally choose to pick the keys up to when there's snow/ice outside over a smaller FWD car (probably physcology at work there). I'd also take my Range Rover with Hill Descent Control over a front wheel drive car with chains. I've used that in anger many times and it's great technology, but the Defender is more 'fun' although fun and safety probably shouldn't be used in the same context.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@sarah, I eventually had a look on the Roofbox company site where I usually purchase all of our stuff like this from, and bought some Maggi Trak Chains, easy-fit like the Thule ones, but a lot less expensive due to a current overstock.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
trainee snowboard jedi wrote:
stevomcd wrote:
On the 4x4 front, my Defender is stunningly, jaw-dropping good uphill on snow on just about any tyre. Going downhill, it is utterly terrifying, reduced to only occasionally terrifying with proper winter tyres and extensive use of the low-ratio box.
Having pretty massive experience (8 years living in the Alps) of all sorts of weird and wonderful vehicles (Defender, mini-buses, big cars, small cars, cheap cars...) in the snow, I would honestly take a front-wheel drive car with good winter tyres (and chains in the boot) over the Landy 99% of the time. But for that 1% of the time when it's past midnight, there's 6" of compacted snow on the road and it's still coming down hard, the cops are turning people back, you've got a worried family in the car who've just stepped off a much delayed train, there is nothing quite like a Landy for when you need to KNOW you're going to get there no matter what.
I don't have chains for it. There's no point. There are no conceivable circumstances in which it would need them going uphill and it would still slide even with them if you get it wrong going downhill. Downhill on snow in a big Landy is an art!
Interesting point and I can't challenge your experience, however I've had personal experience of the Landy downhill slide and it ain't fun. But take extra care in a Defender downhill and it's still a car I would feel safe in and one I personally choose to pick the keys up to when there's snow/ice outside over a smaller FWD car (probably physcology at work there). I'd also take my Range Rover with Hill Descent Control over a front wheel drive car with chains. I've used that in anger many times and it's great technology, but the Defender is more 'fun' although fun and safety probably shouldn't be used in the same context.
The defender death slide is something I have encountered a few times in my 1987 110. Normally it's when it pops out of gear on a steep descent! Have then to try and quickly engage 2nd, then [deep breath] 1st - ( who need snychromesh anyway). TBF it's cos i'm too lazy to use 2nd/3rd on low ratio, that I use 1st on normal (without difflock). Scary as heck though, Ive had a couple of slappers in it too - not nice. My wife put it in a dicth 2 winters ago on a downhill during the school run with 6 kids in the back ( schoolgirl error of using the brakes ) - the kids thought it was hilarious! A tyre came of the rim in the ditch so could not drive it out on its own, but we flagged down a passing van, threw the winch on the tow hook and pulled ourselves out - a quick tyre change, and we were all good. Our Freelander has the descent thingy, now they are the muts nuts, but ours is from 1998, so I do not trrust it, and just use first / second normally. Our best vehicle for descending round here is the 2wd punto with 4 studded tyres, they only issue we have is when the snow is deep and it bellies out, but in terms of control and agility, the 2 landies can't hold a candle to it.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Finally convinced my wife to bite the bullet and buy a set of winter wheels and tyres. Her car has 19" alloys so getting winter tyres for these is virtually impossible. Even if you do find them the prices is horrendous. We've gone completely to the other end of the scale and bought 16" wheel and tyre package.
www.mytyres.co.uk were cheapest by a longshot with a total price for 4 x Enzo W winter alloys and 4 x Nokian WR-A3 235/60 R16 104H tyres coming in at £616.80 delivered as a fully balanced set. The Nokians come out very well in various tests and reviews.
Buying a complete set will be far cheaper in the long run. Getting 4 tyres changed-over twice a year would probably work out at around £160.
I'm now struggling with what to do about my car. I have an A6 Allroad and when I bought it I took out a maintenance package that includes tyres. I've had one set replaced already so I don't think they will let me cancel my contract. It would not make economic sense to change over to winters as ot only would I have the cost of doing that to contend with but would still be paying a monthly fee for tyres that are sitting in my shed not being used!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hells Bells wrote:
@sarah, I eventually had a look on the Roofbox company site where I usually purchase all of our stuff like this from, and bought some Maggi Trak Chains, easy-fit like the Thule ones, but a lot less expensive due to a current overstock.
Currently showing at £259.00 a pair. Have you bought two pairs for your 4x4 or are you going down the "front only" route?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Hells Bells,
Hope you don't mind have sent you a PM re Nissan X Trail
Regards
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Timbobaggins, received and replied. @Gaza, no need for 2 pairs of chains, Nissan's recommendation is to use one pair on the front wheels. Maggi traks are way less expensive than the equivalent thule K-summits, and a set of automatic self-tensioning chains for our car is never going to be cheap with 18" wheels. We are out in the Alps for a month and usually make at least 2 trips each winter. We'll have the car for at least the next 3-4 years too. Hubby thinks that if the weather is actually severe enough for us to need to put them on, it would be better to have something that goes on in seconds.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Qn for Thule K-Summit experts ...
Anyone know whether they would be suitable forAstra GTC with 235/50 R18 tyres?
Handbook says not permitted on these - only permitted on 245/45 R18 where "special chains with chain belt on tyre tread - no inboard links - chains add no more than 12 mm to tyre tread" which describes the Thule's et all.
(My calculations give a radius of 346 for my 235/50 as opposed to 339 for 245/45)
Not sure whether the handbook is being over conservative or could I risk it
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@geoffers, if you are seriously thinking about buying a pair, I would have a word with the guys at the Roofbox company, they are really helpful and know their stuff.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@geoffers,
We have K summits on 235 45 17 wheels on a Mondeo estate ( Also shod with Vredestein all season Quatrac 3's )
The clearance problem is usually BEHIND the wheels, as normal snow chains go over and behind your wheel and that is where the clearance problems occur. In that the normal chain will foul on suspension struts and or brake cable/hoses.
A K Summit only goes on the front of your wheel and covers the outside 2/3rds of your tread, so you will be fine.
One TOP TIP with K summits. Make sure you adjust them to your wheel size properly. As the different sizes are adjustable for a number of wheel rims. If you don't adjust properly, be prepared to lose them as I did two seasons ago, well I lost one, had to buy socks in resort. However managed to get hold of another set so I now have 3 K summits. Took them to a Thule dealer who adjusted them to my wheel size properly, I had adjusted them too loose
You cannot get single K Summits, so I was lucky to get a second pair really cheap ( sub £150 of flea bay )
New K Summits on e-bay all different sizes £228 including delivery
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Timbobaggins, they've just put those on in the last 24 hours. I had a used pair on watch so have been checking regularly. Coming from Italy, so i guess I couldn't guarantee they would arrive in time.
@sarah, I eventually had a look on the Roofbox company site where I usually purchase all of our stuff like this from, and bought some Maggi Trak Chains, easy-fit like the Thule ones, but a lot less expensive due to a current overstock.
Sounds good
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Timbobaggins, Thanks for that.
I appreciate the zero clearance behind the wheel, it's just that the handbook seems to say the diameter of wheel plus chain isn't OK for the slightly larger 235/50 tyre. Whether this is true in reality is what I need to ascertain.
I'll give the roofbox peeps a bell
After all it is free
After all it is free
I have a set of Spikes Spiders that I bought for my Audi A5 Quattro some years ago, a car for which Audi have no snow chain option and do not recommend them. They have been adjusted to fit an Audi S3 and will be adjustable to fit my current car. They are now 7 years old. The hub fittings take a little time before leaving home but they are fitted to the wheels in seconds when needed. Only drawback is that they are bulky and take up space in the boot or roofbox.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Funnily enough I did a couple of ski seasons with whatever tires came on the Panda and never bothered with Winters. I assume that as it was built in Turin it was designed for the local conditions
Chains come in handy though, as did years of skidding old sports cars around car parks when it snowed
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Tyres (vredstein Wintracs) and chains (Maggi Trak 4x4's) ordered and on their way. I don't really know why I procrastinated on the tyres for so long (again !)
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Poster: A snowHead
