 Poster: A snowHead
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Just changed from winter wheel set back to summer alloys.
OK so this year on went some Dunlop Wintersport on the front of the Yeti, leaving the old Conti Winter Contact on the back since they had 6.5mm still. This year I think we did maybe 20m on snow....and I had to drive over to the side of the road on tne way to Chandolin just so I could say that I had actually driven on snow this year. And that was with 36 days of being in the Alps. Blacktop everywhere. The icefield that is the Nax car park still justified winter tyres, as do the insurance regs in CH.
2010....drove right through France on fresh snow and then had to cope with days of 50cm of new. The Good Old Days.
Wind back to 2018 when I got the Yeti...
Four new Skoda steel wheels in 215 16 rather than the 225 17 summer rims. Factory spec smaller rims for winter tyres. Insurance therefore fine.
Lightly sand and paint them with high quality enamel paint to prevent rust - works a treat, from experience with loads of VAG rims.
Wheels are stored with tyres on, on a tyre tree, with nylon tyre covers.
I always do the change, using the vehicle jack, Brittool torque wrench and the VAG special tool for the locking bolt.
Total time 2 hours for removing wheels, picking out all the stones, inspecting them, measuring the tread depth, marking them up with chalk OSF, NSF etc with tread depth, washing them with light detergent, rinsing, drying and getting them back in the barn. It takes that long to get to a fitter, wait in the Q, idle the time for the fit and then drive back.
Important re me to do it since I can inspect the shocks, put a snick of coppergrease around the centre boss, and generally check things over. Once I found a horrible bulge in one tyre, that probably would have been spotted by a fitter. Damaged boot on shock probably would not. Zip tie fixed that - two minute job but saved the shock from cr=p ingress.
Now some stats.
All tyres from MyTyres.
Contis on rear have done 9 trips to the Alps and have gone from 8mm to 6.5mm - good for one more year and a bit more.
Dunlop on front have done 3 trips and have gone from 8 to 7.5mm. They will go on the back when the Contis run down and there are some new Dunlops in the barn which will go on the front.
Feels like Spring when I do the change...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I’m also a winter wheel person. Best purchase was an impact wrench, so much quicker, I still use a torque wrench for initial loosening and final tweak, but it’s now so much easier. Mine stay on all winter in UK, car has done 38k miles and I’ve yet to buy new tyres other than the initial 2 sets, down to about 4mm on the summers now. May venture to cross climates when they do need changing.
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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?
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I'm now an all year round Cross Climate person..... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Changed over to my sommers last week.
I was going to go for four seasons when we last changed the car but got the chance of a set of OE alloys for winters at a good price.
Sold the set from the old car for more so all good.
Barring pot holes the two sets will last out the time we have the car probably 5 year.
Very little driving in the snow this winter but a heck of a lot of wet and below 7 driving where we are in Scotland.
Last two winters I could have survived fine without them 98% time but I am still a fan.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Garfield, ....that's an important point about wet and below 7; we have been very cold in E Anglia during the winter and very wet...and all the research shows that indeed is those conditions where winter tyres are safer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@valais2, must book the fitter to switch ours back. I think I'll wait until it is back from bodyshop.
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@Hells Bells, oh dear....what was needed at the bodyshop?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You’ve reminded me to email Mr Muller!l to get mine changed before we go to Italy. Up Here it costs me 60chf to get my tyres swapped and 40chfs to be stored. For CH it feels like a bargain. Defo not needed this winter though.
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| endoman wrote: |
| I’m also a winter wheel person. Best purchase was an impact wrench, so much quicker, I still use a torque wrench for initial loosening and final tweak, but it’s now so much easier. Mine stay on all winter in UK, car has done 38k miles and I’ve yet to buy new tyres other than the initial 2 sets, down to about 4mm on the summers now. May venture to cross climates when they do need changing. |
Breaker bar* for the initial loosening I hope!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| valais2 wrote: |
| @Hells Bells, oh dear....what was needed at the bodyshop? |
Someone reversed out of a parking bay into the front drivers door and wing. I was parked on the road behind it, loads of room. Young, inexperienced driver. Not massive damage, but enough to need a proper job done.
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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.
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@Hells Bells, ....frustrating...but good that you ID'd the driver....
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| damanpunk wrote: |
| endoman wrote: |
| I’m also a winter wheel person. Best purchase was an impact wrench, so much quicker, I still use a torque wrench for initial loosening and final tweak, but it’s now so much easier. Mine stay on all winter in UK, car has done 38k miles and I’ve yet to buy new tyres other than the initial 2 sets, down to about 4mm on the summers now. May venture to cross climates when they do need changing. |
Breaker bar* for the initial loosening I hope! |
Big long torque wrench, so about the same, yes.
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You know it makes sense.
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@endoman, oooh oooh controversy coming on …
I have been told ‘never use a torque wrench for undoing’ and also ‘it’s fine to use a torque wrench for undoing’.
Main issue is gorilla use of T wrench going past the ‘click’. You can do it, but it’s not advised. I don’t. I usually stand on the VAG brace to undo or use a mahoosive 24 inch breaker’s bar.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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For the sake of a £15 breaker bar, why risk a precision tool…
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Poster: A snowHead
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Going off at a tangent as usual.  For all that have a torque wrench how do you know it's accurate?
When was it last calibrated?
When I was on the tools ours were tested every few months.
I have one that has not been done for donkeys years.
There is still a benefit that all the bolts are the same tightness even if the figure is off slightly.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I meant to get mine sorted before Mrs Swskier drove back to the UK, but ran out of time, and now she's halfway through Germany on the way back, so they'll have to wait until we're all back here end of April.
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FAQ
