Snow tyres

[Capvermell]

Here is my attempt at getting up an incline (so shallow that the car would barely roll down it if you just let go of the handbrake) on Toyos. The snow-socks were a bust so I just left it at home in the end.

Are they may be Toyo T1-Ss and not T1-Rs?  I think the T1-R is significantly improved over the S in various respects.

Also more recent Roadsters came with larger wheels and more rubber than my 2002 model, only making matters worse in the snow..................

[Wabbitkilla]

[MOD]Thread tidied up [/MOD]

It's probably the curve in the tread of the T1R's that doesn't help.
My GSD3's were pretty much ok within limits.

[Capvermell]

[MOD]Thread tidied up [/MOD]It's probably the curve in the tread of the T1R's that doesn't help..

Do you mean the curve in the tread of the Yoko A043s?  The Toyo T1Rs are excellent in the snow.

[Wabbitkilla]

I find many tyres are surprising in the snow, as long as they have a good depth of tread.
When i had the T1R's i really didn't have a problem with them, maybe just the way i drive.

I find i generally wear out a set of tyres just before the winter hits, ending up with good tread for the winter - result   s:D s:D  
That's not just the 2, it's every car i've owned.

But even then my company Fiesta has low profiles which are about 2 to 2.2mm tread left, it's been fun sliding it around   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[kentsmudger]

Here is my attempt at getting up an incline (so shallow that the car would barely roll down it if you just let go of the handbrake) on Toyos. The snow-socks were a bust so I just left it at home in the end.

Are they may be Toyo T1-Ss and not T1-Rs?  I think the T1-R is significantly improved over the S in various respects.

Also more recent Roadsters came with larger wheels and more rubber than my 2002 model, only making matters worse in the snow..................

No, I have T1-Rs on 15" wheels on my 2002 car. Probably getting near to replacement time, but not down to the wear line yet. I had the same problem on near brand-new Toyos last year.

Must be me.

[Capvermell]

No, I have T1-Rs on 15" wheels on my 2002 car. Probably getting near to replacement time, but not down to the wear line yet. I had the same problem on near brand-new Toyos last year.

Must be me.

My Toyo T1Rs do have quite a deep tread both front and back.  May be both only 25% worn.

I think its all relative though.  If you have never experienced some Yoko A043s in the snow then you don't know just how frightening the MR2 can be.  Basically it was just like going out on a skating rink.  To be fair the rear tyres had done about 7,500 miles out of a 10,000 mile life at the time but there seem to be generally bad reports on the Yoko A043s in the snow and I have to say I was never impressed with that tyre full stop.

[Gif]

Don't know why anyone would try to drive an MR2 on Yokohama A043s in snow.  You can hardly blame the tyre for not performing in conditions that it was explicitly not designed to run on   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

I have had these on mine since I bought it and they are excellent in all conditions for which they were designed, ie warm dry or warm wet roads.

That's why my MR2 is tucked up in bed with it's battery charger keeping it warm   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Capvermell]

Don't know why anyone would try to drive an MR2 on Yokohama A043s in snow.  You can hardly blame the tyre for not performing in conditions that it was explicitly not designed to run on   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  

Because they live in the countryside where there is no public transport and things are not in walking distance and they actually have to go somewhere (like to work several miles away) I would presume.

Believe it or not there are some of us out there in the countryside who don't even have cable tv or mains gas or mains sewarage....................

[Gif]

So some sort of planning would be in order like All Season tyres perhaps rather than slicks  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Capvermell]

So some sort of planning would be in order like All Season tyres perhaps rather than slicks  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Doesn't seem worth it for an average 1 or so snowy days per year.  Obviously such tyres are rubbish on dry or wet roads.

[Ullevi]

So some sort of planning would be in order like All Season tyres perhaps rather than slicks  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Doesn't seem worth it for an average 1 or so snowy days per year.  Obviously such tyres are rubbish on dry or wet roads.

Er,no.

Modern winter tyres are designed just for that-winters.They have a performance advantage at cold temps.

You can get ones which favour one set of conditions more than others,but many manufacturers make winter tyres which work well in all sorts of conditions in cold weather.Dry,wet,snow,ice,slush.

Apparently the rubber they use works very well in temps under about 7 centigrade,as opposed to our summer tyres whose rubber performance deteriorates at these temps.Also the winter tyres have specially designed tread patterns to help with snow/slush etc.

So even if there isn't snow for long periods they do seem to provide better grip even on dry tarmac at cold temps..

Some makers do "all season" tyres (Vredestein Quatrac for instance) which are a compromise.I do not know how good they are as have no experience of them.

[d1bram]

Dredging up an old thread I know, but I just discovered the tyres on my 2 are looking, well.. tired lol.

Anyway, as we're coming into winter I'm going to go for winter tyres, toyo snowprox I think.

Then next march change over to toyo t1-r's.

Really need some for our X-Type jag too, it was next to useless in the snow and ice last winter, sitting on 225's probably doesn't help mind!

Will let you know how I get on.

[Capvermell]

Anyway, as we're coming into winter I'm going to go for winter tyres, toyo snowprox I think.

Then next march change over to toyo t1-r's.

Do you really get that much snow in Yorkshire to make it worthwhile.  My own experience down here in Surrey with the 15 inch deep snow we got in January for a week or so was that as long as you take it easy and decrease acceleration and change up early and increase stopping distance in the few days the snow is on the ground that the car is navigable on T1-Rs.

If on the other hand anyone is unfortunate enough to still have Yokohama A043s on their Roadster then these do need to be ditched for winter tyres at the very first sign of a snowflake, regardless of whether or not it actually manages to settle...............

[d1bram]

It's something of a misconception that winter tyres are 'snow tyre'.  They're not, they're winter tyres, which offer much more grip than summer tyres at temperatures below 7decC.

Anyway, the car needs new tyres now, so I might as well go for these, then swap over to t1r's in spring, OK it may cost me £40 or so to change them back over next winter but I can live with that.

I must also point out that the wife has a horse which she needs to get to see to twice a day regardless, last year the jag was hopeless on the 225 pirelli pzero's.

[Capvermell]

It's something of a misconception that winter tyres are 'snow tyre'.  They're not, they're winter tyres, which offer much more grip than summer tyres at temperatures below 7decC.

Aha so clearly another difference between Surrey and Yorkshire as down here we get very little weather below 7C and most of what there is only happens overnight in December and January.  You sound like you must live on the very deepest and darkest part of the North Yorks moors.

[Wabbitkilla]

It's quite normal to have low temperatures here in Yorkshire.

Last weekend saw night time temperatures down to zero in Otley, West Yorkshire.
Last wednesday morning was 4C when I set off to work from Skipton.
But last winter was pretty cold all day through most days and I had the coldest commuting temperatures I've seen for a few years.

[d1bram]

To be fair, it will often get up above 7degC during the day in winter (just), however that's when our cars are sat idle in work.  Most of our driving is done early morning and in the evening, by which time the temperature is usually back down towards freezing.

Even so, winter tyres don't suddenly become useless above 7degC, there will be a big patch of overlap between summer and winter tyres.  One thing is true however, we won't be experiencing conditions where summer tyres have any advantage over winter.

Riding bikes on track and road I've been amazed at what difference the correct tyre makes; you don't want a 020 on a sunny trackday, but at the same time a supercorsa will be just as hopeless on a cold wet commute.

As said it will cost me about £40 to change between tyres and I will need to store a set at a time, but surely that's a small price for having the best available roadholding at any time?

[Mad Matt]

I also found that winter tyres deal better with standing water. I was amazed how much the ones we put on the Mrs car reduced aquaplaning. In her case we're talking a standard diesel running 225 tyres of whatever brand SEAT supplied compared to 215 (maybe 205) winter tyres.

[kentsmudger]

Looking at SnowProxes yesterday and Camskill have the best prices, but no stock till about the end of the month

[Capvermell]

Looking at SnowProxes yesterday and Camskill have the best prices, but no stock till about the end of the month

Presumably there is no customer demand for them before then............

[d1bram]

Was 6deg on my drive home last night, no temperature reading this morning as I used the MR2 but it was cold enough to freeze the windscreen up!

[Capvermell]

Was 6deg on my drive home last night, no temperature reading this morning as I used the MR2 but it was cold enough to freeze the windscreen up!

No frozen windscreens in Surrey till late November at the earliest.

[Mad Matt]

I can't remember it being like that when I worked around there. Just saw the BBC is forecasting 0 overnight in Guildford tonight and 6 overnight the night after. Looks like it gets colder quicker than you think!

Belgium had its first snow flakes this last weekend, although we've only had a few mornings with ice on the car where I live.

[kentsmudger]

Looking at SnowProxes yesterday and Camskill have the best prices, but no stock till about the end of the month

Presumably there is no customer demand for them before then............

But I want to be better prepared after the snow sock farce last year!

[Ullevi]

...As said it will cost me about £40 to change between tyres and I will need to store a set at a time, but surely that's a small price for having the best available roadholding at any time?

How about getting a cheap second set of wheels, one set with summer tyres, another set with winter tyres?

I do this for a couple of my cars, and obviously you need to be able to store the set not currently in use.

Once mounted on the rims you then don't need to keep paying to have them changed over.Probably pay for themselves after 2 or 3 changes?

Also for those who find it hard to source winter tyres-and it can be hard with UK suppliers- they can be easily sourced on-line from Europe.

I've bought 2 sets of winter tyres from mytyres.co.uk and they arrived within 4 days from Germany.

I have also heard good things about tyres-pneus-online.co.uk from France.

They have a massive selection of winter tyres, although I think it is coming up to peak demand time and I've noticed prices creeping up.

I've found winter tyres make a massive difference for the better in cold conditions-dry and damp.Also massive improvements on ice and snow/sludge.As you said d1bram, winter tyres are not the same as snow tyres and are great when we are on our usual commute times of first thing in the morning and late evenings when temps are often well below 7 deg c in most parts of the UK Dec to April.Even more so oop North.

Incidentally, I don't have winter tyres for the 2 - I guess I am a bit of a pansy not to brave the 2 in the worst of the weather over winter.  s:oops: :oops: s:oops: