[regy53]

Hello Guys,

I have never ever owned winter tyres before. I dont know why but after seeing everybody post on here I am kind of thinking I do but I dont know

My 335D is my only vehicle, I use it for my business and cover 30k per year minimum. I do not really go out in the snow if any as if I did I would not just be nipping up the road my customers are across the UK.

I bought some wheels on here the other week as they were cheap, but winter tyres (nokians) are some £640 quid in a fairly narrow tyre size.

Now I dont really know what to do. My main customer is 30 miles away in North London, its not the end of the world if I do not shop up on snow days ( I am a consultant handling there used assets so it can wait )

My rear tyres fitted to my standard wheels are dreadfully low.

I worry that the winter tyres are not long lasting like my pilot sports, I really need tyres that can handle the miles (motorway miles)

What do you think? Should I fit winter wheels with winter tyres, winter wheels with standard ish tyres, or just stick to my 19's.

For info I have never owned a RWD in the winter. let alone one with 350 ponys and 700 torques.

cheers
Ross

[stevens]

I wouldnt drive my car in sleet let alone snow without the winters, ive got stuck on small hills with the smallest of snow and like you I travel around the country, some times its really bad in customer areas and having rear wheel drive and a slight incline without winters is a death trap, just my opinion :P

[rs32]

regarding cost (i.e. potentially faster wear) - what's £650 if you're driving around in a 335d, paying to insure it and spending all that 30k miles money on fuel ?

[corasdad]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=916590

[Kerr]

A RWD car in the snow can be tough work.

If you are dependant on your car, maybe be wise to by winter tyres.

That said we don't actually get snow that will see you stuck as often as people make out.

You might have to abandon it a day or two though, which you'll have to decide of you can really afford to do.

However for the other 360odd days of the year, RWD is the way to go.

[mp66]

Have a quick look at this:-

Not rear wheel drive but interesting results.

Or this:-

Hope this helps.

I have also been told that below 7 degrees summers wear out twice as fast. [ Not sure on this !!]

[Digitalize]

Winter tyres don't wear out any quicker than summers at the winter temperatures.

I'd go for it, as you need 2 tyres anyway.

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by mp66

I have also been told that below 7 degrees summers wear out twice as fast. [ Not sure on this !!]

It's friction that wears out tyres.

When the road is slippy there is little friction, so your tyres will not wear out as fast.

The last few day up here in Scotland we've had lots on time floating around the 0 degrees mark.

My Goodyear Eagle AS2s have performed without an issue. Had a blast today and grip levels were spot on without an issue.

I only worry about the snow, not the temperature.

I doubt they will perform well, but the compound feels better than the runflats, so hopefully they will be better.

[gaza01]

Originally Posted by Kerr

It's friction that wears out tyres.

When the road is slippy there is little friction, so your tyres will not wear out as fast.

Not getting into an argument but just discussing this point you made!

I do not think that it is a correct statement. In summer yr tyres are warm and the tread is able to vibrate and flex accordingly. This movement of the tread is what actually provides grip. This movement of the tread actually helps them not to wear out. In winter when its cold the rubber hardens and is not able to flex hence the theory that they will wear out faster. Winter tyres have softer compounds that are able to remain subtle in the colder temperatures.

Its the exact same principle u see in motor racing with dry and wet tyres in terms of temperature.

Having said that ive run summer tyres through winter and had no issues with grip but that doesnt meant grip wasnt reduced...ive just not pushed to those limits. This year i am running winters so will see how that goes.

[briers]

Originally Posted by gaza01

Not getting into an argument but just discussing this point you made!

I do not think that it is a correct statement. In summer yr tyres are warm and the tread is able to vibrate and flex accordingly. This movement of the tread is what actually provides grip. This movement of the tread actually helps them not to wear out. In winter when its cold the rubber hardens and is not able to flex hence the theory that they will wear out faster. Winter tyres have softer compounds that are able to remain subtle in the colder temperatures.

Its the exact same principle u see in motor racing with dry and wet tyres in terms of temperature.

Having said that ive run summer tyres through winter and had no issues with grip but that doesnt meant grip wasnt reduced...ive just not pushed to those limits. This year i am running winters so will see how that goes.

Yes that was my understanding too. It is all about temperature and associated slip. The softer compound of winters works well at colder temperatures to give the tyre better opportunity to grip where as a summer compound is much harder at 0 and has less chance of gripping generating slip.

The same can be said of winter tyres at above around 10c. The softer tread moves more as it becomes more flexible with heat. When pushed it will break away more easily in hotter temperatures in summer and it's that slip that causes higher wear. Also the tread blocks moving under braking creates higher wear and longer stopping distances.

Having said that my brother used all season tyres instead of his continentals on his merc and they lasted just as long as his conti summers and he did mostly motorway miles and over 20k per year.

In terms of grip, summers on my 335d were simply pointless even attempting it. One time it even started to slip sideways on the auto box until i quickly put it into neutral on a very minor slope. I had no chance. Winters were a incredible improvement.

[nik patel]

For the sought of miles you do a year I would definitely recommend winter tyres. I just bought some, just awaiting for them to arrive from Germany, cant wait to try them out in snow

If you're gonna buy some I would do it now to make the most of them and also the prices seem to be increasing as it gets colder. I got mine from mytyres.co.uk and oponeo.co.uk. Set of 4 for my car is costing me £420 fitted.

[doughboy]

2nd here for mytyres.co.uk, a full set of Premium Nokian WRd3 fitted on steel wheels for £320!!

Re wear rates..

Given the same average driving style all year, a summer tyre will wear more quickly in the winter than in the summer because the compond becomes too hard and brittle, effectively being "chiselled" off by the rough road surface instead of moulding around it.

Equally a winter tyre used when it's too warm will overheat and become far too soft and wear very quickly.

After 15,000 miles on my winter tyres on the 335i they had barely lost 2 mm in tread, with lots of "enthusiastic" driving and 400bhp.

I've done 700 miles on the winters on my van in the last 1.5 weeks and the nobbles haven't even worn off yet.

[nik patel]

Never heard of Nokian tyres, but having a look at the reviews on the below they seem very good! I ended up getting MARANGONI METEO HP and NANKANG SNOW VIVA SV-2.

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/winter-tyre.html

[doughboy]

Nokian make the best winter tyres, ask anyone in Scandinavia.

There WRd3 won the Autoexpress winter tyre test for 2013....

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accesso...nd-prices-2013


The nankangs are cheap chinese tyres, and the UK results test are very poor...

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/tyre-gu...kang-snow-sv-2


The Marangoni's are budget too, but seem a bit better, you get what you pay for though...

[nik patel]

Do they only make winter tyres then?

[doughboy]

Not sure, but they excel at making winter tyres.

[Cero ceto]

I also looked at the Nokian tyres but eventually went for the Goodyear ultra grip 8 performance winter tyre and I love them!
I was put off a little bit as I think that report was probably biased (the testing was done on Nokians own test circuit!). What I can say though having driven approx 1k on them now, is that I will never put another Run Flat Tyre back on my car again as this difference is like night and day!

[nik patel]

Hi SSIIJAR, would do you use in the event of a puncture? you got a space saver or the compressor foam thing?

[Cero ceto]

I purchased a can of foam/compressed air thingy from Halfords for £9.99, however I will purchase a space saver and jack and throw it in the boot from a well known auction site. These are currently retailing at about £130 for the 17" version which fits the M Sports model. I currently use the car for work trips only and I do not need all the space in the boot.