Winter tyres

MarkoC

We paid with AIB Lazer card without any issues.

Biglad

aboyro wrote: »

been pondering winter tyres for the last 2 weeks and did'nt realise there was a big thread here about the topic. managed to get 4 conti winter contact continentals today part worn for 190 fitted. delighted with myself:D

Good man, sounds like you found yourself a good deal. Maybe, to put it in perspective, you could give us an idea about the size of the tyres and the thread left on them. There's quite a few people out looking for these and it will give them an idea on what's available at what money and where. It's good to have options for all budgets.:D

SV

Biglad wrote: »

Give it a little time and try again. I had to be patient when I ordered mine a few hours a go. Don't want to wind you up but by the morning, eh, well they could be gone it's that mental.

Ah I don't mind too much.
If they're gone they're gone. Just be a bit disappointing if they were!

lameire

SV wrote: »

Ah I don't mind too much.
If they're gone they're gone. Just be a bit disappointing if they were!

I had similar problem earlier and turned out where it asks for name there are 2 boxes and I'd put first name & surname in 1st box BUT when I tried again using both boxes-it worked.

NOT too clear and also did you tick where it asks you agree to terms and conditions?

Mine went through BUT (see separate post)-I ordered wrong size and had to cancel -later found out the tyres would've fitted!! AND now my correct size tyres are sold out-GUTTED

Good Luck with it all
lameire:D

Matt Simis

Biglad wrote: »

I had a look at their site and they do not list an awfull lot and nothing in the sizes I was looking for. Although I will only be using these for one winter, I'll be changing cars soon, they will be transplanted on to steel rims so they will do the missus. If Autodepot would have had an online ordering system of

AutoDepot is a kinda garage warehousey affair, they have massive throughput and stock range, but the "browing the website, ordering online" setup you describe is as far as you can get from their business as possible.

More like a Butchers, you go in, browse the product and buy. They have had more obscure or large sizes than any "proper" tyre fitter Ive ever seen. They do sell new, but IMO when you can get 70% of the product lifespan for under 1/3 of the price with no waiting its a no brainer, new doesnt make sense. However thats for another thread.


And unlike every other Tyre fitter I have dealt with they dont treat you like the biggest idiot that ever fell through their door when looking for Winter tyres.

aboyro

Biglad wrote: »

Good man, sounds like you found yourself a good deal. Maybe, to put it in perspective, you could give us an idea about the size of the tyres and the thread left on them. There's quite a few people out looking for these and it will give them an idea on what's available at what money and where. It's good to have options for all budgets.:D

bought in waterford,205/55 16's probably 7mm left on em. not a bad looking tyre at all.:)

Piri

I have found a webshop They sending to Ireland !!

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.ie/

WOW

Manic Moran

I think it was this thread that I brought up that the M&S marking doesnt mean as much as it should as it would seem there isnt a very strict test for a tyre manufacturer to be alllowed to put it on the tyre.

The Mountain Snowflake mark that Matt posted here I think is what you should really be looking for. The tests for this are more strict so look for a tyre with that.

Biglad wrote:

Can't really compare that with Ireland bud, 42" of snow. We get a couple of inches of snow which we can sort of handle with driving carefully, when it starts compacting or melting the trouble really starts. Yesterday and today were the worst with black ice and refrozen slush turning in to ice

I think therein is part of the problem.

People are looking at Irish conditions as being 'extreme', particularly around now. The problem is that though they're 'extreme' by Irish standards, by the standards of tyre manufacturers, they're really rather mild. Ireland is not Finland. It is not Montana, or Colorado, or any other place where, when you get snow, ice and cold temperatures, you really get cold temperatures. The distinction between M&S and 'Mountain Snowflake' is probably quite important in the Swiss Alps or central Canada where you really do need to start worrying about the temperature range.

You have, as near as I can tell, three different problems that a tyre has to deal with.

Firstly, the ability to reach the tarmac by moving the water (frozen or liquid!) out of the way. This is the function of tread depth and pattern, which is the real defining requirement of the M&S marking.

Secondly, you have the ability of the tyre to have the largest amount of contact surface with the road, the ability for the tyre to form itself around the little pebbles and stones that form the road surface. This is the real factor that will get you perceived grip. It is going to be a matter of the compound and the effect that temperature has on the compound. It is not signified by the M&S marking per se (though the chances are that anything with snow tread probably has at least better cold-weather service range than a summer tyre). That temperature range is almost certainly to the lowest level on a tyre with a mountain snowflake symbol.

Thirdly, you have the co-efficient of static friction (i.e. actual grip) between the tyre and whatever the road surface is, maybe ice, maybe water, maybe the stone or concrete, the ability for the tyre to 'tract' against the surface area that it is in contact with. That actually isn't going to vary all that much from tyre to tyre. Ice is pretty damned slippy no matter what sort of substance you have in contact with it.

Biglad is pretty much nail on head with regards the 'snow/slush' problem. Good treads are mainly what you need there, whereas ice, and thus the ability for the tyre to conform to the imperfections of the road to provide grip is of far more the relevant concern. I submit, however, that some people are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking 'Which type of tyre gives the absolute best performance in cold weather', really, the question whould be 'which type of tyre gives acceptable performance in Irish weather?'

It all comes down to the temperature range of the tyres, as that's the only major factor which has any bearing on the problem. Each general type of tyre will have its range.

Let's pick some numbers out of my arse.

Summer tyres. Designed for driving in Arizona and the French Riviera. 50C to 5C ambient temperature, anything below that and the compound just can't conform to the road well.

All-Seasons / M&S. Say, 15C to -5C. Designed to survive in basic cold weather temperatures, but not the arctic.

True Winters / Snowflake Mountain. Say 5C to -25C. Designed to give grip in places where 'slightly chilly' means 'a cup of tea will freeze to solid in two minutes'.

If you've the money to spend (and the place to store) an entirely different set of wheels for the winter, then there's very little wrong with going and buying the true winter tyres. BUT, if you want to look at a general set of tyres for year-round wear whilst maintaining some level of confidence in winter driving I think it is wrong to automatically discount tyres which do not have the mountain/snowflake. If Irish temperatures, which face it, are fairly mild at both ends of the spectrum, remain within the operating temperature range of any particular all-season tyre, then get the all-seasons and be happy.

I just went over Donner Pass yesterday evening at motorway speeds. It was snowing, about -2C. The Donner Pass ski resort is in full swing. The ambient temperature was not low enough that it affected my (Or anyone else's) ability to grip the road. Would I have done that at -15C? Probably not, I have all-seasons.

TLDR Version:
Perfect is the enemy of 'good enough'. Being within the tyre's operating temperature range is more important than having a tyre with the lowest operating temperature range. Ireland is not the Alps.

NTM

MarkoC

Piri wrote: »

I have found a webshop They sending to Ireland !!

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.ie/

WOW

Just a quick comparison to eiretyres.com
ALPIN A4 195/65 R15 91 H

On your hyped site they are 140.75€ WOW
On Eiretyres.com they'r 108.00€

Not a big difference in 4 tyres ? So i cant see any WOW here !


@ Manic Moran

Very well sayd BUT, this story is true ONLY with good brand tyres, chinese crap all season tyres will NOT work below 0 thats the fact and most people in Ireland cant afford even proper summer tyres, complaining here about prices si therefor id say better stay with winter tyres, specially when even most local tyre fitters dont know what they are reccommending and doing ...

Piri

MarkoC wrote: »

Just a quick comparison to eiretyres.com
ALPIN A4 195/65 R15 91 H

On your hyped site they are 140.75€ WOW
On Eiretyres.com they'r 108.00€

Not a big difference in 4 tyres ? So i cant see any WOW here !

WOW as they sending to Ireland! Not for the price
If you need tyre and delticom has no stock you can try this
Once again: Winter tyres out of stock for ALL EU !

MarkoC

Piri wrote: »

WOW as they sending to Ireland! Not for the price
If you need tyre and delticom has no stock you can try this
Once again: Winter tyres out of stock for ALL EU !

Eiretyres.com seems have them in stock and they deliver them also to Ireland.
Or i missed something ?

Biglad

@ Marco; you have made your opinion clear when it comes to the Irish and their choice of tyres in general. I think you are being a bit harsh and you are now starting to repeat yourself. Money is tight with many people and corners are cut at times. I'm not agreeing with bold tyres and yes I have seen them too, both here and at home.

@ Manic, I agree. If it was my own vehicle I would have seriously considered the all weather options for the Irish climate. In the end the amount of driving that I do and the many different road conditions I encounter here even during one trip has made me decide to go for the winter option.

Biglad

Piri wrote: »

I have found a webshop They sending to Ireland !!

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.ie/

WOW

Had a look at this last night but didn't look to promising.

lameire

Biglad wrote: »

Had a look at this last night but didn't look to promising.

Me too

BUT

Has anyone heard of febishop.eu? Good prices for some winter tyres and deliver to Ireland.
I've started a new thread/post to see if anyone has heard of them.

http://ie.febishop.eu/


lameire

Biglad

lameire wrote: »

Me too

BUT

Has anyone heard of febishop.eu? Good prices for some winter tyres and deliver to Ireland.
I've started a new thread/post to see if anyone has heard of them.

http://ie.febishop.eu/


lameire

Hi bud, had a look at the site and ehmm, put in a pretend order for some goodyears in your size at 80 Euro a pop, it then states that the shipping will be added after during checkout which did not happen, it starts looking for credit card details and a message in a, what lloks to me, eastern European, language comes up. I would let some other peeps have a look at this who actually know what it all means. Or maybe send an enquiry by email to see what comes back. It's all very cheap and often when it's to good to be true, well, ...

Seán_B

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Well I have only 2 winters on the way for the front driven wheels. I intend to test out this issue regarding potential traction imbalance in a suitable place and time. If it proves unstable then I guess I'll have to bite the bullet. Watch this space.

I'd say watch the link regarding putting two winter tyres on a car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdtAm7RsTmE&feature=related

Also, for a front wheel drive car, you would now have a situation where it's natural tendancy to understeer is replaced with oversteer. You'll enter a corner and feel good grip and base your handling of the corner on this intial grip level, then the rear will break and spin you out. This is not good! If anything, if you were only going to use two winter tyres they would be better on the rear as your braking would benefit with less stablity issues and the loss of grip during cornering would be understeer which is more controlable.

IMO it is 4 winter tyres or none as the I'm not sure how an insurance company/garda would view an incident which the lack of stablity of the car could be attributed to the mixing of tyre types by a driver.

Rockery Woman

Biglad wrote: »

Hi bud, had a look at the site and ehmm, put in a pretend order for some goodyears in your size at 80 Euro a pop, it then states that the shipping will be added after during checkout which did not happen, it starts looking for credit card details and a message in a, what lloks to me, eastern European, language comes up. I would let some other peeps have a look at this who actually know what it all means. Or maybe send an enquiry by email to see what comes back. It's all very cheap and often when it's to good to be true, well, ...

Tis Polish!

Biglad

Rockery Woman wrote: »

Tis Polish!

Thought that, should be plenty peeps available to let lameire know if it checks out, and I mean that in a positive fashion!!

Edit: with such a shortage in winter tyres throughout Europe you wonder how these guys manage to have stock and at such competetive prices especially when they are so close to germany, probably the biggest winter tyre market in Europe (I said probably, what do I know)

Biglad

Seán_B wrote: »

I'd say watch the link regarding putting two winter tyres on a car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdtAm7RsTmE&feature=related

Also, for a front wheel drive car, you would now have a situation where it's natural tendancy to understeer is replaced with oversteer. You'll enter a corner and feel good grip and base your handling of the corner on this intial grip level, then the rear will break and spin you out. This is not good! If anything, if you were only going to use two winter tyres they would be better on the rear as your braking would benefit with less stablity issues and the loss of grip during cornering would be understeer which is more controlable.

IMO it is 4 winter tyres or none as the I'm not sure how an insurance company/garda would view an incident which the lack of stablity of the car could be attributed to the mixing of tyre types by a driver.

This has come up in this tread once or twice already. It's 4 or none, but there's always a few that either know better than the experts or who like to experiment to find out that the experts were right after all. My main concern would be insurance. They keep quiet now but after the accident they'll look for anything at all...

Piri

lameire wrote: »

Me too

BUT

Has anyone heard of febishop.eu? Good prices for some winter tyres and deliver to Ireland.
I've started a new thread/post to see if anyone has heard of them.

http://ie.febishop.eu/


lameire

negative

Biglad

Piri wrote: »

negative

Says it all in one word. Should we know more? Do the mods on here allow us to post a warning if something is dodgy? Lots of people looking for these winter jobbies, traps could show up anywhere...

lameire

Biglad wrote: »

Says it all in one word. Should we know more? Do the mods on here allow us to post a warning if something is dodgy? Lots of people looking for these winter jobbies, traps could show up anywhere...

I HEAR YOU
TOTALLY AGREE

BostonB

I've been getting around ok on pretty dire tyres, so I was thinking a decent set of all season tyres would be a vast improvement. TBH I haven't had much problems in the current conditions, traffic has been the main issue. Not the conditions themselves. Avoided hills, back road, and just driven with a very light touch. If I was doing a lot of driving in the country, that would be entirely different. But I don't.

Esel

aboyro wrote: »

been pondering winter tyres for the last 2 weeks and did'nt realise there was a big thread here about the topic. managed to get 4 conti winter contact continentals today part worn for 190 fitted. delighted with myself:D

aboyro wrote: »

bought in waterford,205/55 16's probably 7mm left on em. not a bad looking tyre at all.:)

Piri wrote: »

I have found a webshop They sending to Ireland !!

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.ie/

WOW

@aboyro - Looks like you got a great deal - those tyres are €205 each on the above site! :eek:

Esel

Biglad wrote: »

Thought that, should be plenty peeps available to let lameire know if it checks out, and I mean that in a positive fashion!!

Edit: with such a shortage in winter tyres throughout Europe you wonder how these guys manage to have stock and at such competetive prices especially when they are so close to germany, probably the biggest winter tyre market in Europe (I said probably, what do I know)

Is there a shortage throughout Europe, though? I would have thought countries where winter tyres are normally used would have a decent supply... Not saying that site is not bogus, btw...

Stealthirl

Roger Marbles wrote: »

Hi guys,

Quick question: how do you know what size and type of winter tyre to order?

The tyres on my VW Polo at the moment are 155/70/13...

Thanks

since no1 else posted i hope i can help
this should work
http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?suchen=Ordern&cart_id=80720463.124.26199&ranzahl=4&Breite=155&Quer=70&Felge=13&Transport=P&dsco=124&sowigan=Wi&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=20&sort_by=brand

i would rec the following
Continental WinterContact TS 800 @ € 107,10 a corner
Goodyear ULTRA GRIP 7+ @ € 75,50 a corner

but only cause i have experance with them.


on a side note
the roads in where i work have been left untreated since this weather started,finish work this eve and there was about 1.5-2" of fresh snow ontop of about 2" of compaced/frozen stuf.
guy who works with me has a 2.5 SWB pajero,didant even make it out of the carpark never mind the road out of the place.
so i offered to drop him home.
the octavia had no issues at all with geting out of work or geting him back to his house near donadea
he txt me 20min later saying he ordered a set of winters for the pajero as he was so impressed with them on the octavia


oh and someone was asking about delivery of tyres from eiretyres
i ordered 6 of then thir and fri i got the Order confirmation and tracking number with expected delivery on the 10th

Piri

Biglad wrote: »

Says it all in one word. Should we know more? Do the mods on here allow us to post a warning if something is dodgy? Lots of people looking for these winter jobbies, traps could show up anywhere...

I have never heard about this company
They are Latvians anyway

Piri

Stealthirl wrote: »

since no1 else posted i hope i can help
this should work
http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?suchen=Ordern&cart_id=80720463.124.26199&ranzahl=4&Breite=155&Quer=70&Felge=13&Transport=P&dsco=124&sowigan=Wi&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=20&sort_by=brand

i would rec the following
Continental WinterContact TS 800 @ € 107,10 a corner
Goodyear ULTRA GRIP 7+ @ € 75,50 a corner

but only cause i have experance with them.


on a side note
the roads in where i work have been left untreated since this weather started,finish work this eve and there was about 1.5-2" of fresh snow ontop of about 2" of compaced/frozen stuf.
guy who works with me has a 2.5 SWB pajero,didant even make it out of the carpark never mind the road out of the place.
so i offered to drop him home.
the octavia had no issues at all with geting out of work or geting him back to his house near donadea
he txt me 20min later saying he ordered a set of winters for the pajero as he was so impressed with them on the octavia


oh and someone was asking about delivery of tyres from eiretyres
i ordered 6 of then thir and fri i got the Order confirmation and tracking number with expected delivery on the 10th

Yeah

I bought my first wintertyres (long time ago)
Was unable to drive home with 4x4 BMW E30 on fresh 4 inch snow but summer tyres

Biglad

esel wrote: »

Is there a shortage throughout Europe, though? I would have thought countries where winter tyres are normally used would have a decent supply... Not saying that site is not bogus, btw...

I spoke to the main Distributors for many Brands in NI yesterday and they said that the demand is far bigger this year than the supply and that the most tyres go to those countries where they are sold guaranteed such as Scandinavian countries, Germany and now even Holland. It looks like, we, Ireland as an Island get some kind of allocation and if that's gone we're at the mercy of the powers that be. Nobody could tell me yesterday when new stocks were due, nobody.

Mena

I ordered a set of Cooper Weathermaster Snow 225/55/16 from Camskill late last week. Delivered cost was £387.40 (€457.90).

I had them fitted this morning at Carfit in Naas (Toughers Industrial Estate) for €50.00 (Balanced as well).

The difference is unreal on my 5 series, I can't even begin to describe it.

Carfit say they should be getting a delivery of winter tyres in the next week to 10 days so if any one needs it may be an idea to call them and put your name down. I've done so for the wifes car, however I am not at all sure what the cost will be, I am assuming a lot more than what I paid from Camskill.