Winter Tyre Stockists

cjmcork

so while I extole the virtues of the snow sock, I think it might be an idea to invest in some winter tyres - so where does one find them in Cork like? what brand should I be looking for and what bobs are we talking?

Redisle

Tbh you probably won't find anywhere that sells Winter tyres. They just aren't sold in this country, which is fair enough, because up to last year there was no real need for them. Id say most tyre fitters would look at you sideways if you come in looking for Winters.

Have a look at http://camskill.co.uk - Winter tyres here. They deliver to your door and you can pay to get them fitted somewhere, theres a list of fitters on www.eiretyres.com (another buying option but often more expensive)

Might be an idea to get a set of steel wheels for the Winters then swap back to summers when the cold weather ends. That's what people do in most European countries. If your running alloys with low profiles probably best to drop a wheel size and get fatter tyres too, just keep the rolling radius the same. There's a bunch of calculators online that will show you what you can change to.

GarMani

One suggested I get smaller wheels and narrower tyres as it concentrates the weight of the car over a smaller surface in the hope of getting traction. I know that contradicts what Redisle says. I'm clueless so I'm not in a position to adjudicate.

The other tyre centre expressed concern about getting tyres from a certain online tyre company. He said they're based in Germany, not Ireland. He claims they delivered tyres to his brother that didn't have the now mandatory 'E' mark. When he tried to return them, they claimed he had been supplied with the proper tyres and swapped them for tyres without the 'E' mark which he was trying to exchange.

He said that winter tyres also should carry the 'M' mark for mud and 'S' for snow. An online supplier told me that some of their tyres carry a snowflake symbol instead and that this is sufficient. Again, I'm clueless and haven't decided on what to buy yet.

http://www.etyres.co.uk/winter-tyres-law
explains what the legislation is in many European countries and some countries that require M, S or snowflake mark

GarMani

Before Xmas I paid €30 each for a set of "part worn" top branded WINTER TYRES. They'll put my old tyres on for free when I need them again. Winter tyres are mandatory in Germany and apparently have to be changed each season. So these tyres have at least 10000 miles left in them. At Kellehers: all of their part-worn ty...res are €30 each fitted and balanced. They're across the roundabout from TOPAZ on Blackrock Road. I'm quite impressed with their grip. I only had one minor slide in them compared with loads with the old ones.

Owen

Part worn tires are not a good idea.

mik_da_man

You will find it hard to get winter tyres of a stockist here as they are alll sold out!
Camskill/eiretyres arur best bet at the mo.

I was chatting to a guy from a tyre place in Mallow that ompletly sold out of his stock and could have sold a good few more sets, but apprently some tyre companies give a certain allocation to ireland and it's gone.
Well that's what I was told anyway...

Blitzkrieger

Haven't checked it out but I've heard that Kellehers have used winter tyres from Germany. I'd be kind of wary of them myself - there's a reason the German's throw them away - but I think the accepted wisdom is that a winter tyre with 4mm of thread left is better than a new summer tyre. It's not as simple as that of course - there's a huge thread on winter tyres on the motors forum, and among other things, a winter tyre's performance degrades significantly when there's less than 4mm left.

Owen

Most part worn tires sold by places here are sold in mis matching sets, and can have punctures which have been plugged. I've seen a few sets out there, and they've been shoddy at best.

Redisle

Redisle wrote: »

If your running alloys with low profiles probably best to drop a wheel size and get fatter tyres too, just keep the rolling radius the same.

GarMani wrote: »

One suggested I get smaller wheels and narrower tyres as it concentrates the weight of the car over a smaller surface in the hope of getting traction. I know that contradicts what Redisle says. I'm clueless so I'm not in a position to adjudicate.

Nope
Ye are not contradicting each other, by fatter I reckon he means a higher profile Smaller wheels with higher profiles will be narrower than the large low profile wheels they replace.