Mega Winter Tyres thread, all questions here!!

txpjl

Question: Is there a set of wheels I can buy that will fit more than one car? Current car is a 530d.

Maybe in the future I'd like an A6 Audi

Thanks

opinion guy

txpjl wrote: »

Question: Is there a set of wheels I can buy that will fit more than one car? Current car is a 530d.

Maybe in the future I'd like an A6 Audi

Thanks

Ok this has cropped up a few times in the thread. Matt_simis posted a guide somewhere earlier.

Several compatability websites posted like this one for example:
http://www.wheelfitment.eu/index.php

robbie_998

rameire wrote: »

http://www.findapart.ie/Car_Parts_HONDA_CIVIC.html

http://www.carlsalter.com/wheel_fitments.html


and if you want to take lovely pics the link below, hehe.

the honda civic on the list there doesnt seem to match mine

when i use those things according to the site there 4x100 its actually wrong..... my own wheels have 5 nuts ...

im greatly confused

kenmc

Mine are in the post, 495 for 4x vredesteins snowtrac 3s and rims and shipping. Price has already risen by 3 euro each since I bought them!

BostonB

dainius wrote: »

Why not go for a rethreaded tyres? They much better than part worn, you wouldnt tell the difference between the new one and rethreaded one, you will get at least 3 seasons out of it and it will cost around 50-60 euro each fitted and ballanced. You wouldnt be doing more than 120 km p/h in winter anyway so in my opinion thats the best price and quality equilibrium. Many garages are now taking orders so shop around.

Who does rethreads?

txpjl

dharn wrote: »

tom fox in ballinasloe selling bmw replicas with winter tyres (5 series ) for 250 each

What is a BMW replica?

49801

what are peoples feelings on speed/load ratings
factory fitted tyres are 93V but have a set of 91V summer tyres on the front now
There would be a reasonable saving of going for 91T winters

analucija

Hiace. wrote: »

Some people say winters wear slightly faster than summers, but it's not by much.

Also a compromise is all season tyres, but they are a jack of all trades and master of none, and harder to get.

Another option :

On a budget run car that is not driven too hard, you could keep on two winters and two summers and rotate them to the front drive wheels depending on the time of year.

Ideally you really need 4 winter tyres on, but if your careful and only driving at low speeds in the snow, two is much better than none, and at normal speeds the rest of the year you'll be grand.

Winter tyres do wear out faster in the summer, they are a bit louder and car uses more petrol. At least that's what mechanics in my parents garage used to tell customers. Where I come from winter tyres are mandatory in winter and during summer you can use either but you would get a very nice fine having two M+S and two summer tyres, regardless of the time of the year. Tyres used in winter should have at least 4mm deep thread, less is dangerous.

Somebody above mentioned rethreaded tyres. They are ok for small cars. Bigger sizes are less often made and maybe not such a great idea. The used tyre could be damaged and sometimes new thread peals off. We did sell them but there were a lot more returns of those tyres than of any other new tyre.

A-Trak

Spare set alloys and 4 winter Pirellis all sorted
So it's guaranteed not to snow now.

I'll get the tires fitted to the spare rims next week.
Once done, how should I store the wheels? As in do I leave air in the tyres and what's the best way to place them on the ground until I need to put them on.

Phoenix Park

You know that eejit in the 03 reg 3-series BMW sliding on M50 off-ramps and spinning round car parks last winter?. Yep, that was me.

So this year its gonna be different. I'd weighed down the boot as much as i could but the car was tough going last winter. Current tyres are Bridgestone, i am utterly clueless when it comes to tyres. Been looking at eiretyres website as recommended by a few on here, standard size for BMW seems to be 205, but i've no idea what the other numbers mean would be ( numbers 65 and 15 are the defaults..are these ok?)
Anyway, anyone recommend any that would be good for my 3 series?. The car is 8 years old now, but i've no plans to change it. Don't care what they look like. Might be easier to buy the rim too as opposed to having to put the tyre on and off my own rim and then just keep them on for 4 or 5 cold months?. I only drive about 70 miles a week i reckon. Was quoted €170 each for Hankook tyres in Dublin which seems to be way more than they are online.
Any suggestions appreciated, thanks.

kenmc

A-Trak wrote: »

Once done, how should I store the wheels? As in do I leave air in the tyres and what's the best way to place them on the ground until I need to put them on.

Parently.... store them flat i.e. lying down and with air in them if they're on a rim, standing up if rimless. You can get a "tree" to store them which seems to keep them spaced out a bit, and presumably is really just a pole with a couple of cross bars in it at intervals to keep the wheels apart. I'm hoping to put mine in the attic, should be fine during the winter, but hope the summer temps up there don't get too hot.

TestTransmission

kenmc wrote: »

Parently.... store them flat i.e. lying down and with air in them if they're on a rim, standing up if rimless. You can get a "tree" to store them which seems to keep them spaced out a bit, and presumably is really just a pole with a couple of cross bars in it at intervals to keep the wheels apart. I'm hoping to put mine in the attic, should be fine during the winter, but hope the summer temps up there don't get too hot.

I've been told before to deflate them somewhat before storing away.

CiniO

dainius wrote: »

Why not go for a rethreaded tyres? They much better than part worn, you wouldnt tell the difference between the new one and rethreaded one, you will get at least 3 seasons out of it and it will cost around 50-60 euro each fitted and ballanced. You wouldnt be doing more than 120 km p/h in winter anyway so in my opinion thats the best price and quality equilibrium. Many garages are now taking orders so shop around.

In Ireland legally you shouldn't be doing more than 120km/h no matter if summer or winter.

But for those who do, what's the difference if it's summer or winter?

CiniO

Hiace. wrote: »

On a budget run car that is not driven too hard, you could keep on two winters and two summers and rotate them to the front drive wheels depending on the time of year.

That's actually very smart way of saving tread on winter tyres during summer.
However, you have to be well trained in controlling skids to be driving in such setup (front winter + rear summer) on the snow or ice.
I'd say about 50 lessons of 2hours each on a snow track, should make you confident enough to be sure you will be able to control every skid your car will go into.

bmarley

OP what makes you think you are going to need them this year..are you emigrating?

kennyb3

Phoenix Park wrote: »

You know that eejit in the 03 reg 3-series BMW sliding on M50 off-ramps and spinning round car parks last winter?. Yep, that was me.

So this year its gonna be different. I'd weighed down the boot as much as i could but the car was tough going last winter. Current tyres are Bridgestone, i am utterly clueless when it comes to tyres. Been looking at eiretyres website as recommended by a few on here, standard size for BMW seems to be 205, but i've no idea what the other numbers mean would be ( numbers 65 and 15 are the defaults..are these ok?)
Anyway, anyone recommend any that would be good for my 3 series?. The car is 8 years old now, but i've no plans to change it. Don't care what they look like. Might be easier to buy the rim too as opposed to having to put the tyre on and off my own rim and then just keep them on for 4 or 5 cold months?. I only drive about 70 miles a week i reckon. Was quoted €170 each for Hankook tyres in Dublin which seems to be way more than they are online.
Any suggestions appreciated, thanks.

look at your door - gives all the numbers that are allowed on your car.

Hiace.

CiniO wrote: »

That's actually very smart way of saving tread on winter tyres during summer.
However, you have to be well trained in controlling skids to be driving in such setup (front winter + rear summer) on the snow or ice.
I'd say about 50 lessons of 2hours each on a snow track, should make you confident enough to be sure you will be able to control every skid your car will go into.

Worked perfect for me last winter in the worst weather. I kept that set up on all winter from Oct to April. I don't drive fast in the snow and ice, and the gridlock does not let you so anyway, so I had no problems at all, and I was just as safe, if not safer than the vast majority of people that had summer tyres on, except I could make it up the hills and they could not. You simply have to remember you have winter tyre grip on the front and summer tyre grip like everyone else on the back. I don't recommend that set up for boy racers or the reckless, but for normal 20-30mph snow/ice commuting speeds, and normal 60mph driving in the ordinary wet/dry there's no problem.

Phoenix Park

kennyb3 wrote: »

look at your door - gives all the numbers that are allowed on your car.

thanks Kenny

CiniO

Hiace. wrote: »

Worked perfect for me last winter in the worst weather. I kept that set up on all winter from Oct to April. I don't drive fast in the snow and ice, and the gridlock does not let you so anyway,

I didn't know what gridlock was, so I wanted to ask here, but I put it first into google.
Now i know:

so I had no problems at all, and I was just as safe, if not safer than the vast majority of people that had summer tyres on, except I could make it up the hills and they could not.

True.
For climbing the hills you in FWD two front winter tyres are enough. Not any better than 4 anyway.
You also had better braking than everyone else on summer tyres, assuming you could keep your car straight.

You simply have to remember you have winter tyre grip on the front and summer tyre grip like everyone else on the back. I don't recommend that set up for boy racers or the reckless, but for normal 20-30mph snow/ice commuting speeds, and normal 60mph driving in the ordinary wet/dry there's no problem.

20-30mph snow/ice commuting.

That speeds on pure ice, no matter if it's winter of summer tyres in most cases might be deadly.

The same speeds on snow on good winter tyres, are pretty slow.

Rememer there's huge difference between snow and ice.

But in relation to the topic, it's all right until you don't do any sudden unexpected manouver.
With front winter and rear summers, it's enough that you do a sudden turn with your steering wheel to avoid something (sometimes you might do it instinctally) and this will lead you straight to a side skid.

I'm absolutely serious, that it's nothing extraordinary, but you have to be confident that you can control any sudden skid if you want to drive in such setup.

Saying that you did last year and nothing happened is nonsense. If your car didn't skid any time, means you were just lucky, or just didn't encountered any unexpected situation.

The same way you could drive slowly and carefully with completely bald tyres on wet days.
99% cases you will be grand, until something unexpected happens.

Hiace.

CiniO wrote: »

20-30mph snow/ice commuting.

That speeds on pure ice, no matter if it's winter of summer tyres in most cases might be deadly.

The same speeds on snow on good winter tyres, are pretty slow.

Rememer there's huge difference between snow and ice.

But in relation to the topic, it's all right until you don't do any sudden unexpected manouver.
With front winter and rear summers, it's enough that you do a sudden turn with your steering wheel to avoid something (sometimes you might do it instinctally) and this will lead you straight to a side skid.

I'm absolutely serious, that it's nothing extraordinary, but you have to be confident that you can control any sudden skid if you want to drive in such setup.

Saying that you did last year and nothing happened is nonsense. If your car didn't skid any time, means you were just lucky, or just didn't encountered any unexpected situation.

The same way you could drive slowly and carefully with completely bald tyres on wet days.
99% cases you will be grand, until something unexpected happens.

Of course mate, I'm not talking about driving on sheet ice at 20-30mph, or not considering skidding in ANY and ALL situations. You have to drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions and your vehicle, I can't possibly describe every single possible weather and driving combination in a 2 line post, common sense has to be used. Most people were driving around in snow/ice last winter with 4 summer tyres, as they do year in year out.

Anan1

Hiace. wrote: »

Most people were driving around in snow/ice last winter with 4 summer tyres, as they do year in year out.

Not in Dublin, they weren't. Most people got caught out by the weather, spent 5 hours sliding all over the shop trying to get home (and blocking the cars with winter tyres in the process), and then left their cars sit until the roads were cleared.

Matt Simis

Hiace. wrote: »

. Most people were driving around in snow/ice last winter with 4 summer tyres, as they do year in year out.

Think the point you are missing here is that 4 summers is predictably crap, 2summers + 2winters is unpredictably crap.

Hiace.

Matt Simis wrote: »

Think the point you are missing here is that 4 summers is predictably crap, 2summers + 2winters is unpredictably crap.

Think the point you are missing is I've never said 2 were better than 4.

Technique

robbie_998 wrote: »

the honda civic on the list there doesnt seem to match mine

when i use those things according to the site there 4x100 its actually wrong..... my own wheels have 5 nuts ...

im greatly confused

Honda Civic Fitment:

6½ x 16 5 x 114.30 x 64.00 ET: 55.00 5-hole steel wheel (8005)

CiniO

Hiace. wrote: »

Think the point you are missing is I've never said 2 were better than 4.

But you said that 2 were better than 0.
And in fact 2 can do more harm than good.

Hiace.

CiniO wrote: »

But you said that 2 were better than 0.
And in fact 2 can do more harm than good.

Depends how you drive mate

kenmc

opinion guy wrote: »

So....a tangent.....

Those of you with winter tyres - do you need/plan to inform your insurance about it ?

Why would you? Do you tell them when you replace a tyre during the summer? As long as the tyre you put on is road legal and the same/similar size as the one you replace, then what difference does it make?

opinion guy

kenmc wrote: »

Why would you? Do you tell them when you replace a tyre during the summer? As long as the tyre you put on is road legal and the same/similar size as the one you replace, then what difference does it make?

Don't know just saw someone suggest it somewhere.

Also I would think they should reduce my premium seeing as I'm taking steps to decrease my liklihood of having a crash.....

robbie_998

opinion guy wrote: »

Don't know just saw someone suggest it somewhere.

Also I would think they should reduce my premium seeing as I'm taking steps to decrease my liklihood of having a crash.....

or increase it by telling your insurance company your gonna be driving around in the snow ?

it can go both ways ! like a bisexual ! :pac:


anyway got my own wheels sorted today.

just waiting to get them back from the garage when they fit the tyres

spent all morning looking around for rims that would fit my car with no joy so while i was sitting at traffic lights i was looking over at ep mooneys on the long mile and said feck it i'd go in and see what they had going cheap

low and behold 4 brand spanky new honda alloys going dirt cheap and look pretty decent.

4 winter tyres going on them as we speak in the garage... should have them back today


but this was all done on the cheap

the tyres are used but might aswell be brand new and good well known brand !

will post pics later when i have them back

tinner777

lads is there any downside to just swapping the tyre's? If i can get it done for a tenner a wheel?