Winter tyres ?????

TerryA

TerryA

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To all you Scots,

I will be moving to live near Inverness (Northside of Cromarty Firth) in a couple of weeks and have spent all my driving time (over 40 years) in London and South East.

Do you recommend fitting winter tyres or is this unnecessary - would appreciate views !!

Have a black edition B8 A4 Avant so 19" rims (255 x 35 x 19) what would I need for a winter tyre size / make to fit that rim.

Any advice appreciated. :redrs4:
 
I use SE wheels 7.5J x 17; ET 45 fitted with 225/50 R17 94Y 94H M+S CONTINENTAL WINTER CONTACT TS 830 P 98V XL
 
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I had pirelli sottozero winter tyres on my bmw, amazing tyre, transformed the car in the winter.

Sent from my Note 4 using tapatalk
 
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I had nangkangs on my b6 and they were decent for the money.

In summer I bought a set of Michelin pilot alpin 3 second hand off eBay with all 4 tyres over 7mm of tread for not a lot of money, time will tell if they are any good or not!

I'd say winters in Inverness will be a different world compared to what you've been used to in the south east and winter tyres will be pretty essential! I live in the hills in the north west of England and won't do a winter without them.

I've only ever been up to Inverness in the early summer and there was still bits of snow knocking about on the hill tops.
 
Cheers guys - seems it might be a good idea then - was thinking of putting winters on the OEM 19" rims (not sure of size) and then getting a set of BBS 19" to fit the summers on (currently running Avon ZZ5) which have been good.
 
19 inch winter tyres tend to be expensive and if you go for a 255/35/19 you are looking around £150 + per tyre for decent make tyres.
https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres-255-35-19/?s=W&orderby=prix

18 inch tyres are more reasonable price. The 245/40/18 is the size.
https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/nokian/wr-a3/245-40-r18-97v-186949

Tyreleader sell lots of cheap quality rims or you can pick up some OE 18 inch rims.
https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/alloy-wheels/rial/torino-60/8x18-et35-5x112-70.1-462161
 
Might I be able to fit a narrower tyre with higher profile - looked in this site that compares speed difference with varying tyre profile and with a 225 x 40 x 19 there is only a 0.2 % variation in speed compared to shown speed - this should be OK ??

www.kouki.co.uk

Tyre Width Equivalency Table
You may also find the following table of recommended tyre widths for given rim widths useful when changing your tyre width.

Rim width
Min tyre width
Ideal tyre width
Max tyre width
5 .0 inches
155 mm
165 ou 175 mm
185 mm
5.5 inches
165 mm
175 ou 185 mm
195 mm
6.0 inches
175 mm
185 ou 195 mm
205 mm
6.5 inches
185 mm
195 ou 205 mm
215 mm
7.0 inches
195 mm
205 ou 215 mm
225 mm
7.5 inches
205 mm
215 ou 225 mm
235 mm
8.0 inches
215 mm
225 ou 235 mm
245 mm
8.5 inches
225 mm
235 ou 245 mm
255 mm
9,0 inches
235 mm
245 ou 255 mm
265 mm
9.5 inches
245 mm
255 ou 265 mm
275 mm
10.0 inches
255 mm
265 or 275 mm
285 mm
10.5 inches
265 mm
275 or 285 mm
295 mm
11.0 inches
275 mm
285 or 295 mm
305 mm
11.5 inches
285 mm
295 or 305 mm
315 mm
12.0 inches
295 mm
305 or 315 mm
325 mm
12.5 inches
305 mm
315 or 325 mm
335 mm

Could then possibly fit these for winter:

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m98b0s7761p133052/Kumho_Tyres_Winter_Snow_Car_Kumho_KW27_Ecsta_Izen_Kumho_KW_27_-_225_40_R19_93V_XL_TL_Fuel_Eff_:_C_Wet_Grip:_C_NoiseClass:_2_Noise:_72dB

Am I right in thinking this ??
 
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You can do that the problem is a 225 tyre on an 8.5 inch rim is a bit of a stretch. Also because that is not a very common tyre size they can be expensive . If you are going to the trouble of fitting winter tyres you may as well fit ones that get good reviews.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2009-Sport-Auto-Performance-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm

7th: Kumho IZen KW27
Total: 191 / Dry: 53 / Wet: 71 / Snow: 67
Positive: Good aquaplaning performance. Safe, understeer bias in the wet and snow
Negative: Poor wet and snow grip levels

Came 13/16 in this test

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2014-Auto-Bild-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
 
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If Kuhmo Wintercraft are available in a your size, then definitely try them. Be prepared to drop down in tyre width. I run them on my diesel Skoda Fabia (daily workhorse) and they're great. Great for a couple of reasons. Gives your expensive alloys a breather during the salt-laden winter, and your summer tyres feel fresh when you put them back on.
 
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You need tyre height as more flex = more grip. Hence using 17 inch wheels with 50 profile tyres.
 
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I live in Glasgow and go up north sometimes in the winter well worth the purchase as for about 5-7 months of the year the daily average temp can be below 7DegC.
Quick question I had posted on another well known VW Audi forum

I recently bought a 2010 Audi A4 3.0 Tdi Quattro ltd ed it has 8K0 601 025 AA 19" rims with 255x35x19 tyres, centre bore is 66.5mm I believe also the tyres are 96W.

The rims/tyres I am looking at I think are these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182231469...T&clk_rvr_id=1104843547121&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true 17 inch winter wheels original Audi Q5 Type 8R Winter tyres 8R0071497 | eBay not these exact ones though, much cheaper than that.

I am waiting for the local seller to give me all the exact spec. Only thing I did note is that they had dunlop 215x55xr17 tyres. Do you think I would have any issues with them, expecially if they are not 96 load or above?

Thanks for any help the tyre rim matching is always a nightmare.

Good luck in Inverness TerryA

David
 
Oh meant to say careful about rims with the different bore size almost got caught out by that. Older ones have 55.7mm I think newer model which yours is will be 66.5mm. Worth checking that also PCD and ET and rolling circumference. Tyres wise I have had michelin alpin winter tyres on a cupra at 225x45x17 they were good but much better are a set of 225x45x17 contintenal winter contacts which I have on a touran. They really stick to the road, snow etc. also if you are going through water they just don't aquaplane really recommend them.
 
I live in Aberdeenshire and would say they are pretty much essential if you intend on traveling about in the countryside. Some winters you can get away without them, but the next year you might have snow lying about for the best part of month and the novelty of not being able to move soon wears off.

I've always bought a spare set of wheels of gumtree or the like - much easier to swap over yourself than back and forth to a tyre fitter. As said smaller / narrower tyres are the way forward.

Nankang Snow SV-2's are indeed fantastic for the money, but show they are a budget tyre when it starts to get warm. Michelin Alpins on the other hand could probably be left on the car all year and you wouldn't know they were a winter tyre!
 
audi upgrades
TerryA, I agree with the advice to get hold of a set of used Audi 17" B8 alloys for use in winter, which at worst, including the extra wet stuff, is almost 6 months of the year. Obviously use winter tyres on them!

Edit:- to reduce the bad news, as you will be living on low ground and near the sea, snow and ice should be less than that further inland and at higher levels, but, if you need to go away from the sea, as eventually you will if you need to travel back down South to visit family and friends, then having narrower winter tyres on your car will make for more predictable travelling.

Don't forget, many people living up there will never ever use winter tyres!
 
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Honestly, winter tyres in the UK is like bringing a hand gun to a knife fight. Save your money.
 
Like the untouchables style comment but also in that vain in Scotland when the weather is bad winter tyres will put you in the Hospital but summer tyres will put you in the morgue.

I always thought they were rubbish but once you have a set and the temp is below 7deg C the extra grip is amazing. The only issue is with the thinner width and normally higher sidewall the car handles a bit differently but I can 100% guarantee you that the car will grip the road when your summer lower profiled wider tyres will have given up. They are also amazing in heavy rain or melting snow as they shed so much more water with the sipes sheading so much more water.

If you live in the South of England then you probably don't need them that said !!
 
Can only echo the comments above, but my dealings with them were with a rear wheel drive bmw (OK don't hate) transformed the car, almost felt like a front wheel drive car it had that much grip. I live in the North East of England and now driving a front wheel drive car probably just manage without, but if living in an area where there is a higher chance of snow/ice colder conditions wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. As mentioned they come into there own at temps lower than 7°c, completely fine at temps above that but iirc wear a bit quicker.



Sent from my Note 4 using tapatalk
 
I used 235/40 18 Vredestein wintrac extremes ,which I found really good on my a4 quattro and not such a drop off in performance because they are the same size and speed rating as my summer tyres.Very good in snow ,on ice ,heavy rain etc and still good in the dry on a 300 bhp a4.
 
DowneS4 said:
Honestly, winter tyres in the UK is like bringing a hand gun to a knife fight. Save your money.
Click to expand...

Which winter tyres is it you've tried as I'll avoid them in future as they must have been bad?
 
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Okay, for up north I'd agree the weather is poor, however for most there really is little point swapping for winter. It seems like an epidemic at the moment for all EVO readers to blow £1000 on tyres and alloys for frankly inclement weather. Tyre tech is good enough for 99.9% of our weather.
 
We have been lucky the last few years with the weather and not had significantly cold temperatures, And I agree last year that I probably would have been happy on my summer tyres but then again I live in the Midlands. You don't need to spend £1000 on a winter set and that whilst those winter tyres are on the car your summer wheels / tyres are in the garage not being worn out and not being damaged by all the salt/grit etc on the road. You are also enjoying much better grip especially in snowy conditions.
A modern high performance summer tyre such as the Eagle F1 I use is fairly useless in snow due to the design of the tread.
A lot more accidents occur in the winter than the summer, Having the correct tyres on the car certainly helps you avoiding other peoples accidents and having one yourself.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/reasons-to-consider-winter-tyres.htm
 
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I completely agree with desertstorm's posting above! First, when the weather has turned bad, it is probably too late to organise getting some wheels and winter tyres, maybe slightly easier to get winter tyres in winter nowadays, but in the recent past once the allocation had been sold, or the demand has dropped off, the excess tend to migrate back to where the bigger demand is in mainland Europe. Second, the present trend over the past maybe 20 years has been for "normal" tyres fitted to new cars delivered into UK to be Summer tyres, which has in the past been okayish - but these tyres have been evolved into "summer only" tyres, the place that I buy Michelin tyres from, has for a few years now, always warned people about considering using these summer tyres in winter conditions in Northern Britain. Finally, the current trend is for local authorities to get their budgets cut back, so road snow clearing and gritting is a bit slower/later or not at all in places, which can mess your travel plans a bit unless you have tyres that work okay in ice/snow - and the obvious benefit in really wet conditions.

One thing to consider, even if you have four wheel drive, the chances are that with "summer only" tyres in nasty winter conditions, you will get moving okay, but steering and braking will become a bit of a lottery, which is not good for you or anyone around you!

Edit:- If I'm being completely honest, initially when I bought my wife a new Polo with 195/50 X 15 alloys in late 2002, things seemed to be okayish, she is a safe driver but choses to use back roads to get to work as a teacher - so if she does not get to work and the school is "open" then no pay. Changed the Dunlop Sports for Michelin Exalto Pilots when they were worn out, okayish for a couple of years then she started to complain about grip in winter, so I bought a set of steels with 185/? X 14 Alpins and that made a lot of difference to her commute. Meanwhile I just kept going with my four wheel drive Passat with its Michelin Prem***** summer tyres - until one year I could not safely drive back down my driveway! So as I had the original factory alloys lying in the garage, I set to getting myself a set of Alpins for my car - in December, none new in UK, so I managed to buy a very slightly used set via ebay, they made a lot of difference to how my four wheel drive Passat, and I've kept on using winter wheels/tyres for six months a year since then.
Some people say that fitting winter tyres is very dangerous as you will go out looking for trouble - that only works if you are an idiot.
 
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I used to live in Cumbria before moving to the Midlands. I've been up hills/mountains covered in snow and ice where cars have been abandoned and snowploughs have found the ditch!
Perfectly fine in my A4 Quattro with Eagle F1's. Just don't drive like a nob in icy conditions - absolutely no need for them. When the weather is so bad that "summers" can't cope it's probably snow chain territory!
 
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I have no doubt that they will have a slight difference, but I feel it's a complete con generally. I see friends paying good money to swap to their winter tyres on 1ltr Peugeots, only because people like secretsupercarowner and the like in EVO say it's essential. It's the same people that keep raging on about how good the Mazda MX5 is - yeah, if you've got the Lambo back in the car house to scratch the performance itch. Of course, winter tyres will give an edge in icy weather, but for the most part it's a fad, pedalled by the motoring press and manufacturers.
 
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Funny how people who actually use Winter tyres are saying how good they are, whereas people who have never had them are saying that Winter tyres are a waste of money.

Just the decrease in stopping distance alone is enough to justify Winter tyres.
 
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DowneS4 said:
It's the same people that keep raging on about how good the Mazda MX5 is - yeah, if you've got the Lambo back in the car house to scratch the performance itch.
Click to expand...

I own a pair of vehicles which compare well to the MX5 and Lambo.
On the road it's way more fun ragging around a small engined vehicle at close to legal speeds than it is going at ban inducing 3 figure speeds.
 
Lived and driven in Scotland all my life never purchased a set of winter wheels or tyres yet

Drive to the road conditions, be carefull and sensible and if it's that bad don't drive at all

Chop
 
DowneS4 said:
I have no doubt that they will have a slight difference, but I feel it's a complete con generally. I see friends paying good money to swap to their winter tyres on 1ltr Peugeots, only because people like secretsupercarowner and the like in EVO say it's essential. It's the same people that keep raging on about how good the Mazda MX5 is - yeah, if you've got the Lambo back in the car house to scratch the performance itch. Of course, winter tyres will give an edge in icy weather, but for the most part it's a fad, pedalled by the motoring press and manufacturers.
Click to expand...
Winter tyres are not a con or a fad. If you had ever used them you wouldn't say that. Why do you think certain parts of Europe make it mandatory to have M+S or winter tyres on the car in the winter months. This is part of the reason these countries don't grind to a halt when they have a few inches of snow like it does in this country.
4 x4 helps to get you going but it won't stop you any quicker and it won't get around corners either.
 
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Chop. said:
Lived and driven in Scotland all my life never purchased a set of winter wheels or tyres yet

Drive to the road conditions, be carefull and sensible and if it's that bad don't drive at all

Chop
Click to expand...

Well there you are, I know a lot of people living in Scotland that can't see any point in owning an Audi, owning a four wheel drive car, or using winter tyres, in fact, they rage about people buying winter tyres - but in the main, they tend not drive beyond the street light limits, ie they never ever "go into the sticks!".
 
I've used winter tyres (Nokian) on my Audi Q5 for the last 4 years and would recommend that you do so also if you want the security of better grip in cold conditions. I have 17 inch wheels for winter and 19 for summer.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
 
@rum4mo sticks enough for ya

Image
 
Have always put a set of winter tyres on for the last 4-5 years and can honestly say that they make a massive difference when the temps drop.
Have tried the following makes:
  • Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme
  • Michelin Pilot Alpin
  • Dunlop SP Winter Sport
  • Nokian WR D4 (Which I will be running this winter)
I cannot praise the Nokian WR D4's enough and they even have a Wet Grip rating of A (which is handy being in Scotland!)
 
S4_V6T said:
Have always put a set of winter tyres on for the last 4-5 years and can honestly say that they make a massive difference when the temps drop.
Have tried the following makes:
  • Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme
  • Michelin Pilot Alpin
  • Dunlop SP Winter Sport
  • Nokian WR D4 (Which I will be running this winter)
I cannot praise the Nokian WR D4's enough and they even have a Wet Grip rating of A (which is handy being in Scotland!)
Click to expand...

What did you make of the alpins?

I've just bought a set but I'm yet to put them on as it's still relatively warm here though it did drop under the magic 7 last night
 
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