Autosocks for snow and ice? (used today!)

[rp2]

this recent change in the weather has made me think ahead to the winter months.

The last couple of years has seen some random dumps of snow and ice. i need to drive in nearly all conditions as i work shift work i have found myself at the end of a nightshift with 25 miles of 6" snow and ice to drive home in. ive been lucky the last couple of years and my honda civic made it home ok but with rear wheel drive im not sure what the traction is gonna be like

i was looking at buying a pair of autosocks as an alternative to winter wheels and tyres.

www.autosock.co.uk/

the reviews online look ok but would like some real life reviews. has anyone given these a go?

i was looking at these as i didnt really want chains as they can damage wheels and arches

[Blitz]

Problem is you have to take them off when you go 30mph+. Best thing to do is get a set of spare bottle tops or steel wheels which you can get for next to nothing and put some winter tyres on.

They should last a couple of winters and saves wear on your summer tyres.

175/70/14 I think is the winter tyre size for E30's.


http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m11b0s719p0

[rp2]

i did look into fitting bottletops but i dont want to have rubbish looking wheels on my car for 4 months of the year and was looking into more of an emergency solution. i have no doubt fitting winter tyres is a better option but i dont want the hassle of 2 sets of wheels.

[polsta]

they sound like they are just a temp quick soloution for really bad snow/ice , ie just getting out of your road or if you lived in a really bad snow area where the shole drive was in pure snow and no main roads/motorways etc, like if you lived in the middle of emerdale farm country, it says tarmac driving wears them out quickly as do higher speeds, so if you lived in an area say it was snowing..drive out of your heavily snowed/iced cple roads by your house, then hit a main road that was gritted and had the snow in the middle/edges but not in the tyre areas,and then a motorway/dual carridgeway stint..and then more snow to the road you wahted to drive down to work etc...

then they sound totaly impracticle and in such a drive youd have to keep taking them on and off

and you say you dont want bottletops, but when its snowing and icey as hell...whos looking at your car anyway and who cares what wheels are on it, as long as you can drive and drive safely

[rp2]

and you say you dont want bottletops, but when its snowing and icey as hell...whos looking at your car anyway and who cares what wheels are on it, as long as you can drive and drive safely

well a set of bottletops and a set of winter tyres are in the region of £250 which i dont want to spend and i need a solution that will get me home if im stuck at work when a load of snow decided to chuck it down so would have to keep the bottletops on my car for the winter months to avoid being caught out which i dont want to do as they dont look good and i also dont want a set of wheels sitting in my garden all year round

but thanks for your input

[polsta]

all i used last winter, my 1st in a rwd car, ...was the 15" bbs and normal tyres, some of the worst snow in my lifetime, i just about managed and only an hr down the road from you , maybe just get yourself a set of ok bbs with winter tyres on

them snow things just look like pure aggro onn and off/jackign car up, made for pure snow and ice, now snow/tarmac/ice/snow/tarmac..

[aj_mckay]

The problem in the UK is the unpredictable nature of the weather! If we were guaranteed to have snow and ice for a known period like in Scandinavia or Canada etc. then the best thing would be to fit winter tyres for that period.

Using winter tyres here for the winter months would be pretty useless as they might not actually be needed at all. Using them in normal driving conditions can't be good for them and would probably wear them quickly rendering them less effective if you actually need to drive in snowy conditions!

I'd say the best thing for here in the UK would be to make sure your tyres are in good condition with plenty of tread and carry snow chains or something like the 'socks' in the OP to get you out of trouble should you get stuck.

[Dezzy]

Winter tyres are a better bet throughout our reaaly cold months as they offer much improved grip at 7 deg and lower

[Morat]

I'm sorely tempted by winter tyres but they'll have to go on the wishlist for now. Autosocks strike me as a useful thing to have in the boot if you get stuck, but not a day to day solution.

As for bottletops looking bad on your car... how bad will your nice wheels look after a winter of grit and salt?

[Dezzy]

I'm sorely tempted by winter tyres but they'll have to go on the wishlist for now. Autosocks strike me as a useful thing to have in the boot if you get stuck, but not a day to day solution.

As for bottletops looking bad on your car... how bad will your nice wheels look after a winter of grit and salt?

Agreed, If i had to run my E30 in winter i would defo's be fitting bottletops and winter tyres.

Last year i put the 15" wheels back on the wifes leon with avon winters and they were amazing!

I could drive in the untreated outside lane that was thick snow and ice and overtake everything in the clear inside lane. Cant say more about them. Plus handbrake action on untreated roads was great as the back would go anywhere you wanted with the fronts pulling it out!

[TopSod]

I actually felt safer in my e30 325 in the snow than I did in my Gti. The Golf was all over the place, and the brakes kept kicking back at me. Not looking forward to it in the 330 though

[billgatese30]

Using winter tyres here for the winter months would be pretty useless as they might not actually be needed at all. Using them in normal driving conditions can't be good for them and would probably wear them quickly rendering them less effective if you actually need to drive in snowy conditions!

Most countries that stipulate winter tire usage typically set the recommended time for fitting/removal is whe the average temperature goes either side of the 6-8 degrees C mark. In the UK this is typically means they would be fitted November to March

[svenga]

Wintersocks judging by the hastle and reviews i have seen online arent worth it, i would go with the others and treat yourself to a set of bottletops and winter treads. its only a few months of the year so looks are not everything over the safety of yourself and your pride & joy (im not saying they are a major improvement neither).

Im buying mine in the next few weeks as i think my wide 17'' alloys will be a pi$$take before long... Winter and my old girl dont mix well, ive lost it many a time down my hilly country back roads, once leaving her 6ft on her side in a ditch after hitting black ice at 25mph!

They will come on for when i get my sport too... soonish i hope

[aj_mckay]

Using winter tyres here for the winter months would be pretty useless as they might not actually be needed at all. Using them in normal driving conditions can't be good for them and would probably wear them quickly rendering them less effective if you actually need to drive in snowy conditions!

Most countries that stipulate winter tire usage typically set the recommended time for fitting/removal is whe the average temperature goes either side of the 6-8 degrees C mark. In the UK this is typically means they would be fitted November to March

Fair enough, I'd have thought they would be a harder compound meaning they'd wear quicker if used in 'normal' (non-snowy) conditions. I guess that's more applicable to 'snow' tyres than winter tyres though!

[nickso]

Using winter tyres here for the winter months would be pretty useless as they might not actually be needed at all. Using them in normal driving conditions can't be good for them and would probably wear them quickly rendering them less effective if you actually need to drive in snowy conditions!

Most countries that stipulate winter tire usage typically set the recommended time for fitting/removal is whe the average temperature goes either side of the 6-8 degrees C mark. In the UK this is typically means they would be fitted November to March

Fair enough, I'd have thought they would be a harder compound meaning they'd wear quicker if used in 'normal' (non-snowy) conditions. I guess that's more applicable to 'snow' tyres than winter tyres though!

softer you mean?

winter tyres have far more rubber in them which makes the sipes flex more and allow better grip. the downside is bad wear in temps above 7'c.

some euro countries allow you to use all year round tyres that are a compromise between having to use two sets of tyres.

[aj_mckay]

Most countries that stipulate winter tire usage typically set the recommended time for fitting/removal is whe the average temperature goes either side of the 6-8 degrees C mark. In the UK this is typically means they would be fitted November to March

Fair enough, I'd have thought they would be a harder compound meaning they'd wear quicker if used in 'normal' (non-snowy) conditions. I guess that's more applicable to 'snow' tyres than winter tyres though!

softer you mean?

winter tyres have far more rubber in them which makes the sipes flex more and allow better grip. the downside is bad wear in temps above 7'c.

some euro countries allow you to use all year round tyres that are a compromise between having to use two sets of tyres.

I'll get my coat

[Clarkyboy]

on the subject of auto socks - 2 of my mates ran them on thier exige's (thats right exige!!) last year through our shocking scottish winter and they were great!

[town325i]

them snow things just look like pure aggro onn and off/jackign car up, made for pure snow and ice, now snow/tarmac/ice/snow/tarmac..

You dont have to jack the car up you fit the net over the top half of the wheel then you drive on to it then fit the other half to the wheel should take minutes by the look of it.

[rp2]

i decided to get some. i think £50 is worth it if it means i can get home and not leave my car by the side of the road.

i understand what people are going on about with the taking off and putting on thing throughout the journey but i will be using these if i get into a situation where im stuck with no traction so wont be putting them on all the time just in emergencies.

this video seems like they work really well!

[youtube][/youtube]




i will let everyone know what they are like when they turn up although wont be able to test untill some snow chaos.

[beemerbird]

Autosocks
Bonnet bra

What next?

[rp2]

Autosocks
Bonnet bra

What next?

maybe car pants to stop the oil leaking from the car onto the drive

[Ranchero]

Autosocks
Bonnet bra

What next?

Sump-knickers?

[beemerbird]

Autosocks
Bonnet bra

What next?

Sump-knickers?

Sump knickers, indeed. Then some 'because I'm worth it' lubricant so that sunroofs work always on the little tarts

[town325i]

Or just keep a shovel in the boot of your car cheaper than snow socks

[ross_jsy]

Get some breeze blocks in the back too, will help with limited traction.

[nickso]

Get some breeze blocks in the back too, will help with limited traction.

i'd rather have a couple of bags of sand. if the bags hit anything in the boot they are not going to destroy it.

[rp2]

well i bought the autosocks and i finally got a chance to use them today. this morning i decided to take a bit of a detour in the snow to have some 'fun' in a carpark but i spun round once then got stuck. no forwards. no backwards nothing! i fitted the auto socks which took about 2 miutes and they gripped instantly and i drove out the carpark as if there was no snow at all! i got home and my drive which has a steep slope usually cannot be passed when there is snow it went up without fuss or wheel spin! i was shocked at how good they were!

they cost me £67 and i can reccommend them to anyone! they may just get you out of trouble and get you home that one time. i plan on buying them for any car i have in the future!

[kieran325]

I saw a chap putting these on his Cupra FR on the roadside last night, I didnt know what he was doing at first

[Laurence]

How do they work?

[Morat]

With sandbags you can use the sand under the wheels if you get good and stuck.

[harry_p]

i've heard plenty of good reports about them. only really for emergency use, not a permenant solution, but if theyre the difference between getting stranded and making it home then theyre well worth the money.

ive been meaning to get a set for ages, but as usual only remembered now we have snow and everywhere is out of stock