Winter tyre reviews and advice

[dirtee-herbert]

Hello zone.

The cold season of winter is quickly coming for us and our rear wheel drive chariots often don't like the snow and ice.

I live in the middle of the moors in Yorkshire and the roads around mine are very hilly and often don't even see grit or a plow. We had to use the digger a lot last year to clear the roads down in to the village because the council weren't up to it. Haha.

I've removed my 15inch BBS ready to remove the bald toyo tyres and slap on some winter tyres after they have had bit of a tidy up. I am wanting to keep these as dedicated winter wheels and get something new to go on next spring wrapped in some normal tyres.

I'm looking for advice on buying winter tyres please for me and others to use.

Reviews on certain tyres please and if you think they are worth it or not. What will be best to get or do and where to get myself some.

Thanks in advance.

[dirtee-herbert]

I am hoping to get fit up this week.

Why would they be better on the 14inch steels?

[Grrrmachine]

For snow, you want a narrow tyre so that you get more pressure on the ground per square inch. That helps cut through the snow. A 14 " tyre also gives more profile, which reacts better to icy conditions. I run 185/65/14 on my chariot over winter.

[Blitz]

I was running Dunlop wintersport 4ds. Very good.

[miniblob]

I got some Goodyear UltraGrip 175/70/14's last year and they were superb!!!
They'll be going straight back on when the weather gets a bit more bitter!!!

[DanThe]

I only fit my winter wheels/tyres when the snow is on the ground, last year I was using 195/65/15 on steels for my E34 touring, perfect on snow/ice, shite on dry or even damp roads

[dirtee-herbert]

So the majority recommend running 14inch wheels to allow for a thicker and thinner tyre than the 15inch bbs that are 7j.

What width are the standard 14inch steel wheels?

And will it really make a big enough differance for me to go and get some standard steels?

[dirtee-herbert]

Sounds like a good deal.
I'll get a wanted advert up and cross my fingers.

I appreciate the picture of the snow but is there meant to be a car in there?

More snow pics too people please!

[billgatese30]

I had a spare set of 15" BBS lying around a few years ago so couldn't be bothered with the agro of finding steelies so I run winters on those. They'll be going on soon as although they feel very soft and bouncy compared to summer tires, you really notice when the temp drops below 5 or 6 degrees C on a morning.

Mine are Vredrestien Snowtrac 3 and I think they are 185/60/15 from memory. It gives about 0.5% difference in diameter (about 2mm) from memory so doesn't screw with the speedo either. Excellent tires IMO.

My Dad also run Vredrestien winter tires on his Audi S4 in the winter and it puts its power down (all be it with 4WD) extremely well.

[Grrrmachine]

Vredesteins for me too, but I was running Snowtrac 2, not 3. I need a new set this winter, but I wanted to find some old bottletop alloys instead of steelies this time round. Last year the steelies seized themselves solid to the hub so badly that I buckled the wheel trying to get them off come springtime. But that's what -25 temps plus salt will do to a car...

[Grrrmachine]

Plenty of copper grease, but you can only do so much when you're working near brakes. And the hubcentric ring is where the seizing happens.

[SiamLars]

Nokian Hakkapeliitta R or Continental ContiVikingContact 5 for studdless.

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5,7 or 8 or Continental ContiIceContact for studded.

These win all the tests in Scandinavia.

No worries with 15".

[darkchild]

Goodyear Ultragrip 8s on bottletops for me. Coped fantastically with snow, heavy rain and ice when we went to Scotland earlier in the year. Didn't get stuck once. Very quiet and comfortable tyre as well.

[Black_Potato]

UK roads are still mainly dry or damp tarmac 95% of the time with occasional snow or ice. Most of the time the temp will be +5 degrees so tyres that win in Nordic climates may not be the best here (my wife is norwegian and I have driven there many times).

Winter tyres, if not full snow tyres are still worth it though. I ran Hankook w310 on my E30 M3 in 195/55/15 and they were very good. I run the same on the family SMax all be it in a larger size. On my ST I run Nokian WR D3 for the winter months & Yoko Prada Spec 2 in the summer.

[DanThe]

Just took delivery of my new Wanli Wing Wong Snow Grip for the 540

Just need to sort an LSD now and I will be wishing for snow

[Black_Potato]

just weld it up, you will be fine

[DanThe]

Ahh yes, why didnt I think of that, it is after all a safety modification

[Simon13]

I've just got an LSD which darn sarf has kept me moving all be it sideways some times in the snow, better than one wheel spinning and going no where

Anyone got some winter tyres for 17 inch rims? picked up a spare set of alpinas the other day

[Neilios]

Winter tyres for all our family cars, Goodyear D4's on mine, Michelin Alpin 4 on our lasses car. Will be putting them on at the end of the month as usual. Best money you can spend especially up here.

[dirtee-herbert]

Hello again!

Thought I'd wrap this thread up because I hate reading threads on here that don't come to a conclusion or you never find out what the OP ever did.

So after radish your advice and having a look online at your recommended winter rubber I went for the veredestien sport track 3 tyres on all four corners. I couldn't find a bad review and I like the look of the tread pattern. I found a local garage that supplied them fitted and balance for the same price I'd of paid online for the tyres only so I dropped him in my bbs and got them fit.
Picked them up a few weeks ago and fit them last night.

Couple of crap pics for you to laugh at.





Thanks for the advice and recommendations guys
Ant

[harry_p]

I've just got an LSD which darn sarf has kept me moving all be it sideways some times in the snow, better than one wheel spinning and going no where

Anyone got some winter tyres for 17 inch rims? picked up a spare set of alpinas the other day

I've got a pair of nankang snow vivas on a spare pair of 17s for my e36. 215 45 17, something like £65 each, and get good reviews.

Feel very soft though so only going to use them when actual snow is imminent. Winters feel horrible on performance cars on a normal chilly British winter day. They do other 17in sizes for reasonable money, somehing like a 205 45 might be more suitable for an e30.

Found them cheapest on eBay through mytyres.

Running nexen 4s tyres on the back of the compact as its got big sidewall tyres anyway so soft tyres aren't going to ruin how it drives, plus its not going to melt them in summer with its mighty m43. Being four season tyres they won't be quite as good in snow as a proper winter tyre, but should cope better with normal changeable British weather.

[Morat]

And if I may interest anyone in a set of excellent snow tyres ready fitted to a set of good bottletops....

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=244571

[dirtee-herbert]

And if I may interest anyone in a set of excellent snow tyres ready fitted to a set of good bottletops....

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=244571

Wow loads of tread on them!
Bottle tops will make for some cool winter wheels.

Good luck with the sale

[Grrrmachine]

I went for bottletops this year as well, and changed my old Vredesteins for brand new Debica Frigo 2 in a 185/70R14. Local producer so very cheap, considering they're really a Continental tyre. Worked out about 60 quid for the wheels, 100 quid for the tyres and 20 for fitting and balancing.

Went from this:


to this:

[faze30]

what size winter tyres are you guys running on your 15" bbs stock wheels. I have just bought a full set. 205/55/15 are too big as i have no clearance. was thinking on 195/55/15 winter tyres. but yet again i could even wack on 185/60/15

[Grrrmachine]

The narrower the better if you're expecting any snow.

[faze30]

just got hold of a full set of 185/60/15 Continental winter tyres with 6-7mm tread. I guess im sorted for the bad weather

[dirtee-herbert]

Mine shown above are 185 65 15
I think they look a decent size man you should be fiiiiiiineeeeee

[harry_p]

Yeah they'll certainly do the job. E30s have pretty chunky sidewalls on the standard 15s, so going down a width or two and up a profile will make a decent enough improvement to make going down to 14s overkill ( different if you already have a set of 14s sat around doing nothing, may aswell use them )