Winter Tyres ?

Soldato
Joined
5 Apr 2009
Posts
24,855
So lets say the door panel shows 32psi.

How do they know thats fine for all tyres ? Or is that the correct pressure for 185/65/R15 Tyres of all manufacturers

The pressure is (mostly) determined by the weight of the car and the size of the wheel/tyre.

A 185/65R15 Michelin, won't need a different pressure to a 185/65R15 Pirelli, on the same car.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2006
Posts
23,371
Ok most cars are around 30-35psi. You can lower it a bit in bad conditions.

But don't go lower than 30 normally unless it's something very light.
 
Underboss
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
32,327
Location
Oxfordshire / Bucks
I really wouldn’t bother in the U.K.
Been running cross climates for 2 years and not needed them yet.


Yeah, I love my Cross Climates, it fits my needs

leave work at 5:30am, 5 days a week, cant afford to take anytime off as i wont get paid for it, also i have to work all over xmas, we dont get holiday in December, and we only get 2 days off a year that we are closed, rest is holiday

if you were in Scotland, you would run Winters in Winter
 
Associate
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Posts
1,242
Having spent 25 years living in the Angus Glens we would always swap from summer to winter tyres each spring and autumn.

We would buy as second set of alloys foir the bay and fit winter tyres. I have used Nokians mainly and they were a godsend some winters when even with 4x4 there would be no traction with summer tyres.

One year I used winters all year on my then car, a Touareg and they were fine. The tyre many=factueres say that if you only have one set of tyres for all year use, then winters are better than summers in climates where snow and ice are a factor in winter.

Now being in Lincoln, I haven't bothered fitting snow tyres but the wife's Q3 with winter tyres was needed when we had the beast from the east.

Personally, as has been said already, further south in the UK I would fit all seasons so that you lose the slight worry of those winter days when ice and slush are present, while not really reducing any driving dynamics in summer (for a non-chav, don't need to be the fastest guy in town style of driving.)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
10,632
Location
Notts
I'm on a similar latitude to Lincoln and can't remember any time during the "beast from the east" period when anything caused concern for me in my Golf with regular tyres. The need for all season/winter tyres is massively overstated for most scenarios. Drive to the conditions- same as you should do for rain, heavy traffic, and so on.
 
Associate
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Posts
1,242
I'm on a similar latitude to Lincoln and can't remember any time during the "beast from the east" period when anything caused concern for me in my Golf with regular tyres. The need for all season/winter tyres is massively overstated for most scenarios. Drive to the conditions- same as you should do for rain, heavy traffic, and so on.

Well, how about 6 foot snow drifts and completely cut off villages?

A Golf with summer tyres would not even have moved a foot, let alone be able to drive anywhere.

I agree that you need to drive to the conditions, but there sra some conditions where it would be impossible and foolhardy to attempt without the correct equipment.
 
Associate
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Posts
1,242
If it's deep you still might get stuck with winter tyres. You'd need chains or studs, but they aren't legal in the UK.

Absolutely. We had to tow an Octavia estate out of the snow so we could get past. The problem was the wind blowing across the fields and any break in the hedgerow was creating a bank of snow.

The road would lokk snowy but passable and then suddenly you are in three or four feet of snow. After a week of being snowed in it got to the point where people in pickups and 4x4s were venturing out.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
21,900
lol: your braking+steering, would be compromised, let alone tyres damaged, tracking probably, too
... used them once ~8yrs ago Cambs
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
29,093
Location
Ottakring, Vienna.
The UK almost never has conditions that warrant the long term use of chains or studded tyres - but they aren't illegal. What is illegal is causing damage to the road surface, which yes tyres or chains would cause to a road that wasn't covered in a consistent layer of ice or snow.

I've used chains to get a friend out of a ditch once. They are incredibly effective.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
91,097
Besides we are cursed to mild winters - I bought a pickup and made preparations, tyres, etc., in case of proper winter weather.
 
Back
Top Bottom