Winter Tyres

[santiagopilgrim]

Driving to Switzerland again in February, by which time there will be snow, and lots of it. Our place is half hour up a mountain road.

I'm going to get some winter tyres and some chains.

Does anyone have any experience doing this?

Should I be buying some cheap steels and mount winter tyres on those, then I can swap them after my 600 mile drive through dry motorway?

Or should I mount the winter tyres on my current alloys for the whole trip? Are they noisy/uncomfortable on the motorway?

And I guess the last question would be, winter tyres just on the front or is there a significant benefit on doing the rear too?

Cheers.

 

[baser]

I went with another set of wheels and winter tyres for my GTD. I can then swap them at home when I want / need to. They live in the garage for the rest of the year.

To be honest I didn't notice any change in terms of noise or comfort on the motorway just a huge increase in grip and traction at low temperatures and/or rain

You really need all four. I am not sure about the rules in Switzerland but in Germany you have to have winter tyres all round during the winter.

I would advise you change your driving style to take into account the other cars around you which will not be able to turn or stop as well as you.

 

[santiagopilgrim]

I went with another set of wheels and winter tyres for my GTD. I can then swap them at home when I want / need to. They live in the garage for the rest of the year.

To be honest I didn't notice any change in terms of noise or comfort on the motorway just a huge increase in grip and traction at low temperatures and/or rain

You really need all four. I am not sure about the rules in Switzerland but in Germany you have to have winter tyres all round during the winter.

I would advise you change your driving style to take into account the other cars around you which will not be able to turn or stop as well as you.

Thanks for the advice, very helpful.

What wheels did you buy for the winter set? I want something cheap as it's going to get very dirty/not be used most of the year but I want the stability that I have with my current alloys/wide tyres.

 

[pjr]

I've had winter tyres for the last 4 winters, and the same wheels that fitted my A3 were used on my GTI last year.

I swap them over myself as I bought a spare set of alloys which I store in the garage when not being used. Both my cars have actually been quieter on winters although this may be partially due to my winters being narrower & higher profile tyres.

I would also recommend changing all 4 - otherwise you could get some interesting handling with 2 grippy tyres and 2 not so grippy - you may also invalidate your insurance doing this.

There is a world of difference in handling and acceleration/braking in slippery conditions when using winter tyres compared to summers, and as above, you do need to be aware of other vehicles which may not be able to stop as quickly as you.

For your particular scenario I would swap to the winters before you go - even if the roads are bone dry you're not going to wear them out driving to Switzerland as at that time of the year the ambient temperatures are likely to be low.

 

[santiagopilgrim]

I've had winter tyres for the last 4 winters, and the same wheels that fitted my A3 were used on my GTI last year.

I swap them over myself as I bought a spare set of alloys which I store in the garage when not being used. Both my cars have actually been quieter on winters although this may be partially due to my winters being narrower & higher profile tyres.

I would also recommend changing all 4 - otherwise you could get some interesting handling with 2 grippy tyres and 2 not so grippy - you may also invalidate your insurance doing this.

There is a world of difference in handling and acceleration/braking in slippery conditions when using winter tyres compared to summers, and as above, you do need to be aware of other vehicles which may not be able to stop as quickly as you.

For your particular scenario I would swap to the winters before you go - even if the roads are bone dry you're not going to wear them out driving to Switzerland as at that time of the year the ambient temperatures are likely to be low.

Great stuff, thanks.

Again, any advice on cheap but effective wheels would be great.

Or maybe upgrade my current wheels and use my old ones?

 

[baser]

I picked up a set of 18" Audi RS4 alloys on the cheap, had them reconditioned and then put on a good set of winter tyres.

Not the usual advice and not recommended for proper winter snow. The standard recommendation of 16" skinny steel wheels would be better for you if you are heading for real snow. I don't find myself in that much snow, mostly I got them for my once a month trip into Germany and wanted to keep the look of the car.

VW usually have a deal on especially if you get them out of season.

If you do go with alloy wheels give them a good protective coat before they go on the car to keep the white worm out. The salt from winter roads will damage the alloy if you scratch or damage the paint. Its not serious but it does spoil the look of the wheel (if your into that kind of thing).

 

[pjr]

I bought mine as a package from Audi, so defintely not the cheapest option but they've lasted well, and I've had 4 winters from them so far and will probably get at least another 2 out of the front tyres - you tend to need more tread depth left for winter tyres to work in snow and I think they are recommended to be changed at 3-4mm rather than the 1.6mm minimum

My Audi had 225/45x17 summer tyres, and my winters are 205/55x16 which gives the same rolling circumference.

Other people have used mrwinterwheels.co.uk and they do seem reasonably priced for complete packages, or you could buy secondhand wheels and/or tyres from eBay to keep the cost down - personally, I'd prefer new wheels and tyres.

I just need to source VW centre caps for mine, as I just used them with the Audi badges last winter...

 

[santiagopilgrim]

I like the idea of 16" steels, especially if they are to work better in tricky snow.

Would just be a pain to drive 600 miles of motorway on skinny tyres, but I probably wouldn't even notice at 80mph.

Cheers, now I need to save some money fast.

 

[Bikebits]

If you can find an inexpensive set of used alloy wheels, great, otherwise you want an additional set of cheap steel wheels with winter tires. If you go down one size on the winter rims and tires there are some benefits. (e.g. 205/55-16 to 195/65-15) The tires and rims will be less expensive and the narrower profile will cut through the snow to the base where there is better traction.

DO NOT use only two snow tires on the drive wheels. It is an invitation to disaster. As an analogy imagine driving with a pair of fresh tires and a pair of bald tires in the wet.

The softer rubber compound in snow tires provides superior grip on cold, dry roads below 7*C. Above that they wear significantly faster. It's worth leaving them on until the temperatures are consistently above that mark.

Standard practice here is a set of winter steelies that go on before the snow flies in November and they come off when it lets up by March.

 

[santiagopilgrim]

If you can find an inexpensive set of used alloy wheels, great, otherwise you want an additional set of cheap steel wheels with winter tires. If you go down one size on the winter rims and tires there are some benefits. (e.g. 205/55-16 to 195/65-15) The tires and rims will be less expensive and the narrower profile will cut through the snow to the base where there is better traction.

DO NOT use only two snow tires on the drive wheels. It is an invitation to disaster. As an analogy imagine driving with a pair of fresh tires and a pair of bald tires in the wet.

The softer rubber compound in snow tires provides superior grip on cold, dry roads below 7*C. Above that they wear significantly faster. It's worth leaving them on until the temperatures are consistently above that mark.

Standard practice here is a set of winter steelies that go on before the snow flies in November and they come off when it lets up by March.

Bang on, cheers.

 

[ColinStone]

I got a set of Avus II - MkIV - alloys off eBay for a good price for the winters. Just change wheels twice a year. As soon as I arrive in tbe snow, I find and empty car park and throw the car around - lots of throttle and heavy braking - to remind me of the capabilities and limitations.

 

[Hobby55]

It might be worth you trying to find a German Golf Mk7 Forum and asking on there. They have the experience as, as someone said earlier, winter tyres are compulsory over there... I can't see the point of alloys and their extra cost, steels will do just as well and be more durable if you bounce off something!