Winter wheels 35is

[ronk]

As I say, ive had full winters on the d3 for years and the wear rate is excellent ! I reckon 2x std Pirelli rubber. I went down that route as that's all vredestein did at the time. They'll be cracked before there worn out I'm certain.
I worked on the principle that at least they were 100%?for more than half the year. How often is the road temp above 7c if you count mornings and nights? I'm in Germany now and have noticed how many still have winters on.

I would have thought the tin top was a better winter option? You never know when the a chair has to come out do you?

As for the handling of the E89 (m sport suspnand run flats ) I have to say that I cant complain. Maybe iit is firm but that's what' I expected of the car coming from e85 - the only thing I regredt is only getting a 3.0lt if only for my yearly trip to Germany.more than adequate for uk but a little more would help on the fast stretches ie when moving into the Porsche / Audi lane.

[KERMIT1970]

Found a set of 17" rims from a e36 offset of 30 should be fine. Looking at these http://www.oponeo.co.uk/shopping-cart. Need to look at TPS as I have the new silver v/v's fitted.

[SO8]

Do many people on here use their Z4's with winter tyres ... or is it just a few ??

[mr wilks]

Found a set of 17" rims from a e36 offset of 30 should be fine. Looking at these http://www.oponeo.co.uk/shopping-cart. Need to look at TPS as I have the new silver v/v's fitted.

Nothing in that shopping basket Gordon Wise move getting sorted before the stampede if the white stuff fall's
What rubber you gone for ?

[TitanTim]

Do many people on here use their Z4's with winter tyres ... or is it just a few ??

I think alot of owners have access to another vehicle more suited to winter use, if the Zeds an everyday all year round motor I would seriously be looking at winter tyres. I used to put the Z4 away come winter time and will be doing the same with the M135i, rear wheel drive and summer tyres/runflats are pretty hopeless. I put some all seasons on my Z3 which is great in the snow so use that instead.

I found out the hard way in 2010 when we had a bad winter and got stranded in the 1 Series, 18s on summer runflats and was shocked how bad and dangerous the car was in just a couple of inches of snow. Bit the bullet after that and spend £1250 on a set of BMW winter wheels. If I wanted a set for the M135i I would be looking at £1750 around the same for the E89 unless you can find alternative aftermarket wheels.

For safety and stress free driving a must in my book.

Tim.

[KERMIT1970]

Still looking,but it was the nokian winters that get good reviews.Our other car is a 640 so could be scuppered if we get a bad winter Had bm`s the last 12 years & it`s never been a issue as we are next to the sea & it`s usally ok.
Bought my son a wee polo to learn to drive in,so that might become the main car lol He sits his test in a few weeks so that wont be a option

[ronk]

Any old metal does for the wheels . Second hand , after market who cares. They are going see plenty salty slush.
Buy all the kit when the sun is shining and nobody is thinking of the dark days!

When I bought the winter wheels for my daughters car I got them eBay a pair at a time. Just have to be patient and during the summertime you can be!

[mr wilks]

Any old metal does for the wheels . Second hand , after market who cares. They are going see plenty salty slush.
Buy all the kit when the sun is shining and nobody is thinking of the dark days!

When I bought the winter wheels for my daughters car I got them eBay a pair at a time. Just have to be patient and during the summertime you can be!

Man after my own heart i "collected" a set of Pirelli SottoZero 245 40 18 over the summer months 1 at a time & ended up with 4 matching on 6mm for £135 total

Fitted them a while back to new rims on our A6 , got a 10 day France trip over xmas & fortunately they grip like fury on all surfaces in all conditions

[R.E92]

Winter tyres have more to offer than just traction in snow
Better grip on straights & bends in both cold & wet circumstances along with superior braking distances & in my own experience far less aquaplaning at motorway speeds when hitting standing water .

I agree 100% but you will still have folk who say that they can defy the basic laws of physics!
Unfortunately only law will convert them. Hopefully before they slide into me or mine some icy day!

Why would there be a law forcing people to use winter tyres in the UK?

We have incredibly mild winters where I live. Having winter tyres fitted to my car would actually give me less traction for the majority of the winter which would be dangerous.

[ronk]

The same reason there are laws about crash helmets and seat belts! Some people have to be protected from themselves.

Winter rubber is designed to perform at 7deg and below - ie most of the winter on mainland UK . You don't say where you live?

It brasses me off when I get stuck behind somebody in the snow who is ill equipped for the coditions - there are penalties in Germany for causing problems like that.

[R.E92]

The same reason there are laws about crash helmets and seat belts! Some people have to be protected from themselves.

Winter rubber is designed to perform at 7deg and below - ie most of the winter on mainland UK . You don't say where you live?

It brasses me off when I get stuck behind somebody in the snow who is ill equipped for the coditions - there are penalties in Germany for causing problems like that.

I live in North Wales,

It doesn't sit below 8 for long and I can only remember one year where the snow stuck on the roads.

Mostly it sits around 10'C and is damp. For winters to out perform standard summer tires the temps need to be below 7'C. Compared to the Michelin PSS I imagine the gap widens.

I don't think it's severe enough to pass a law requiring winter tyres. I expect low grip in cold conditions and drive accordingly. Having the rear end flying around on warm days is something more likely to put me in a ditch!

[TitanTim]

The same reason there are laws about crash helmets and seat belts! Some people have to be protected from themselves.

Winter rubber is designed to perform at 7deg and below - ie most of the winter on mainland UK . You don't say where you live?

It brasses me off when I get stuck behind somebody in the snow who is ill equipped for the coditions - there are penalties in Germany for causing problems like that.

I live in North Wales,

It doesn't sit below 8 for long and I can only remember one year where the snow stuck on the roads.

Mostly it sits around 10'C and is damp. For winters to out perform standard summer tires the temps need to be below 7'C. Compared to the Michelin PSS I imagine the gap widens.

I don't think it's severe enough to pass a law requiring winter tyres. I expect low grip in cold conditions and drive accordingly. Having the rear end flying around on warm days is something more likely to put me in a ditch!

I thought you were going to say Devon

I live in the Midlands and would say daytime temperatures average in winter 10C or below for at least a couple of months with nightime temps well below 7C so I can't believe North Wales fares much better unless you live in a micro climate

I find the attitude in this country is precisely why it grinds to a halt when 2 inches of snow is on the ground and heroes who think summer tyres are sufficient.

Tim.

[ronk]

We talk of road temp here, not air temp. During the daytime the road temp may creep up but when the sun goes down ?
What temp is the water standing on the road? I will wager lower than 7 deg. It's as cold as that from the tap!

Have you tried using winters in the summer or warm weather? If you don't use them during the winter then probably not. I have!
They won't have you in ditch, honestly !
In reality, you.would be hard pushed to notice the difference.

I've no doubt you drive with all due caution in cold, wet or slippy conditions but not everbody does. I hope one of those who doesn't twang into the side of you or your family.

[TitanTim]

We talk of road temp here, not air temp. During the daytime the road temp may creep up but when the sun goes down ?

Have you tried winters in the summer? They won't have you in ditch, honestly !
In reality, you.would be hard pushed to notice the difference.

I've no doubt you drive with all due caution in cold, wet or slippy conditions but not everbody does. I hope one of those who doesn't twang into the side of you or your family.

I would say road temps would be lower than air as hot air rises

Tim.








Tim.

[mr wilks]

Loads of good reading on the web on the matter ,
On a personal note ive been stranded in Normandy a few years back on summer rubber . The car (FWD Passat) was totally hapless in the 4/5inches of snow so for me its a no brainer , i go to France 4/5 times between now & next spring so they go on the car whatever the UK forecast is

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/winter-d ... nter-tyres

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/community/ ... ter-tyres/

does pi55 me off somewhat though when i see lanes of cars stacked on UK motorways after a drop of snow because the majority of vehicles can't move forward on minimal snow