A winter tyre question!

B

Blue

Active member
Hi all,

Now that I've got my new winter alloys ready and waiting for some proper rubber I've started looking for the tyres to go with them.

I think I'm pretty much settled on the Vredestein Wintrac Extremes, but My Tyres show them as available in both H and V speed ratings. Now although I think I currently have V's, I have to question whether it's worth paying extra money for V rated winter tyres, I honestly don't think I'll be exceeding a ton very often in the winter whilst riding on winter rubber! What's people's opinions please?

Also, does anyone know of the best supplier for 225/45/17' tyres? I can't seem to get them below £116 each! :o
 
I'm going to add another question to my post:-

Has anyone tried more than one brand of tyre? I know the Wintracs are rated as amongst the best, but what about Nokian? They're quite a reasonable amount cheaper, are from a company that should know a thing or two about cold weather and seem to have almost as many stars as the Wintracs. Opinions on these or any other brands you may have tried?
 
I did the same R&D in January when the first snow flake arrived
I ended up with the German Pneumant pn 150 tyre which showed a good balance between customer reviews, volume of sales, availability and cost
The key thing is to get into a recognised quality winter tyre and have some sensible fun in the snow and not struggle with a 3% incline
I agree, unlikley to do anything like a ton in the winter weather
 
if you put lower rated tyres does it effect your insurance?

they will get out of paying if they can
 
I too am thinking of getting a set of winter tyres, and have been watching eBay for wheels to wear them. Can the assembled wisdom of the group guide me on the suitability of the wheels on offer? There are not many wheels which have come off Z4s, but loads of E36, E46, E60, M3 etc. wheels. I have a 3.0l coupe which is on standard 17" wheels, I guess that a 16" wheel won't fit over the brakes, but I am worried about the offset and rim widths of these various offerings.

Should I aim for a straight swap to fit 225/45/17 runflat winter tyres? I have seen some recommend that winter tyres should be narrower than summer equivalents, presumably this ensures that the rubber sticks better to smooth cold surfaces. I am not concerned about the looks, as these wheels will bear the brunt of salt and grit. So will any old set of 3 series 17" wheels fit, and will I be able to fit runflats to any rim of suitable size, or do their peculiar qualities require a rim specially designed to take them?

Thanks for considering this
 
Well I have just rang Adrian Flux to check on the insurance situation and at first the girl I was speaking to didn't know what winter tyres were, but after checking she has confirmed that I' good to fit H rated winter tyres as opposed to V rated if I want.

Now the question is, will the H rated offer better grip than the V rated? I'm thinking softer rubber compound etc?
 
Mine are 225/45/17 and they work fine
Can't comment on H vs V
But winter tread/compond vs summer is chalk and cheese in sub zero temps
 
Important note:
Do not have metal caps on your winter tyres or indeed any tyres left outside
I left my silver metal caps ones on my summer tyres (outside in the snow) and it was murder getting them off in March to check pressures
In winter plastic is fantastic
 
Hope you don;t mind a slight hijack on the back of your thread...

I'm in the same boat, although I'm looking for 225/50/16 for the 16" Z4 alloys I picked up earlier this year. Mytyres have a decent selection of tyres but Camskill only have the one. I can't remember what load rating the Z4 requires but I'm looking at H or V speed ratings although I'll be checking with my insurer first about that.

There are other cheaper tyres but I've either not heard of the brands or wouldn't touch them with a bargepole on my Z4. Any user's advice or opinions would be appreciated

Camskill:
225/50R16 92H TL TOYO SNOWPROX S952 (£98ea)

Mytyres:
Kumho KW17 225/50 R16 93H UHP (£75.50ea)
Nokian WR G2 225/50 R16 96V XL M+S marking, N0 BSW (£85.20ea)
Kumho KW27 225/50 R16 96V XL M+S marking (£86.30ea)
Continental WinterContact TS 790 V 225/50 R16 96V XL with raised rim rib, N0 (£98.30)
 
a11y, I ran Avon Ice Touring and then Cooper Weathermaster (made by Avon too) both sets bought from Camskill. I'm usually a tyre snob and run Conti Sport Contact 3s but there is nothing wrong with them as winter tyres, the grip is incredible. You wouldn't be disappointed.
 
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