All season tires regarding

S

skurup

Member
Hi guys,

A question:
I have the Sumitomo brand tires right now: 225/50R16 92V M+S (pic shown).
Is that good enough for winter tires? I was told by one of my friends that since BMWs are rear-wheel drives, unless I have a winter tires, it's going to be too troubling during winter when snow falls.
 

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Winter tyres are designed specifically to remain supple in colder temperatures (below 10C) and maximise traction when driving on snow and ice. The key differences are: they use a softer rubber compound (usually by including more natural rubber in the mix). The surface of the tread blocks is covered with little jagged slits – called sipes. They generally have deeper tread grooves than summer tyres.
 
Yes but the OP says they are M & S tyres, so not summers!

This is the definition I found:-

"M+S (Mud and Snow) tyres are those with a tread pattern and compound specifically designed to perform well in poor road conditions and low temperatures. An M&S tyre will usually have a high negative void ratio and aggressive tread pattern in order to achieve optimum grip. Additionally, a specially designed rubber compound means that the tyre won’t lose its flexibility in cold conditions."

Based on that I would have thought they ought to cope reasonably well in the UK!

If I had those OP I don't think I'd feel the need for winters (unless I lived in the Scottish Highlands). :)
 
In all my years driving, I have never put on season specific tyres, just get a decent set of all weather tyres and don't worry about it.
 
I had summer tyres on last year (Falkens) and managed a whole winter with no probs. You just have to be a bit more careful is all before you put the hammer down. :P
 
I exchanged my 18" Michelin PS4 wheels for my 16" M&S wheels last week when I saw snow may be imminent. I've been doing this for the last 4 winters or so but never had to use them in snow and so can't really comment on their effectiveness. To be honest, the Michelins seem to give better grip in the cold and wet than the M&S but they are there just in case of snow as I presume they will be offer more grip plus they save the more expensive 18" from wear and salt etc.

The roads into our village are pretty steep and can be impassible if we do get a significant snowfall so I also put a set of AutoSocks behind the seat just in case. http://www.autosock.co.uk/
 
:) Thanks for all the reply guys.
This was the snow today (pic). I think I will continue with my M/S tires and see how it goes.
Never heard autosock; will read about it.
 

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I've been using winter tyres (with the snowflake symbol) on the continent for about 10 years now and can confirm that they are considerably better in the snow & ice than 'summer' tyres.
I was once caught out driving a 330d with the wrong kind of tyres in snowy conditions and it was virtually undriveable, but as soon as I put the winter wheels on it was transformed.
My zed is currently being used as a DD in Luxembourg with the same set of 'worn' winter tyres and I'm holding my breath a bit because they only really work well if there is enough tread left to allow the tread blocks to flex, otherwise the snow gets trapped in the grooves.
On thing I found when driving in the UK was that no matter how good my tyres were, if the rest of the traffic was driving on summer tyres in the snow, we were all stuck!
 
Snow is supposed to get stuck in the sipes on a winter tyre...

Snow on snow grips far more than rubber on snow. :wink:
 
I have an E89 sDrive 28i. I am looking to purchase some winter wheels and tyres. Anyone selling winter tyres or winter wheels/tyres? Current tyre sizes are 255 30 R19 91Y on the rear and 225 35 R19 89Y at the front. Highly recommend the Autosock: https://autosock.com/ .Without a set on the rears this morning I would not have got my car up my driveway, which is about 20% incline. Thanks, Chris.
 
ChrisM62 said:
I have an E89 sDrive 28i. I am looking to purchase some winter wheels and tyres. Anyone selling winter tyres or winter wheels/tyres? Current tyre sizes are 255 30 R19 91Y on the rear and 225 35 R19 89Y at the front. Highly recommend the Autosock: https://autosock.com/ .Without a set on the rears this morning I would not have got my car up my driveway, which is about 20% incline. Thanks, Chris.
Click to expand...

Have a look on the classifieds - there are a couple of sets advertised.

You don't need the same size - smaller wheels may work better, so long as they clear your brakes and don't rub (if you aren't sure "mr wilks" will know)!

ETA quick link:- http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=102025

Good luck. :thumbsup:
 
Stole this from the net:
Snow tires—also called winter tires—are tires designed for use on snow and ice. Snow tires have a tread design with bigger gaps than those on summer tires, increasing traction on snow and ice. Such tires that have passed a specific winter traction performance test are entitled to display a "Three-Peak Mountain Snow Flake" symbol on their sidewalls. Tires designed for winter conditions are optimized to drive at temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F). Some snow tires have metal or ceramic studs that protrude from the tire to increase traction on hard-packed snow or ice. Studs abrade dry pavement, causing dust and creating wear in the wheel path.[2] Regulations that require the use of snow tires or permit the use of studs vary by country in Asia and Europe, and by state or province in North America.

Related to snow tires are those with an M+S rating, which denotes an "all-season" capability—quieter on clear roads, but less capable on snow or ice than a winter tire.[3]
 
Where I live in Canada ( Vancouver Island) the weather is very similar to the UK. A great number of people here just use all season tires year round. We do have a couple of major roads that require “Snow Tires” from October to April , on the rare occasion that we do get snow, the all season users are usually having a poor time,
I spent 48 years in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and needed snow tires and 4 wheel drive to survive :driving: Old habits die hard so I use tires wth snowflakes on them, rated for snow, ice and cold. We have all seasons on the M roadster but it won’t go out in snow. :D
Cheers and Merry Christmas
 
I've spent many years driving in parts of continental Europe and in Vermont in the US, in the depths of winter without decent winter tyres you just wouldn't be able to get anywhere.

This experience has carried over with me and when winter comes around the Z4 gets tucked up in the garage. As good as winter tyres are they are no good if the low ground clearance means the car becomes a sledge.

I have an X5 that starts to shiver at the thought of being used in the snow (i do have a full set of winter wheels and tyres for it but they only get fitted if it looks like we are in for it really bad)

So generally if the weather is cold and snowy the chosen form of transport is my wife's Renault Clio Diesel it runs winter tyres from November to the end of march every year as her job means she has to often travel into areas where the weather can get interesting. it keeps going up and down hills, through snow, slush, ice and mud and hasn't been defeated by anything the UK winters have thrown at it so far.
 
Back when I had company cars, i had work pay for a set of winter tyres fitted for my 3 series. They were superb, it felt very sure footed in cold wet conditions and would allow the car to move on snow and ice. If I ever daily a RWD car again I would invest in a set for the winter.

With company cars a thing of the past, when the weather and conditions are like this, I use our trusty 2001 K11 nissan micra to get around. With very narrow wheels/tyres and a heavy 1400cc engine over the front, it is capable of driving through snow and ice with ease.
 
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