Winter Tyres

[eagle123]

my car is a fwd so it needs two winters at the front, i already a few weeks ago replaced the two rears with brand new eagle f1 assym2, i used to have a jazz with 4 winters tyres fitted all contis and noted that the tyres grip like glue on the road and in the wet they even better, however my thinking is that it may snow in a few weeks and will be a few days, not like in europe, think kleber are a budget make, am going to go for the premium makes for a few more pounds the rubber they manufacture is a lot more better.

am going for the 91 load rating not the xl as it makes the ride more firmer

[Guy]

my car is a fwd so it needs two winters at the front, i already a few weeks ago replaced the two rears with brand new eagle f1 assym2, i used to have a jazz with 4 winters tyres fitted all contis and noted that the tyres grip like glue on the road and in the wet they even better, however my thinking is that it may snow in a few weeks and will be a few days, not like in europe, think kleber are a budget make, am going to go for the premium makes for a few more pounds the rubber they manufacture is a lot more better.

am going for the 91 load rating not the xl as it makes the ride more firmer

Personally I'd say that's actually going to be more dangerous. As the difference in grip levels from front to back could be VERY unpredictable. I'd much rather have the front slowly wash out, than having the winter rubber on the front leaving the back to just let go!

[kalniel]

Yes, as above. If you're only going to have one axle with winters then make it the rear. Otherwise coming to an icy junction, or roundabout etc. the back of your car will try to overtake the front.. and that never ends well. But really, don't mix winter and summer.

Kleber are a good make - definitely go for their quadraxers over any summer tyres.

[eagle123]

my thinking is that its a front wheel drive car and its a diesel civic the front of the car is where you need the grip as there more weight on it than the back, i wont be driving at speed just driving more slowly, i had two winter tyres at the front before, i probably just see how it goes, if not then put the winters at the back

thanks anyway for the reply, but money is the main issue, the tyres i have seen are going for £120 + a corner

[Zak33]

eagle is right chaps... for the ability to even MOVE in snow he will need the all seasons on ther front axle.

note.. again.. all season.. not winter is my combo

Lets be honest here... I have now driven 3 different tyre combos and to have All seasons on either axle and summers on the other was fine for me and I even allowed my wife to do it for a whole year. My sister too now has that combo too. It works well and I swap the front to rear around October and March

However, I'd personally not put WINTER on one axles and summer on the other... I'm combining All season and Summer.

Kleber quadraxer are really very good. But I'd not put 200bhp or more through them. But from experience 150 ish bhp from a Saab 93 TiD 150 and a Civic 2.2 CDTi.... they're really excellent!

[kalniel]

This is a best car in the wet test really, but the 911 does so well partly because it's on winter tyres, at 13C.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...s-best-car-wet

--

eagle is right chaps... for the ability to even MOVE in snow he will need the all seasons on ther front axle.

In that instance, not moving is infinitely safer than not stopping..

[Butcher]

Personally I'd go all four the same or you're going to have "interesting" understeer / oversteer issues under braking.

I'm probably going summer tyres for this winter. My winter wheels won't fit my car any more and the cost of getting an extra set of 17 or 18" tyres / wheels is pretty eye watering frankly.

[Zak33]

Personally I'd go all four the same or you're going to have "interesting" understeer / oversteer issues under braking.

I didnt get it at all on either a Civic 2.2 07 plate or Saab 9-3 55 plate.. lots of people have the original high quality (new car fitted) tyres on the rear and on year 2 of ownership get budget summers on the front... that's similar in grip differential. Some budget "new" tyres are so appaling and no one takes that into account of grip differential.


In snow... you'll have to be canny as the drip difference was immense however, but it's the difference between moving .. or standing still, hence the option in the first place

[wasabi]

Might get some snow socks for emergencies - with the mileage I do winter tyres not worth it. Personally I use decent tyres upfront and the cheap nasty deathtrap ones that came with the car on the rear. Handles okay so far, and not slithering all over the road like when the nasties were on all 4 corners.

[Zak33]

I tried to put snow socks on once... was... easier than chains but still arse ache

[HalloweenJack]

so tyres - Nankang SV-2 205/65 x15 XL (winter)? any good?

[kalniel]

so tyres - Nankang SV-2 205/65 x15 XL (winter)? any good?

No. Unless you are running in 100% snow only.

"Don’t let price sway you – snow performance doesn’t make up for big deficits elsewhere." AE tyre review 2011

[Zak33]

Some users would disagree with AE's review

http://lovetyres.com/tyre/Nankang-SV2

the cars in question used in these reviews have some pretty un-balanced winter chassis setups, and some high powers too. BMW 330d, Mx5, Fabia VRS, Golf R20, Audi All Road 3.0 D, remapped Audi's etc

I'd be tempted to try them myself....

[kalniel]

I'd be tempted to try them myself....

That's not a great endorsement, Mr Kumho Vier

[HalloweenJack]

so

am now looking at either:

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rsh...n&typ=R-149238

or

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rsh..._tool=standard


thoughts? the naknag are reinforced which I think will give better life than the standard fit - which seem to last about a year

[kalniel]

thoughts? the naknag are reinforced which I think will give better life than the standard fit

Nope. Just means they can take a heavier car without the side walls bulging dangerously. Life is determined by tread depth and wear rate. A reinforced tyre is likely to be heavier itself, so might increase wear rates over a lighter unsprung mass.

I'd definitely go for the Avon out of those two.