Board logo

Winter Tyres
JeffHs - 12/12/10 at 03:51 PM

Just a thought..
Any comments on the sense/legality of using a a pair of space saver steel wheels with winter tyres on a tintop? I've just smashed one of my Mondeo alloys in a pothole so I'm running around on the skinny thing out of the boot until I can find a replacement. On its normal low profile tyres the Mondeo is crap in snow and ice, hence the idle musing.
I know that the Insurance Companies have just been told to act more sensibly regarding fitment of winter tyres.

StrikerChris - 12/12/10 at 04:20 PM

Ask your insurer is the only real answer,that said I had my old disco on mud terrain tyres,which were nigh on dangerous on tarmac,but were correct size and road legal so I had the view they must be ok!swapping sizes would probably be the insurance get out clause.

adithorp - 12/12/10 at 04:37 PM

Sounds like you're thinking of narrow rally style snow tyres. Not a good idea as you'll have reduced grip unless you intend to drive only on snow with the wheels spinning! Insurance won't like them either as the size and profile will not be standard. If your tyres are particularly low profile then get a set of steel wheels one size down with higher profile (look in the handbook for the various sizes used on your car).

Winter tyres are a good idea and they are in similar profile to standard. It's the compound (higher silica content) and tread pattern with more open grooves to shed snow/slush and cuts in the tread blocks to aid grip on packed snow. They have either a snowflake or mountain symbol on them and give an amazing amount more grip in snow. M+S marked tyres just have the more open tread grooves.

Getting hold of winter tyres is like looking for rocking horse droppings at the moment though.

jacko - 12/12/10 at 04:52 PM

Don't know if it's the same as my Vectra but space saver wheel/s have to be fitted to the rear only
If you get a flat on a front you have to fit a rear wheel on the front and the saver on the rear [ so says the hand book ]

Ben_Copeland - 12/12/10 at 06:20 PM

Reduced speed limit on motorway etc too

My mondeo 225/40/18 is ok in snow and ice, must be your tyres.....

slingshot2000 - 12/12/10 at 06:58 PM

quote:
Getting hold of winter tyres is like looking for rocking horse droppings at the moment though.



I happen to know that there is at least one container load arriving in the North East on Tuesday the 14th. I tried to order a pair in November, before all the snow. My intention was to have them mounted on a spare pair of wheels for my Escort van. Knowing my luck I will get them fitted this week and we will see no morew snow all winter.

Richard Quinn - 12/12/10 at 08:22 PM

Insurance companies have been slated this week for both not paying out when they hadn't been informed and, in some cases were they had been informed, increasing premiums by up to 20%. They've been slated but not necessarily changed their views so worth checking first.