So... With the onset of the Winter weather! I have decided to buy a set of Goodyear UltraGrip 8 for the van. I didn't want the hassel of changing all the Summer tyres! So I managed to buy a set of the same alloys I already have on the van from factory. Great deal as I only paid 75 quid for the lot with 5-6mm of tread on them. Is anyone else going to put a set on? I have not driven a car with Winters on! So if you have? What difference did it make? If any?

 

I have been buying up Uniroyal and Michelin 8mm tread tyres of flee-bay for months now, costing around £50 each. Some were spare tyre fitments but look like new.
I realise there is complaints about buying second hand, I bought one, tread looked great but when I received it the walls were cracked where obviously it had been sitting with a flat tyre. Seller however accepted my pictures and after getting a replacement I cut a 40mm hole in it to show I was genuine.
Yes winters coming in and we want tyres with plenty of tread so I'll be getting them fitted.

 

Brand New Goodyear UltraGrip 8 185/60R14 82T WINTER Tyres. T:Max118mph | eBay




I would never had bought tyres off Ebay in the past! But now I think! As long as they are good makes with lots of meat on them! Then why not. I have a set of UltraGrip 8 for sale on there now. I bought them for a VW Polo! But no longer have the car.

 

I don't normally bother, but the Voyagers got about 3mm all round and needing changed.
Will probably invest in a newer voyager next May/June, so will probably just put winters on this one.
I'll keep the alloys/tyres off it when I get shot, and use them on the new one next winter.

 

I live in the north of England not the north of Siberia. UK tyre companies have been lobbying GOV for decades to make us fit 'winters' and pay to have them changed twice a year. Its ludicrous to even go to the trouble of changing tyres even if you were given a set free of charge, you still have to fork out for at least a set of four steel rims. To buy them and have the expense of switching tyres twice yearly for a couple of weeks [ 5% of the year] in a year long calendar is madness. As a nation 99% of us will never get to -7˚C, and if we do it will be for a day or so at the most we rarely ever get prolonged snow and ice. If you really have to do this buy all season tyres next time you are due a set of boots.

Buy kids or the missus something nice for Christmas, almost all of us live in urban area's. The few who live in the real wilds - fair enough, most of us will never get any money' worth.

Sorry lads !

 

I used to drive on winter tires on my Mercedes and it really handles a lot better in cold/rain/snow but It would cost me a lot of €€ to buy and mount them on my 17" alloys..
I guess Im gonna drive a little more careful this winter and avoid germany when there is snow (Wintertires are mandatory in Germany when it freezes/snows)

 

Tbh... I don't think you can put a price on safety. From what I've read, winter tyres come into there own at temps below 7 degrees and I've seen videos of how much better they perform in Snow over Summer tyres. I bought 4 alloys for 75 quid so the Winter shoes will be on them and ready to put on the car next month. It's interesting to hear other points of view on this subject for sure

 

You can put a price on safety, I'm sure even the H&S mob allow a get out clause on cost to implement the measures.

Yes, winters are better than summer tyres when it's below 7 degrees, but if I drive within the limits of my summer tyres, there's no real problem.


My only reason this year would be because the tyres need changing anyway and I'll be keeping the wheels and tyres even if the car goes.


It's the wifes car as well, and she doesn't really have much experience of driving on snow so it might help her on some of the hills round this way if there's much snow.




Me? I bought myself a Frontera with M&S tyres all round and I'm hoping come March/April next year I've had some fun in it.

 

Ofcourse (most) winter tyres perform (much) better in low temperatures and snow and such, tests proof that.
Although...
there are cheap tyres on the market who will perform worse than good summer tyres even in very cold conditions.
Also there is the issue of drivers who get a false sense of security in the winter BECAUSE they ride with winter tyres. They feel they can drive as they are used to when there are freezing or snowy conditions.

I personally experienced the difference between the tyres and I also know the limitations of summer tyres and have a lot of experience in bad driving conditions, I bet I drive more safely on my summer tyres in the winter than most other drivers on their winter tyres

 

I always fit winter tyres because I do a lot of driving on un-ploughed and untreated roads, around the North Pennines and Scotland, currently I'm using I Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D which will be fitted sometime in the next week or 2. However, if I didn't I think my decisions would be based on what tyres I had fitted. For example I liked to run Cinturato P7's on my Jag which is a high quality Perelli summer, BUT, these were frighteningly bad in low temperatures and un-drivable in snow. So I always fitted winter tyres.

However, from the van point of view, not requiring such a Hi performance tyre, I'd go with a mid range all season.