[quattrogmbh]

Again had trouble today, even with the lightest covering of snow, traction up any kind of untreated slope is next to impossible with the auto box.

How much difference will snow tyres make - is it night and day?

Would appreciate advice from those who use them.

Thanks

[jpsum]

Originally Posted by quattrogmbh

Again had trouble today, even with the lightest covering of snow, traction up any kind of untreated slope is next to impossible with the auto box.

How much difference will snow tyres make - is it night and day?

Would appreciate advice from those who use them.

Thanks

yes

[Czech335]

I have them on all my cars in Czech but never bothered in the uk. It makes a huge difference.

[anglaslt]

Originally Posted by quattrogmbh

How much difference will snow tyres make - is it night and day?

Winter tyres make a huge difference but make sure they are suitable for a car. Tyres marked M&S (mud & snow) may not be a winter compound tyre and are more suitable for a 4x4.
Look for something like Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme.

[wesborl898]

I currently have blizzak lm60 for mostly U.S. Northeast weather.
Its been great to me so far. I drove to vermont where it snowed 6 inches every night. drove out NO PROBLEM without shoveling or slipping. Stop and go is effortless!

This is all at temperatures below 0*F

[the_rangdo]

I'll let you know later today

Dropped my car off an hour ago to have Wintrac Extremes fitted to a set of 205/55/16's - not pretty compared to my 225/255 combo but frankly I don't care, completing a journey is more important to me.

So hopefully in the next couple of hours I can let you know, the garage is at the bottom of a valley accessed by a nice old cobbled road and we live at the top of a hill that many are struggling with.

That's 2 good tests

[rogerxp]

Interested to know what sort of costs are associated here. I presume you've bought a spare set of wheel as well as the tyres. My inlaws live in Littleborough (next to Rochdale for those not local) & we had to be rescued by the father-in-laws Freelander on New Years Day.

[the_rangdo]

Sounds familiar, Rochdale keep talking about how many tons of grit they have but very little seems to find its way to the roads.

I got the wheels from eBay back in Aug/Sep, about £150-ish. Tyres were £440 inc fitting, smaller than my summer Vreds which were about £460.

I view it as a one-off initial hit, my summer tyres will last that bit longer as they're not getting used, just need to get a jack then I can change whenever I see fit

[flyfs6]

They make a big difference to cold weather grip even when it's not snowing. Had a set of pirellis fitted to our rangie in Moscow and even on that car it made a massive difference compared to all season tyres.

[Hedges]

Yes

[alexandru_83]

It makes a huge difference

[quattrogmbh]

£1800 from the dealer on 17" runflat pirelli's. Funnily enough, service dept suggest snow tyres will make little difference :-)

Probably not the cheapest approach, but surely the easiest.

Time to jump ship for an S4 / RS4 or something else 4x4???

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by quattrogmbh

£1800 from the dealer on 17" runflat pirelli's. Funnily enough, service dept suggest snow tyres will make little difference :-)

Probably not the cheapest approach, but surely the easiest.

Time to jump ship for an S4 / RS4 or something else 4x4???

You're just being lazy, and quick to condemn the 3er for not being driveable in wintry conditions when in fact it's the setup of the car by the driver that isn't suitable... I've seen Audi Quattros stranded at the roadside as well, because of the tyres they're on, not the fact it's 2WD or 4WD. A friend of mine crashed his X5 because when he tried to drive off from being parked on a steepish hill, he had no grip and ended up sliding back into the car behind. I drove up the same hill in my own car, rear wheel drive, wide 19' wheels and all that with no problems whatsoever... because I was on winter tyres.

It amazes me how people are so quick to condemn the machine, when it should really be their own intelligence, or lack of in some cases, that should be condemned....


8J x 17" alloys, replica (who cares, they're only used in bad winter conditions) - £350

225/45/17 Vredestein Wintrac Extreme 94H XL - £126 each



Total - £854 + fitting

[quattrogmbh]

I'm all for the easy life when it comes to motoring. I want something which is going to get me from A to B even with a light dusting of snow and not leave me stranded somewhere.

BMW service suggested that the winter tyres would make little difference. While I don't entirely trust their opinion, I'm not willing to be £1800 or even £800 lighter in the pocket and not experience a substantive improvement in traction.

I've owned a fair few quattro's before (Username may have given that away) and have never had issues with traction, even with standard tyres. Plenty of problems with leaky rear diffs, but nothing which left me stranded.

Don't get me wrong, I adore the 335d, but In these weather conditions, I'm losing confidence.

[garysargent]

I have Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tyres on order, 255/30R19 rear and 225/35R19 front to replace the existing ones on the M-Sport 19-inch alloys. I'll save the tyres to swap back on later. I guess seperate alloys might be easier but it isn't a huge amount to swap them over.

Total cost for the four tyres is £937, I guess fitting will push this to 1k.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by quattrogmbh

I'm all for the easy life when it comes to motoring. I want something which is going to get me from A to B even with a light dusting of snow and not leave me stranded somewhere.

BMW service suggested that the winter tyres would make little difference. While I don't entirely trust their opinion, I'm not willing to be £1800 or even £800 lighter in the pocket and not experience a substantive improvement in traction.

I've owned a fair few quattro's before (Username may have given that away) and have never had issues with traction, even with standard tyres. Plenty of problems with leaky rear diffs, but nothing which left me stranded.

Don't get me wrong, I adore the 335d, but In these weather conditions, I'm losing confidence.

There are MANY people who have spoken about the VAST improvement in traction that going to winter tyres give. And they all speak from their own EXPERIENCE.

I've used winter tyres for three winters now, on the 335i and on a E46 330i before that, in the harshest conditions in the Czech Republic countryside where my brother lives, northern Germany and elsewhere. Basically, far worse conditions than anywhere here in the UK. Not ONCE have I been stuck or stranded. Not ONCE have I thought, good God I can't get home or I can't go on the road. AND I'm using 19" wheels... my brother uses 18" winters on his Alpina, and he lives in the Czech Republic full-time. He's never had a problem either.

[JamboChris]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

There are MANY people who have spoken about the VAST improvement in traction that going to winter tyres give. And they all speak from their own EXPERIENCE.

I have to agree with this.

I've also been running with Winter tyres for the last three seasons. 17" Run flat Blizzaks from sometime in November to sometime the following March and I've never been stuck. Remember, it's not just in snow but in temperatures below 7 degrees when they are beneficial, as they have a different rubber compound.

Just been out today for a wee drive to the Ardennes, round the small roads near Spa and Francorchamps. Temps of -10 and snow on the side roads, never once were we worried.

Go on, get some Winter tyres and enjoy your car all year round.

[the_rangdo]

Well it's been a mini-saga, won't bore you with all the details but it got to the point I couldn't shift the car from where it was parked to the ramp in the garage, completely bogged down. Sole lad left in the garage, pushing didn't work, in the end found some old bits of wood to put under the wheels and eventually coaxed her onto the ramp after 40 mins. Then the wheels were stuck fast, only 5 months since I had Ultracs fitted yet the wheels were seized solid. The boss had arrived by this point to help out, two of them hammering and tugging away to release the wheels.

However, with the Wintracs on I reversed out and set off up the hill like it was a warm sunny day. Went a route I couldn't have done before to get home up a steep hill; no worries. Tried kicking down hard a couple of times, got the traction light to blink once or twice but no hassles. Hard acceleration out of junctions, no wheel spin again apart from a quick blink of the light.

Stopped hard a couple of times, there was a bit of slippage similar to stopping on a gravel driveway but nothing to worry about at all.

Got to our home, straight up the hill without batting an eyelid.

So night and day doesn't really do the difference justice. Above all they inspire confidence and that to me is priceless

[Carrera RSR]

I've lived in ski resorts and never had a problem with winter tyres on or chains with summer tyres before fitting the winters.

Why do you think its law in Scandinavia and some Euro countries to fit winter tyres on from late November. They work. Softer compound which work below 4 degrees and tread paterns to dig into the snow and ice. If your running stock RFT's in these recent conditions you can expect problems.

[F104]

My last 300mls experience: Wow! Day and night difference. I'm currently on Falken 439 M+S 225/55/16 tyres all round (had 16" BBS rims with 34 offset from my E46 nobody wanted.. Doesn't look bad at all though and has 1/4" clearance with front calipers). Performance in snow/sleet is amazing compared to 18" M-sport RFT Bridgestones. I have a short 10-15 degree slope going up to my garage. On summer tyres I sometimes manage if i can accelerate from my across the road's neighbour's (free) drive way. On these i just go up without the wheelspin indicator coming on.
225/55 is one size up from std recommended tyres. It ought to be 225/50. I took these since they were cheap (€340 thru internet for the 4, ok free fitting and balancing for me) and wanted to be sure i could go up one size more (fills the wheel arches better and get more suspension in the tyres) on the more expensive summer tyres too.

[ed335d]

Just had the first opportunity to have a wee spin (not literally) in the snow with the Vred Wintracs on.

What a difference they make, loads more grip than standard tyres and (IMO) well worth the outlay.

[MEGA]

God if I could get a cheap set of 17s I'd do this.. But dont want to pay £300 + for shitter wheels! And then £700 for the tyres :\

Tough call...

Do you think a 7.5J 225/45/17 setup is the best?