Beast from the East?
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 2,054
Originally Posted by Tartiflette Fan
Perhaps hewing too close to legal exactitude, but that's not correct. You only have to have them "when weather conditions require them" i.e. snow, ice, slush. If you wanted to take a chance and none of these happened, then you would be at no risk of being sanctioned for not having them.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dark side of the Moon
Posts: 316
I have a 2nd set of wheels with winter tyres which I would normally have fitted to my car (4-wheel drive Audi) in November or early December, but since I have hardly used it over the last 9 months, and with no obvious change from working at home until March / April, I just don't see the point this winter. I just take it for a drive every 10 days or so just to keep the battery charged and stop the tyres from going square, so I can choose my weather conditions!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 836
ATNotts
That is my understanding so that is what I do, as do my staff. As we do not seem to have so many fender benders there as here I would suggest there is something in it. Note to self to check State and German driving code Sunday.
Cheers
Mr Mac
That is my understanding so that is what I do, as do my staff. As we do not seem to have so many fender benders there as here I would suggest there is something in it. Note to self to check State and German driving code Sunday.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: northofwhereiusedtobe
Posts: 1,330
Originally Posted by Mr Mac
ATNotts
I would recommend Four Season in the UK even if just the front or rear depending on drive train.
Cheers
Mr Mac
I would recommend Four Season in the UK even if just the front or rear depending on drive train.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 836
Longer ron
I think you will find you can have a pair of four season on front or rear, as long as on same axle ie two front or two rear. But you are correct in that you should not have one four season tyre with a standard tyre on the other end of it on the same axle.
Cheers
Mr Mac
I think you will find you can have a pair of four season on front or rear, as long as on same axle ie two front or two rear. But you are correct in that you should not have one four season tyre with a standard tyre on the other end of it on the same axle.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: northofwhereiusedtobe
Posts: 1,330
Goodyear.EU would seem to disagree with you Mac
It was the imbalance of grip that I was alluding to in my previous post,it just aint sensible to have different seasonal tyres on front and rear.
https://www.goodyear.eu/en_gb/consum...0four%20wheels.
You should not mix all season and summer tyres. If you are changing your tyres to all season, you should put all season tyres on all four wheels. Equally, you should not mix all season tyres with winter tyres or summer tyres with winter tyres. Always fit the same type of tyre on all four wheels.
If you mix tyres, you will create an imbalance in grip and traction which will increase the chances of you losing control of your vehicle. Cars rely on all four tyres evenly, regardless of whether your car is rear wheel drive or front wheel drive and as such the same tyre should be fitted on all four wheels.
If you mix tyres, you will create an imbalance in grip and traction which will increase the chances of you losing control of your vehicle. Cars rely on all four tyres evenly, regardless of whether your car is rear wheel drive or front wheel drive and as such the same tyre should be fitted on all four wheels.
https://www.goodyear.eu/en_gb/consum...0four%20wheels.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Southwold
Age: 68
Posts: 58
Many decades ago I used to rally a Riley 1.5, effectively a Morris 1000 with a twin carb 1500 engine. The only modification was 5.5J wheels and Goodyear G800's. Spent most of the time travelling sideways on snow.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 82
Posts: 48
Had an early Saab with too much understeer for my taste, so I fitted Michelins at the front only. It sure fixed the understeer - to the extent that the car became inherently unstable/oversteery. That was legal at the time, you just shouldn't mix radial with cross ply. I would be less worried about fitting the grippier tyres at the rear (for RWD), because that increases understeer/stability.
However, even on summer tyres a couple of years ago, I was the only car to make it up to the skiers car park (NOT for skiing, for a winter climb).
However, even on summer tyres a couple of years ago, I was the only car to make it up to the skiers car park (NOT for skiing, for a winter climb).
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 836
Longer ron
Interesting. Kwik Fit fitted two four season (Pirelli) on my front wheels on my V90 CC in Nov with out any comment like that. My rear ones were changed yesterday. My wife is awaiting four 21in four seasons arriving next week so when I am down getting them changed I will ask why they did not mention this. I can not believe Pirelli are different to Goodyear in that respect. As I say I will get back to you with their response.
Cheers
Mr mAC
Interesting. Kwik Fit fitted two four season (Pirelli) on my front wheels on my V90 CC in Nov with out any comment like that. My rear ones were changed yesterday. My wife is awaiting four 21in four seasons arriving next week so when I am down getting them changed I will ask why they did not mention this. I can not believe Pirelli are different to Goodyear in that respect. As I say I will get back to you with their response.
Cheers
Mr mAC
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: northofwhereiusedtobe
Posts: 1,330
Talking of winter driving - I was out in some really icy conditions yesterday,sometimes down to 20mph,I actually had a play with what is laughably called 'Sport Mode' (manual mode) on our 2008 Sportage crdi (first time I had played with it),I used it not so much to restrict road speed but to keep the engine RPM a little higher (in full auto the old sporty would have just been idling along).Since much of the ice was 'Black Ice' I do not think that winter/all season tyres would have helped much,most drivers were driving sensibly - a BMW coming the other way lost it briefly (RWD) but fortunately regained control just before he passed me.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 836
longer ron
I think one of the skills in winter driving is actually planning your route as much as the car / tyres or skill. Around here any North South routing involves innumerable steep climbs and or descents depending on on how far you have to travel. I find it is more sensible (in Yorkshire) to head East a little and come back up the valley you want to be in. Unfortunately many people are pre programmed it would seem, to take the same route to work or school regardless of conditions. Indeed we have a lane dropping down close to our house which is about 1in 3 for about 1/4 mile dropping from around 1100ft which is notorious locally for cars getting stuck and or crashing. Indeed the people who's land and walls abut this road spent £6500 on Drystone wall repairs last year due to damage caused by these shunts, many of which were unreported so they could not get any reimbursement from insurer's.
Cheers
Mr Mac
I think one of the skills in winter driving is actually planning your route as much as the car / tyres or skill. Around here any North South routing involves innumerable steep climbs and or descents depending on on how far you have to travel. I find it is more sensible (in Yorkshire) to head East a little and come back up the valley you want to be in. Unfortunately many people are pre programmed it would seem, to take the same route to work or school regardless of conditions. Indeed we have a lane dropping down close to our house which is about 1in 3 for about 1/4 mile dropping from around 1100ft which is notorious locally for cars getting stuck and or crashing. Indeed the people who's land and walls abut this road spent £6500 on Drystone wall repairs last year due to damage caused by these shunts, many of which were unreported so they could not get any reimbursement from insurer's.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Last edited by Mr Mac; 3rd Jan 2021 at 11:00.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 12,981
Originally Posted by Mr Mac
Longer ron
Interesting. Kwik Fit fitted two four season (Pirelli) on my front wheels on my V90 CC in Nov with out any comment like that. My rear ones were changed yesterday. My wife is awaiting four 21in four seasons arriving next week so when I am down getting them changed I will ask why they did not mention this. I can not believe Pirelli are different to Goodyear in that respect. As I say I will get back to you with their response.
Cheers
Mr mAC
Interesting. Kwik Fit fitted two four season (Pirelli) on my front wheels on my V90 CC in Nov with out any comment like that. My rear ones were changed yesterday. My wife is awaiting four 21in four seasons arriving next week so when I am down getting them changed I will ask why they did not mention this. I can not believe Pirelli are different to Goodyear in that respect. As I say I will get back to you with their response.
Cheers
Mr mAC
The U.K. law disallows radials on the front with crossplies on the near. Nothing else is laid down in law, apart from minimum tread depth, although for reasons already stated in previous posts it is recommended to fit similarly performing tyres front and rear. It’s worth bearing in mind that the only deciding factor on what constitutes a winter tyre is what is designated by the manufacturer. An old or worn winter tyre may perform less well in winter conditions than a good “summer” tyre.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 56
Posts: 7,382
Originally Posted by WB627
Sun's out time to give the gars their 15 minute fortnightly drive 
. My 30 minutes of escape from self imposed exile.
. My 30 minutes of escape from self imposed exile.Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: northofwhereiusedtobe
Posts: 1,330
Yeah - advice from tyre fitters/suppliers can be very very variable and one just has to use common sense.
I remember some years ago that I took one of my cars into the local tyre supplier for MOT and they failed it for one of the rear tyres being worn out,I knew that was not the case and that in fact it actually had more than the required tread depth over the whole tyre.But the manager was adamant that they would not pass the MOT without fitting a new tyre,I thought about it for a few mins and decided in the end that it was just easier to pay for the tyre and get 12 months ticket.
But the smirk on the MOT'er and Managers face meant that I never ever went back there for either MOT or tyres,I had been a regular customer as I liked to 'shop' local.
Quite coincidentally I was whinging about it at work and one of our other techies said to me - why don't you take your cars to my Dad's place - just out of 'The Compasses' Gate from the airfield - his Dad ran an electric vehicle workshop and they had branched out to become an MOT station - and very fair they were too
I remember some years ago that I took one of my cars into the local tyre supplier for MOT and they failed it for one of the rear tyres being worn out,I knew that was not the case and that in fact it actually had more than the required tread depth over the whole tyre.But the manager was adamant that they would not pass the MOT without fitting a new tyre,I thought about it for a few mins and decided in the end that it was just easier to pay for the tyre and get 12 months ticket.
But the smirk on the MOT'er and Managers face meant that I never ever went back there for either MOT or tyres,I had been a regular customer as I liked to 'shop' local.
Quite coincidentally I was whinging about it at work and one of our other techies said to me - why don't you take your cars to my Dad's place - just out of 'The Compasses' Gate from the airfield - his Dad ran an electric vehicle workshop and they had branched out to become an MOT station - and very fair they were too
Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: 03 ACE
Age: 69
Posts: 956
"But you need a rear window wiper when it's snowing!"
Us Galashiels Sheep Farming lot were hard, like our Rugby Players D Type !
Just stuck the heid out the window :-)
El G.
Us Galashiels Sheep Farming lot were hard, like our Rugby Players D Type !
Just stuck the heid out the window :-)
El G.
Last edited by El Grifo; 3rd Jan 2021 at 13:41.
