So who's preparing for winter this year?

snowdog · 28 Sep 2011 at 00:59

I'm prepared, I've got 2 Viking on the back with about 1mm of thread

. Nah just changing my rears to sportracs 3 like the front. That's how far my winter prep will go I think.
I've managed with ''arrowspeed'' front and Vikings on the rear past winter, car has nothing like ESP or any other TC either... Just adjust driving style...

Mickie · 28 Sep 2011 at 02:39

ive picked the steel wheels up, 195 65 15 tyres on atm, will only be buying 2 snow tyres for the front, dont need any for the back, i was fine last yr with fronts only..

snow seems to last 2 month round here

Mud · 28 Sep 2011 at 07:10

Mickie said:
ive picked the steel wheels up, 195 65 15 tyres on atm, will only be buying 2 snow tyres for the front, dont need any for the back, i was fine last yr with fronts only..

snow seems to last 2 month round here

Isn't this the opposite of conventional wisdom? I.e., you don't want the back of the car overtaking the front...?

mjt · 28 Sep 2011 at 08:55

Mickie said:
ive picked the steel wheels up, 195 65 15 tyres on atm, will only be buying 2 snow tyres for the front, dont need any for the back, i was fine last yr with fronts only..

snow seems to last 2 month round here

You sir, are an ass.

lordrobs · 28 Sep 2011 at 09:03

Mickie said:
ive picked the steel wheels up, 195 65 15 tyres on atm, will only be buying 2 snow tyres for the front, dont need any for the back, i was fine last yr with fronts only..

snow seems to last 2 month round here

Say whaaaat?

Fronts only will get you moving, probably help you stop a fair bit better and make your car like a pendulum round bends!

Overlag · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:21

Mud said:
Isn't this the opposite of conventional wisdom? I.e., you don't want the back of the car overtaking the front...?

if he puts the tyres on the rear he wont even get moving

Irish_Tom · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:27

I think the clear conclusion to draw is that if you're going to bother changing two wheels for winter tyres, it makes more sense than not to do all four.

acemastr · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:34

bit of anti freeze, that's as far as my winter prep goes...

If we had 6" of snow for 4 months of the year I'd fit winter tyres, but we don't....ever....

pastymuncher · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:34

I can't make my mind up what to do. I got my 1.6 SXI Twinport Astra G at the end of march and it came with a pair of Vredestein Wintrac Extremes on the front and a pair of cheap and nasty mis-matched tyres on the back. I have driven it in the little bit of snow we had at the end of March but that was nothing like we had in November-January.

The rears need replacing whatever i do. The original plan was to get a full set of Falken 452's of which i can get a full set for the same price as a pair of winter tyres. The Vredestein's on the front are almost new by the look of them but they are horrible in the dry. I have absolutley no faith in the front end. I could get a pair of winter tyres that do have decent handling, stick them on the front and stick the current fronts on the rear. Would anyone suggest this and recommend a pair of decent handling winter tyres for the front or would i be ok to just go for the Falkens? My previous car, a Focus 1.8Tddi, had Pirelli P6000's all round and i never had any problems in the snow/ wet despite them not exactly being the best of tyres.

Tyre size is 205/50 R16 by the way.

lordrobs · 28 Sep 2011 at 10:57

Well as far as I see it your options are to fit a matching pair of winter tyres in addition to your current ones or to change the whole lot.

FWIW I found Falken FK-452's to be the worst tyre I've ever used in ice and snow.

DRZ · 28 Sep 2011 at 11:03

Why FK452s?

I had FK452s on my Mk5 Golf (2.0TDI with a remap). They were OK, as much grip as I needed in the dry and 'average' in the wet but I coped just fine in the snow. Getting out the car park was easy.

IMO, for that kind of car you will be fine with a tyre with an appropriate tread pattern until you get to mega snow.

alchemistkevin · 28 Sep 2011 at 11:35

DRZ said:
Why FK452s?

I had FK452s on my Mk5 Golf (2.0TDI with a remap). They were OK, as much grip as I needed in the dry and 'average' in the wet but I coped just fine in the snow. Getting out the car park was easy.

IMO, for that kind of car you will be fine with a tyre with an appropriate tread pattern until you get to mega snow.

+1 for FS452's on my car. super grip and adequate (more than what my bridgestone's offered) in the wet.

mjt · 28 Sep 2011 at 13:35

All summer tyres will be crap in snow.

pastymuncher · 28 Sep 2011 at 13:35

I am looking at Falken 452's because they seem to be the most recommended tyres on the Astra owners club. Reasonably priced as well.

lordrobs · 28 Sep 2011 at 14:00

pastymuncher said:
I am looking at Falken 452's because they seem to be the most recommended tyres on the Astra owners club. Reasonably priced as well.

They are decent tyres which is why after owning my car for over four years they are the only tyre that I've ever bought for it. When I first got it it had a fairly new set of Bridgestone Potenza SA-04 (I think) and swapping to the Falkens didn't feel like a downgrade to my layman's driving ability.

Maybe it is just my car in general that is rubbish in the ice but at times I was going no where on icy inclines while other cars seemed to get traction much easier.

Vince · 28 Sep 2011 at 14:07

My preps done, garage is cleared and ready for the car. Will use the Corsa C for the winter with its curent tyres, continential premium contact (I think) and be done with it. I will then start my toy car up once a week if only to hear the awesomeness of the engine.

And if it snows I will probably take it out of the garage just to do some doughnuts tbh.

The Mad Rapper · 28 Sep 2011 at 14:41

NathWraith said:
Nice insult.

No. A statement of fact. One which I would have been happy to explain had I been given the opportunity before I was suspended.

Liverpool-Lad · 28 Sep 2011 at 19:28

lordrobs said:
They are decent tyres which is why after owning my car for over four years they are the only tyre that I've ever bought for it. When I first got it it had a fairly new set of Bridgestone Potenza SA-04 (I think) and swapping to the Falkens didn't feel like a downgrade to my layman's driving ability.

Maybe it is just my car in general that is rubbish in the ice but at times I was going no where on icy inclines while other cars seemed to get traction much easier.

Mine sucked too using 225/45/17 Eagle Assymetrics.

sloth · 28 Sep 2011 at 21:52

pastymuncher said:
I am looking at Falken 452's because they seem to be the most recommended tyres on the Astra owners club. Reasonably priced as well.

Just to add to previous comments, I went with Falken 452's on my current car after reading lots of raving forum posts and regretted it very quickly. Worse than what they replaced in the dry, and below average in the wet. As expected, they were atrocious in the snow and ice.

My advice: pay £20-30 more a tyre and buy something decent. (~£30 more per tyre for Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's over Falken 452 in 225/40/18)

mjt · 28 Sep 2011 at 21:58

sloth said:
Just to add to previous comments, I went with Falken 452's on my current car after reading lots of raving forum posts and regretted it very quickly. Worse than what they replaced in the dry, and below average in the wet. As expected, they were atrocious in the snow and ice.

My advice: pay £20-30 more a tyre and buy something decent. (~£30 more per tyre for Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's over Falken 452 in 225/40/18)

Shock as cheap tyres are rubbish!

What did they replace out of interest?