The Dark Knight Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 As the title suggests, we have heavy snow here and a first real test of the tyres in the morning. The met office app on my phone suggests heavy snow until 1am followed by light snow then frost. It was raining heavily but that turned to snow and after just 30 minutes, we have this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yunii Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Which area is this? Yunii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Near Alfreton in Derbyshire. Took this one about half an hour ago: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/de55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Side streets are grim here with plenty of abandoned cars due to the snow and ice. No such problem for me though. Winter tyres are worth every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yunii Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Funilly after your reply looked out of window & street was covered .that was last night. My focus Titanium is stuck but safe in garage but our fiesta was outside so moved it to a safer area as folk go flying pass & always clipping cars . I live in a steep hill & theirs a bend where people misjudge going to fast.soz no pics. Its a little clear this morning. Yunii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/65292-fiesta-st-on-winter-tyres-in-snow/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenST13 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Snow socks for me a lot cheaper than winter tyres which I don't think we really need in this country imho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 If they were just snow tyres you would have a point but as I have said so many times before, if the temps drop below +7C which they do quite often (except that hideous mild winter last time) winter tyres are superior to normal summer tyres. Rain at +4C for example and you are better off on winter tyres. Plus, while you have them fitted you aren't wearing out your normal tyres and vice versa. Snow socks are ok on snow but are a faff to fit and have to be removed once the roads clear or they will be shredded. I would also like to see evidence that snow socks could outperform my winter tyres on snow that I evidenced in those videos I posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianb Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I'm jelly... Sent via carrier pigeon using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenST13 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Don't get me wrong I do agree dark knight winter tyres do have benefits. But snow socks perform just as good and in my experience better than winter tyres on snow and ice. I just can't merit paying nearly double for a set of them compared to normal tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 I can certainly see your logic there as they do offer a cost effective option of getting out of trouble. I can also see how they would perform better than some winter tyres. I went for the market leading winter tyre from Continental and the reason I would suggest that a snow sock wouldn't have been as good as my winter tyres in the cirumstances I encountered is really down to the ice. In normal snow I can see why they would be as good having seen videos online. I encountered hard ice under the snow and it was rather crunchy in places shall we say. This would have had the potential to cause heavy wear on the snow socks and possibly shred them. I thought this made interesting viewing re snow socks: P.S, I paid £360 for a full set of winter tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenST13 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I agree they seem a nightmare on rear drive cars but I've always had front drive cars so not had that problem. I always put full lock on left to right to get them over the top then there on. They really are great for traction and will say they have always got me home when called upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Any pics of the heavy snow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Jamie, I will post some pics below but if you haven't already followed my link above to the other forum topic, then its worth a look as it shows the winter tyre performance via my dashcam. The snow started settling within 10 mins of changing from rain to snow. I thought it would be too wet to settle but it wasn't. The side roads are just awful still and cars skidding everywhere and -5C forecast tonight before the big melt on New Years Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Quite a bit in a short time, seen a lot worse. Still don't see the point in winter tyres (unless you have a spare set of wheels with them on, and do a lot of mileage). I'm confident enough to drive in all weather's. It's the muppets who can't drive whatever the conditions you have to look out for. And if you don't need to go out, stay at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianb Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Tbf, if you watch any of the videos regarding snow tyres (and I'm talking professional videos) you will quickly see the point in winter tyres/snow tyres... You mention other muppets, well with snow tyres all of a sudden your braking distances are minimal when compared to summer tyres.. Of course you want a spare set of wheels, no one wants to be de-tyring a set of wheels every winter... Regardless of how good you are or confident you are, there are very real limitations on how successful you'll be with standard tyres in snow! - unless of course you're carrying a large amount of grit/salt or warm pee... I personally do not own winter tyres as: A) I can't afford them now B) My new location is more likely to get gold dust falling from the sky let alone snow! However with snow like the above, which, granted, is not polar ice cap kind of stuff, id happily have a set of winter tyres purely for peace of mind... Sent via carrier pigeon using Ford OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 It was the element of surprise with this snowfall more than anything. I've driven in much worse snow such as the winter of 2010 when I had the Land Rover. The met office said they could not call where the snow was going to end up falling exactly. Once into Boxing Day itself, the forecast firmed up and the rain turned to snow and now ice is the big problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Tbf, if you watch any of the videos regarding snow tyres (and I'm talking professional videos) you will quickly see the point in winter tyres/snow tyres... You mention other muppets, well with snow tyres all of a sudden your braking distances are minimal when compared to summer tyres.. Of course you want a spare set of wheels, no one wants to be de-tyring a set of wheels every winter... Regardless of how good you are or confident you are, there are very real limitations on how successful you'll be with standard tyres in snow! - unless of course you're carrying a large amount of grit/salt or warm pee... I personally do not own winter tyres as: A) I can't afford them now B) My new location is more likely to get gold dust falling from the sky let alone snow! However with snow like the above, which, granted, is not polar ice cap kind of stuff, id happily have a set of winter tyres purely for peace of mind... Sent via carrier pigeon using Ford OC If your driving correctly and keeping the correct braking distances, and driving to the conditions. Then why would you need winter tyres. Yes they are good and practical if you can afford them, and have somewhere to store your other wheels. When I started driving, we never knew about winter tyres and had a lot worse winters. My first cars were mk3 escort, mk2 orion, mk2 astra's etc etc. Drove them all year round on summer tyres and never had any problems. For the last 10 years I've driven a 3.5 ton sprinter. Just normal van tyres, all over the North East, on and off road. And all sorts of road. Again (touch wood) no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Yes, I see the benefits. But there not for everyone. I've seen people buy 4x4's because there might be snow! And they can't drive for toffee. Then drive like idiots in bad weather. And get into bother. Some people will do the same with winter tyres......some people need to learn how to drive in bad weather or stay at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianb Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 JC600, The reasons for needing them are; for one, precisely in your first post "other muppets" Braking distances are fine as long as someone waiting to come out of a junction doesn't assume that long distance you've left to brake in is room enough for them to sneak in. Hills are another factor. Doesn't matter what your clutch, accelerator etc control is like... If you reach a hill that your car 'ain't gonna go up' then it clearly 'ain't gonna go up' a la winter tyres... Perhaps you're a 'seasoned driver' (I mean that with respect) but you yourself would have seen the increase in vehicles on the road... Brings me back to the first part... Other people... Yes you're correct about people's buying habits... Market a towel well enough and someone will buy it as a snow repellant cloak.. However as you clearly mentioned you can see the point in snow tyres, so you can see how they can aid someone who knows what they're doing (or more of what they're doing).. I don't think many will claim they'll make you invincible to the hazards of snow driving, but if you observe good steering/acceleration and indeed braking distances (and have more spare pennies that ourselves.. Or at least me!) then snow tyres in snowy weather can only be an asset.. Sent via carrier pigeon using Ford OC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Still won't stop someone ploughing into the back of you though. Still think, if you don't need to be somewhere stay at home. I just can't justify the price, not buying them for the works van as it's a company vehicle. And don't drive enough miles in the car. Like I said if you drive enough miles, and can justify the price. That's fair enough. But the mild winters we've been having, you just wouldn't need them. And you can't just keep them in the shed year after year as tyres have a storage life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Last winter was so mild that I would say it was to mild what 62/63 was to cold. We had more frosts by mid December than we had all last winter. The Diablo winter as I call it. Obviously there are many factors involved in UK weather but the solar maximum occurred last winter but it was a very low maximum compared to previous one's. There will now be a gradual decline in activity to the solar minimum in 2019. Many scientists are suggesting that the sun could be heading towards another maunder minimum type event. This led to many years of very cold winters a few hundred years ago and frost fairs on the Thames as the river froze. I like cold winters and snow even if I didn't have a car and took the bus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 If we start getting winters like that, I'll get another Landie lol :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dark Knight Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Indeed. I had to make cutbacks but the Land Rover I had was just superb in snow. I had a 2011 Freelander 2 XS Auto. Lots of toys on it and terrain response for snow and ice. I also had winter tyres for it which were not really necessary for traction but a 2 tonne Land Rover takes longer to stop should braking be required and I worked for Peak 4x4 Response back then. I went out onto untreated country lanes in snow and ice to help nurses get to elderly patients who needed care and medication so the winter tyres added to the qualities of the vehicle. I even had a proper tow rope (for professional usage) and towed a stranded Beemer to the nearest petrol station/shop and the owner opted to stay over at the nearby hotel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC600 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I had a Freelander 1 (facelift) 2.0 td4 manual. Had a 2" body lift, 2" tyre lift, mod wheels, mantec guards, rock sliders etc. BFG AT tyres etc.....was awesome. Had for over 3 years, used it for green laning. Was great in the snow, mud, wet etc Only got stuck when I bellied out lol.....had to dig it out, put waffle boards underneath and drive away. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Ford UK Shop
Sponsored Ad
Name: eBay
Ford Model: FordUK Shop
Ford Year: 2024
Latest Deals
Ford UK Shop for genuine Ford parts & accessoriesDisclaimer: As the club is an eBay Partner, The club may be compensated if you make a purchase via the club
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.