68vitesse Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 The time has come to get a new set of tyres for my MK1 Vitesse. I was wondering if winter tyres where a better option for all year use as they have a softer compound with more natural rubber. My brakes are fine and I can lock the wheels if I push hard enough. My thought being that they have greater friction with the road surface and therefore should improve stopping distance. Or am I looking at this completely wrong, the Vitesse is driven all year out in it yesterday roof down about five degrees. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 quick search shows lots of reasons/reviews why they are better below 7c but didnt see much to advise about in the warm and dry summer I guess the name says it all winter /mud & snow Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 What about all season tyres? Vredestrain and uniroyal are just 2. But in general, a GOOD tyre will perform well in the vast majority of conditions, snow and ice being the exceptions. I am thinking of goodyear efficientgrip performance, the new dunlops or uniroyals for my car at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 "Winter" tyres perform superbly in the snow and ice and wet winter roads. Grip on dry cold roads is also superb, and in the winter, even the cheapest winter tyre will outperform the most expensive "summer" tyre under most normal driving conditions. "Winter" tyres can be used in the summer without any particular issues, as long as you are prepared to accept a higher than normal wear rate, and don't expect them to maintain high grip levels when driving the car at the extremes. I run winter tyres on my daily driver, and sometimes keep them on through the summer - in the winter thy only work properly on snow covered roads when they have at least 4mm of tread remaining, so if I have a set that are down to 4mm at the end of the winter, I keep them on through the summer so I don't waste the last 2.4mm of tread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Crewes Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 I agree with Kevin. We fitted winter tyres to our 2000 rally car and I couldn't believe the diffrence in grip. In the summer they will wear out faster. Many European countries require cars to use winter tyres by law and most owners have two sets of wheels, one with winter tyres (usually steel) and one with summer tyres (often alloys). After the initial outlay, the wear rate will be the same and overall (both sets) you will get the same combined wear rate (if that makes sense). Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Winter Tyres are great. But a word of warning, apprently some insurers now count them as a modification and may increase your premium. Really daft as they decrease the chnaces of having an accident so ought to in theory reduce the premium but that's the crazy world of insurance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Up to 20% increase in premium with some insurers!!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11969958 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Crewes Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Andy Whilst I do not seach to argue with you, who knows the insurers minds? In 2012 we left the road on LEJOG and smashed up the car on all weather tyres, in 2013 we didn't and we were on winter tyres! Worthwhile modification in my book that is a safety feature!!! Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I know Mike, it's crazy. Insurers really ought to be encouraging the fitment of winter tyres as it reduces their risk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Andy, The BBC story is an old story. The insurance companies concerned got such a slating when the story broke, I think they changed their position - it was born out of ignorance at the call centres, where the call centre monkeys didn't know how to handle the calls about tyre changes and just assumed it was a modification. I have used winter tyres on my cars for the last 20 years, and I have only once told them, and that was when I couldn't get V rated winter tyres in the right size - that was about 19 years ago and they were cool about it back then. The way I view it now, and would argue it via the ombudsman if required is that I don't have to tell them when I change my "all year" tyres from one brand to another, or whether I use budget ditch finders or premium super doper ones, that all meet the original car manufacturers specification - a wide range of tyres with different tread patterns and rubber compounds - then I also don't need to tell them when I fit tyres with a cold temperature optimised rubber compound and snow/ice/slush grip optimised tread pattern "winter tyres", or high temperature optimised rubber compound and minimal tread pattern "Summer tyres", so long as the basic specification (size & speed rating) matches or exceeds that specified by the car manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s.leah Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I just find it insane that anyone would consider having to tell the insurance company that they have changed tyres, winter or otherwise??? Where the heck did that notion come from in the first place I wonder? Following that logic, and referencing my issue with the club supplied wiper blades, I should have informed my insurance that I changed wiper blades to a different type, and when I refitted the Bosch, that I changed them to a set that exceeds the manufacturers specification. I challenge anyone to say how my wiper blade example is any different to tyres! I bet you can't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Been interesting reading the comments, will get a set of normal tyres, not winter, in the new year. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Sometimes the insurers get twitchy because you have fotted your winter tyres to steel wheels to protect your nice alloys from the road salt. Is that a modification? I suppose so if taken looking at it with no knowledge. I suspect they would use any excuse to try to avoid paying out if given the opportunity. Cheers Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I suspect they would use any excuse to try to avoid paying out if given the opportunity. Ain't that the truth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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