MK5 Golf GTI

General => Random Chat => Topic started by: rdfcpete on October 12, 2012, 12:34:40 am

Title: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rdfcpete on October 12, 2012, 12:34:40 am
So, my Nankang SV2s arrived today. Pretty excited  :party:

The question is, when is the definitive time to fit them?

Do you check the weather forecast weekly, or go for a set date in stone each year to catch the almost sure snow filled and icy spells?
Is that End of October, middle of November, end of November, in December, or not until January?  :chicken:

The turnaround time on getting tyres fitted is pretty flexible and probably 48 hours at most for me, so do I just wait for the rumour mill to quote "t'colds a coomin'?"

Thanks.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: sub39h on October 12, 2012, 12:46:56 am
Iirc the advice is when it's below 10 degrees?

Edit: Kwik fit says 7 deg.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: andrewparker on October 12, 2012, 07:10:15 am
For me it's when the temperature struggles to get above 5-6°C.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: stealthwolf on October 12, 2012, 07:16:58 am
When temps are below 7*C - that's when they start to excel where summer tyres don't.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Tfsi_Mike on October 12, 2012, 07:45:47 am
When temps are below 7*C - that's when they start to excel where summer tyres don't.

 :happy2: my Avon ice tourings were notably better sub 7°C

Germany had more defined seasons and the advised time over there is Nov - Mar but like mentioned you can get them fitted at the drop of a hat so no great drama  :smiley:

Wise purchase in my opinion.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: andrewparker on October 12, 2012, 08:43:14 am
I'd advise caution with the SV2s in wet, greasy conditions. They are superb when it is freezing and dry, and they amazed me in snow - they are properly "go anywhere" tyres, however when pressing on in the wet you do get alarming amounts of understeer. It's all nicely controllable, but worth watching out for.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: berg on October 12, 2012, 09:03:40 am
if you fit them too soon it will piss you off because if it is too mild they will perform worse than your tyres now, so dont fit at 8-10 degress, has to be 6 and below i found last year fro them to be better.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Andy on October 12, 2012, 06:16:36 pm
For me it's when the temperature struggles to get above 5-6°C.
this is what advise customers at work--
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rdfcpete on October 12, 2012, 10:41:11 pm
Thanks all for the guidance  :happy2:

I'd advise caution with the SV2s in wet, greasy conditions. They are superb when it is freezing and dry, and they amazed me in snow - they are properly "go anywhere" tyres, however when pressing on in the wet you do get alarming amounts of understeer. It's all nicely controllable, but worth watching out for.

Thanks AP. No sweat, these are purely for soft & daily use. No hard or quick use when in damp or wet conditions but useful to know at the same time. I'm pretty ginger on the ContiSport 3's as soon as road conditions fall below 'dry'.

You've hit the exact reason I've bought them in truth - the ability in ice and snow. I've seen a few videos of their use on various hatchbacks in the British winter and they look to outperform their price tag tbh.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rdfcpete on October 12, 2012, 10:42:00 pm
And ironically, as if by fate, it's 5.5 degrees celcius here tonight  :grin: :laugh: :driver:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Andy on October 12, 2012, 11:27:17 pm
And ironically, as if by fate, it's 5.5 degrees celcius here tonight  :grin: :laugh: :driver:
still to early to fit them :happy2:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: RobH on October 13, 2012, 12:46:27 am
I totaly disagree with the 7 degrees on summer tyres vs winters. I left my winter tyres on all year as i havnt driven the car much up until recently and in the mornings its been below 5 degrees and ive just changed to some goodyear f1s and there miles better and i mean miles better even at those temps.

Until its properly icy and snowy if you have two sets of alloys like me, i wouldnt bother until then. Even at around 0 degrees id bet the goodyear f1's in the dry would be way better than any snow tyre!

It doesnt take long for the f1's to warm up :evilgrin:

I wont be thinking about putting my winters back on until snow is forcast.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rllmuk on October 17, 2012, 01:34:13 pm
You are correct to a point. The 7 degrees thing is a bit of misnomer in my experience too however the Eagle F1s are spectacularly useless when there is an modicum of ice on ground, let alone snow. It's for that reason alone that I put my winters on November to March, and adjust my driving accordingly.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: R32UK on October 17, 2012, 03:16:10 pm
I do most of my driving early mornings or evenings when the temperature is now usually below 7 degrees.... I will probably wait until around mid to late november before I put mine on  :happy2:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Eccie on October 17, 2012, 03:44:04 pm
I generally put them on/take them off in line with the shift in BST, but will watch the forecast this year with interest, last year was quite mild compared with the last few winters.

I live semi-rural, so its always an 3 degrees colder than the city temps the forecasters give you - or an 'overcoat' colder as my mother says  :rolleye:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: RedRobin on October 17, 2012, 03:53:36 pm
.
Eagle F1 Asymmetrics are useless on snow or wet grass (as I discovered not too long ago!), but I have found that they are fine at temperatures below freezing - Not as good as at higher temps but good enough. So I simply don't use my car when there is snow on the ground.

This is England and it's virtually impossible to predict the weather and temperatures according to the month. The British Summer Time change provides a convenient window.

I think that the 7 degree threshold isn't quite as critical as some would have us believe.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: berg on October 17, 2012, 04:28:34 pm
i say, unless snow is forecast earlier, put them on mid december then if the weather is awful over xmas when some places are closed down you are not left not being able to see family etc due to poor summer tyres.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rdfcpete on October 17, 2012, 07:20:26 pm
Going to cheekily throw the thread slightly and ask what PSI I should be looking at running the SV2's, am I looking at running the same as I would run on my standard ContiSport3's or should I be running them at a different PSI?

Cheers.

i say, unless snow is forecast earlier, put them on mid december then if the weather is awful over xmas when some places are closed down you are not left not being able to see family etc due to poor summer tyres.

^ There's logic in this Berg  :smiley:

Fitting itself isn't an issue as such, I know two or three experienced fitters very well  :happy2:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: andrewparker on November 20, 2012, 04:34:54 pm
Anyone taken the plunge yet? It's been remarkably mild in the North-West so far, but checking the forecasts it is predicted to struggle to get above 4ºC from the middle of next week.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: wigit on November 20, 2012, 04:47:53 pm
mine went on the sh!tty for the city ten days ago as DMR were giving it some tlc so then the weather improved

now i've got a spare set of pirelli alloys mrs will be getting shod soon and the Ed35 will not be getting must use for a few months
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Eccie on November 20, 2012, 05:34:50 pm
I fitted mine last weekend - it's been getting cold early mornings, that said its warm today, but the roads are a little greasy  :driver: and the extra grip is nice.

Car looks funny with little 17 Monza's, got to say it rides better though :jumpmove:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: berg on November 20, 2012, 10:53:10 pm
am leavin mine till about 15th dec, as i say fitted them last year 1st dec and was too early, but want them on before xmas
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: RedRobin on November 21, 2012, 08:39:45 am

am leavin mine till about 15th dec, as i say fitted them last year 1st dec and was too early, but want them on before xmas


....I don't know how reliable it is but the weather forecast is snow and ice over most of Britain in early December. I hope they're wrong!
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Andy on November 21, 2012, 08:21:36 pm
early Dec by the looks of the weather
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: berg on November 21, 2012, 08:23:38 pm
early Dec by the looks of the weather


mmm might move to 1st dec then  :happy2:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Andy on November 21, 2012, 08:30:32 pm
In the last few weeks i have been fitting winter tyres on a few cars
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: andrewparker on November 22, 2012, 10:55:25 pm
It is decided - mine will go on on Saturday. The weather forecast sounds pretty gloomy from the middle of next week :confused:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Andy on November 22, 2012, 11:01:23 pm
It is decided - mine will go on on Saturday. The weather forecast sounds pretty gloomy from the middle of next week :confused:
The temp is dropping now on a night time-would advice  with in the next fort night
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: PND on November 22, 2012, 11:28:33 pm
I've got mine on ready..  :driver:
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Kregiel on November 23, 2012, 10:26:08 am
below 10 degrees winter tires will beat summer ones for performance!

Paul
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: mad_pete on November 23, 2012, 10:47:48 am
Remember it's a sliding scale.  At 7 degrees a summer tyre and winter tyre of equal quality will be the same (roughly).  The natural rubber in the summer tyre is starting to literally have a hard time of it.  As you move down this difference becomes more pronounced but 3 -5 degrees either side probably doesn't really matter. (winters at the higher temp or summers at a lower) In the dry I'd be surprised if the summer tyre ever really struggles.   In the cold and wet the winter tyre works better buying you extra meters of stopping distance and in the snow and ice the extra edges of the winter tread pattern make a big difference.   I'm thinking about putting some on my merc in the next 2 weeks. That way I have an excuse not to take the GTI out in the horrible salty snow. :-)
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Lone_Par on November 24, 2012, 08:47:44 am
Mine were fitted 3 weeks ago but I'm in Aberdeenshire -so a bit closer to the North Pole..... However it's been fairly mild since fitting!!!

The mornings are consistently below 5 now so not long till I'm snowed in again!?!
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: rdfcpete on November 24, 2012, 11:58:40 am
Guys that have fitted, do you run on standard PSI figures (32-36PSI depending on preference)?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Leonard on November 24, 2012, 12:26:39 pm
I find the harder the better 36/37 psi as the blocks are squidgy enough as is.

Then no doubt you would experience better snow performance with a few psi less if the weather changed for the worst..
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: Lone_Par on November 24, 2012, 04:03:24 pm
Guys that have fitted, do you run on standard PSI figures (32-36PSI depending on preference)?

Thanks.

Yes - when they were fitted the guys left them at 32. I've got them at 34 then will just see what the weather brings.
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: gizmo68 on November 24, 2012, 04:16:40 pm
Guys that have fitted, do you run on standard PSI figures (32-36PSI depending on preference)?

Thanks.

Most if not all winter tyre manufacturers recommend you run  them 0.2 Bar higher than non winter tyres
Title: Re: Winter Tyres - When to fit?
Post by: DFish on November 24, 2012, 04:39:01 pm
Best to check with the manufacturer about the pressures. I'm waiting to get one of my winters back so they can be fitted.

Fish