winter tyres or good all season tyres?

[SimonB]

Bit late to the thread - but some information regarding insurers and winter tyres

http://www.abi.org.uk/Media/Releases/20 ... TYRES.aspx

 

[Lons]

Hi Mick
You’ve probably “done the deed” now and I’ve already put in my 2 pennerth but couldn’t resist adding a bit more.

It’s a matter of opinion and very different for all of us. After all you are unlikely in Tring to get the prolonged adverse weather we experience in rural Northumberland and budget and type of vehicle are as important.

You live in a really nice area BTW ( I used to visit once a month for meetings when I was a branch manager for the plastics distribution arm of Williaam Cox - is it still there?)

The equation isn’t straightforward however e.g. My wifes Mini Cooper has 18” low profile, runflat performance tyres which cost around £200 each to replace. She covers 12000 miles pa and can expect a max 2 year life ( her driving style! :roll: ) With winter wheels fitted we will extend that mileage by at least 10 months over that time so saving more than £300 over the 2 years. 16” winter alloys and tyres cost me £550 but the tyres were £75 each for a premium brand (could have bought economy at less than £50). Would wear more heavily so guess cost of say £150 for wear ( 20000 miles / 10 months at replacement £300). I’m therefore likely to save £75 pa in tyre wear, apart from probable pot hole damage to the expensive original alloys and tyres.

Ok, you could pick holes in that and in my case it wasn’t the reason as I was more concerned with safety but worth a thought.
My car is even worse with my alloys worth £1500 and tyres at £240 each though I cover only half her mileage. I wasn’t going to do mine but having second thoughts now.

Bob

 

[mickthetree]

Cheers for the link Simon. Reassuring to know.

Bob, not heard of William Cox before. Do you know whereabouts there were? We do love it here. Although we're being priced out and want a bigger house so will be moving out to the sticks a bit further. Hopefully Wingrave way. Might even get somewhere big enough for a workshop instead of a shed!!

Anyway, I digress. I have my car booked in with our trusty local mechanic tomorrow for the breaks. He does tyres as well and is going to give me a price for some all seasons.

You are right about the prolonged spells of snow. We had about 2 weeks of good snow I recall last time. I managed to get into work each day (a 20 mile trip) on the tyres I have now which are good year all seasons on the front. Some cheaper jobby on the back.

I would like to get some steel wheels with winter tyres which I reckon would be about £550 all in. But I'd then have to get 3 replacement regular tyres anyway come spring and I just wont be able to afford that.

Your sums do make sense, I just don't have the funds for the initial outlay unfortunately

 

[Lons]

Funds are always the problem Mick - I'm lucky in that my wife works full time and doesn't like shopping - now that's rare !

Williaam Cox (spelling is correct) make coxdome rooflights etc. The factory and H .O. were on a main road in the town and I used to stay over in a "tudor style" hotel on the same road or sometimes near the lion park. Too long ago and my memory isn't great!
Was back in the 90s - anyway, I've done a quick google and it seems the coxdome business moved to the midlands and the plastics side looks as if only in Northern Ireland now.

 

[mickthetree]

Ah, that'll be the Rose and Crown Hotel. Bit shabby inside these days, but quite nice all the same. The lion park I guess is the memorial gardens just along form the hotel?

I'm looking forward to taking a little one round the zoological museum soon as he is getting near an age where he will appreciate it.

Did you ever visit the Kings Arm pub? Thats my favourite pub in Tring. A true gem.

 

[tomatwark]

Hi Mick
You’ve probably “done the deed” now and I’ve already put in my 2 pennerth but couldn’t resist adding a bit more.

It’s a matter of opinion and very different for all of us. After all you are unlikely in Tring to get the prolonged adverse weather we experience in rural Northumberland and budget and type of vehicle are as important.

You live in a really nice area BTW ( I used to visit once a month for meetings when I was a branch manager for the plastics distribution arm of Williaam Cox - is it still there?)

The equation isn’t straightforward however e.g. My wifes Mini Cooper has 18” low profile, runflat performance tyres which cost around £200 each to replace. She covers 12000 miles pa and can expect a max 2 year life ( her driving style! :roll: ) With winter wheels fitted we will extend that mileage by at least 10 months over that time so saving more than £300 over the 2 years. 16” winter alloys and tyres cost me £550 but the tyres were £75 each for a premium brand (could have bought economy at less than £50). Would wear more heavily so guess cost of say £150 for wear ( 20000 miles / 10 months at replacement £300). I’m therefore likely to save £75 pa in tyre wear, apart from probable pot hole damage to the expensive original alloys and tyres.

Ok, you could pick holes in that and in my case it wasn’t the reason as I was more concerned with safety but worth a thought.
My car is even worse with my alloys worth £1500 and tyres at £240 each though I cover only half her mileage. I wasn’t going to do mine but having second thoughts now.

Bob

Bob

Must cost you a fortune in replacement alloys as the roads in Northumberland seem to have more pot holes than road surface and their idea of mending them seems to be throw a bit of tarmac off the wagon stamp on it a few times and hope it sticks.

Out side the workshop here a couple of years ago the man hole had sunk, so as a temporary repair they put a couple of shovel fulls of tarmac in and flattened it with a wacker plate, 2 days later I had to phone them about the piece of broken manhole cover which was sticking upright in the middle of the road #-o #-o

Tom

 

[Lons]

Ah, that'll be the Rose and Crown Hotel. Bit shabby inside these days, but quite nice all the same. The lion park I guess is the memorial gardens just along form the hotel?

I'm looking forward to taking a little one round the zoological museum soon as he is getting near an age where he will appreciate it.

Did you ever visit the Kings Arm pub? Thats my favourite pub in Tring. A true gem.

Dunno

Almost certainly though as we usually did the rounds the night before. Always had a hangover for the Friday meetings which didn't matter as I used to fly to heathrow and get a taxi. ccasion5:

By lion park, I meant that pillock the Duke of Bedfords safari park. The hotel was in Woburn.

Rose & Crown sounds familiar and if so, when I stayed it was very nice indeed.

cheers

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

Guess what I was doing this morning? Should have done it at the weekend, but was in slackpuss mode.

Swapped the wheels over to the spare ones (with the winter tyres) as we had a 3-4" snowfall overnight.

Dibs

 

[mickthetree]

good man. The bolts come off alright?

Turns out I need new discs at the front, breaks all round and two tyres on the front. I'm getting some mid range all seasons.

The wallet is taking a hit this month.

 

[Dibs-h]

good man. The bolts come off alright?
.

Absolutely - haven't allowed tyre fitters to put the bolts back on with an air gun for a long time now.

DIbs

 

[Lons]

good man. The bolts come off alright?
.

Absolutely - haven't allowed tyre fitters to put the bolts back on with an air gun for a long time now.

DIbs

It isn't only the bolts that cause a problem on modern cars. Steel hubs mated to alloy wheels stick like hell and I've witnessed an AA man having to take a heavy hammer and block of wood to seperate them. :shock: A word with a couple of dealers a few of years ago confirmed it's a common occurence.

One of the first things I do with a new car is remove the wheels and apply some copperslip to prevent sticking. A tip which works though if stuck is to VERY SLIGHTLY loosen the wheel bolts and "drop" the jack quickly. The jolt breaks the seal without damaging anything.

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

I do that every time the wheels come off and touch wood so far, never had a wheel that doesn't come off the hub with anything more than under it's own weight. Also apply a little copperslip to the bolts as well.

Dibs

 

[Lons]

I do that every time the wheels come off and touch wood so far, never had a wheel that doesn't come off the hub with anything more than under it's own weight. Also apply a little copperslip to the bolts as well.

Still amazes me that the manufactures don't apply it from new as sticking wheels is a problem with most of them. The other thing that realy gets my goat is the state of the wheel hubs on new cars. if you were to look around any storage area or even most of the stock cars at dealers, you'll see rusting and stained hubs. I had to paint mine on a brand new £30k car. The dealer did offer to do them when I complained but I declined and did them properly myself so almost as good now 3 years later.

The manufacturers just give them a thin spray coat where in the past they were often galvanised. The "excuse" is not allowed due to environmental / health and safety reasons.

Same with car paintwork now all water based rubbish.

Grumpy old man rears it's head again Dibs