Tires for snow/ice ? Xantia in particular.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 06 Dec 2010, 19:01

CitroJim wrote:
Xac wrote: councils were still waiting for their funds from the year before!
Now why does that surprise me

Well Labour weren't exactly known for being the motorist's friend.

Citroenmad · Post by **Citroenmad** » 06 Dec 2010, 19:18

Roads around here are already becoming noticeably worse since the cold spell. What were small holes are now large creators.

It may well be that they can't afford to fix the roads, but why does it take so much money. There should be people going around filling in roads, not people inspecting which roads are the worst, other people drawing yellow rings around the holes and then maybe they will get filled eventually.

I know our council has lots of claims for tyres, bent wheels, springs etc. If the roads were better they would cut costs that way.

I hit a pothole a few weeks ago while driving our Seat, one of the front springs snapped the spring went past the top seat, leaving the car resting on the inner wheel arch.

Many people look like drink drivers are they potter around trying to avoid losing their car in a huge hole!

I dont believe its used as a cheap traffic calming measure, people swerve around them, they create more noise and costs. It can only be down to costs and not having money to repair the roads.

Around here, 8 times out of 10 when country B roads or town roads are resurfaced a grit is used. There seems to be a soft underlayer with grit spread ontop, it relies on passing cars to push the grit into the surface. Most of it ends up down drains and therefore blocking them, the rest just put a million chips in your paintwork or windscreen. Before long the old surface is viable again!

If only better quality road surfaces were used, we wouldn't have half the problems of potholes and stone chips.

Small rant over

andy5 · Post by **andy5** » 08 Dec 2010, 06:41

CitroJim wrote:There's a train of thought that alleges the local authorities are being encouraged to allow roads to decay purposely so that the rough surface and potholes act as a kind of a natural speed reduction device. If this is indeed true, and it does seem a bit far-fetched in my view, then we can expect plenty of tyre damage in the years to come.

That does seem unlikely, even a bit paranoid.

Where I used to live, the road surface was quite deteriorated - anyway, not just due to winter

Eventually, after loads ofwhingeing, it was completely resurfaced, the whole length of about a mile.

Then the whingeing started again. Now it was lovely and smooth, people were now longer observing the 30 mph limit.

And of course, such complaints are almost always hypocrtical, blaming visitors on so-called rat-runs, when of course just about anywhere you go it's mostly locals who are speeding.

The clamour to have speed bumps installed there was doomed to failure though, as the town a couple of miles away had spent ages lobbying for speed bumps and chicanes on a couple of roads, and then just as long or maybe even longer wanting to get rid of them again, because of the extra
noise and disruption due to lorries negotiating them.

I reckon it's simpler now. The councils just don't want to spend money. And they don't want to use their salt now, as it's too early; they probably reckon they must hoard it in case the weather gets bad later on. Some idiot government minister was on the telly the other day, boasting about the stock levels of salt around the country. He didn't even mention at what typical rates it gets used up; perhaps he hadn't done that part of his homework.

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 08 Dec 2010, 07:29

Are there any standards you have to meet before marketing a tyre as a winter or M&S tyre? As suggested by the OP I bet there are quite a few standard tyres that outperform some winter tyres.

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 08 Dec 2010, 08:38

CitroJim wrote: I caution that the automatic gearbox with snow mode may mask any small deficiencies in the tyres. Laying power down very smoothly and gently in snow mode certainly helps traction.

The snow mode on my V6 works well... very impressed overall with the Xantia in snow and ice conditions. Currently on Dunlop SP Sports which 'seem' quite hard and noisy but certainly have worn very well..

andy5 · Post by **andy5** » 08 Dec 2010, 14:49

reblack68 wrote:Are there any standards you have to meet before marketing a tyre as a winter or M&S tyre? As suggested by the OP I bet there are quite a few standard tyres that outperform some winter tyres.

I think it's a matter of design to start with, and the marketing follows.

Obviously there are variations between tyres depending on manufacturer, but winter tyres are actually a different category, with different compounds and different tread design - the main visible feature seems to be lots of small sipes, little zig-zags in every tread block.

Post by **myglaren** » 11 Dec 2010, 10:28

The Beeb on winter tyres.

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 13 Dec 2010, 18:07

there is a lot to be said for learnning to drive in winter conditions most of the wheelspinners dont know about starting in second gear for instance, in my S2 xantia estate with mid range fairly cheap front tyres 49 quid each I was passing renault clio drivers and hot hatch drivers going uphill on 3 inches of ice whilst they gain no ground at all spinning their wheels like crazy, on a 1 in 4 hill going down hill I put my car in second gear and slowed right down and low and behold a driver at the bottom of the hill had approached the junction to fast and in trying to stop in time for the junction skidded into the kerbside aquiring a broken alloy wheel.

if they had slowed down dropped a gear or two and let the engine do the work they would have approached the juction at the bottom of the hill and a more controllable speed.

I enjoy driving in snow and ice I think its all about leaving early and taking your time. and your tyres should serve you well no matter what make they are. fortunately the xantia estate is a nice heavy car.

Xantidote · Post by **Xantidote** » 15 Dec 2010, 10:11

A heavy lump of diesel engine over the front wheels should help a bit

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 15 Dec 2010, 12:34

unfortunately lots of slow driving not even using the turbo cloggs it up a bit and a healthy run once a week on a well gritted road is usually a good fix.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 15 Dec 2010, 14:38

myglaren wrote:The Beeb on winter tyres.

Yet another excuse to rob us blind is met with apathy and toothless/boneless authorities allow it deluding themselves it's "good for the economy" no doubt.

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 15 Dec 2010, 15:53

I've just bought a set of snow chains for the A Class which I have to say is hopeless in the snow and ice. Maybe it's the wide tyres and all alloy engine that makes it so bad.

Steve.

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 15 Dec 2010, 17:19

Can't wait for the next spell of bad weather... I have bought myself some 'socks'

http://www.autosock.co.uk/

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 16 Dec 2010, 11:57

Ive have been wearing two pairs every day for the last three weeks, why waist your money on thick socks? bah humbug. however I have started polishing my shoes to keep the water out.

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 16 Dec 2010, 12:11

falling-out-with-my-car wrote:Ive have been wearing two pairs every day for the last three weeks, why waist your money on thick socks? bah humbug. however I have started polishing my shoes to keep the water out.

I see you are already full of Xmas Spirit!!!