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#1
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Tyres or chains?
Anyone got experience of using snow tyres and/or snow chains?
Is one preferable to the other? Anything else I should know about them? Cheers. -- Paul (Watch this space) |
#2
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"Paul Rooney" > wrote in message news > Anyone got experience of using snow tyres and/or snow chains? > Is one preferable to the other? > Anything else I should know about them? > > Cheers. > > > Paul Tires for all but extreme conditions, only needed to use chains maybe twice in twenty years. |
#3
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Paul Rooney proclaimed:
> Anyone got experience of using snow tyres and/or snow chains? Yes. > Is one preferable to the other? Yes. > Anything else I should know about them? Not even chains can make up for driving skills that lack slick weather experience. Snow tires tend to be of two varieties. The mud and snow will typically have rather large tread voids in order to deal with deep packed or loose snow. Deep as in several inches. A more typical "snow" tire is really an ice tire...with tread compound that stays soft at very low temperature, tends to be hydrophilic, and will typically have a lot of small cuts or sipes to give more gripping edges on ice. The best of these may be almost as good as studded tires. Chains are for severe conditions. Even the cable style will cause a lot of vibration. Should be used at very low speeds only. |
#4
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On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:36:29 GMT, Lon > wrote:
>Paul Rooney proclaimed: > >> Anyone got experience of using snow tyres and/or snow chains? > > Yes. > >> Is one preferable to the other? > > Yes. > >> Anything else I should know about them? > > Not even chains can make up for driving skills that lack slick weather > experience. > > Snow tires tend to be of two varieties. The mud and snow will > typically have rather large tread voids in order to deal with > deep packed or loose snow. Deep as in several inches. A more > typical "snow" tire is really an ice tire...with tread compound > that stays soft at very low temperature, tends to be hydrophilic, > and will typically have a lot of small cuts or sipes to give more > gripping edges on ice. The best of these may be almost as good > as studded tires. > > Chains are for severe conditions. Even the cable style will cause > a lot of vibration. Should be used at very low speeds only. Thanks. Can you keep snow tyres on all winter and drive on snow-free roads OK, or do you have to keep changing them over when you get onto clear roads? -- Paul (Watch this space) |
#5
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"Paul Rooney" > wrote in message ... > On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:36:29 GMT, Lon > wrote: > > Snow tires tend to be of two varieties. The mud and snow will > > typically have rather large tread voids in order to deal with > > deep packed or loose snow. Deep as in several inches. A more > > typical "snow" tire is really an ice tire...with tread compound > > that stays soft at very low temperature, tends to be hydrophilic, > > and will typically have a lot of small cuts or sipes to give more > > gripping edges on ice. The best of these may be almost as good > > as studded tires. > > > > Chains are for severe conditions. Even the cable style will cause > > a lot of vibration. Should be used at very low speeds only. > Thanks. > Can you keep snow tyres on all winter and drive on snow-free roads OK, > or do you have to keep changing them over when you get onto clear > roads? Tires are generally safe on clear roads but the wear, noise and handling can be worse than a regular street tire. The mud & snow type can be incredibly loud vs. a street tire. It depends on the particular tire. -John |
#6
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On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 09:51:44 -0700, "Generic" >
wrote: > >"Paul Rooney" > wrote in message .. . >> On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:36:29 GMT, Lon > wrote: >> > Snow tires tend to be of two varieties. The mud and snow will >> > typically have rather large tread voids in order to deal with >> > deep packed or loose snow. Deep as in several inches. A more >> > typical "snow" tire is really an ice tire...with tread compound >> > that stays soft at very low temperature, tends to be hydrophilic, >> > and will typically have a lot of small cuts or sipes to give more >> > gripping edges on ice. The best of these may be almost as good >> > as studded tires. >> > >> > Chains are for severe conditions. Even the cable style will cause >> > a lot of vibration. Should be used at very low speeds only. > >> Thanks. >> Can you keep snow tyres on all winter and drive on snow-free roads OK, >> or do you have to keep changing them over when you get onto clear >> roads? > >Tires are generally safe on clear roads but the wear, noise and handling can >be worse than a regular street tire. The mud & snow type can be incredibly >loud vs. a street tire. It depends on the particular tire. > >-John > Thanks. What kind of conditions would chains be able to cope with, do you know? -- Paul (Watch this space) |
#7
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"Paul Rooney" > wrote in message ... > On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 09:51:44 -0700, "Generic" > > wrote: > > > > >"Paul Rooney" > wrote in message > .. . > >> On Sat, 25 Sep 2004 23:36:29 GMT, Lon > wrote: > >> > Snow tires tend to be of two varieties. The mud and snow will > >> > typically have rather large tread voids in order to deal with > >> > deep packed or loose snow. Deep as in several inches. A more > >> > typical "snow" tire is really an ice tire...with tread compound > >> > that stays soft at very low temperature, tends to be hydrophilic, > >> > and will typically have a lot of small cuts or sipes to give more > >> > gripping edges on ice. The best of these may be almost as good > >> > as studded tires. > >> > > >> > Chains are for severe conditions. Even the cable style will cause > >> > a lot of vibration. Should be used at very low speeds only. > > > >> Thanks. > >> Can you keep snow tyres on all winter and drive on snow-free roads OK, > >> or do you have to keep changing them over when you get onto clear > >> roads? > > > >Tires are generally safe on clear roads but the wear, noise and handling can > >be worse than a regular street tire. The mud & snow type can be incredibly > >loud vs. a street tire. It depends on the particular tire. > Thanks. What kind of conditions would chains be able to cope with, do > you know? The major use for tire chains is on 2wd vehicles in ice and not too deep snow on paved roads. They give a 2wd the ability to move when it would otherwise spin its wheels or slide off the road. They'd probably help somewhat off road, in mud for example, but in practice the people who go far off road get a specialized 4wd vehicle.] [Tire chains are thoroughly miserable to use. Traditionally you must lay them out then drive on top, and attach clips from behind dirty and wet wheels. In the middle of bad weather on the side of a road. Then you have to drive a few feet and tighten them or they'll fall off. Then you must go 25mph or less to avoid tire damage, and they can scratch wheels or slap against the bodywork. When you finish the wet and dirty chains must be stored somewhere. Some systems have improved on this routine a bit, but professional chain installation is big business during ski season in places like Lake Tahoe.] -John |
#8
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Paul Rooney proclaimed:
> > Thanks. What kind of conditions would chains be able to cope with, do > you know? > Really really bad ice and/or packed snow. With a speed limit of 15-25 mph when attached. With limited slip and good tires, never needed to use them in many many severe winter condition trips, but always carry two sets. |
#9
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Generic proclaimed:
> > Tires are generally safe on clear roads but the wear, noise and handling can > be worse than a regular street tire. The mud & snow type can be incredibly > loud vs. a street tire. It depends on the particular tire. Yeah, I use Michelin M+S and they are not only quieter than the original Goodyears but help gas mileage and definitely have more traction. With a bit more ice, the Michelin Pilot helps but so does simply using brains. The heavy steel belted Michelin and Pirelli tend to be quieter with better highway tracking than the plastic belted radials. |
#10
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Paul Rooney proclaimed:
> > Thanks. > Can you keep snow tyres on all winter and drive on snow-free roads OK, > or do you have to keep changing them over when you get onto clear > roads? > Some SUV manufacturers recommend leaving an all terrain tire on all year around. Seems that the vehicle will tend to tip over less if the tires can slide sideways when overcornered a bit. I keep Michelins on mine all year round...the same thing that makes them good in Sierra snow makes them good in unexpected downpours. If I did more timber road or rocky driving would probably change to a Pirelli Scorpion AT with the extra ply sidewalls. For hard core rock crawling, I'd just change the vehicle. |
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