Tyre snow grips

[KXL]

For places where snow, deep snow, and maybe ice is a given, get one of those Nokian winter tyres. Or if you want a all-season excellent snow tyre, get the Nokia Weatherproof. Just that the weatherproofs are a bit behind the CrossClimates/Vector4Seasons etc in summer.

 

[RUM4MO]

I still think that anyone considering buying different tyres for use in winter would be well advised to go for winter or cold weather tyres and not snow tyres, well for use in UK North and South.

 

[KXL]

Well the thread starter mentioned that he works as a gritter, which means if called upon, it's likely to be over lots of snow on the road...whereas the Crossclimates (summer biased all season, or is it a full summer with snow abilities?) are movable on snow...a proper winter would setup or Weatherproof (winter biased all season) would be better. Where in the UK has this much snow? Up north maybe? Else I don't know. I know a friend from Russia where winters are...well...very cold and snowy, even a full winter tyre don't cut it, most run studded winter tyres. Else snow socks or chains if stuck...

 

[Lozzy15]

Cheers for all the replies. I'd like to buy a full set of proper winter tyres for my spare set of alloys but at the moment finances aren't going to allow it, hence the question of the grips as a stop-gap solution in-case I do get stuck should the weather get to such a bad point, which is unlikely but not impossible.

Either way I'll be putting the spare set on the car just in-case the worst should happen and it do slide off in the snow, at least that would prevent damage to the good alloys I have on at the moment!

 

[Eskilation]

I like you have a spare set of alloys but waiting on funding to get a proper set of winters. Would always be the best option.

But I have to add I have a set of snow socks (autosocks) in each car normally about £20-£30 at the right time and in the event we get a dump of snow that needs the gritters out, stick these on and you will get most places. Once the roads go to slush have to remove but just pick the roads no one is using and are empty and snow covered they give phenomenal grip for what they are and will always get you home, so highly recommended for that emergency situation. But you may need to put on and off if you come to roads with no snow.

Just my 10 cents. Hope it helps.

 

[RUM4MO]

Well the thread starter mentioned that he works as a gritter, which means if called upon, it's likely to be over lots of snow on the road...whereas the Crossclimates (summer biased all season, or is it a full summer with snow abilities?) are movable on snow...a proper winter would setup or Weatherproof (winter biased all season) would be better. Where in the UK has this much snow? Up north maybe? Else I don't know. I know a friend from Russia where winters are...well...very cold and snowy, even a full winter tyre don't cut it, most run studded winter tyres. Else snow socks or chains if stuck...

Well, in the same way - I spotted a Suzuki softroader(not a full blown one like Jimny) today in a supermarket carpark, what "stuck out" was it was fitted with off-road tyres, ie tyres with rough cleats, good for gripping on exposed stone rocks - as handy as summer tyres in winter conditions.

As I have said many times, and I'm not the only person to know this, with an ordinary car with minimal ground clearance, if driving on an unploughed road after a heavy snow fall, the main problem will not be grip, but the snow lifting the car wheels up of the compacted snow in the wheel tracks - so having tyres that will give best grip in UK winter conditions is the only smart buy, ie either allseasons for using 12 months a year but not being optimised for winter use, or winter tyres for using 4,5 or 6 months a year. Proper winter tyres let you do more than just move away and up slopping areas, they will also give you extra grip to steer and stop - and that means a lot more than just being able to move away without having just grip to steer and stop!