Winter Tyres

38F3E1 · Dec 30, 2008

Took advantage of the nice weather to go for a long drive in the 993 today. What a great car but you all already know that.

However the car is still wearing the track tires it has for the summer and I have to say they are not the best in these cold conditions. In fact they make for quite nervous driving at times.

So has anybody fitted proper winter tires and what makes are available to fit the 993?

Would prefer them to fit 18" rims if possible but do have a set of 17s if that's the only size available.

Ian.

IndischRot · Dec 30, 2008

Summer tyres lose a lot of their grip below 6-7 deg C and add 1 cm of snow and they might as well be slicks. Fit them to your 17s if possible; the tyres are cheaper and you'll avoid the mounting/dismounting twice a year.

I run Vredestein winter tyres on my BMW for just this reason. Purchased them from http://www.camskill.co.uk - no affiliation etc etc.

clyde · Dec 30, 2008

In the winter I run 16 inch wheels with Kumho M & S tyres - not approved I know but
a) I did not know about the list of approved winter tyres until recently and
b) even if I did I would probably still have bought them as they're a damn sight cheaper and I figure with the type of driving I do in the winter it doesn't matter that much

I would recommend having the winter tyres on a second set of wheels as it makes changing over from summer to winter tyres so much easier and, as phelix said, it reduces the risk of damage to your 18's.

Finally, winter tyres do make a noticable difference over ordinary summer tyres (I run Contisport 2's) so I would think that the improvement would be hugh if going from track tyres.

38F3E1 · Dec 31, 2008

Thanks for the feedback all. Looks like there's a few to choose from. Excellent.

Thing I noticed most about the current tires in these conditions was the ABS cutting in all the time under breaking and the back end breaking loose if I was heavy on the accelerator at low speed. Other than that the car was as sublime as ever.

Ian.

hanhams81 · Jan 5, 2009

Thanks for the link Phelix. At last a source for winter tyres for my touring car. Last year I searched the internet, local tyre shops and tyre manufacturers to find a UK source for winter types without success. My planned motoring trip to Austria had to be cancelled because none could be found. For those wishing to venture across the channel and who may not be aware, insurers and local police take a dim view of anyone driving with standard UK summer tyres during the winter period and for good reason. They don't grip. One snag, another wheel and tyre set to be found a home in my ever more cramped garage. Slovakian tyre shops offer a good storage system which many residents use. Can't imagine it ever working here. They would be nicked.
As usual the forum is a wonderful source of helpful information. Thanks for that and a happy and safe 2009.
Hanhams81

clyde · Jan 6, 2009

ORIGINAL: hanhams81

Thanks for the link Phelix. At last a source for winter tyres for my touring car. Last year I searched the internet, local tyre shops and tyre manufacturers to find a UK source for winter types without success. My planned motoring trip to Austria had to be cancelled because none could be found. For those wishing to venture across the channel and who may not be aware, insurers and local police take a dim view of anyone driving with standard UK summer tyres during the winter period and for good reason. They don't grip. One snag, another wheel and tyre set to be found a home in my ever more cramped garage. Slovakian tyre shops offer a good storage system which many residents use. Can't imagine it ever working here. They would be nicked.
As usual the forum is a wonderful source of helpful information. Thanks for that and a happy and safe 2009.
Hanhams81

I'm surprised that you couldn't find a local supplier, never mind a UK one, for winter tyres. My little independant gave me a choice of several in my tyre sizes when I bought them last year. All the ones he suggested where available for next day fitting. I do know him personally but I don't think that made any difference. He also gives prices that beat any I've had quoted, including on-line suppliers once fitting and balancing is taken into account, without prompting, so much so that I don't even bother shopping around now.

German tyre shops and garages (including OPC's) offer a similar service for storing winter/summer tyres when not on the car. I think most countries where changing tyres is the norm probably do.