Indeed; that's what I'm planning on doing; guess that makes me the guinea pig / crash test dummy!Originally Posted by MiniiGP
Indeed; that's what I'm planning on doing; guess that makes me the guinea pig / crash test dummy!
I'd say it was a sensible way of doing it .. If it works it's job done and in the cheapest way possible.
You only need two tools in life WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should use WD40 and if it moves and shouldn't use Duct Tape.
I was away to tell you Craig that that F56 is 5 stud when previously they've been four! Crack on then tangledfeet...... let us know what happens!!
It's worth pointing out that narrower tyres may well be better in deep snow but they will be worse all the rest of the time - dry roads, wet roads, ice, etc. Winter tyres have less cornering grip than summer tyres on wet roads, so choosing a tyre that works better in 1% of road conditions doesn't add up for me. If you are a gentle driver, it makes no difference.
I find that there is 10% discount available on any large purchase from a Mini spares counter, just for asking. The parts guy at my local dealers now apologises when he can't offer a discount on sub-£20 items.
Oh, and it was me that started the cruise control rumour, which is nothing more than a guess. But fairly minor things seem to have knock-on effects in a Mini ECU. When my Roadster's spoiler froze in the down position, it was amazing how many other things seemed to be affected.
Valid point and I was aware of that Angib, but thanks for pointing it out. Hence why I reckon I'll probably go with the 17" wheelbasealloys ones
Will do! Even on my 'wee diddy 15" wheels..!
Though at this rate they tyres won't be getting fitted to the rims until next pay day... once they are done I may well end up just fitting one even before the time comes, just to see what the affect will be on the TPMS - and I'll report back!
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But roads can still be wet, but not ice, below 7deg.C or so; below that summer tyres lose grip and winter tyres retain theirs - irrespective of tyre width and whether or not you are a gentle driver. And much of Scotland stays below that sort of temperature for several months of the year.
That's the advertising for winter tyres but it really only applies to traction and braking which is what the tread pattern of winter tyres is optimised for and at which they are stunningly brilliant. Everyone with winter tyres should go out on an empty wet road and brake sharply - if you apply the brakes quickly by stamping on them, even if you don't press very hard, the Mini's Brake Assist will apply the brakes right up to the point of locking and you can experience just how much ultimate grip winter tyres have in a straight line.
Cornering grip is a whole different matter and I would say a wet road has to be just about freezing before any winter tyre can corner as well as a decent summer one. So anything that improves the winter tyre's cornering ability, such as fitting a wider tyre, helps. For drivers that never slide their tyres in the wet, this won't be that great but for the more enthusiastic driver the difference is significant.
The same applies to icy roads where wider winter tyres definitely help (I've had 175s, 195s and 205s so far) - and to my mind, icy roads (or potentially icy roads) are the time when winter tyres really pay for themselves. For the many drivers that rarely drive far on un-gritted roads, this isn't a big benefit but for those of us regularly using minor roads, it's a major 'wing-saver' if not life-saver. I reckon last winter was the first time for several years that I wasn't aware of an occasion when my winter tyres saved me from sliding into a hedge or some other 'minor' crash that would actually cost many hundreds to fix.
So I think winter tyres are very much 'horses for courses' - no one size fits all.
Cool, many thanks Angib - I got the (wrong) impression from your post above that you'd never actually tried them and were being dismissive! Didn't appreciate that you have them, or have had them in the past.
I used to commute 90miles/day and did so, at times, in some pretty grim winter weather; in particular the winter, I think, four years ago when the central belt came to a standstill - I was in the car for about ten hours, probably coming off lightly compared to many. It was indeed straight line driving where traction was prime - and that was where I found myself at a massive advantage to most others stuck in the snow.
Must admit that I did find the winter tyres I had on my last car were better in the wet than the tyres that came with the car; I noted a palpable difference in standing/surface water - but, as I said above, this may well have been more indicative of the (mediocre) tyres the car first came with!
Last edited by tangledfeet; 6th August 2014 at 07:18 PM. Reason: missed out a word
The one thing that winter tyres really can't do is get you past all the people that have got stuck or are barely moving on summer tyres.... So empty roads are wonderful and snow-covered hills are best as everyone 'knows' that cars can't go up or down there, so they have their accidents elsewhere.
On the sensors, can you not move them from your current wheels and just fit them to your winter wheels?
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