OT: Talking of tyres ...

[T i m]

No (you seem to have missed the smiley and that we are talking about Jim and his Yank Tank). ;-)

If they have an 'on road' use I would think so?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

<snip>

1) Find suitable tyres from a safety POV.

2) Check if they are vegan (all Michelins are for example).

If they aren't, repeat with next best option. No point definitely killing animals to make a tyre when you may not ever kill any with them, because of the tyre choice options.

ITRW, many of the tyre test graphs have to be viewed carefully as they are often compressed to actually show difference. eg, the worst tyre in the test group (of all 'Premium' tyres) stops in 30m in the dry and the best 29m.

What you really want is a test that shows *all* tyres of a particular size from premium though to budget so show just how much extra bang you get for your buck.

Cheers, T i m

[Fredxx]

Most I have come across the 4WD is selectable.

There are a few with AWD or permanent all wheel drive using viscous coupled diffs. The Quaife style of diff is used on some production cars but not sure if they are commonly used for AWD. BICBW

[T i m]

Well, I hasn't now of course (but wish I still has).

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

<snip>

I was looking back at summer tyres and how they compare in the wet (rather than mud / snow) and it's quite interesting:

On the braking tests, of the 30+ tyres tested, none 'all season' out braked the reference summer tyre in the dry braking test (unsurprisingly possibly and with the best being the Michelin Cross Climate Plus) but with the wet braking test, only 4 of the 'all season' out braked the summer tyre with the Cross Climate plus being worse by 2.5m in about 47m?

Cheers, T i m

[Andrew]

You're all in JAIL :-)

[Tim+]

The best news is that it?s given Nicola a chance to tell Trump to f*ck off and not come here to play golf during the Biden inauguration.

Tim

[alan_m]

And were these tests for brand new tyres or part worn tyres?

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Why would anyone have tyres that don't grip? Brian

[newshound]

I remember seeing a comparable review including the Cross Climate (note: NOT the newer Cross Climate Plus) where that was some way down from the best for dry braking, but definitely near the top for wet braking. This was a review that covered both "standard" and "all season" tyres.

To repeat what I have said before, a couple of winters ago I was having to drive every day at 6:30 am to a private stables on top of an exposed hill where there was a fresh snowfall on several nights. The access road had a short climbing turn where even Landys would slither around, and on bad days the Jazz with Cross Climates was the only 2WD that could make it. It was good both on completely fresh snow, and on that packed wet icy slush that you get after a couple of dozen cars have used the road.

[newshound]

It is the same in central Europe. But except for Scotland (maybe north of Leeds) I don't think there is much justification for two sets of wheels in the UK. I'd probably run a 4WD if I lived there.

[mm0fmf]

My Hilux has no centre diff. You can only engage 4wd on loose surfaces as the front tyres need to slip to account for the difference between front and read axles.

[newshound]

+1.

When my first wife started driving, I took her to her work car park the first Sunday there was decent snow settling. Couldn't really get her to push it to the point where she learned much, though.

[T i m]

Because a car needs tyres to go along and some people fit the cheapest they can find?

And if it's just used as a shopping trolley, never going over 15 mph in the city, it probably doesn't matter.

Cheers, T i m

[Fredxx]

All tyres grip to some extent. The usual caveat to grip is cost.

[T i m]

<snip>

You thing ... ?

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

<snip>

I also had real M&S tyres (all be it remoulds) on the Jeep looking kitcar and it too would go where most standard shod 2WD's wouldn't.

In fact, one day after driving about in the kitcar in snow and being able to drive reasonably normally ... but being frustrated why most others were going so slowly, I came home and jumped into the Sierra and had trouble getting up the camber in the road! ;-(

So yes, tyres do make a very big difference but I'm not sure if snow tyres would be required for most people living in a city in the South of England?

If you lived in the sticks then maybe two sets of wheels would be worth it (summer / winter), as they do in places where there are real and regular winters.

Cheers, T i m

[Bob Eager]

Neither did my Land Rover. But it was a 1952 Series I.

[Richard]

And that cost has to be weighed up against: Value of occupants Value of pedestrians Value of animals

etc.

;

[alan_m]

But how to you factor in that a tyre with lesser grip (than, say, one dedicated to winter or heavy rain conditions) may last longer with a decent tread thickness and therefore maybe is a lot safer overall? I wonder if any of these tests are performed when the tyre is reaching close to it's legal minimum tread. I've had decent (expensive branded) tyres in the past that have a well defined tread pattern when new but when half worn the pattern becomes a lot less defined.

People seem to be fixated with stopping distances in the rain/snow but in some parts of the UK it snows 1 year in 10 and then it only lasts for a few days. In some parts of the UK this year there was no rain for periods of 6 weeks! Running a tyre more suited to the wet in such conditions may mean that it runs hot enough to be much inferior in the dry.