thescullster wrote:
thescullster Wrote in message:
Hi GuysI have had a difficult two days, largely trying to get home from rather than to work.Our house is at the top of a hill and, although the gradients to travel home are not excessive, my Focus has been seriously struggling on the icy roads.I don't want to go to the expense of winter wheels/tyres.So the questions are....How effective are snow socks on ice (they seem to be marketed more for snow)Are snow chains difficult to fit in this cold weather?Is it expected that you fit chains and leave them on over an icy period, even if there are days when the roads are clear?If on ice or a clear road surface, do the tyres wear much quicker with chaos fitted?Any other comments on the use of these appreciated.I don't expect that clearance above the wheel would be an issue for the Focus, but don't know for sure.Thanks guysPhil-- ----Android NewsGroup Reader----http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments guys.

The amount of ice varies so much from day to day round here (just
west of Hull). It's difficult to do a meaningful comparison when
making subtle changes like lowering tyre pressures.

Firstly I am plotting the most level route to and from home.
Next will be letting the tyres down.
Then the tyre socks.
If all else fails I can walk it in 1-3/4 hours.

Phil

You can drive winter tyres, up to 7C or so.
Leave then installed until consistent warmer
weather shows up.

*Do not* under-inflate the tyres. If conditions are
causing you to even think this is clever, just
leave the car in the driveway. This is hard on the
sidewalls, and will cause the tyre to heat up in
spots. And not all tyres can withstand this kind
of abuse - a heavy vehicle, poor tyre construction,
you could have a blowout. Just the shimmy in the
steering wheel, should be enough to tell you
(at highway speed) that this is a stupid thing to do.

For God sake, just buy a decent set of tyres for
the conditions. You can get winter tyres with sipes
and heavy treads for snow - if they are also fitted
with "black walnut shells", it gives some of the
performance of steel studs, but is legal.

I buy a set of tyres and a set of rims. That way,
the aggravation of swapping tyres versus rims is removed
and you have more options for fitting them. I
do my own tyres, in the driveway, using a floor
jack and two jack stands (to secure the setup).
I lift the car via a center jack point, as the
center jack points on old cars, are more secure
than the welded/pinched jack points by the wheel(s).
I have a torque wrench to adjust them to the correct
wheel nut torque (for my car, 80 to 85 pounds or so).
There is a web site that lists torque values.

For winter tyres, I usually wait until the air temperature
is approximately 0C, before fitting them (that's because
I'm lazy, it's not a technical issue). I don't mind
working outside at that temperature. Gloves on, gloves off,
like fitting wheel nuts, the gloves come off. What I don't
like in my car port, is a 30MPH breeze. That sends me
back into the house. I just can't stay warm out there,
if there is a wind. But 0C or even a bit lower, in
still air, is quite OK.

I've tried the "one set of tyres is enough" routine,
and given up on that. I don't play pretend any more.
I don't stick fingers in ears and sing "Lalala". Just
buy the proper tyres and be done with it.

Because I don't put a lot of kilometers on the car per
year, the tyres can last a while.

The difference between a good tyre shop and a bad
tyre shop, is the good tyre shop will take the
time to explain features, and the guy will flip through
the catalog and show potential solutions. Like speed
grade and similar parameters. This allows you to
compare what products are out there. If you visit the
shop during the less busy season, you can get the
royal treatment. One reason I pay attention to speed
grade, is several sets of tyres had poor sidewall
stiffness, and the car used to "slog to the side"
when rounding a corner. And once moving to higher speed
grade tyres, that stopped happening and it
started driving like a car again.

Paul