Hi Guys

I 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 guys

Phil
--


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

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/

That should read with chains fitted of course.
--


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On 09/02/2021 19:22, 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/

That should read with chains fitted of course.

You probably don't want chains - they cannot be used at all on clear roads.

Socks will wear out rapidly on clear road, but at least you don't need
to take them off for short sections.

If you are only really struggling on that one hill, there are some
temporary, spray on solutions to increase grip. I have no idea whether
they work or not, as have luckily never needed anything.

On 09/02/2021 19:16, thescullster wrote:
Hi Guys

I 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.

Winter tyres do offer better grip on ordinary roads when temperatures
fall below about 7C.

So the questions are....

How effective are snow socks on ice (they seem to be marketed more
for snow)

Countries that require snow chains to be fitted in winter conditions do
not consider snow socks to be an adequate alternative.

Are snow chains difficult to fit in this cold weather?

Not if you practice with them. I have self-adjusting chains, which avoid
the need to stop and reset the chains after a bit of running.

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?

You should not use chains on roads that are not covered by either ice or
snow. AIUI snow socks can be run on clear roads, but it is not
recommended for long periods.

If on ice or a clear road surface, do the tyres wear much quicker
with chaos fitted?

Never used them long enough to notice.

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 guys

Phil



--
Colin Bignell

On Tue, 09 Feb 2021 19:16:22 +0000, thescullster wrote:

Hi Guys

I 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.

Sympathy.

I used to live in the Derbyshire hills up the side of a valley.
I could easily get within half a mile of home on the cleared major roads.
No chance for the last half mile.

I had some snow chains and they took me a long time to fit (say 15-30
minutes for both rear wheels) due to lack of practice. Unpleasant as well
as you were kneeling in the freezing snow and slush handling ice cold
metal chains. Waterproof trousers essential.

Once the chains were on, the car went like a dream.
Easy 40 mph on snowy roads.
Enjoyed pulling a Volvo Estate out of a ditch with my Peugeot 504
Estate. :-)

On cleared roads I was limited to 20 mph so had to find somewhere to
remove them as soon as possible.

A general pain, but essential if you have a snowy and/or icy hill at one
end of your journey.

Never tried snow socks.

There used to be some kind of folding metal arms that clamped around the
wheels but never used them either.

Cheers


Dave R


--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 7 Pro x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

In message , Steve Walker
writes
On 09/02/2021 19:22, 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/
That should read with chains fitted of course.

You probably don't want chains - they cannot be used at all on clear roads.

Socks will wear out rapidly on clear road, but at least you don't need
to take them off for short sections.

If you are only really struggling on that one hill, there are some
temporary, spray on solutions to increase grip. I have no idea whether
they work or not, as have luckily never needed anything.

Would dropping the tyre pressure achieve anything?

I put Vredesteins (spelling) on our Focus as it seemed a bit suspect on
packed snow.

Big tyre thread in here a few weeks back.

--
Tim Lamb

On 09/02/2021 19:16, thescullster wrote:
Hi Guys

I 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 guys

Phil


There are spiders that may be easier to put on and take off than chains.
I have used chains. They do wear out quickly if there is no snow on
the road but you can go through quite deep snow, maybe a foot deep. I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.


--
Michael Chare

On 09/02/2021 19:16, thescullster wrote:
Hi Guys

I 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.

I'd say that in that case think hard about getting "all weather" rather
than winter tyres. After a similar problem a few years ago I put on
Michelin Cross Climates and now I would never have anything else. IIRC
about 50% more than "budgets" but they do last quite well.

This is in the Cotswolds where there is some ice and snow most winters,
and short but sometimes steep hills. I also carry a pair of snow socks
in the winter, which are brilliant. We don't normally get enough snow in
the south of England to justify chains (although I did get a set for a
RWD car one bad winter, 1981?)

My socks are looking a bit tired after about half a dozen 15 mile round
trips with snow at each end but none in the middle. So if your work
journey is long, you would want to put them on and off twice a day. Not
particularly difficult but if not wearing waterproof trousers carry a
rubber mat for kneeling on.


So the questions are....

How effective are snow socks on ice (they seem to be marketed more
for snow)

They will help on ice. They come into their own not on fresh snow but
snow that has been compacted into an icy layer by a limited amount of
traffic. But you might be surprised how much of a difference all weather
tyres make.

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 guys

Phil

thescullster presented the following explanation :
Are snow chains difficult to fit in this cold weather?

With cold fingers, yes, very.

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?

They are useless on ice, good for grip on snow. It is illegal to use
them except on snow and ice, because of the damage they will do to the
road and your tyres. So you should only use them, when you have no
other choice.

After serious thinking Steve Walker wrote :
If you are only really struggling on that one hill, there are some temporary,
spray on solutions to increase grip. I have no idea whether they work or not,
as have luckily never needed anything.

They make a normal tyre slightly sticky. Yes it does work, but only a
little better than the untreated tyre. If you are stuck, but could
almost become unstuck, the spray might be enough.

On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.

I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.

--
Colin Bignell

On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 10:32:18 AM UTC, nightjar wrote:
On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.
I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.

--
Colin Bignell


Why not place a pile of gravel at a strategic location and carry a shovel ?

On 10/02/2021 10:38, fred wrote:
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 10:32:18 AM UTC, nightjar wrote:
On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.
I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.


Why not place a pile of gravel at a strategic location and carry a shovel ?


In France, I once used gravel to free a car I was a passenger in when it
got stuck in snow. The driver, who was a local estate agent and should
have been used to the weather, was amazed.

--
Colin Bignell

On 2021-02-10, nightjar wrote:
On 10/02/2021 10:38, fred wrote:
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 10:32:18 AM UTC, nightjar wrote:
On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.
I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.


Why not place a pile of gravel at a strategic location and carry a shovel ?


In France, I once used gravel to free a car I was a passenger in when it
got stuck in snow. The driver, who was a local estate agent and should
have been used to the weather, was amazed.


Wood Ash is also good - if you have a wood burner.

I think the authorities around here are pretty good and know the problem
roads and put down ash sand and salt straight away on those. Of course some
of the side roads are a bit less well served, but I think you have every
right to expect some clearance on well used roads.
I do not drive myself, but there has to be either better drivers or more
grippe tyres around as you tend to see some people just driving smoothly and
not having any issues, but those who seem to drive more jerkily go all over
the place. A friend who lives near a corner finds it more entertaining than
the TV sometimes when there is ice around.
One old dodge my father used to reckon worked was to just let a bit of the
air out of the tyres so they were softer.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Steve Walker" wrote in message
...
On 09/02/2021 19:22, 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/

That should read with chains fitted of course.

You probably don't want chains - they cannot be used at all on clear
roads.

Socks will wear out rapidly on clear road, but at least you don't need to
take them off for short sections.

If you are only really struggling on that one hill, there are some
temporary, spray on solutions to increase grip. I have no idea whether
they work or not, as have luckily never needed anything.

On 10/02/2021 17:26, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
I think the authorities around here are pretty good and know the problem
roads and put down ash sand and salt straight away on those. Of course some
of the side roads are a bit less well served, but I think you have every
right to expect some clearance on well used roads.
I do not drive myself, but there has to be either better drivers or more
grippe tyres around as you tend to see some people just driving smoothly and
not having any issues, but those who seem to drive more jerkily go all over
the place. A friend who lives near a corner finds it more entertaining than
the TV sometimes when there is ice around.
One old dodge my father used to reckon worked was to just let a bit of the
air out of the tyres so they were softer.
Brian

Around here there is a weak bridge where a road crosses the railway. It
is (almost) a hump-back bridge and has had a 7.5T weight limit slapped
on it, as the council and the railway can't decide who is responsible
for paying for repairs/upgrade.

To help enforce the weight limit, it has 6'6" width restrictions, with
no cut-throughs for wider vehicles, on both approaches.

The first winter after the width restrictions went in, car after car
came over the top and slithered slowly down the other side, off at the
bend and into a garden wall - as the gritters could no longer grit it
and the slopes were solid ice from side to side!

The council did learn and have hand-gritted it since then.

In article , Steve Walker
wrote:
On 10/02/2021 17:26, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
I think the authorities around here are pretty good and know the
problem roads and put down ash sand and salt straight away on those. Of
course some of the side roads are a bit less well served, but I think
you have every right to expect some clearance on well used roads. I do
not drive myself, but there has to be either better drivers or more
grippe tyres around as you tend to see some people just driving
smoothly and not having any issues, but those who seem to drive more
jerkily go all over the place. A friend who lives near a corner finds
it more entertaining than the TV sometimes when there is ice around.
One old dodge my father used to reckon worked was to just let a bit
of the air out of the tyres so they were softer. Brian

Around here there is a weak bridge where a road crosses the railway. It
is (almost) a hump-back bridge and has had a 7.5T weight limit slapped
on it, as the council and the railway can't decide who is responsible
for paying for repairs/upgrade.

round here, the county council was responsible for the abuttments, but the
bridge itself was railway propert.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

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


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On 10/02/2021 22:04, 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



So what, five miles or so? I'm not sure how much benefit you can get
from reducing tyre pressures, and there are all sorts of risks from
that. You'll probably get 100 miles out of a set of snow socks for, say,
£30 or £3 a day. They are pretty quick and easy to fit and remove. But I
have never used them *just* for black ice, only for icy residues
following snowfall. I guess your problem in the Hull area is ice rather
than snow.

On 10/02/2021 18:36, Steve Walker wrote:
On 10/02/2021 17:26, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
I think the authorities around here are pretty good and know the problem
roads and put down ash sand and salt straight away on those. Of course
some
of the side roads are a bit less well served, but I think you have every
right to expect some clearance on well used roads.
Â* I do not drive myself, but there has to be either better drivers or
more
grippe tyres around as you tend to see some people just driving
smoothly and
not having any issues, but those who seem to drive more jerkily go all
over
the place. A friend who lives near a corner finds it more entertaining
than
the TV sometimes when there is ice around.
Â* One old dodge my father used to reckon worked was to just let a bit
of the
air out of the tyres so they were softer.
Â* Brian

Around here there is a weak bridge where a road crosses the railway. It
is (almost) a hump-back bridge and has had a 7.5T weight limit slapped
on it, as the council and the railway can't decide who is responsible
for paying for repairs/upgrade.

To help enforce the weight limit, it has 6'6" width restrictions, with
no cut-throughs for wider vehicles, on both approaches.

There is a bridge like that near me. The width restriction is 4, 9 inch
steel pipes set in concrete, about 4 feet tall, painted in reflective
paint. Over the years various vans and lorries have followed their
satnav down this lane and cannot reverse back, so they just force
their way through.
All four posts are now banana shaped with most of the paint
scraped off.

On 10/02/2021 12:49, Jim Jackson wrote:
On 2021-02-10, nightjar wrote:
On 10/02/2021 10:38, fred wrote:
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 10:32:18 AM UTC, nightjar wrote:
On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.
I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.


Why not place a pile of gravel at a strategic location and carry a shovel ?


In France, I once used gravel to free a car I was a passenger in when it
got stuck in snow. The driver, who was a local estate agent and should
have been used to the weather, was amazed.


Wood Ash is also good - if you have a wood burner.

Kill two birds with one stone


https://www.google.co.uk/search?sour...w=1344&bih=756

Three actually, you will be kept warm too

On 10 Feb 2021 at 10:32:20 GMT, "nightjar" wrote:

On 09/02/2021 20:58, Michael Chare wrote:
... I
have driven rental cars with snow tyres to ski resorts and never had to
fit chains as the snowplough will have kept the road reasonably clear.

I have a set of winter wheels and tyres - necessary when driving to some
countries in the winter. They are specifically designed to collect snow
in the sipes. Apparently the best thing to grip to snow is more snow. As
you say, they do very well in snow, but I don't have much experience of
driving with them on significant ice.

I've got some all season tyres on my Audi 'soft' 4WD A3 quattro - managed
Sheffield's snowy and steep roads with ease, even where some 4WD SUV can't
pass.

But all bets off with ice IME - never managed that.

--
Cheers, Rob

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

On 11/02/2021 12:11, newshound wrote:
On 10/02/2021 22:04, 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

Tyres, tyres, tyres.
In our 2wd Yeti on Michelin 4 season tyres I drove straight past a
couple of fancy 2wd SUVs that were unable to get up a slight hill into a
local housing development :-)

Me smug...

Mike