Winter Tyres or Chains for a Roadtrip to Switzerland..video

[carsarecool]

Hi,

I've read many threads on winter tyres and done some reasearch but I have a dilemma.

I am going to Switzerland skiing in Feb and I've decided I am going to drive......I've always fancied a road trip but previously done nothing more than Scotland before. Having briefly looked into it I need to sort winter tyres or chains/socks for the drive up the hill, or more importantly, down the hill.

The questions I have are:

1. £1-2k for spare set of wheels/tyres - how long do winters last?
2. Chains - will they damage my Vs.
3. Snow "socks" are they legal in Europe?
4. Should I just grow sum and not worry?

Thanks in advance.

[doodlebug]

Winter tyres and chains. You'll only know whether they foul the rim if you try some. V-spokes are quite proud.

[Snotsicle]

Tyres. You'll never look back having tried them, even for UK winters. Every mile you put on them is one less on your summer set.

The French and Swiss rozzers take a very dim view of people trying to get up mountain passes without either chains or proper winter tyres (bearing the mountain/snowflake symbol) and are likely to make you turn around & go back down if they catch you half way up.

AFAIK, the "socks" don't count as chains.

[smudge]

Maybe see if Reading Audi can fit a set of these for you:

[carsarecool]

Nice Smudge.......who needs roads.

[carsarecool]

Anyone lend/rent me some chains for 1st week of Feb? 20" Vs

[Graeme4130]

Having been in the Swiss alps during ski season, I can say you'll not get anywhere without at least winter tyres, and as said above, the police will turn you around if they catch you
Snow socks are actually very good, but you need to potter around slowly with them and they shouldn't damage your wheels

[Revolution]

winter tyres - they are amazing, got mine on order for driving in the UK....really make a difference when the temps dip below 7degs when summer tyres just go hard and winters have integral sipes to grip the snow and ice for amazing traction....

Audi quattro will give you traction but really bad in emergency stops, winter tyres do all that plus control and traction of side roads is utterly amazing!

you will get a fine or even car impounded if you get stopped in the mountains with standard tyres on - they dont mess about

stick them on now and remove next spring - as someone said, once you try them you will never go back!

Driven with and without them in the UK and been on a winter test day with vredestein this year, i think they should be law in the uk and you would have no crazy days when we get an
inch of snow..people would just get on with it, you will never get stuck yourself or worst still get stuck behind another car on a side road, just trundle passed them and away..

PM us if you want some prices..

[TGJR]

I also drive to ski resorts and would only do so with winter tyres. Occasionally the roads are clear and dry all the way up and you think "why did I bother" but the odd time I have hit proper snow packed roads I would not want to be on a set of wide, low profile summer tyres. Coming down hills is the worst as you have plenty of momentum but zero control......ouch!

Never tried snow socks and only used chains on a Merc ML which had plenty of clearance. I'll be going this season in my RS4 to the Alps with a set of winter tyres and some chains in the boot just in case there is severe weather up the mountain but hopefully won't need put them on.

[stu]

Can't really comment on the OP's question but I thought I'd chip in about the snow socks - they're really good! I used them on my crappy Ibiza to get through some really tracked compacted snow. They got pretty frayed after driving on tarmac + hard flat ice - my fault. A great emergency tool for front or rear drive cars.

Get winter tyres. I've had vreds and now pirelli sottozeros - the priellis cost an arm and a leg but performance wise in dry cold roads they are superb. Still think the vreds were better when the actual snow came along.

[MK2Golf24v]

20" winters can be had for under £250 a tyre. Its a no brainer.

[Ricky]

Never driven on chains but I'd image over a distance you would get tired of them. Do have experience of winter tyres though, and can't remecommend them highly enough. Go for it and you won't be disappointed.

In fact I remember watching something on TV and the concenous was that if you were only going to use one type of tyre all year round, it was better to use a winter tyre all year.

So another vote for a good quality winter tyre !!!!!

[adsgreen]

Apparently legal to use snow socks
http://www.autosock.co.uk/faqs/

Worth grabbing the Sticker for france too as it al helps.

I've had a set on wifes car and they are bloody amazing. On a Mini cooper S (with some extra grunt) and fitted to the front wheels on deep snow it didn't even bother the traction control system and never kicked in. A full emergency stop test was effective too in terms of stopping and control.
Finally, I stopped whilst going up a hill where a land rover defender had got stuck and asked if they needed some help.
"No." was the only word whilst looking at the car with Stickers, fog lights and stripes.
So shrugged and simply pulled away up hill with no drama.

[carsarecool]

Apparently legal to use snow socks
http://www.autosock.co.uk/faqs/

Worth grabbing the sticker for france too as it al helps.

I've had a set on wifes car and they are bloody amazing. On a Mini cooper S (with some extra grunt) and fitted to the front wheels on deep snow it didn't even bother the traction control system and never kicked in. A full emergency stop test was effective too in terms of stopping and control.
Finally, I stopped whilst going up a hill where a land rover defender had got stuck and asked if they needed some help.
"No." was the only word whilst looking at the car with stickers, fog lights and stripes.
So shrugged and simply pulled away up hill with no drama.

Thanks. I've spoken to a snow chain rental company who recommended that, to check for clearance, you put your hands into the wheel arch and over the back of the tyre and if there is enough room to move your fingers from 9-3 o'clock over the back edge of the tyre then 9mm chains will fit.

I just went to try and I can't get my hands in-between the wheel arch and tyres!!!! This would also be a problem when fitting socks.

However, I have 10mm spacers so I guess that would create 10mm clearance between wheel and inside of car? But this then begs the question will they rub on the wheel arch instead?

F*** it! I might just fly instead

[adsgreen]

Socks are a lot easier to put on even with a narrow gap.
What I used was a brush/ice scraper to ease the socks on. You only have to get them close and they snap into place and are self adjusting.
Failing that you can get the socks over the wheels as far as possible then whilst holding in place pull the elastic taught over the face of the alloy and move up. It can spring enough to then pull from the other side.
Jeez that's a <beep> explanation!