Snow Chains or Winter Tyres?

[Ian McGregor]

I am looking at driving my fantastic new t6 to Italy this winter and have started looking at snow chains or winter tyres. I have 275 40 20" and lowered so fitting chains i think will be a challenge and on initial search they are expensive. All help greatly appreciated

 

[mmi]

Nokian WR SUV 4 - Overcome all the surprises that winter has in store / Nokian Tyres
A good selection of different sizes and load rated (min. 103 for a T32) tyres.

 

[Tourershine]

I am looking at driving my fantastic new t6 to Italy this winter and have started looking at snow chains or winter tyres. I have 275 40 20" and lowered so fitting chains i think will be a challenge and on initial search they are expensive. All help greatly appreciated

I assume if you're running 20s and it's lowered, that aesthetics are a big factor, and the thought of a set of different wheels might not be an option?
The only reason I say is because I love how mine looks on it's current wheels, and the thought of putting smaller wheels on for winter was not my thing.... however.

I ran my last set of 19s through our hard salty winter last year and it destroyed the wheels. I've since moved to different 19s and I'm not taking the risk this year, so I've purchased a set of the nice looking standard 17" steels, had them powder coated White to be just a little different, but the cherry on the top is a huge set of BF Goodrich tyres. This should give me a set of bad ass winter wheels, and a look that doesn't compromise too much from my summer set up.

This option could be a good choice for you, and once you have a set of winters on rims, you can just swap out the wheels at your own leisure, instead of needing a tyre shop to keep swapping the tyres back and forth.

These steels are easy to find, cheap, and with big knoblies, the correct spacers and the factory centre caps, keeping mine set on it's lowest setting on the B14s should hopefully still look as good as it does the rest of the year with a semi-swamper look.

 

[Loz]

I am an advocate of a second set of winter wheels its less of a faf in the long run.

Also for countries who do/enforce winter tyre use require them to winter badged over and above mud and snow.

Proper winters are excellent below 7deg.

 

[Tourershine]

To add to what @Loz said, the Goodrich KO2 is winter/snow stamped, and load rated at 107, but the compromise is it's not speed rated for our vehicles as many of these tyres aren't, but that's on my head.

 

[Beejay]

275 tyres on soft snow will be a nightmare as they won't ride over the snow merely create a ridge in front and refuse to go over it, bit like trying to mount a kerb at 90 degrees.
They will tend to go sideways rather than straight ahead.
With chains on 275 tyres I'd imagine that suspension or body clearance would be an issue.

Have a look on Tyreleader site as they do winter rated Alloys (suitably paint finished) plus a 255 45 18 winter tyre and chains to suit all in a package.

CONTINENTAL WINTER CONTACT TS 850 P
WHEELWORLD WH24 (MATT, BLACK)
PEWAG SERVO SUV RSV77

Merely a suggestion.

 

[Ian McGregor]

Sounds like a great option. I had considered that it would be a bit of a pain to keep having the wimter tyres changed over from my 20's but this makes perfect sense. Thanks

 

[chriscroft]

Nokian WR SUV 4 - Overcome all the surprises that winter has in store / Nokian Tyres
A good selection of different sizes and load rated (min. 103 for a T32) tyres.

I run these all year round, looking like 40k miles with 3mm still left.
Brilliant in all conditions for a van (not so good for a fast car enthusiastically driven in summer perhaps)
According to some tests these tyres can out perform some dedicated winter tyres.
I can't rate them highly enough, but they aren't available in some van sizes.
In ice and shallow snow they out perform most AT Tyres on made surfaces, especially braking. in my experiance

 

[BognorMotors]

We always bang a set of 17’s on with winter tyres.

 

[chriscroft]

We always bang a set of 17’s on with winter tyres.

Yeh, I run 17" all year round.
One day I might just go for some 20", they do look so nice.

 

[Keeff]

you could just get a set of devon ports with the all weather tyres as mine came standard on my t32 combo. They worked ok in the snow we had last winter and you should fine a set on eBay .

 

[carlg]

You should also check the country's you drive through as in some places you have to carry snow chains .

 

[Ian McGregor]

I run these all year round, looking like 40k miles with 3mm still left.
Brilliant in all conditions for a van (not so good for a fast car enthusiastically driven in summer perhaps)
According to some tests these tyres can out perform some dedicated winter tyres.
I can't rate them highly enough, but they aren't available in some van sizes.
In ice and shallow snow they out perform most AT Tyres on made surfaces, especially braking. in my experiance
View attachment 27465

Thanks carlg
Would you know what rating i need to look for in new alloys? It is my intention to have a spare set to change over. Looking at 19s but really dont know what i need to be aware of. My van is a t6 t32 kombi
Thanks
Ian

 

[alter]

 

[Insert Coin]

I've purposely kept my Devonports so I can put winter tyres on, I'm going to bump the suspension back up to max height too for winter.

I think I might get the tyres now, I seem to remember there was a shortage last year and prices got very inflated.

 

[Beejay]

Thanks carlg
Would you know what rating i need to look for in new alloys? It is my intention to have a spare set to change over. Looking at 19s but really dont know what i need to be aware of. My van is a t6 t32 kombi
Thanks
Ian

Wheels need to be van rated with a minimum of 850kgs load rating. tyres need to be minimum of 103 load rating. This applies to the T32.
19" wheels tend to be 9" or more in width requiring 275 width tyres if you want to protect the rims from kerbing.

 

[Smarty]

Slight correction.

860kgs minimum wheel rating for T32 and 103 tyres.

265 wide tyre will be a little closer to original overall circumference and will still cover 9J rim width.

 

[Scruffy]

Do remember, skinnier tyres will work much better in the snow. 275 or 265 will be next to useless in snow, whatever type of tyre they are. I know this from experience of 4wd Audis.

 

[Sjacko20]

Just in the process of building up winter wheels, just debating whether to stick with 235 as summer tyres or slim down to 215, will the performance difference be noticeable in British winter?

 

[alter]

as far as my experience is worth, with the snow the narrowest wheels are better ... even with the Subby Sti, I wear tires more narrow in winter to go where the roads are covered with snow .... anyway between 215 and 235 not it changes a lot ..