WINTER TYRES – Full Range of Winter & Snow Tyres from: Performance Alloys.com®

WINTER TYRES AT PERFORMANCE ALLOYS

We stock a full range of winter tyres for any car, van or SUV. We have been selling winter tyres in the UK & Ireland since 1998. What are winter tyres > winter tyres are not just for the use in snow & ice, but are recommended when the temperature drops below 7°c (In the UK & Ireland this can be 5 months of the year !). Winter tyres are much better on slush, ice, frost & wet roads than standard summer tyres. Any time the temperature drops below 7°c you’re better off on winter tyres in the UK & Ireland.

It is recommended that you switch to winter tyres in the UK & Ireland between October and April.

ORDER NOW TO ENSURE DELIVERY FOR WINTER 2011/12

WINTER TYRE SEARCH

It is Very Important to Fit Winter tyres in sets of Four !

OUR TYRES BRANDS INCLUDE

WHAT ARE WINTER TYRES & THE ADVANTAGES?

Winter tyres offer the following advantages:

BETTER TRACTION: in snow, heavy rain, ice & cold temperatures,
your wheels do not spin
BETTER STOPPING: winter tyres provide better stopping in snow,
wet & cold conditions vs. summer tyres
MOBILITY: you can use you car to get about, it wont be stuck in your
driveway
SAFETY: winter tyres will stop you car in much shorter distances &
give you more control

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUMMER & WINTER TYRES?

The rubber compound of a winter tyre is very different to a summer tyre. It is designed specifically to work in temperatures under +7 degrees centigrade.

What happens to a summer tyre when the temperature drops is that the tyre compound loses its flexibility, making it less grippy in low temperatures. Winter tyres are made from specially developed compound with more natural rubber so they don’t harden when it’s cold, which means increased grip on the road and greater safety.

CONTINENTAL WINTER TYRES VS. ALL SEASON TYRES

On ice, snow & wet conditions, winter tyres provide grip that no summer tyre can match. A vehicle fitted with winter tyres will come to standstill on a snow-covered road (from a speed of just 30mph) after 35 metres – with normal tyres the braking distance required is a further 8 metres (43 metres). That is another two car lengths.

Winter tyres are better than summer tyres in the wet & when the temperature is 7°c or below, not just in snow!

CAN I USE WINTER TYRES ALL YEAR ROUND?

Yes you can use winter tyres all year round in the UK.

If you are reluctant to change tyres and have nowhere to store summer tyres when they are not in use, you are better off using winter tyres all year round.

There is a slight trade off with stopping distances as a winter tyre does not stop as quickly in the dry as a summer tyre, however, on balance if it is not possible to switch tyres in the winter, experts say you are better off with winter tyres all year round. This is because the difference in stopping distances of summer tyres in winter is far greater than for winter tyres in the summer.

Did you know that you are six times more likely to have a prang in your car during the winter months? Slippery leaves on wet roads, followed by snow and ice, create hazardous winter driving conditions and increase accidents on the road by as much as 267%!

With temperatures dipping below 7°C from October through to March, waiting for the first snowfall before switching to winter tyres may be too late. Using cold weather tyres throughout autumn and winter could help you avoid becoming another accident statistic.

WINTER WEATHER IN THE UK

Annual Average Days of
Ground Frost from 1971 to 2000
(Click image to enlarge)

Mean minimum temperture from
1971 to 2000 in the winter months
(Click image to enlarge)

Mean minimum temperature for
Winter 2010 / 2011
(Click image to enlarge)

BRAKING
ON WET ROADS

FROM 62MPH (100KM/H) TO REST

WHEN SHOULD YOU FIT FIT WINTER TYRES?

It is recommended that you switch to winter tyres in the UK between October and April. With temperatures dipping below 7°C from October through to March, waiting for the first snowfall before switching to

winter tyres may be too late. Using cold weather tyres throughout autumn and winter could help you avoid becoming another accident statistic.

WHY DO I NEED TO FIT WINTER TYRES IN SETS OF FOUR?

Winter tyres must be fitted in sets of four. Fitting only one pair will significantly affect the balance and stability of the car. If you just fit winters tyres to on the back of a rear wheel drive car, it will provide grip to get going but due to the fact of not having them on the front you’re stopping & steering ability will be severely affected.

The same applies to just fitting two winter tyres on the front axle of a front wheel drive car. When braking, the lack of grip on the rear tyres will cause an imbalance and loss of traction on the rear will occur.

Have a look at the following video which explains in further details the disadvantages of fitting 2 winter tyres vs. a set of four winter tyres.

WHY SHOULD I BUY WINTER TYRES?

We stock a wide range of winter tyres:

As with any tyre, the better the quality of the tyres the higher the price, we have found Goodyear, Dunlop & Continental winter tyres to always be in the top 5 winter tyres tested around Europe. This year both Dunlop and Goodyear have lunched two new tyres which look to be even better than their current models, Dunlop Winter Sport 4D (replaces the 3D model) and Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 (which replaces the Ultra Grip 7).

At Performance Alloys we only offer high quality winter tyres from the top tyre manufacturers. If you need any help or advice please feel free to give us a call and we can go over our recommendations.

Winter Tyre Reviews are a good place to compare, keep an eye out for 2011 winter tyre tests in the press:

Auto Express 2010 Winter Tyre Test

1st: Goodyear UltraGrip 7 Plus

Total: 961.9
Dry: 186.2
Wet: 288.4
Snow: 299.7
Rolling Resistance: 89.6
Comfort: 98
4th: Vredestein Snowtrac 3

Total: 953.1
Dry: 186.4
Wet: 291.5
Snow: 285.7
Rolling Resistance: 90.7
Comfort: 98.8

2nd: Continental WinterContact TS830

Total: 969.3
Dry: 184.8
Wet: 295.8
Snow: 294.7
Rolling Resistance: 94
Comfort: 100
5th: Pirelli Sottozero Serie II

Total: 941.1
Dry: 185
Wet: 279.4
Snow: 281.5
Rolling Resistance: 100
Comfort: 95.2

3rd: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Total: 952.7
Dry: 188.3
Wet: 295.2
Snow: 288.2
Rolling Resistance: 81.9
Comfort: 99.1

Auto Bild 2010 Winter Tyre Test

1st: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Total: 37
Dry: 7
Wet: 9
Snow: 9
Rolling Resistance: 6
Comfort: 6
Positive: Excellent winter tires with peak performance in any weather, short braking distances on dry track, good aquaplaning.
Negative: High rolling resistance.
Overall: Exemplary
4th: Vredestein Snowtrac 3

Total: 37
Dry: 8
Wet: 8
Snow: 7
Rolling Resistance: 8
Comfort: 6
Positive: Well-balanced winter tire with outstanding handling characteristics in all weather conditions, short braking distances on wet and dry road surface.
Negative: High road noise.
Overall: Exemplary.

2nd: Continental WinterContact TS830

Total: 37
Dry: 7
Wet: 9
Snow: 8
Rolling Resistance: 7
Comfort: 6
Positive: Convincing all-round talent with dynamic driving characteristics on wet roads, exemplary safety reserves with aquaplaning.
Negative: Only moderate comfort.
Overall: Exemplary.
5th: Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Total: 41
Dry: 7
Wet: 7
Snow: 9
Rolling Resistance: 10
Comfort: 8
Positive: Top snow performance with short stopping distances and safer cornering, good ride comfort, low rolling resistance.
Negative: Extended dry braking distances, poor aquaplaning results.
Overall: Good.

3rd: Goodyear UltraGrip 7 Plus

Total: 40
Dry: 7
Wet: 7
Snow: 9
Rolling Resistance: 10
Comfort: 7
Positive: Winter sports specialist with the best traction and dynamic performance on snow, low pass-by noise and lowest rolling resistance in the test.
Negative: Slight understeer in dry conditions.
Overall: Exemplary.

AMS 2010 Winter Tyre Test

1st: Goodyear UltraGrip 7 Plus

Total: 264
Dry: 86
Wet: 83
Snow: 95
Positive: Very good handling, good traction and short braking distances on snow, balanced properties in wet and dry, quiet.
Negative: Slightly increased rolling resistance
4th: Fulda Kristall Control HP

Total: 244
Dry: 79
Wet: 67
Snow: 98
Positive: Excellent handling, great braking power and very good traction on snow, good aquaplaning
Negative: Only average driving characteristics and a relatively long stopping distances on wet roads

2nd: Michelin Alpin A4

Total: 259
Dry: 90
Wet: 92
Snow: 77
Positive: Good handling and excellent braking performance on wet roads, good handling characteristics on dry roads, low rolling resistance
Negative: Snow performance wasn't group leading
5th: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Total: 242
Dry: 81
Wet: 86
Snow: 75
Positive: Very good handling characteristics and short braking distances in dry, good ride comfort, good wet performances
Negative: Average snow performance

3rd: Continental WinterContact TS830

Total: 257
Dry: 93
Wet: 94
Snow: 70
Positive: Good handling and short braking distances on snow, very good wetness characteristics, good aquaplaning resistance
Negative: Limited snow traction

Auto Zeitung 2010 Winter Tyre Test

1st: Continental WinterContact TS830

Total: 387
Dry: 123
Wet: 135
Snow: 129
Overall: The ContiWinterContact TS830 wins another test thanks to an excellent all round performance. The TS830 offers excellent control in both the snow and the wet and has one of the best dry braking scores.
4th: Nokian WRG2

Total: 354
Dry: 134
Wet: 110
Snow: 110
Overall: The Nokian WRG2 provides good snow handling but is slightly let down by its snow braking result. Unrivaled dry grip and excellent wet performance gives this WRG2 a good overall score.

2nd: Goodyear UltraGrip 7 Plus

Total: 381
Dry: 130
Wet: 131
Snow: 120
Overall: The Goodyear UltraGrip 7+ provides excellent traction on snow. It has a strong wet performance and is extremely comfortable in the dry
5th: Pirelli SNOWCONTROL Serie II

Total: 350
Dry: 123
Wet: 108
Snow: 119
Overall: The Pirelli Snow Control Series II provides excellent control in the snow and wet. Comfortable on dry roads.

3rd: Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

Total: 376
Dry: 115
Wet: 138
Snow: 123
Overall: The Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D provides excellent all round snow control, a high level of aquaplaning resistance and shortest braking distances in the wet and dry. The WinterSport 3D only loses a few points for high rolling resistance.