winter tyre pressure.. (1 Viewer)

[chapel gate]

hope your all enjoying the christmas break.

for this winter ive invested in a set of proper winter tyres. im running them at 32 psi, i this too high? as to be honest they havnt performed as good as i would like in some situations.

they are 275, 70, 16's

 

[Ebag333]

Define "haven't performed as good as I would like in some situations."

32 PSI should be fine for highway travel.

 

[chapel gate]

today they were ok on the road in 2'-3' drifts, but the track leading to our house has a pretty steep section. could only get half way up it this morning, and coming down can be a gathering of speed, seat of the pants affair...

ill try and post a couple of pictures

 

[jlbuk]

What ya bought ?
Hav ea set of bronco grizly 285s here that I was going to get mounted onto my other rims (currently wearing worn out 285 BFGs), then "our" snow mounted so I figured I'd save my cash

 

[retrofive]

x2 A/T's, M/T's, what proper tYre are you running

Im pretty comfy at 35psi 285/75/16 M/Ts during the winter here. Given this is only my 2nd winter with them. 25*-40* here.

 

[chapel gate]

ok, a few pics, its nothing compared to what some of you lads get. these are from last year. the more people that try to get up the track the worse it gets, and like i say coming down can be a nightmare.

these are the tYres;

Fulda - German tyres made affordable > Tramp 4x4 Yukon

 

[jlbuk]

you live in a field ?

 

[chapel gate]

lol, yeah, pretty much. the corner of the house can just be seen in the third shot down

 

[jlbuk]

You chose the right car !!
I'd really consider MTs if I had that drive, but then I guess it depends where you headed once you hit tarmac, and how much time you are sepnding on it !

 

[Lka1988]

X2 on the M/T's. Make mine studded and siped.

 

[IdahoDoug]

I'd go with factory pressure (29/29) in the US with stock sized winter tires. As I'm sure you know, some snow types simply defy traction when they're unconsolidated. Only so much you can do. Also, the Fulda link's not working.

DougM

 

[greentruck]

Yes, you need a MT here.

I just got back from a drive round paved roads in Canada. I'm running a set of half worn Michelin 275/70 R16 LTX M/S, basically the same sort of tire as the Fulda's you linked to. I was impressed with the Michelin's on the road through all sorts of snow and some ice over some 1800 miles. But ask them to do what you are asking of your Fulda's? No.

You need something rated for off-road use, in whatever form yiou prefer. Most likely, you'll want an MT, as most AT will struggle with the combination of deep snow and sticky mud that appears to be your chosen path.

Yes, you've made it with your Fulda's, so various AT's could aspire to doing the same, but if you want confidence in making this trip a MT would be my recommendation.

 

[chapel gate]

thanks for the replies

try the link again doug, it seems to be working.

the surface of the steep secton is uneven tarmac.(roughly layed by ourselfs). there are no mud sections of the track. once reaching the top of the track and the main road i can have anything to up to a 30 mile journey to get to work depending on where i am working.

ice is also a issue on the track and then on the main road thats why i stayed away from the MT's. there are no sipe services in the uk that i know of.

without snow;

 

[greentruck]

I never would've guessed that asphalt was underneath! It's certainly a prettier view without all the snow.

With all that snow on top, getting off the ideal path could easily happen. Airing down could help some, I suppose, but that is a challenge under winter conditions.

 

[FirstToy]

I'm no expert on snow but I've noticed that going down into the 20's or lower makes a huge difference in tire traction. Once the tire is able to "float" on top and grab traction from a wide patch, it just improves things 1000%.

I know that would be inconvienent with just your driveway and probably normal street driving afterwards...
maybe as low as possible for your drive.

Do you lock the center diff? That made a noticeable improvement in chugging through the deep stuff.
Also, I think a good M+S All-Terrain or snow specific is going to do the best.

 

[IdahoDoug]

I agree with FirstToy on lowering pressures for a challenging snow situation. I thought you were just asking what pressure to operate winter tires on for every day. But definitely lower them if you're getting stuck in snow to make for a larger footprint and longer fore and aft dimension to that footprint.

DougM

 

[CruiserStuff]

Depending on how often you have snow/ice, I'd recommend having a "winter set" of tires with studs installed. Get a good AT tire (there too much space between the lugs of an MT to get good traction).

This may go against what others say, but I find that putting an auto tranny vehicle in neutral and then CRAWLING along using brakes is a good way to negotiate very icy downhill stretches. You figure, in gear an auto tranny is pushing you forward, whether you're on the gas or not. Keeping it in neutral and going super slow will often help to maintain control and avoid the white knuckle bobsled run experiences you've described having.

Airing down your tires can help with traction as well. If you have an onboard compressor, this isn't as big of a deal. Still, good studded tires with a good tread pattern will do wonders (I prefer BFG AT's - even on the truck I plow snow with (see avatar).....HIH

 

[chapel gate]

i do lock the centre diff, and then front and rear when i have too.

i will try lowering the pressure, maybe 5 psi at a time and go from there.

we had a white out on the top road last night, had to stop at one point because of the lack of visability.

cruiser stuff, i know what you mean, i inch down clutch dipped and in reverse gear, when she goes, i give her some reverse thrust!

thanks for the response.

 

[CruiserStuff]

Ah, sorry, didn't see that you have a manny tranny.....