Winter Tyre Info and Discussion Thread ( Keep related chat here please)

[jeegnesh]

Enter silly questions r us:

How much better is having the 17's with winter tyres? Anyone have experience for example snowy/icy hill can the X5 get up?

I know it's pretty damn vague questions to answer but would love to know just how much more you can expect?

[pvr]

[quote=""AW8""]I put a little copper grease on the threads to avoid the seizure spoken of here.[/quote]

That changes torque value though ...

[pvr]

[quote=""jeegnesh""]Enter silly questions r us:

How much better is having the 17's with winter tyres? Anyone have experience for example snowy/icy hill can the X5 get up?

I know it's pretty damn vague questions to answer but would love to know just how much more you can expect?[/quote]

Drove straight up a pure ice hill on winter sport. Could not walk up it, but could drive up it though ....

[X5Sport]

[quote=""pvr""][quote=""AW8""]I put a little copper grease on the threads to avoid the seizure spoken of here.[/quote]

That changes torque value though ...[/quote]

......and increases the risk of it shearing or damaging the threads. The hubs being very lightly lubed I agree with though.

Try another question then.....

Most wheel bolts are only released/tightened at service intervals or tyre changes, so if Owners are now regularly swapping wheel sets in addition, how many time will a bolt set last before becoming 'stretched' and therefore really needing replacing? Probably never in the normal life of a car, but what is a 'normal life'. These things will have a 'fatigue' life even if always tightened correctly.

Sorry it's my mechanical engineer part coming to the fore and idly wondering......it's a quiet evening

[pvr]

Let alone those that remove the wheels to wash / wax the inside.

Can't think of anyone who would do that though ....

[X5Sport]

I've got a long handled brush especially.......but waxing....weelllll......err.... Do have to redo the 'Metalmate' seal coating every so often though.

[jeegnesh]

[quote=""pvr""][quote=""jeegnesh""]Enter silly questions r us:

How much better is having the 17's with winter tyres? Anyone have experience for example snowy/icy hill can the X5 get up?

I know it's pretty damn vague questions to answer but would love to know just how much more you can expect?[/quote]

Drove straight up a pure ice hill on winter sport. Could not walk up it, but could drive up it though ....[/quote]

Good to know. Makes my dilemma worse

[X5Sport]

When it was fitted with its winter wellies (19" Pirelli Ice & Snow RFT) earlier this year, I took the X6 up an unmade very icy hill road in Surrey that's about 1/2 mile long with no drama at all. Pedestrians were struggling, as were a number of other car types. The torque distribution/traction display was quite interesting to watch, or so my passengers told me! No drama coming down it later into day again either. Just put the HDC (or Duck function as my other half thinks the symbol looks like a duck) on and let it look after itself.

I don't think t would have been quite so drama free on the huge 20" Dunlop summer rubber though! Deep puddles and very wet (as in standing water type wet) roads can upset the car if the underlying surface is slick and new.

[Sanj]

Jiggy has to spend some money!

Sorry man, I'm messing!

[X5Sport]

He's not the only one..

Just got mine back, and there's a charge now. I don't remember seeing anything in advance about the Scheme charging, but anyway.....

After the first year, the Scheme (including storage) charges £40 per swap - or £80 a year. Overall I guess it's reasonable as hiring a storage space for the year is a lot more than that, and I don't have space to store either the X6 or Mini set. And you cn't really expect them to store and change wheel sets for free. And in my case it's cheaper than the visits to the Chiropractor which with my back I would almost certainly need

Would have been nicer to know ahead, rather than get a bill after the event. They assumed I knew, hence not saying anything ahead of time, and as it's still something that Dealers are getting used to so I'll let them off (this time!).

[dirtymonkey29]

So the dealer offers wheel storage? Interesting, might have to ring and find out if that's offered at my local dealership

[X5Sport]

it may be that you have to buy the set from BMW. That certainly 'appears' to be the case with my local Dealer.

[snipez999]

My stealer said they were already up to capacity with 4 other customers' wheels to store, somewhere, over the Winter so it made no odds. They are currently sitting happily in my garage in BMW tyre bags sourced from the USA.

[jeegnesh]

Tada:



Now when do we put them on? And does the car have to tracked again?

[X5Sport]

Now (or once temps are around 7C or below), and no - Well at least I can't see a reason to if the tracking was fine then changing the wheels should not make any difference as all the angles should still be approx the same. The hubs will still be at the same angles vertically and horizontally. Not seen any scrubbing on mine swapping back and forth.

And - er - if you're shutting the lid, you might want to secure that lot a little further forward, or it's 'Goodnight Rear Screen' if they roll. Might get a little drafty in the back

I do miss being able to put them all in the back of the X5. Can't do it with the X6 without folding and moving the back seats, and the Mini - well forget it