AFAIK, the treads in tyre are to displace water to prevent aquaplaning.
How would a normal summer tyre behave on snow?
Will a tyre with deeper tread (say 8 mm) will perform better than same tyre with say 4 mm tread?
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Will a tyre with deeper tread (say 8 mm) will perform better than same tyre with say 4 mm tread?
Given that shoes with prominent lugs on the soles grip much better on packed snow than smoother soles do, I'd say yes.
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In my opinion, its both the depth of the tread and the tread pattern that matter on snow.
Deeper tread with a blocky pattern is what matters.
This site has some good examples:
www.ctyres.co.uk/tyre_info/tyre_type.html
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Deeper tread is better* in all conditions other than in the dry with the ambient 10> when the amount of rubber in contact with road is more of a factor in respect of max grip than the tread pattern.
* tread design and material properties are even more important than tread depth though.
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Wouldn't directional tread patterns be less effective grip wise in the snow?
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I seem to remember something on Scrap Heap Challenge about deeper treads digging the wheel into the surface.
IIRC they're only effective if the snow isn't so deep that it prevents the wheel reaching the road underneath.
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The more tread depth you have the more tread "squirm" occurs, this movement of the tread has two beneficial effects, firstly it helps to warm the tyre, secondly it encourages the snow to be cleared from the tread - indeed snow tyres are designed to have excessive tread squirm for this purpose.
In general any road tyre drops off massively in wet performance once you are below 3mm of tread depth. Don't let tyres drop to legal minimums they are already well shot by then in terms of wet performance - of course, if all you ever do is potter around town then this is probably not a problem, if you're a motorway/fast a-road user, then change your tyres at 3mm - it could save your life.
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Yes, tread depth matters.
Normal tyres are recommended to be replaced at 3mm. Winter tyres are recommended to be replaced at 4mm. But compound and tread pattern are also important. Many 'sports' tyres only have groves going across the tyres on the edges or shoulders, with circumferencial grooves on the rest of the tyre. This type of tread is worst in snow, but best on warm tarmac.
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In my opinion its both the depth of the tread and the tread pattern that matter on snow. Deeper tread with a blocky pattern is what matters.
Absolutely agree. I got some Avon ZV5's on the front of my A4, and whilst under normal circumstances thay are a reasonable tyre, in the snow they are the worst I have ever come across. I have previously had Dulop SP Sport Maxx and Conti Sport Contact 2's both of which were noticeably better in snow.
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Yes! My dad has 2.5mm on his front tyres and can't get out of the yard to get new ones. My tyres are new and present no problem on snow.
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I second that. My front tyres were well worn and I was getting stuck while other cars were having no trouble. I got new ones today and they're making a huge difference.
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Hi
the legal limit is 1;6mm i beleive but reco for winter driving is 3mm.
the depth of thread matters
a narrower tyre will drive better in the snow than a wider one = EG , 165 will do better than 245.
then there is the compound of the tyre - so-called winter tyres react better to cold weather hence better grip.
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Company car drivers usually have to wait until 2mm before being allowed to change. Changed mine a few thousands miles ago on the front so quite good.
I do remember when we last had a bad snow fall in Manchester (4 years ago) that my car was not so good. It was a Mondeo TDCi at the time and about due new tyres. Swapped them on the day in question and found it a lot better - but no surprise when you go from close to 2mm tread depth to brand new tyres!
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Company car drivers usually have to wait until 2mm before being allowed to change.
This is one of the 'downsides' of leased company cars, always irritates me but it's a facet of their business model (cf long life servicing), you always have the choice to pay your own money (although a bit extreme) of course.
Personally I'd like the option to pay a few more £ pcm to change at 3mm as I do on my own cars but I guess I'm an exception to the norm in this respect - I recall a poster a few months back that wanted to put remoulds on their leased car so I suspect that most car leasers (?) company or otherwise do not give tyres much thought.
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