Snow Socks

[monsterenergy]

Anybody here used snow socks before?

Nae so much for the Scoob cos it does more than ok in the snow - more for the missus' car. She's gone and got herself a rear wheel drive car and I think she'll be grounded as soon as the first flake falls and she'll be nabbin my scoob if I'm awa at work!

I've seen these snow sock things advertised. Are they a daily driver solution or just a "gets ye home" solution?

There's a company Autosock that claim to be the daddy of snow socks (accept no imitations and all that guff) - but they don't do a size to fit her rear wheels.

AutoSock

Then there's Snocks who do the correct sizes - but the fitting video on their website is filmed in summer - the boys wearing shorts FFS! So reckon they might be cowboys?

Snocks vid

Fair bit of cash to shell out if they're cr4p, ye ken.

Any opinions welcome! Ta!

Edited November 9, 2011 by monsterenergy

[scoobywho]

Take it its a bmw? if its running 255/35/18 rears stick a pair of 225/40/18 winter tyres on the back and it will be bang on.

[monsterenergy]

Take it its a bmw? if its running 255/35/18 rears stick a pair of 225/40/18 winter tyres on the back and it will be bang on.

Beemer? It iz not ein BMW!

It's a coupe with 265/35ZR18 on the back. Don't want to put on winter wheels and tyres cos it'd look pish lol

Edited November 10, 2011 by monsterenergy

[bmwhere?]

I have a set for the scoob, but with winter tyres I've never needed to fit them so I really can't say if they work well or not!

From what I've heard, the original ones were pretty pants, maybe an improvement on summer tyres, but actually degraded performance of winter tyres!

The second gen versions (came out about 3 to 4 years ago) and were a vast improvement and actually improved grip over winter tyres although still nowhere near as good as chains. I don't know if they have been improved again since then!

My advice would be to get a set of chains rather than socks unless you have a clearance problem. You can get special chains designed to fit on alloy wheels which don't damage the rims. I'd only go for socks if you don't have the wheel clearance for fitting chains (as is the case on my Scoob!). Winter tyres are also a must, but on a RWD car you'll still struggle up hill in the snow!

[scoobykev]

Socks are purely a get you home item, from what i've found out they'll disintegrate on bare tarmac. winter tyres on a set of cheap rims is the way to go, they may look pish but not as pish as the car upside down in a field if it spins out.

[scouk]

Snow socks aren't for winter driving as such.. They are a good option to get you through really harsh snow conditions. IIRC they are onyl rated up to 20-30mph.. And once you get down to hard black stuff they need to come off.. If your drive on roads that never get ploughed or gritted they are good for that! My commute to work involved having to drive the last mile of my journey on private road which has no traffic on it apart from me 1st thing int eh morning.. For that last mile the snowsocks could be of use. They shouldn't really be used on main roads except in extreme conditions..

One good example of their use woudl be getting our of your housign estate, particularly if it's on a slope. Fit the socks on to get you our of the housing estate onto a treated road then remove the socks..

I haven't used them but hear they can be pretty effective.. IMHO the AWD of the impreza if more than capable of keeping you moving. as long as your not running semi-slicks

For the BMW I would say if you can bring yourself to get winter tyres for the rear then give the snow socks a try... Just don't do what this person did and fit snowchains to the front wheels

[scoobywho]

Snow socks aren't for winter driving as such.. They are a good option to get you through really harsh snow conditions. IIRC they are onyl rated up to 20-30mph.. And once you get down to hard black stuff they need to come off.. If your drive on roads that never get ploughed or gritted they are good for that! My commute to work involved having to drive the last mile of my journey on private road which has no traffic on it apart from me 1st thing int eh morning.. For that last mile the snowsocks could be of use. They shouldn't really be used on main roads except in extreme conditions..

One good example of their use woudl be getting our of your housign estate, particularly if it's on a slope. Fit the socks on to get you our of the housing estate onto a treated road then remove the socks..

I haven't used them but hear they can be pretty effective.. IMHO the AWD of the impreza if more than capable of keeping you moving. as long as your not running semi-slicks

For the BMW I would say if you can bring yourself to get winter tyres for the rear then give the snow socks a try... Just don't do what this person did and fit snowchains to the front wheels

hahahaha that is what bmw drivers are like lol

[scoobykev]

you're right Al, socks are only rated up to about 30mph, just got an email about them the other day from western saab. The day after i picked up a set of winter wheels and tyres from them

[monsterenergy]

For the BMW I would say if you can bring yourself to get winter tyres for the rear then give the snow socks a try... Just don't do what this person did and fit snowchains to the front wheels

Just for the record... the car I might get them for is NOT A B.M.W.!!!!! There's no way I'd have a beemer in the family for the reasons shown in the picture lol - I'm almost as offended as if someone had suggested it was an effin Audi!

My missus has an Italian V8 - but at least it means I can slag her off because I now have the more sensible car in the household

Think I'll go for them - means she'll at least be able to either get hame from work or be able to reverse her car oot the drive to pinch mine for snow driving.

[scoobywho]

Please tell me it isnt a 360, winter tyres on all 4 if it is. ive fitted tyres to probably every fancy car that you can buy over the past couple of years including a puncture on a very expensive volkswagen beetle, the italian cars arent bad in the snow turn tcs off and clutch it in second to pull away

[lynne32o]

had my bmw last year in the snow ..couldnt get of the drive...

so thats why i bought my scoobie for the winter ...

and now its an every day car.....and selling bmw ......

[monsterenergy]

Please tell me it isnt a 360, winter tyres on all 4 if it is. ive fitted tyres to probably every fancy car that you can buy over the past couple of years including a puncture on a very expensive volkswagen beetle, the italian cars arent bad in the snow turn tcs off and clutch it in second to pull away

It's a Maserati - it's has an "ice/snow" button but I'm nae convinced it'll work.

[scoobywho]

If its a grand sport i have had the pleasure of driving one on sheet ice and to be fair the thing just dug in and went stopping was the problem

[Peter784]

On 17/11/2011 at 01:47, scoobywho said:

If its a grand sport i have had the pleasure of driving one on sheet ice and to be fair the thing just dug in and went stopping was the problem

I Think so. Socks