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Kuga in the snow & ice. Snow chains/socks/tyres
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lochydog View Drop Down
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Joined: 05 Nov 2008
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Points: 44 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lochydog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2009 at 5:46pm
The last few days on snowy roads have been a great test. Black beauty has trotted over all the ruts and ice and sluch with a sure footedness that has surprised me. FWDs have seriously struggled. We live at the bottom of a hill and my beamer needed a clear run and luck to get up - BB just sailed up. Just need to make sure that I don't get too carried away and over confident.
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Foxy View Drop Down
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Points: 19 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Foxy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2009 at 5:25am
Angry Whilst turning right into a narrow snow covered road, an approaching car drove or should I say slid straight towards my new Kuga. to avoid the collision I turned left and went into a slide eventually hitting the kurb with a crunch.  Now I have a badly scratched allloy; but I guess it could have been worse.
I have covered almost 7k miles and have driven in two massive snow storms; I must say that I have not found the handling any better than any other car or 4x4.
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Points: 495 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KugaCat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2009 at 7:30am
Mmmmm!! Maybe I should opted for the AWD version, but it's not often we get this amount of snow down the South West. I hope I haven't made a big mistake.Disapprove
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ilove1981 View Drop Down
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Points: 106 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ilove1981 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2009 at 7:36pm
A funny/scary/stupid thing happened to me today that I thought I'd share.  I went out in my Kuga for the first time after heavy snow yesterday and having cleared all the snow off the windows, bonnet and boot, headed off to a meeting in Milton Keynes.  After about 20 miles I was forced to brake hard as someone stepped out onto the road and the entire six inches of deep snow on the whole roof slid forward, carefully guided by the roof rails, and completely covered the windscreen from top to bottom!  I could not see a thing!  I had no choice but to stick the hazards on and get out with my ice scraper to clear the lot off!  Just a word of warning, as I can honestly say I don't think it's ever happened to me before in any car.  It does seem funny now, after the event :-)
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Points: 76 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sap_2000 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2009 at 8:05pm
I don't understand why you are surprised that the heavy wet snow on the roof comes sliding forward when you brake?? Simple physics..
 
Here, you get a ticket or could even loose your licence in a blink if you are driving around with good amounts of snow on the roof or partially ice covered windshields.
Reason the police is so strickt with this, is what happened to you, plus if driving faster, that heavy snow can suddenly lift off hit an oncoming car or the car behind you in the windshield and cause a serious accident.
Has happened here many times and killed quite a lot of people over the yearsDead
 
So clear the snow of your cars. -including the roof Smile
Brg. SAP
Oslo, Norway
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ilove1981 View Drop Down
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Points: 106 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ilove1981 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Feb 2009 at 8:21pm
I am not surprised, as it is very obvious.  Here though, nobody thinks about it as I saw many cars with snow on the roof today.  It has never happened to me before, probably because we rarely get the amount of snow we have seen recently.  Trust me, I learned an important lesson, and I'm not surprised it's an offence to drive like it in your country.  Having checked, it is here too if police consider your car a danger to other road users.
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Points: 1064 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote quatroxquatro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2009 at 8:13pm
Originally posted by BigGeord BigGeord wrote:


I would love to know a couple of things about our motors?

 

1.  What is the maximum tyre width size we can have? as all seem to be 235

2.  What is the Max wall as this varies from 45 to 55 dependent on r17-r19

3.  What is a good price to pay and who might do a trade in for some rocking tyres already on the car.

 

Keep it realWink


Hi,

As far as I know, from looking into options for getting a set of winter tyres, the Kuga only uses 235 width tyres. The wall (profile) will change, depending on the wheel rim size, like you say. So a 17" rim with a 55 profile is more or less the same rolling circumference (or diameter) as a 19" rim with a 45 profile tyre. So make sure you specify the right tyre for your rim. Not many national dealers are interested in part exchange, as far as I have found out. Just too risky for them. But you may have a small independent tyre dealer in the Yellow Pages who might split the cost of replacement with you. A typical website for online quotes is http://www.pneus-online.co.uk/.
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OnJag20s View Drop Down
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Joined: 20 Nov 2008
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Points: 73 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote OnJag20s Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2009 at 6:23am
Originally posted by BigGeord BigGeord wrote:

Originally posted by sap_2000 sap_2000 wrote:

There is a company listed as UK importer of Nokian Tyres.
 
Tyreco trading ltd.
Unit 7, hackhurst lane
hackhurst industrial estate
East Sussex
BN27 4BR Lower dicker (nr hailsham)
Tel. +44 (0)1323 844 600
Two other good tires that might be easer to get in the UK is Conti4x4WinterContact from Continental and the Winter Dueler DMZ3 from Bridgestone
 
I would love to know a couple of things about our motors?
 
1.  What is the maximum tyre width size we can have? as all seem to be 235
2.  What is the Max wall as this varies from 45 to 55 dependent on r17-r19
3.  What is a good price to pay and who might do a trade in for some rocking tyres already on the car.
 
Keep it realWink
 
Just to say you could fit 20s on with 255 25 or 30 profile tyres.  Wheel width of 9" or 9.5" would be perfect with original offsets :)
No Guts! No Glory!
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BigGeord View Drop Down
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Points: 381 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BigGeord Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2009 at 4:15pm
Thanks Guys,
 
The reason I ask is as that I have the 19" Alloys and the 235/45 tyres fitted which to me seem pretty low profile, I would like to increase the side wall size as there seems to be in my opinion loads of room in there to make the Kuga abit more capable off road as I am worried sometimes about scratching the alloys.
 
I think 235-55 0r 235-60 maybe be good! just don't know if they would rub the wheels arches when turning corners or going over bumps.
 
If anyone out there has tried a similar sketch to this or has got the kahoonas let me know how you get/got on.
 
cheers BigGeord.
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ilove1981 View Drop Down
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Points: 106 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ilove1981 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2009 at 4:50pm
I may be missing your point here, but if you change the aspect ratio of the tyre (45 currently) you will change the rolling circumference of the wheels, hence your speedometer and odomoter will be incorrect.  Is that legal?

Edited by ilove1981 - 09 Feb 2009 at 4:52pm
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