Winter tyres

Winter tyres used to be considered as an unnecessary expense by many British drivers, but the last couple of winters have made it abundantly clear that winter tyres are now a must for getting around in our increasingly snowy and icy conditions.

The right winter tyre not only increases your grip on wet, snowy and icy road surfaces but also improves the driving performance of your Land Rover. While an all-weather low profile or large tyre has to plough through the snow, the innovative tread compounds and tapered diagonal grooves on winter tyres mean that even on snowy or unpaved roads your vehicle can perform safely and reliably.

 At JamesFrench.com we always strive to offer a comprehensive range of suppliers to cover all of our customers’ needs, and have recently added Vredestein winter tyres to the parts and accessories catalogue.  

Most modern Land Rovers will be equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system that requires a sensor to be installed in the tyre and wheel assembly for proper operation. It’s important that the tyres are balanced and aligned when they are installed, a particular expertise in the James French workshop.

For more information and to talk about the right winter tyres for your Land Rover please call us on 01865 300717 >>

Find out more about our 4-wheel alignment and balancing >>

Winter driving tips

Whatever the weather conditions, or the tyres you’ve chosen for your Land Rover, winter motoring always requires a little special care and preparation. The following advice is courtesy of the AA:

• Stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow.
• Gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving.
• Wear comfortable, dry shoes: cumbersome, snow-covered boots will slip on the pedals.
• Select second gear when pulling away, easing your foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheel-spin.
• When climbing a hill it's important to avoid having to stop on the hill. Wait until it‘s clear of other cars or by leaving plenty of room between you and the car in front. Try to maintain a constant speed, choosing the most suitable gear well in advance to avoid having to change down on the hill.
• When driving downhill, reduce your speed before the hill, use a low gear and try to avoid using the brakes. Leave as much room as possible between you and the car in front.
• Always apply brakes gently. Release them and de-clutch if the car skids.
• In an automatic car under normal driving conditions it's best to select 'Drive' and let the gearbox do the work throughout the full gear range. In slippery, snowy conditions you can make driving much safer by selecting '2', which limits the gear changes and also makes you less reliant on the brakes. Many modern autos have a 'Winter' mode which locks out first gear to reduce the risk of wheel spin. Check the handbook if you're not sure.
• If you do get stuck, straighten the steering and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip. Once on the move again, try not to stop until you reach firmer ground.