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Snow/Winter Tires

People have forgotten how much better snow tires are in all winter conditions. Definitely get them if you have the storage space. Doesn't really cost you, as it saves wear on your normal tires. All-season don't cut it at all in snow and ice. Get an extra set of rims so you don't have to remount them every year and you are good to go for years. In my opinion save the money on 4WD or AWD and get snow tires, which only help you go. Snow tires help you maintain control and stop as well. I had a firebird in Grand Forks, North Dakota for 5 years. With snow tires I could go okay, without them I couldn't even accelerate from a stop with only the sheet of ice that totally covered the road all winter.
 
dmclone said:
Even AWD. Suburau WRX is a perfect example of a car that's worthless in the snow with performance based tires but an animal with all weather.
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Yep. Driving on a trace of snow with performance summers, they turn into giant blocks. No traction, feels like plastic big whee tires. A pair of nokian hakkepelitas or blizzaks and it becomes hard to lose traction. Don't think I've been able to get stuck in a drift yet, even with my low clearance.
 
Tre4ISU said:
That wasn't the tires. That was lack of momentum.
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I was doing a 90 degree turn into a skinny, one lane, curbed drive. I suppose I could have done a powerslide over the curb. It still shouldn't matter with a halfway decent tire.

I've had at least one Jeep in the fleet since I started driving (10 or so total). This is the first set of "performance" tires I've owned and the only trouble I've really ever had.
 
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i'm always surprised by the number of people who buy a 35-50k car (or more!), live in the midwest, and don't want to spend $1,000 to help you stop in the winter. you get a much safer car for 4-5 years for the cost of your insurance deductible!
 
AgronAlum said:
I was doing a 90 degree turn into a skinny, one lane, curbed drive. I suppose I could have done a powerslide over the curb. It still shouldn't matter with a halfway decent tire.

I've had at least one Jeep in the fleet since I started driving (10 or so total). This is the first set of "performance" tires I've owned and the only trouble I've really ever had.
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I had a GC for around 4 years. The OEM tires sucked in the winter. I upgraded to Cooper AT3's as well...amazed at the difference. I actually got better mpg by upgrading to an AT tire...but paid for it on road noise. Recently just traded in for a new 4Runner with BFG KO2's. Now THOSE are some tires! I've only had to use 4wd once this winter and that was to pull a buddy out of a ditch.
 
Tires have come a long way in the last 45 years. We used to talk snow tires, now we talk all weather tires. A more aggressive tread will help, but have you considered putting weight in the trunk and rear of the vehicle? Can make a huge difference, even with regular tires. Most tires sold today, unless for performance vehicles, are some degree of all weather tire.
 
Tri4Cy said:
I had a GC for around 4 years. The OEM tires sucked in the winter. I upgraded to Cooper AT3's as well...amazed at the difference. I actually got better mpg by upgrading to an AT tire...but paid for it on road noise. Recently just traded in for a new 4Runner with BFG KO2's. Now THOSE are some tires! I've only had to use 4wd once this winter and that was to pull a buddy out of a ditch.
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Cooper AT3's are a fairly quite tire on the road. We sell Cooper AT3's and before we changed suppliers Hercules AT3 which is made by Cooper. Never had one of many complain of road noise.
 
Fanatic1973 said:
Tires have come a long way in the last 45 years. We used to talk snow tires, now we talk all weather tires. A more aggressive tread will help, but have you considered putting weight in the trunk and rear of the vehicle? Can make a huge difference, even with regular tires. Most tires sold today, unless for performance vehicles, are some degree of all weather tire.
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No need to add weight. Get under the car change your shock settings, trailing arm angles/lengths and oh wait we are talking about passenger cars and not my racecar. Opps, carry on!
 
I haven't thought about snow tires since I owned a 1978 Monte Carlo back in the 80s. I have lived in Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois and Iowa. I have driven a Mercury Lynx, Oldsmobile 88, Ford Taurus, Plymouth Grand Voyager, Honda Pilot and a Ford Escape and have never had issues. Of course they were all front wheel drive or AWD. I did snow removal when I owned the Mercury Lynx, Oldsmobile, and Plymouth Grand Voyaer and never had issues making it in to move snow even in the worst storms.

For $1200 you can buy a POS four wheel drive and have fun in the snow. Hell I had a 93' Bronco I bought for $500. I'd rather spend the money on one of those than a set of tires that sit in my garage 9-10 months out of the year and look at me saying, "you could have bought a Bronco, taken the top off and be having fun right now.":smile:
 
tazclone said:
I haven't thought about snow tires since I owned a 1978 Monte Carlo back in the 80s. I have lived in Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois and Iowa. I have driven a Mercury Lynx, Oldsmobile 88, Ford Taurus, Plymouth Grand Voyager, Honda Pilot and a Ford Escape and have never had issues. Of course they were all front wheel drive or AWD. I did snow removal when I owned the Mercury Lynx, Oldsmobile, and Plymouth Grand Voyaer and never had issues making it in to move snow even in the worst storms.

For $1200 you can buy a POS four wheel drive and have fun in the snow. Hell I had a 93' Bronco I bought for $500. I'd rather spend the money on one of those than a set of tires that sit in my garage 9-10 months out of the year and look at me saying, "you could have bought a Bronco, taken the top off and be having fun right now.":smile:
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I can't help but picture you removing snow in your Lynx. :twitcy:
 
VeloClone said:
I can't help but picture you removing snow in your Lynx. :twitcy:
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That thing was a machine in the snow. I lived on an acreage in Wisconsin by Elkhart Lake and worked in Kohler about 20 miles away. I would back the Lynx into the garage and get a good head of steam to get through the drifts in the driveway. Once I got on the road, that bad boy would bust through just about any drift. Never got stuck in the snow with it and often times made it in for snow removal when others with 4WD that lived closer couldn't. and no...I didn't have snow tires.

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You can buy this for $875OBO. The seller used it for hunting and....wait for it...driving in the snow. Cool thing is you can take the top off in the summer and go for a fun drive. I guarantee the thing will get you a lot of places snow tires won't get you. :smile:
 
I really want snow tires but it's going to have to wait until next winter because the tires I have on my car right now will have to be replaced before next winter. The reason I want to wait is because I plan on using the wheels that I have right now for the snow tires that I get next year.

Now my dilemma is what wheels I want to buy to run in the summertime. :pcool:
 
This also reminds me of Out Cold and since I've never had the forum appropriate for this rant, I think I will take this opportunity. There is no way you could put a snow plow on a damn 73 Charger and have it be worth anything to drive, let alone push snow with. You say "they could have added weight" and that's true but there is no way that frame would take that kind of abuse. I've seen a lot of stuff in movies that is ridiculous but that takes the cake.
 
BiggerCy said:
I really want snow tires but it's going to have to wait until next winter because the tires I have on my car right now will have to be replaced before next winter. The reason I want to wait is because I plan on using the wheels that I have right now for the snow tires that I get next year.

Now my dilemma is what wheels I want to buy to run in the summertime. :pcool:
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Are 20 inch blades on the Impala still hot?
 
Every fall I consider them and get really close to pulling the trigger and then don't. I came really close this year on my wife's Mazda 6 with 19" rims and summer sport tires.

As someone else pointed out, you might need them only a handful of times per year and even after a big storm the streets are usually clear again in a day or so. The rest of the time you're just wasting their fast-burning tread that you paid a premium for.

I have a friend who manages a garage and swears by Nokian's line of all-weather tires. Says they are the first true all-season tire. Pricey, though.
 
I just bought a new set of snows, definitely worth the $500. My last set lasted 7 winters, much more than I expected. I've had some cars get around just fine on all seasons, but for other cars it is surprising how much difference there is.
 
Here is a good video that details the difference between summer and winter tires, and puts each to the test. :wink:

[video=youtube;elP_34ltdWI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elP_34ltdWI[/video]
 
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