Snow Tires...

[Arizona_928]

Bought my first set of snow tires... And they're pretty amazing.
13 incher Dunlops on a mazda 121.

[stevej37]

I'm going to try this winter on all-season tires with my Civic.

[porsche tech]

When I lived in VA I had a Mazda B2200 pickup and was worried about driving it in the snow. Bought 2 matching wheels at a junkyard and bought 2 snow tires. Noticed the tires said “studdable” so took them to a tire shop who studded them for me for like $20. Performed excellently in the snow! Just had to take them off by April or something.

[stevej37]

^^^ Studded tires are illegal in MI.....but I think a person could easily get away with them as long as they were switched out in the early spring.
It's too cold for a cop to have his window down to hear them.

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ Studded tires are illegal in MI.....but I think a person could easily get away with them as long as they were switched out in the early spring.
It's too cold for a cop to have his window down to hear them.

No kidding! Why? Do they tear up the road?

Back in the 70s in northern Ohio we used to used studded tires. Can’t imagine driving in the snow without them.

[stevej37]

^^^ It was in the 70's I believe when they banned them....claimed they were damaging the roads too much.

Now, they do the damage with covering the roads with salt.

[911 Rod]

What took you so long?
Once you have good snow tires, you can never go back.

[stevej37]

Did you buy another pair of wheels also?
Or just the tires?

[jyl]

The way I think of it is, if the car's dry weather braking/turning ability is "10", and on snow/ice with regular tires is "1-2", studless snows give you "4-5". So a curve you'd take at 40 mph in the summer, you might take at 15-20 mph with studless snow tires on snow/ice, whereas with regular tires even 10 mph would see you sliding off the shoulder.

That's with the conditions we get in the PacNW lowlands - snow that comes down wet and either freezes to sheet ice or melts to snot-slippery slush, or the worst which is a thin layer of slush over sheet ice, stuff you can hardly even walk on.

There's been times here when it was much safer to carefully drive three blocks on AWD/snows than to try to walk it.

[porsche tech]

In VA they were legal from like Nov to Apr or something. But I can remember driving to Porsche training in NJ and wondering if I’d get in trouble somewhere along the way. We had Cayenne customers that would bring in their four snow tires and wheels in the back of the car for installation. The TPMS loved that with 8 sensors in range. Cayennes were undrivable in snow with sport tires…IMHO. Glad to now live where it doesn’t snow!

[Superman]

In winter when I lived in Idaho Falls (morning temps routinely -20 degrees F, several feet of snow on the ground) I drove a '69 VW Beetle with four aggressive studded snow tires. That thing could climb a tree.

[cockerpunk]

a must have IMO.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Did you buy another pair of wheels also?
Or just the tires?

Next purchase.

Trying to find another set of 4x108 13 inchers is hard.
I've seen some of the Italian take offs on ebay that are reasonable for 14"...


Any recommendations?

[stevej37]

^^^ I've had people tell me that they go to scrapyards to find a cheap pair and mount the tires without tpms's
Just have to live with the tpms light on until spring.

[matthewb0051]

Bridgestone Blizzaks are the absolute best.

When I lived in Northern NY very near Canada border I had a Land Rover Disco 2 with Blizzaks. I quickly became the designated driver for my office mates when the weather turned to crap, which is did for many months at a time. Hardly a week would go by that I didn't see a young Soldier's vehicle in a ditch with summer tires and Florida or Louisiana license plates. But as long as they had money for PlayStation, porn, Monster drinks, and snuff all was well.

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Bridgestone Blizzaks are the absolute best.

When I lived in Northern NY very near Canada border I had a Land Rover Disco 2 with Blizzaks. I quickly became the designated driver for my office mates when the weather turned to crap, which is did for many months at a time. Hardly a week would go by that I didn't see a young Soldier's vehicle in a ditch with summer tires and Florida or Louisiana license plates. But as long as they had money for PlayStation, porn, Monster drinks, and snuff all was well.

nokian hakkapeliittas are the best.

very pricy though.

like all tires though, a cheaper tire that is the right kind of tire, is 90+ percent as good as the best, and many times better than tires not suited for the task, like all seasons.

[LWJ]

I have KO2's on my land cruiser. Not a great snow tire by any means. But, 5000#, all-wheel drive and drifting like Ricky Bobby?

Good times going to the mountain.

[911boost]

I have an extra set of 17" wheels for my sons '92 5.0 Mustang with Blizzaks on them. It does just fine in the cold and snow as long as it isn't too deep.

I daily drove a '95 Mustang GT in MN with snows on it as well. Had an extra set of wheels for that car also.

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by 911boost

I have an extra set of 17" wheels for my sons '92 5.0 Mustang with Blizzaks on them. It does just fine in the cold and snow as long as it isn't too deep.

I daily drove a '95 Mustang GT in MN with snows on it as well. Had an extra set of wheels for that car also.

i daily a miata in MN winters.

yesterday i was snowplowing with it (8+ inches of snow).

this isn't from yesterday, but another time i was rather shocked i didnt get stuck in my own driveway with 6+ inches of snow.

snow tires are the real deal.

[oldE]

Had Michelin Arctic Alpins on the diesel Passat for a few years. Passing snowplows was fun!

Best
Les