Opinions on snow tires

[thelinja]

How many of you run snow tires? I'm just curious because I'm kind of in a dilemma. My street tires right now have about 35k miles on them and it's been raining pretty steadily for the past week or so and they've been getting kind of squirrely even when I don't push them. They have around 1-2mm left until the tread wear indicators. The tires held up fairly well last winter, all in all we had around a total of maybe 10-12" of snow. I've been contemplating buying 4 steel wheels from a junkyard and slapping some $50 snow tires on them, and then putting my street wheels back on in the spring for a few thousand miles, but I'll eventually need new tires come April or May.

Basically what I'm asking is, would you just buy a decent set of street tires ($400-450) right now and not get snow tires. Or just get some cheap snow tires now and then some summer street tires inthe spring?

[axiomatik]

Well, if you want good summer tires, their gonna be crappy (and possibly dangerous) in the snow. I would just get the snow tires as extra insurance. Modern snow tires are very good, and it will make a big difference. Plus, when spring rolls around, you can enjoy some good, high-performance summer tires instead of making do with mediocre all-season tires that won't be that good in the snow, and not too good in the summer either.

[aznpoopy]

i drove on worn all seasons last winter and it was not fun.

considering how much time and money go into our cars, i'd consider snow tires a very good investment.

u can save up the money for new tires during the winter.

[FastBack 240]

the money you spend on tires you could buy a winer beater. lol yes this is true. Istead of driving the 240 around in the winter months and getting salt everywhere, I bought a 92 Mercury Topaz for 250 that needed a new head. I bought a new head for 50 remand. and she works like a charm. Just gotta keep your eyes open is all.

[mike13]

I have a set of Michelin Arctic Alpin's that I ran last winter. The difference is amazing. The car handled great with dedicated snow tires. I'm not driving my car this winter so I have a set of S14 SE wheels with 205/55/16 snow tires mounted and balanced for sale. PM if you're interested.

[amolao]

I agree with the idea of a winter hooptie if you can afford one, but good winter tires are a good investment when it comes to safety and saving money in the end.....BF Goodrich TA's tested and proven during the long Alaskan winters with my hatch 240SX....these were the studded type, but they are also available non-studded..... :bigok:

[HockeyMatt04]

I have Blizzax's, i think their bridgestone on my rears, all season's on the fronts..... work like a chrm... hell, i left them on since last witner, they give me great traction all year..... good for breaking out ahead right off the line, no tirespin at all in snow or dry, and very very very little spin on wet pavement...... worth the money IMO

[SaskS14]

I use Nokian Hakkapeliitta Q's on my S14.

By far the most amazing winter tire I have ever used. Using these over cheap Canadian Tire brand winter tires is like night and day.

We have a good 6 months of snow and ice here in Saskatchewan though. So these may be a bit overkill. :)

[mike13]

I have Blizzax's, i think their bridgestone on my rears, all season's on the fronts..... work like a chrm... hell, i left them on since last witner, they give me great traction all year..... good for breaking out ahead right off the line, no tirespin at all in snow or dry, and very very very little spin on wet pavement...... worth the money IMO
You ran blizzaks in the summer? :mepoke:

[papershot]

so you know, ES100s are NOT good in the snow...haha

i just drive a second car so i don't have to buy new tires.

[HockeyMatt04]

You ran blizzaks in the summer? :mepoke:


Perfect traction, no wheel spin at all...... I drag at an ould airstrip near my house almost every other day in the summer for cash, the popo's tolerate it, so i just keep them so i dont hafta keep switching back and forth between sets....... that, and i dont have another set or wheels for another set of tires

[superman0234]

anyone used the winterforce tires? They're alot cheaper than blizzaks. I don't feel like spending 400 bucks on fucking snow tires.

[axiomatik]

I suppose that winter tires might be good for straight-line acceleration in the summer, but all that siping must make the tread blocks flex like hell, I certainly would be conservative in the corners. And they are probably wearing pretty quickly. Are you going to have any tread left for this winter?

[exitspeed]

I bought a set of Yokahoma Avid H4 all season's and they rocked in the snow. And there a great tire all around. They have wore very slowly too.

[KiDyNomiTe]

I used blizzaks last winter, very nice wheels, but mine wore pretty bad after one winter but I was driving like a maniac (not on dry).

I am probably gonna buy another pair to replace my worn out ones.

[mike13]

Perfect traction, no wheel spin at all...... I drag at an ould airstrip near my house almost every other day in the summer for cash, the popo's tolerate it, so i just keep them so i dont hafta keep switching back and forth between sets....... that, and i dont have another set or wheels for another set of tires
You realize that a snow tire's tread compound can melt on a hot street, also snow tires dont have a high speed rating, yet you RACE your car with them on in the summer?

:aw:

[Muzzy]

get a truck lol

[HockeyMatt04]

You realize that a snow tire's tread compound can melt on a hot street, also snow tires dont have a high speed rating, yet you RACE your car with them on in the summer?

:aw:


Actually, we race at 5 am, before the sun comes up, so the strip has had plenty of time to dry off, and we're the only ones that use it... the cops bust people that use it during the day, but usually will just drive by when we're there after dark... and it's only a 3/16 mile strip.... (used for older private planew when it was in use) so the speed doesn't get too fast anyways....

[thelinja]

I've put some thought into it and I think I'm just going to get a new set of all seasons. I can hold my own in the snow from what I've experienced so far. It's the other drivers I worry about, and snow tires aren't going to save me from morons. It's too much money that I don't have and I'm also trying to build my car for STX this winter. Thanks for the input.

[SteveF]

You guys are a lot easier on tools than the RX7club.

If you are actually running winter tires in the summer, good luck with that... And :smash: to your Fast and Furious story about racing.

Steve

Actually, we race at 5 am, before the sun comes up, so the strip has had plenty of time to dry off, and we're the only ones that use it... the cops bust people that use it during the day, but usually will just drive by when we're there after dark... and it's only a 3/16 mile strip.... (used for older private planew when it was in use) so the speed doesn't get too fast anyways....

[HockeyMatt04]

Fock TF&TF, i hate that shit....this is all truth, the old airport is right across the street from HersheyPark in Hershey, PA

[Shin_Kudo]

Haha, I'm gonna run ES100s!! (I guess I'll throw chains on them) Here in socal, it's kinda rediculous to buy snow tires, despite the fact that I can drive an hour into the mountains and there's snow everywhere. (In fact, it's covered in the stuff currently, I was there over the weekend. It's pretty sweet, because it's been clear for a few days, but cold, so the roads are plowed and dry, but the snow isn't really melting away.)

[andrave]

you can't get the hakkapelitas (sp?) in us, I looked into that last winter. glad I'm in southern TX now and don't need them. But if you live where it snows, you will do yourself very well to get summer tires that grip good and make you happy in summer, and winter tires that are on shit wheels that you can get road salt on and get good grip on snow, to keep you safe in winter.
summer tires suck in winter, winter tires suck in summer. Just get a set of steelies (or hell you can get stock alloys at a junkyard for less than 100 bills if you wag your golden tongue).

[thelinja]

Thread Closed.

I bought some Toyos today.