Forum Discussion
Grit dog wrote:
Not a shocker that snow tires are better than non snow tires in snow......
Just siped a new set of mudders for the truck. She climbs mtn passes like a billy goat on crack now!
Yea, if we were talking about old school snow tires, you would be correct. Winter tires are a whole other game. They are very soft, have sipes, mini-sipes on the tread blocks, and all kinds of engineering magic involved in their design and construction. They not only do well in snow, but they are superior on ice, and outperform studded tires in testing.theoldwizard1 wrote:
The other tip with winter tires, especially if you are mounting them on a second set of rims, is to go down 1 size, especially true on today's SUVs/CUVs. If you have 19" rims drop down to 18". Double check that your vehicle can accommodate a 1" smaller rim.
More important, drop the tire width down 1 or 2 sizes (say 255 to 245 or 235) and UP the aspect ratio (from 55 to 60 or 65). Just double check the load capacity [i[(you will probably lose a few pounds of capacity per tire, but it will be small and not matter).
Taller, skinnier tires do better in the snow.
Great advice. I did this with my daughter's Toyota FWD. Went from 17 to 15" which dropped the width by at least 20MM, and resulted in a much taller sidewall, which is a lot better for hitting potholes with. The other bonus is that the actual tires are dramatically cheaper, as you decrease rim diameter, and bump the aspect ratio up. OTOH, my son tried to do an even swap for winter tires on his newer GTI with very low profile, wide tires. It was a waste of time and money, as the wide tread, and torquey motor made the thing about useless in snow.fj12ryder wrote:
I didn't realize that studded tires were still legal anywhere. They've been off the roads in the midwest for decades.
List of Studded Tire Laws
Missouri Studded Tire Law
You may want to recheck state laws.- Not surprising that snow tires are better than non snow tires in snow or ice .. what I would like is a demonstration that shows performance against studded snow tires or chains. On my street - my guess is that chains would rank 1, studded snow tires 2, snow tires 3, and everything else is stuck at home.
fj12ryder wrote:
I didn't realize that studded tires were still legal anywhere. They've been off the roads in the midwest for decades.
well, most western states still allow them. I wish they wouldn't, first dusting of snow brings them out in force and within a month roads have new ruts in them around here.
I know they are legal in oregon, washington, idaho and montana for part of the year- The other tip with winter tires, especially if you are mounting them on a second set of rims, is to go down 1 size, especially true on today's SUVs/CUVs. If you have 19" rims drop down to 18". Double check that your vehicle can accommodate a 1" smaller rim.
More important, drop the tire width down 1 or 2 sizes (say 255 to 245 or 235) and UP the aspect ratio (from 55 to 60 or 65). Just double check the load capacity [i[(you will probably lose a few pounds of capacity per tire, but it will be small and not matter).
Taller, skinnier tires do better in the snow. brulaz wrote:
Some of your best All-Terrain tires, good for off/on road, are also good winter tires if they have the Winter Snow Flake symbol (or whatever it's officially called). Those sipes really do help.
But, as earlier suggested, they are grippy and may not be as long lasting when driven on summer pavement.
IIRC BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 have the winter snowflake, but no tread wear warranty.
Yeah that's a good tire and I've had a couple of sets, but treadwear isn't a strong suit. You can't have it all.- Some of your best All-Terrain tires, good for off/on road, are also good winter tires if they have the Winter Snow Flake symbol (or whatever it's officially called). Those sipes really do help.
But, as earlier suggested, they are grippy and may not be as long lasting when driven on summer pavement.
IIRC BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 have the winter snowflake, but no tread wear warranty. - Not a shocker that snow tires are better than non snow tires in snow......
Just siped a new set of mudders for the truck. She climbs mtn passes like a billy goat on crack now! WNYBob wrote:
My local tire chain has just announced that they will not mount only 2 snow tires on any vehicle starting 2017.
IMO they are just wanting to sell me more tires for my 2WD rear drive truck!
I understand matching tires on 4WD vehicles. And maybe on FWD (where they were saying to put 2 snows on the rear?). But not on my truck!
And this is from someone that told me to buy all-season instead of winter for year round use on my Sonata. I read an article that stated you get better stopping year round with winter tires, but sacrificing tread ware.
I would imagine at some point, going against manufacturer's recommendations, and installing two, probably isn't worth the chance of being in court, accused of being responsible for an accident.
From my experience, a FWD, should NEVER be fitted with winter tires on the front only. When Blizzaks first became popular, in the northeast, I had a set put on the front of my wife's Intrepid. I got the stern warning that really wasn't right to only put two on. I just assumed that it was a commissioned salesman giving me a load of bull. The first 4" snowfall changed my mind. In a slow speed pull out, from a stop, involving a 90* turn, the car turned, then did an effortless spin, out of control. It literally looked, and felt, like the FWD was gripping the road like it was dry, and the backs were slicks on ice. I then found a set of used steel rims, and bought Blizzaks for the rear. That car, shod with winter skins, was a beast in bad winter weather, and I can't count how many times we drove around 4WD SUVs as they floundered on grades, or slid into the shoulder.
I always love traveling in rural Canada and seeing how silly we can be in the states. In the relatively milder climate on the northeastern US, you just absolutely "need" an SUV for all the "bad" weather. It's madness to think otherwise. For the love of all things holy, think of the children. Yet, you can be out in the Canadian maritimes, a thousand + miles north, and in REAL winter country, and suddenly you CAN survive without wasting tens of thousands more for a vehicle. You stop at a small town grocery and there are two dozen vehicles in the lot. Maybe an SUV or two, a couple or farm trucks, and the rest are minivans, with a few FWD cars sprinkled in. Huh, It seems that if you are not a brainwashed consumer, maybe a minivan and four winter tires is actually a pretty good way to get the job done.
