winter (car) tires?

[Iahawk]

does anyone else in cold climates install winter tires on their vehicle? I've used dedicated winter tires since about 2008. They are so much better than 'all season' tires. Night and day difference. I have a steep driveway and can't get up it if there is any precipitation on it with my regular tires. My winter tires laugh at it. The other benefit of winter tires is that if you have them mounted on cheap, steel wheels you will prolong the life of your nice alloy wheels. No corrosion on them from winter salt exposure.

I'm still a bit sore today from installing my winter tires yesterday...along with pulling the caliper slide pins to inspect for lube and free movement (they were all good!). Final step was to spray all rustable, metal surfaces under the van with ACF50. messy, messy job..

Any other winter tires users out there?

[rjs987]

Nope. Haven't used dedicated snow tires for many decades. I learned how to drive on the snow with all season tires so just go with that. Learned to drive in Dubuque which is like a mini San Francisco in the Mid West. Lots of steep hills in town. I mean REALLY steep hills.

[mrmike]

     I live in Syracuse, NY. We get our share of snow and ice in our area. Both my vehicles are all-wheel drive, but I still put 4 snow tires on them for the winter. They certainly help you get better traction, but they also help you steer and brake better. The other advantage is the extended tire life of your "summer" tires. I run my snow tires from November to April. This probably doubles the time Before I have to buy new "summer" tires.

[Stig / Major Tom]

We had one of these when I came home from the Games in S.E. Asia. Our first 4-wheel vehicle. (Honda bikes before that)


After discharged, we drove it cross country in Feb. to Mass. loaded to the roof inside with our stuff, incl. an organ for my grandmother at a stop in Ohio.
In Mass. I used to wake my wife and say, "it's snowing like crazy out there,  let's go to Dunkin D's - then see if we can get the bus stuck!"
I had a set of Firestone  "Town & Country" snow tires on the back.
One night I had to send her to the back seat of the bus because I did get us stuck.
At 120lbs she wasn't enough ballast - "climb over and sit over the engine!"
She fussed a little - but as a 19 yr old SoCal girl - she was game for pretty much anything. (we were 18 and 19 when we married in Los Angeles, Dec. 1967, saw Joan Baez at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion that night thanks to a wedding gift. Tickets were $3.50 ea.)

Never needed any more snow tires over the past half century - always went with front wheel drive. ('cept for my gifted F-150 Silverado, which came with them)

Good times remembered......
Stig

[randyo]

I like Hakks, need I say more ?

[Iahawk]

love the comments! I don't think most are aware of the advances made in dedicated winter tires over the past few decades. They aren't anything like the old 'snow tires' we used back in the 70's! (the image of old, bias ply snows with the zig zag tread pattern on the back of a big, jacked up rwd 72 Monte Carlo comes to mind)

Super soft rubber compounds, deep siping and the ability to actually get a grip on ice. It's said that a good front wheel drive vehicle with modern winter tires will run circles around a 4x4 running all season tires.

Acceleration, braking and cornering are all significantly better with dedicated snows.

Screenshot 2021-12-31 223110

[john grinsel]

When I lived in Europe and Japan I always had complete set of winter tires on cars/all 4  wheels, mainly to keep from getting hassled by police in mountains when I went skiing...hate to mount chains.  Winter tires on all four can decrease stopping distances on slippery. Front drive cars seldom need chains to keep going. From true safety standpoint/ special on all 4 wheels=good idea.

[Ruffus]

@hawk, here in northern EU it's mandatory in most states to have M&S rated tyres on all fours from 15. October - 15. April. On the Autobahn either wintertyres or fitting snowchains. Anyway it's lots of fun to find a snow covered  street and test out your frontwheeler. Particularely with an automatic gear, V6 Diesel and plenty of torsion.

[scooter freak]

I sell tires for a living, been in the business for over 40 years from ground up. there's nothing like the traction of a winter tires in the great northeast. a lot of people don't realize that they are designed for the colder temps of the road surface. most cars can get going, it's the stopping and turning that really make them shine. worth every penny. remember, stopping 10 shorter is the distance of the front of most cars to your knees

[randyo]

@hawk, here in northern EU it's mandatory in most states to have M&S rated tyres on all fours from 15. October - 15. April. On the Autobahn either wintertyres or fitting snowchains. Anyway it's lots of fun to find a snow covered  street and test out your frontwheeler. Particularely with an automatic gear, V6 Diesel and plenty of torsion.

the M&S rating is not the standard anymore, you see it on all terrain tires that are terrible in snow and especially on ice

the current standard for true winter tires is the mountain & snowflake symbol