Winter tires

Willow

It's that time of year....this is te first time my wife and I are going to buy winter tires for our car. Do any of you use them and is there a big difference in brands, we are getting seperate rims for them.

Thanks
JF

nadams

My plan is just to get new all-season tires for my truck. That way there'll be plenty of meat on them through the winter, and they should last through 'til next year (in theory...)

danger boy

just this weekend bought 4 new mud and snow all season's for my car. I got them siped too. Siping helps and is a good alternative to true snow tires. or studded snow tires.

The past couple years i've been using siped mud and snow all seasons on my cars and trucks. They do quite well. But for the really rugged and deep snow.. you'll prob want true snow tires with an agressive design.

Good ones are snow tires with walnut shell bits in the tread... those work really well in deep snow.

Jstas

There's a slew of companies out there making all kinds of tires. The biggest names in snow tires though are Bridgestone and Michelin. Bridgestone has the Blizzak and Michelin has the Artic-Alpine and Pilot lines of snow tires.

There isn't much difference between snow tires. Sure, some will work better than others but honestly, they are all designed to do the same thing. So what you should be doing is looking for some basic characteristics.

For a snow tire, you want a tread design with fairly open tread pattern. A good snow tire will have the sipes already mentioned but instead of the tight, low-noise all-season tread design, it will have a wider, more open tread block. It will make a bit more road noise but snow tires are a soft compound tire so the softer compound will make less noise than the harder all-season compound. The reason for this is so that the tread blocks remain pliable in the cold weather. If they harden up and get stiff, they will not work well on ice. So an open tread pattern with a soft compound is best because the open tread will not pack with snow and the soft tread blocks will have better grip on ice.

You want thin snow tires. The reason you want thin tires is because you want them to dig down into the snow to grab traction. Wider tires ride across the top of the snow and get packed with snow and are ineffective. The only way you can get away with wider tires it is if you are using an off-road/all-terrain tire which is decidedly different but can be just as, if not more effective in snow than dedicated snow tires.

Depending on the weight of your car, you want tires that will handle your load rating. I see many people with heavy SUV's driving around on passenger tires and they wonder why the tires wear out quickly or don't perform as expected. If you have a heavy vehicle like a truck, van, SUV or even a large station wagon, you want to have a tire that can support the weight and not deform under the weight to the point that the tire is not effective.

For trucks and SUV's and such another option to snow tires is the all-terrain/off-road tires mentioned earlier. These tires have an aggressive tread design that is meant to move large amounts of thick material like mud and dirt and snow. They will dig down and claw at the road surface in foul weather conditions and will provide a great deal of stability. They are often more effective at handling snow and ice than snow tires. The problems with them is that they are noisy, usually have stiff sidewalls and harder rubber compounds. This stuff can make the ride unpleasant but it makes for an exceptionally well performing tire is adverse conditions. Another issue is looks. Most people don't want a big, knobby tire to ride aorund on. Especially not in thier cushy Mercedes and BMW SUV's. Honestly though, for me it's performance over looks. Comfort is an issue for most people but all-terrain tires can be worth the extra noise and slightly harsher ride for the stability and manueverabilty they can offer in poor driving conditions.

The very most important thing about snow tires though is that you need 4, not two. All 4 wheels touch the ground and anything that will upset the car on slick surfaces will cause issues. So riding with brand new snow tires on the back of a RWD car and regular tires on the front, you can go all you want but stopping and turning will not be easy. Put the tires on the front and stopping and turning will work well but you'll be doing donuts at every intersection trying to pull away. So, even if you have FWD or even AWD, get snow tires on all 4 wheels.


As for all-seasons, honestly, in about 75% of the country, all-seasons will work just fine. In you live in an area that sees snowfall measurements that average over 10 inches per snow fall, snow tires will be in order for your winter driving needs. However, most people who needlessly start freaking out about snow tires live in areas like New Jersey which sees an average of 6 inches of snow per snow fall each year. Occasionally we get a serious snowfall but you're not gonna be going anywhere in that anyway. So, for those kinds of people, just make sure your all-season tires have sufficient tread depth to them. If not, get new tires. If so, then sit back, grab a beer and listen to some tunes. The only other instance where snow tires are recommended is for people with a high performance vehicle that comes with high performance tires that are not marked as A/T, M+S or all-season. Tires like Michelin Pilot Sports, Goodyear Eagle F1's or BFGoodrich g-Force T/A's. These are summer only tires and while you can get away with using them in spring and fall months too, they are absolutly no good for winter. Some people buy winter beaters to save thier pride and joy sports car but still, some use these vehicles year round because a second car isn't practical for whatever reason. Those people need to use a snow tire and the extra investment is worth the time and money.

dcarlson

I bought a set of Nordic Ice-trac from Canadian Tire a couple of years ago. Well worth it. I'll never used all-season tires in the winter again. I was going to get a set of Michelins Artic Alpins but for the size I needed they were out of my price range.

I'm going to have to make the switch soon, it's snowing here today.

dylan

Jstas, what do you think about siping after studs wear out? We live in north Idaho, and the main thing I worry about is ice (at least snow tends to be predictable, ice definitely not). These tires still have a deep tread pattern, but the studs are pretty much worn out. What do you think?

Willow

Originally posted by dcarlson
I bought a set of Nordic Ice-trac from Canadian Tire a couple of years ago. Well worth it. I'll never used all-season tires in the winter again. I was going to get a set of Michelins Artic Alpins but for the size I needed they were out of my price range.

I'm going to have to make the switch soon, it's snowing here today.

I was wating for another canadian to chime in..I was looking at those as well, we don't drive alot but DCarlson knows the weather I get . So you think they are worth it, every one I speak to says it is...it's snowing here today. I don't think we can have studs here... there is a tire shop near my place that is offering 627 Tax in for tires and rims...not sure of the brand that is why I was asking about brands.

Jstas

Originally posted by dylan
Jstas, what do you think about siping after studs wear out? We live in north Idaho, and the main thing I worry about is ice (at least snow tends to be predictable, ice definitely not). These tires still have a deep tread pattern, but the studs are pretty much worn out. What do you think?

Well, siping can be effective but it will reduce the tread life of the tire. Siping can also sacrifice the strutural intergrity of teh tread blocks so they will flex more but they wear out quicker too. I know some places here will re-stud tires but they have to have a certain amount of tread depth to them. Unless you have some serious incline in your roads and regular icy weather like Vermont or Colorado will see, studs aren't really offering you much. They can help when tempeatures go below freezing and stay that way for a long time and several snow falls leave several layers of ice on roadways. If your conditions are like that, I think I might go with new studded tires instead of siping or restudding.

PolkThug

I just put sandbags in the trunk, seems to do the trick.

dcarlson

Studs aren't legal in Ontario. It's rediculous considering the weather we can get.

I paid a little over $600 for the tires and rims. I totally recommend winter tires. What's nice is I have 2 sets of tires. The winter tires and a set of performance summer tires. You can always get a good set of all-season for the spring to fall driving. I've had the winter tires for the past 2 winters and the tread hasn't worn much at all, they'll be with me for quite a while yet. My summer tires will need replacing next year.

Willow

We will get them for sure and will keep my summer tires and rims stored till spring, it's a costly affair up front but if the tires keep for 4 years that less than 200$ a year for saftey. The ones they offer near my place is continental Ts790 the ratings are pretty good he said that brand is not well known in canada but in the US they are

danger boy

How it works:

The siping cuts allow the tread blocks to flex and conform to the ground easier than a monolithic tread. In wet and icy conditions, the siping cuts act like "squeegees" to cut through the water and allow contact with the surface below. They also help dissipate heat and prolong tire life.

danger boy

example of siped tire.

VR3

Snow tires?

I dont even think they SELL snow tires in my part of NC...

Heck we get enough snow here to stick your big toe in!

Mjr7531

Personally, in Cleveland during the Winter All-Purpose tires do the job, except in extremes, Where I just have to drive slowly (ie: 4 inches of snow in the last half-hour unplowed, A total downpour on the freeway during the summer, etc.) Excuse my ignorance, but how much snow do you get in your area?

danger boy

well here in Spokane. which is very close to Canada.. we set a record last year for a 24 hour period. with 8.2 inches of snowfall.

that's just one 24 hour period. not to mention the other 4 remaining winter months. Our snowfall is usually measured in feet. not puny inches.

Willow

D will confirm with me that when a plow goes by our snow banks can be quite high, sometimes we can get 30cm at a time if not more, the average is 5-10 cm snow fall so we get enough to purchase snow tires.

Sami

I would go with Michelin or Nokia, I have no love for Bridgestone stud tires. Pick up a car magazine, they should have their yearly stud/friction tire comparison (or pick up last winters magazine).

dcarlson

We usually get a couple 50cm storms per year.

Some friends of mine live a couple of hours north from here and it's not unusual for the snow banks to reach 6 feet high in the middle of winter. Then they get hauled away and grow back.