Winter Tires
- Thread starter stugotsms
- Start date
stugotsms said:
I used both and I find Toyo's a bit better
try Toyo Garit HT high performance snow tires
http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?tirebrand=Toyo&tiremodel=Garit+HT
Sheik said:
they are good snow tires but the compound is too soft....thus they only last maybe 2 snow seasons at best before they become regular tires
one of my cars is rear wheel drive.....so I have to get winter tires or else the car is completely useless
I got my toyo's with rims for about $800....they are regularly $1500 with rims
good tires are expensive but i don't mind paying for safety
I got my toyo's with rims for about $800....they are regularly $1500 with rims
good tires are expensive but i don't mind paying for safety
Correct. You may want to see if the dealer offers free changeovers too. I've seen some places charge $10 per tire. I believe that Green & Ross offer free changeovers, but the price of the tire may be inflated.Sheik said:
When shopping around keep track of the tire information details so you can compare prices with different suppliers. Also confirm if there are any balancing or other costs not included in the price.
Last thing, have them put plastic bags over your summer tires, they tend to be messy items when transporting back home.
farker of the burrosSheik said:
...like I said Blizzaks are great snow tires but the compound that makes it stick to snow and ice is very soft....therefore it does not last too long......
talk to any decent snow tire dealer
"Bridgestone Blizzak 215/60R16 - $120 ea.
These tires are expensive as snow tires go. They provide excellent snow and ice traction, but can wear very quickly if driven aggressively. One SHOtimes member described the traction as "driving on Velcro". Reported tread life varies from 7k miles to over 20k miles."
http://www.shotimes.com/SHO3snowtires.html
There's Blizzaks and Blizzaks.
The WS-50 is the prime model and the one most discussed. It IS very heat-sensitive. However, tests show that even after the unique compound is worn away, the tires still out-perform most all-season tires.
I'm going into my 3rd winter on my WS-50s and I expect to easily get one more winter after this of exceptional winter traction.
The LM-22 Blizzaks do not contain the special compound that is so sensitve to heat. These tires are not as good in deep snow, but excel on ice, and are designed for performance cars. They handle remarkably well in the dry.
The WS-50 is the prime model and the one most discussed. It IS very heat-sensitive. However, tests show that even after the unique compound is worn away, the tires still out-perform most all-season tires.
I'm going into my 3rd winter on my WS-50s and I expect to easily get one more winter after this of exceptional winter traction.
The LM-22 Blizzaks do not contain the special compound that is so sensitve to heat. These tires are not as good in deep snow, but excel on ice, and are designed for performance cars. They handle remarkably well in the dry.
The drive of your vehicle doesn't matter, in the winter, when you're driving, unless you have active differential.wrong hole said:
wooly110 said:
It matters alot wooly wooly
I can drive with all seasons in my front wheel drive car and still get by in winter....
In my rear wheel drive....I can't even move when it snows if I had all season tires on.....and yes I do have active slip differential in the car....stupid light comes on all the time
One of our cars is an old rear drive Volvo wagon. I wait until we're getting serious winter weather before I put on my Nokia Hakkapeliitas and I make sure I take them off before it gets warm in the spring. They'll last a long time if you use them only for winter driving. That Volvo is relatively slow most of the year but in really slippery winter driving conditions, it pulls away from almost every other car and it stops faster too. I've never tried the Bridgestones or Toyos on that car but the Nokias are excellent. I'll buy another pair when this winter is over. That'll be about 10 winters on those Hakka's.
I've had the Blizzaks (WS 50's) on a pretty high performance rear driver for two winters now. An excellent choice, I cannot believe what I can do with them, and this is from a guy who used to drive a 4x4 in the winter. I won't buy anything else. Two points though as stated
- though not overly expensive, they are not the cheapest either
- they won't last too long at optimal performance. The special compound wears off by 20K and then they are just like regular snow tires, but still fine.
- though not overly expensive, they are not the cheapest either
- they won't last too long at optimal performance. The special compound wears off by 20K and then they are just like regular snow tires, but still fine.
"....I truly believe that Nokia, a Finnish tire builder, produces the best winter tires in the world. The Nokia Hakkapeliita 10 was absolutely marvelous in the snow, despite having been developed years before the RMA established their new standard for winter performance. Its traction and response in the most foul weather was akin to a professional rally tire. The only downside was that the Hakka 10s were very, very noisy.
Hakka 10s have been replaced by a newer model (Hakka 1s) that provide even better performance, with quieter ride and better directional stability, than earlier models.
Gislaved Nord*Frost 2s are available through most Volvo dealers and have done extremely well in recent Scandinavian tire tests, beating Nokias on several occasions. I believe that Nord*Frost 2s are worth more than a glance when shopping for winter tires.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s are acceptable, with this tire's degree of market penetration a testament to aggressive advertising. Blizzaks will certainly outperform any "all-season" tire but are not in the same league as Nokias or Gislaveds. The same can be said for the Dunlop Graspic and Pirelli Winter S.
Speaking of winter tires, it is not uncommon for a Volvo with a good set of winter tires to be able to easily out accelerate just about any Audi, BMW or M-B in the snow. North American muscle cars cannot hope to keep up with a well shod Volvo operating in snowy conditions. This is not to say that one should buy tires to win stop-light wars, but the added performance of the correct tire is welcomed by many owners......"
http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/Volvo_Books/susp2.html
Hakka 10s have been replaced by a newer model (Hakka 1s) that provide even better performance, with quieter ride and better directional stability, than earlier models.
Gislaved Nord*Frost 2s are available through most Volvo dealers and have done extremely well in recent Scandinavian tire tests, beating Nokias on several occasions. I believe that Nord*Frost 2s are worth more than a glance when shopping for winter tires.
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s are acceptable, with this tire's degree of market penetration a testament to aggressive advertising. Blizzaks will certainly outperform any "all-season" tire but are not in the same league as Nokias or Gislaveds. The same can be said for the Dunlop Graspic and Pirelli Winter S.
Speaking of winter tires, it is not uncommon for a Volvo with a good set of winter tires to be able to easily out accelerate just about any Audi, BMW or M-B in the snow. North American muscle cars cannot hope to keep up with a well shod Volvo operating in snowy conditions. This is not to say that one should buy tires to win stop-light wars, but the added performance of the correct tire is welcomed by many owners......"
http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/Volvo_Books/susp2.html
