View Full Version : My car's body is ready!
Circuits
11-08-2021, 20:41
I upgraded vehicles last spring, so it was time to switch over to my winter tires, but my old set won't fit the new ride. I went from 16s to 18s when I sold the Impreza and bought the Forester.
I stopped on by Discount Tire and bought a cheap set of steel wheels to mount new Haakepeliitta 9s all around. I love the rumble of a new set of studded M&S tires, and knowing I'm all set for whatever another Colorado winter wants to throw at us. The extra clearance of the Forester over the Impreza won't hurt, either.
Anyone else routinely switch over to serious winter tires about this time of year?
I use the same tires all year round, BFG All terrain KO2's. Used to drive from Boulder to Steamboat weekly and have thousands of miles of some of the worst Colorado winter weather on those things, have never gotten stuck much less ever felt like I was sliding or out of control.
whitewalrus
11-08-2021, 21:34
I never have felt the need to run snow tires on the front range. When I had a WRX I used to run a hybrid type tire - all season on the inside and more of a performance tire on the outside. I could go anywhere on the streets I could with my truck and BFG all terrains.
If you want to move away from the studded snow tires the blizzak tires have great traction on snow and grip great all around.
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We have 3 Escapes and I have Nokian "all weather" tires (kind of a hybrid almost-winter tire) on two and Champiro Ice Pro tires (dedicated snow) on the other. They all do great in the snow.
I put a set of the Ice Pros on my Xterra a couple years ago when my other tires started to suck in the snow (Les Schwab tires--never again) and they were a huge improvement. I recently threw on some Falken Wildpeaks on the Xterra and I'm going to see how those do in the snow. If they aren't good, I'll put the Ice Pros back on.
I just rely on good judgment and mad driving skills.
Also, if the snow gets over about ten inches deep on the roads I just wait a day until it melts or they clear it off.
JohnnyEgo
11-08-2021, 22:30
I'm a bad driver from the east coast with a long bed 2wd truck. I love my snow tires. I can get stuck in much more interesting places with them.
crashdown
11-08-2021, 23:44
You guys are so cute…. What’s it like there, highs in the 70’s?
Martinjmpr
11-09-2021, 09:07
You guys are so cute…. What’s it like there, highs in the 70’s?
It was 80 at our house this weekend. I put about 250 miles on my bike.
No snow in the forecast at least through Thanksgiving. So far this is looking like a big disappointment of a winter.
By this time in 2019 we had already had a couple of good snowstorms, enough for my office to close.
eddiememphis
11-09-2021, 09:17
Anyone else routinely switch over to serious winter tires about this time of year?
Nope
colorider
11-09-2021, 09:35
I used to swap my wife's Audi tires/wheels out every winter with a set of Ice-x tires on another set of wheels. Became too much of a pain in the ass so we just went with a nice all season tire to run year round. Works just dandy. Anyone want to buy a set of 4 audi wheels with Michelin Ice-x tires on them?
All of my tires are made from black rubber so I just leave them alone so I?m not labeled a racist.
Rooskibar03
11-09-2021, 13:20
Dedicated snows are game changers for any vehicle. Highly recommend. Its a massive confidence boost when driving in the snow, especially when I comes to braking.
wctriumph
11-09-2021, 13:53
I prefer to run AT tires on my truck in the winter (all year actually) but last year I ran all season tires and while not the best working in the snow, I was able to get wherever I needed to go. The tread is about half worn so I am putting some money aside to buy some AT’s before the big blizzard hits us. I figure about $1000 to $1200 for a set. They would be less expensive but my truck ha 20” wheels.
I prefer to run AT tires on my truck in the winter (all year actually) but last year I ran all season tires and while not the best working in the snow, I was able to get wherever I needed to go. The tread is about half worn so I am putting some money aside to buy some AT’s before the big blizzard hits us. I figure about $1000 to $1200 for a set. They would be less expensive but my truck ha 20” wheels.
Plan on more. Prices have gone up quite a bit on tires.
The 22's on my truck are $390 each at last check
zimagold
11-09-2021, 21:33
Blizzaks on dedicated wheels for all three vehicles including the Jeep. Put them on around thanksgiving and pull them off end of March. No comparison once the temps drop below 20 with snow.
scratchy
11-09-2021, 21:35
I'm running Nokian WR-G4 SUV on my Forester, so far, I am very happy with them. Going into the second winter. On my wife's WRX. we swap to winterish Continentals, but we used really nice Motegi rims to mount them on
Circuits
11-09-2021, 23:55
For those doubters and townies: I moved out here in 1996, in a rwd twin-turbo sports car and an October ice storm and a lot of icy days and spinouts made me rethink my choice of daily driver that very first winter. I learned to drive in the midwest (Chicago area) so I'm used to lake effect snow and know winter driving, and can drive on ice in a 2WD pickup if I have to. Doesn't mean I look forward to or enjoy it.
Enter the blizzard of Spring 1998, and I garaged the 300ZX to only be driven in fair weather and have been buying 4WD or AWD ever since, including dedicated snow tires for the winter.
Yes, I can get around on all-seasons if I have to, but I remember sliding sideways into curbs on icy streets at 5mph when an early blizzard kicks up and everything gets glazed, and I got money, and I like to fuck up pavement with metal studs because it's legal, so I do it.
IMHO this video clearly shows the benefits of snow tires in real winter weather. They compared starting and braking performance of all season, all weather, and snow tires on a very snowy road in Montezuma Colorado.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22pMODgh6bE&ab_channel=TheFastLaneCar
I used 16 inch Bridgestone Blizzacks on my 2015 Mazda 3, mounting them in early December and taking them off in late February. The stock rims were 18 inch but I got some 16 inch rims from Tire Rack to go with the Blizzacks. They worked perfectly and saved a lot of $. I will also get a set of snow tires and rims for my new ride incoming late this week. At my age, I decided I can no longer push a car out of a ditch and I don't have any friends with 4WD vehicles willing to pull me out.
I'm a bad driver from the east coast with a long bed 2wd truck. I love my snow tires. I can get stuck in much more interesting places with them.
LOL!![ROFL1]
I'm retired and don't have to go out in the snow.
BladesNBarrels
11-11-2021, 08:57
I'm retired and don't have to go out in the snow.
[Coffee]
I'm retired and don't have to go out in the snow.
Then how do you stock up on bread and milk?
I need to get rid of the winter tires from my old car to make room for the winter tires from my new car. :o
But I do like to have the best traction available. Winter driving is scary.
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