Snow Tires

[spiko]

I deliver pizza as some of you may know and it seems the tires I have on now are not cutting it. I wanted to get some recommendations from you guys on what I should do. These are the questions I have:

1. What model snow tires are available?
2. Are they studded?
3. Post your experiences with them.
4. Where are they available for purchase?
5. Is there a member selling snow tires on the site?

[25Horseplay]

Terry check these out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mini-Truck-Geo-Metro-Ford-Festiva-Tire-for-Mud-Snow-Ice_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a570Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem260310335996QQitemZ260310335996QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[spiko]

Terry check these out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mini-...Q5fAccessories

I saw those, kind of tempting but I wish I could find out some more info about them. It seems they are not studded, are there places that will stud them around here? How much does that usually cost? Does anyone have experience with this model before, good/bad? Should I just get 2 tires for the front, or all 4? Any other model snow tires available? I've tried searching the site and online and haven't come up with much info for 12" snow tires.

[bhazard]

I would get all four. Rear traction is just as important as front. Remember, its not going that matters (front traction) stopping is more important (rear traction). If you dont have traction in the rear when you try to stop the back end is gonna keep going.

[HappyMom]

I would get all four. Rear traction is just as important as front. Remember, its not going that matters (front traction) stopping is more important (rear traction). If you dont have traction in the rear when you try to stop the back end is gonna keep going.

Definetely get them for all four corners. If the rear end wants to keep going more than the front end, the rear will end up in front of the front.

If you can't afford 4, keep your 2 best tires up front and the 2 snows on the back.

[Icedawg]

If you can't afford 4, keep your 2 best tires up front and the 2 snows on the back.

That is the right advice for a rear wheel drive, but for front wheel drive the snows go on the front if you only have two. However, 4 is what you really need.

[iceracerdude]

Bridgestone blizzaks, (they're not making them in 13's anymore) but if you can find them left over somewhere, the older ones are the WS-50, the newer ones that replaced them are the WS-60.
Or the Nokian hakkapilitas RSI, I know it's a mouthfull, but an excellent snow and ice tire made in Finland, and they still make them in 13.
Once you've had either of these tires, you'll never go through a winter without them again. Hankook makes a snow tire now, that's a direct ripoff of the Nokian RSI tread pattern, (which by the way, is a directional pattern) I don't know what the compound is like, but they might be worth looking into.
And yeah if you can afford it, all fours, the handling is sick!

[TrueBoolean]

i think i have those hankook tires for the front's on my escort(they're hankooks, they're snow tires, and they're directional). So far this winter i haven't been impressed, but then again, any snow I've driven on so far has been accompanied by ice too.

[fastivaca]

I'm running Continental 155-70-13 Contact Viking 3's on Mazda alloys on my Festiva. I have the Hankook tires that Icedawg mentioned on my Astro.

I really like the Conti's for the Festiva. Haven't run any other kind so can't really compare but running proper winter tires on all four corners is a vastly safer and wiser choice than so called "all season" tires.

[littlecar]

Snow and ice tires

Being that I work in a tire shop part time and sell a heaps of tires a week, I figured I'd throw my bone in too.

Goodyear and Michelin both have awesome ice tires. Goodyear has two different verisons of their "Ultra Grip". One is designed more so for ice, the other is designed more for ice and snow. One is studded, one isn't.

The Michelin is like the high class verison of an ice tire. It is not studded, but gives you more dry handling and a more comfortable ride. Cause you know how important a comfortable ride is when you're trying not to wrap yourself around a tree in an ice storm.

For my money, the studded version of the Goodyear is the way to go. It's a little more money, but it is well worth, if you drive in harsh weather everyday.

Whatever you do, stay away from Dunlop. There trash. Bridgestone isn't a bad opition either.

Good luck.

[bhazard]

That is the right advice for a rear wheel drive, but for front wheel drive the snows go on the front if you only have two. However, 4 is what you really need.

Again, youre thinking of *going*, not *stopping*. If you have poor rear traction and you hit your brakes your back end is gonna slide out and around.

[fastivaca]

Here's an interesting video on the "where do the better tires go" argument

http://tinyurl.com/6fqlda

Enjoy

[shawnw]

For an insightful although somewhat dull demonstration of whether to go with two or four snow tires, take a look at this video series on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03wqClnq-0

It's what made me decide to go with four snow tires compared to two.

We ended up getting a set of Goodyear Nordics, haven't tested them in the snow yet (we're waiting for one replacment to be shipped from the mainland as one of our set was flawed and leaking) but as soon as we do I'll tell you how they preformed.
We got them because they were cheap and possibly one of the last sets of 12" snow tire to be sold around here.

[spiko]

For an insightful although somewhat dull demonstration of whether to go with two or four snow tires, take a look at this video series on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03wqClnq-0

It's what made me decide to go with four snow tires compared to two.

We ended up getting a set of Goodyear Nordics, haven't tested them in the snow yet (we're waiting for one replacment to be shipped from the mainland as one of our set was flawed and leaking) but as soon as we do I'll tell you how they preformed.
We got them because they were cheap and possibly one of the last sets of 12" snow tire to be sold around here.

How much was the price? Where did you get them from?

[shawnw]

They were just under $40 each. I got them from canadian tire up here, I think they may be made specifically for the Canadian Tire chain though.