stupid question about winter tires

[rjp]

stupid question. i have a 2003 awd - do I need winter tires? I had a cherokke and ran it on basically bald tires and a few times needed to put it in 4wd to get up some hills. my tires on the vibe are getting worn and will need new ones soon. thanx

[keithvibe]

Do you get lots of snow/ice?I would say if that answer to that question is yes... then yes you should get snowsI have a set for my awd.awd only helps you get OUT and STARTED... lol not stopping

[rjp]

thanx for the info - living in boston so who knows what we're going to get but will take your advice and get some - knowing me i'll wait till the first snow - i usually get my tires at pep boys - have always had a decent experience - though will read the threads to get the consensus as to which snows to run with. thanx again

[Raven]

Living in Boston you probably don't get a ton of snow. If your tires are worn you might want to consider Goodyear TripleTred or Michelin HydroEdge all seasons. They are both very good in snow and that way you'll only have to buy one set of tires instead of two.

[kunkstyle]

I've got snow tires on the AWD. After running snows and summers I'll never go back to some-seasons.Your mileage may vary.

[Raven]

Quote, originally posted by kunkstyle »I've got snow tires on the AWD. After running snows and summers I'll never go back to some-seasons.Last time I checked, Cowtown winters are a little harsher than Boston.

[rjp]

thanx guys, i'll probably get all seasons - cheaper. although i would love to buy another set of nice rims and summer tires - not to mention some of the mods i've seen - it all comes down to i just can't see myself spending money on something that is not necessary - what can i say, i am a cheap sob

[kunkstyle]

Quote, originally posted by Raven »Last time I checked, Cowtown winters are a little harsher than Boston. Never been to boston, I assumed it'd be similar weather to vancouver. And winters in the city here are pretty tame usually. I just like the added traction in both summer and winter of having two sets. As far as costs go to buy both, you're getting double the life out of them. Although if you don't see a lot of snow or really heavy rains all seasons are ok.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by rjp »thanx guys, i'll probably get all seasons - cheaper. although i would love to buy another set of nice rims and summer tires - not to mention some of the mods i've seen - it all comes down to i just can't see myself spending money on something that is not necessary - what can i say, i am a cheap sob A/S tires will NOT be cheaper... Consider this... An A/S tire is a comprimise between decent warm weather pavement traction and possibly decent cold weather snow traction, BUT, they do neither well... A decent set of summer only tire could set you back ~400$ depening on what you get, could be less. The tires on my Subie in my sig cost me A decent winter tire could cost as little as 200-300$ for a set (again depending on what's bought) and will DEFINITLY be better in the snow than a A/S tire.. I always tell people, the worst snow tire will be better in the snow than the BEST A/S tire.. mainly due to the fact that the rubber compound doesn't freeze and get hard (much like a sled..lol) Now, how much is your insurance deductable and time without the car worth to you? I ask in reference to possibly wrecking the car... ? Understand, i'm not saying that snows will keep you out of an accident, cause they won't, BUT, they could go a long way in avoiding one.. As Keith stated, it's not so much about going (espically with AWD) it's about STOPPING.... it's the stopping part where A/S tires, become mini-sleds.... lol... ESPECICALLY in a panic situation... I to am one of those that switched to summers/winters and will NEVER go back... my passengers, my life and my car are worth more to me than the cost of tires... My recomendation is to find some used steel weels and throw some cheap snows on them for the winter.. it's what I do and what I will always recomend to try and keep my peeps safe... Consider it cheap insurance..

[blake31]

I just bought a set of Hankook I-pike W409 winter tires for my 16" steel wheels (I just kept the stock Conti's on the steel wheels as my winter tires, and bought a nice looking rim and performance tires for summer).Got them on Ebay from discount tire direct for $440/set shipped (they came in 2 days). Used msn live search cash back to save $110 (search fatwallet.com for details on how to get 25% cashback on an ebay buy-it-now purchase, or ask me if you can't figure it out). it'll cost another $80 or so to get them installed, but still... $410 is cheaper than the $597 quoted on discount tire's website.read lots of reviews on winter tires, and I had narrowed it down to these Hankooks and General Altimax Arctic.

[Sublimewind]

I just looked at DTD, and i'm wondering where the cheap snow tires went... ? crappy... i'll go looking of other alternitives... BRB

[Sublimewind]

Firestone Winterforce... http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...forceI ran them last year, not bad... good comuter to, as they are better on dry pavement than most snows i've owned..

[goaster]

do tires still work run properly in winter? don't they get stuck in the snow?....i am from a tropical country so i don't know about this...hope someone answers......

[pick41]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »Firestone Winterforce... http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...forceI ran them last year, not bad... good comuter to, as they are better on dry pavement than most snows i've owned.. thanks for the tirerack link. Now if I can get the firestone by the house to match the price, intead of the $94 each they want. and just mount them on my OEM rims.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by goaster »do tires still work run properly in winter? don't they get stuck in the snow?....i am from a tropical country so i don't know about this...hope someone answers......Goaster,Are you speaking of "normal" tires... like the stock tires on a vibe... YES, they do work in the winter.. the biggest problem is the particular rubber compound used for high mileage, gets HARD in the cold, it freezes... A winter tires rubber is designed to stay soft in the cold.. it allows the tread to move and bite into the snow... Most people skate through winter life on A/S tires well enough, but that is mainly because they don't fully understand the benifits of true winter tires... it's a night and day difference... Not so much in the going, but more-so in the STOPPING... (it has a lot to do with going to, mind you)Winter tires also have many more "cuts" or sipes in them to create more edges andsurface area to bite the snow.. If you have never driven in the winter before, I would strongly suggest winter tires for you, it really boosts the confidence, when things get slippery.. Also, if you ARE about to drive in the snow for the first time, go find a big parking lot and practice a bit, to see how the car reacts differently, things change a LOT in the snow... Good luck to you..