Winter/Snow tires!

[HellsBells]

Hey guys,

So it started snowing here today and I've been debating if I should invest in some winter tires. I'm 95% convinced that I should just get them for peace of mind, the money isn't such a huge deal to me, I'd rather not wrap myself around a tree if that's going to make the difference.

I'll be putting them onto my stock 17" bullitts. I have no idea how wide these are so I don't know how wide of a tire I can fit. I'm told I should go for narrower for snow traction, but most of the roads here are plowed.

What do you guys recommend for a city-driven, stop and go mustang in a freezing New England winter?

 

[BSell]

Narrow equals more 'cutting' through to the pavement power vs. wide 'floating' on top of the snow.

I'd recommend running two sets of wheels and tires, summer and winter, so the salt doesn't trash the 'pretty' rims of summer.

We're in Germany and got tired of the 2 sets of wheels/tires for the wife's car (Focus) and went with Vredestein Quatrac 3 tires. http://www.vredestein.com/Banden_Bandtypes.asp?UsersessionID=0&BandgroepID=3&BandtypeID=66

They are quiet, don't squirm and have outstanding grip both wet and dry for a tire that works very well in the snow. Highly recommended even if you use it as a dedicated 'winter' tire.

Had some Firestone Winterforces on winter rims for the 3-series a couple years ago and they were great in the snow but dangerous otherwise! Think brand new nobbie tires on your dirt bike and the looseness that comes with high speed. Anything more than a slow lane change caused the car to walk around on the knobs of these snow tires. They couldn't go around a corner to save their ass either...

So, my recommendation is to shop for a slightly narrower than stock snow tire that is multi-season capable since you travel mostly plowed roads.

Brian

 

[11secLX]

Get a stock size Blizzak. It is an awesome tire.

 

[cm581978]

I'll be putting on my Winterforce tires around Thanksgiving wknd, I rarely drive the car so I just need something to putz around town

 

[skwerl]

Check out the ratings on Tirerack. Not always perfectly accurate but you can get a good idea of which tires perform best.

 

[Captainstr8edge]

Get a stock size Blizzak. It is an awesome tire.

+1!

 

[fdjizm]

Pirellis all year round just fine here, good tip: go slower lol

 

[HellsBells]

Thanks everyone. I've been eyeing the blizzaks on captainstr8edge's previous recommendation.

I'm wondering if I can get away with the stock pirellis.

 

[fdjizm]

I don't see why not plenty of people do.
I can't see spending a few hundred on tires/wheels just for winter.
OEM's have to make sure tires are OK for snow use anyway, mine have been fine for years.

 

[Captainstr8edge]

I don't see why not plenty of people do.
I can't see spending a few hundred on tires/wheels just for winter.
OEM's have to make sure tires are OK for snow use anyway, mine have been fine for years.

Have you ever used snow tires? It makes a world of difference. Its nice to be able to stop on a snowy street and not have to feel the A.B.S. come on every time.

 

[HellsBells]

Have you ever used snow tires? It makes a world of difference. Its nice to be able to stop on a snowy street and not have to feel the A.B.S. come on every time.

How are the blizzak's on wet roads?

 

[fdjizm]

Have you ever used snow tires? It makes a world of difference. Its nice to be able to stop on a snowy street and not have to feel the A.B.S. come on every time.

No I haven't, and I'm sure they do but I've been fine so far why spend a few hundred bucks when I'm not having issues?
Just be more careful, anyone can be fine on all seasons. they are called ALL SEASONS.
No issues with ABS here, I come to nice smooth stops on snow, the driver is about 99.5% of the snow issues in a mustang.

 

[Captainstr8edge]

No I haven't, and I'm sure they do but I've been fine so far why spend a few hundred bucks when I'm not having issues?
Just be more careful, anyone can be fine on all seasons. they are called ALL SEASONS.
No issues with ABS here, I come to nice smooth stops on snow, the driver is about 99.5% of the snow issues in a mustang.

All true, but all seasons sacrifice summer performance. Your better off having a nice summer tire and a nice winter tire.

Also, sometimes you don't have the luxury of a nice smooth stop. People drive like assholes in mass, even in the snow.

 

[HellsBells]

I think MA also gets a bit more snow than NY/NJ. Either way, I think this will be a decent investment. The part that bugs me is that my stock pirellis still have a ton of meat on them.

If the driver is 99.5% of snow driving in a mustang, then I really need to capitalize on that 0.5%

 

[mot250]

All Season tires sacrifice summer traction AND winter traction.

Best bet if you will be driving the car for a few years through the winter is a second set of dedicated snow tires on a second set of wheels. You can save the stock all seasons for summer and use the snows for winter only. That way the snow tires last longer.

Once you drive a car with dedicated snow tires in your first snowfall you will be amazed. I've had great experience with blizzak tires on a 94 GT with a 5 speed. My wife also felt safe enough in it for snow.

Doing the seasonal swaps should allow the snow tires to work well for at least 3 or 4 winters (depending on miles used). After that they would still work good as a general all season tire

 

[Torched S197]

I think MA also gets a bit more snow than NY/NJ. Either way, I think this will be a decent investment. The part that bugs me is that my stock pirellis still have a ton of meat on them.

If the driver is 99.5% of snow driving in a mustang, then I really need to capitalize on that 0.5%

Make a video of them like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2V7GR9EOTE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[HellsBells]

All Season tires sacrifice summer traction AND winter traction.

Best bet if you will be driving the car for a few years through the winter is a second set of dedicated snow tires on a second set of wheels. You can save the stock all seasons for summer and use the snows for winter only. That way the snow tires last longer.

Once you drive a car with dedicated snow tires in your first snowfall you will be amazed. I've had great experience with blizzak tires on a 94 GT with a 5 speed. My wife also felt safe enough in it for snow.

Doing the seasonal swaps should allow the snow tires to work well for at least 3 or 4 winters (depending on miles used). After that they would still work good as a general all season tire

Yeah that's what I was thinking but when the spring comes, I may be getting new wheels and some summer tires but we'll see.

Are there any issues with the TPMS in our cars when getting new tires? I see some shops charge some TPMS fee...

Make a video of them like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2V7GR9EOTE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I tried and make myself look like a fool because I can't get the brake/gas/clutch combo right haha.

 

[skwerl]

Gotta turn off the traction control first, otherwise it will kill any burnout attempts.

 

[Torched S197]

Traction control and wheel hop are both killers. When this car was stock if you didn't dump it just right you'd wheel hop your brains out. Have you tried holding the gas and brake with your right foot and dumping the clutch?

 

[HellsBells]

I haven't tried the brake and gas as the same time. I did turn TCS off though (i'm not that dumb guys! )

As for the blizzaks, there's an "LM-60" which is the "winter performance" and the "WS70" which is "studless ice and snow".

The WS70 is cheaper...is that the one to get?