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Winter tires

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
That's great, you stick to your non-studded tires and enjoy them!
I don't need your approval, I know what I'm doing at this point.

However it would be more useful for someone who's only lived in snow country for the last few years to not just dismiss a pretty extensive experience at this point as 'hogwash,' when someone asks for experience. I have more than you.

Studs work great. I already said that. I'm only talking about durability.

If I could get studs to stick around in a soft rubber tire, it would rule the world.
 
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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,056
9,710
AK
I don't need your approval, I know what I'm doing at this point.

However it would be more useful for someone who's only lived in snow country for the last few years to not just dismiss a pretty extensive experience at this point as 'hogwash,' when someone asks for experience. I have more than you.

Studs work great. I already said that. I'm only talking about durability.

If I could get studs to stick around in a soft rubber tire, it would rule the world.
We got dumps of a foot or more at once living above placerville (a lot closer to pollock pines) multiple times a season with many lower snow amounts in between, it's not like you are the sole person that has lived in "snow country". Hell, when we moved there 2 weeks later it dumped 3 feet at once, temps down in the low teens. Temps didn't often go that cold, but the snow did pile up and that wasn't the only time. And all that time, I was going up into the high country anyway, later on the race team, so yeah, I have a pretty good idea about sierra snow conditions.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,056
9,710
AK
Doesn't matter how much traction my snow tires have here. I just stay home, too many morons on ballistic trajectories.

The absolute dangerous I've seen was when it was raining, hovering right around zero...and then, while on the highway, it went below. Instantly things went to shit and cars start sliding, like turning on a switch. That's because our ground stays so cold. It can be above freezing, but that's going to freeze overnight no matter what or in the day if the temp drops, but to see it happen so fast is amazing (in a bad way).

I also had to go out after an ice-storm last year in Texas just to see all the cars in ditches, that was fun. I just stayed on the frontage roads on the side of the highway, not even going to try and mix it up with the idiots on the highway.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,542
20,342
Sleazattle
The absolute dangerous I've seen was when it was raining, hovering right around zero...and then, while on the highway, it went below. Instantly things went to shit and cars start sliding, like turning on a switch. That's because our ground stays so cold. It can be above freezing, but that's going to freeze overnight no matter what or in the day if the temp drops, but to see it happen so fast is amazing (in a bad way).

I also had to go out after an ice-storm last year in Texas just to see all the cars in ditches, that was fun. I just stayed on the frontage roads on the side of the highway, not even going to try and mix it up with the idiots on the highway.

It was pretty common to have rain following hard freezes in Virginia. It would seem just about every redneck with 4WD would think they could still brake and turn with their mud tires on solid ice. The ditches would just be chock full of them. Averaged about 2 people a year that would straight line a slight bend in the road in front of my house and end up in my yard. Dumbasses would rip open their oil pans on some boulders and would still try to drive away.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,056
9,710
AK
It was pretty common to have rain following hard freezes in Virginia. It would seem just about every redneck with 4WD would think they could still brake and turn with their mud tires on solid ice. The ditches would just be chock full of them. Averaged about 2 people a year that would straight line a slight bend in the road in front of my house and end up in my yard. Dumbasses would rip open their oil pans on some boulders and would still try to drive away.
That's why I say AWD and 4WD are so great. They allow you to quicky out-accelerate your ability to turn and stop.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,542
20,342
Sleazattle
Same in baltimore.

they also salt the living fuck out of the roads in that area


sucks if you beat the salt truck!

The county I lived in had a pretty laissez faire approach to services. Their official Parks Website pretty much said if you want land to do stuff on, buy a farm. Could be days or weeks for some roads to get plowed/treated if things didn't melt. Half the time my road got plowed by private rednecks with plows. I suspect someone in the McMansion development down the road paid them to do it.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
The county I lived in had a pretty laissez faire approach to services. Their official Parks Website pretty much said if you want land to do stuff on, buy a farm. Could be days or weeks for some roads to get plowed/treated if things didn't melt. Half the time my road got plowed by private rednecks with plows. I suspect someone in the McMansion development down the road paid them to do it.
remember diesel on the dirt roads to keep down dust? :rofl:

I lived north of baltimore and commuted to school with my parents commuting a little farther into town. In the 90s it was absolutely the recent farmland turned into suburb hell, but still surrounded by farmland.

If it wasn't for farmer's hills I never would have figured out what a snowboard was for.

It's weird to think about now. You could actually drive on recent snow because it wasn't over your roof overnight. But northeast ice storms are something special. All that portland and seattle footage makes me want to watch the weather and plan some trips to push.
 
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Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,542
20,342
Sleazattle
remember diesel on the dirt roads to keep down dust? :rofl:

I lived north of baltimore and commuted to school with my parents commuting a little farther into town. In the 90s it was absolutely the recent farmland turned into suburb hell, but still surrounded by farmland.

If it wasn't for farmer's hills I never would have figured out what a snowboard was for.

It's weird to think about now. You could actually drive on recent snow because it wasn't over your roof overnight. But northeast ice storms are something special. All that portland and seattle footage makes me want to watch the weather and plan some trips to push.
Whenever I consider moving back I remember how I had to repair stray bullet holes in the roof and how the new owners cut down all the trees in the front yard and put up a 2' high plastic picket fence that enclosed nothing. Probably flies a confederate flag, but not sure if that is any worse than the fake fence.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,628
9,629
The county I lived in had a pretty laissez faire approach to services.
fauquier county approach....

one winter we got about 2 feet of snow and did not go back to school for 3 weeks.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
551
679
I knew there would be some action if I asked about car tires.

Narrowed it down further to studded Nokian Hakka 10s or studded Michelins X-Ice North 4. From what I've read, those two don't lose much if anything on dry and wet roads, but gain a lot on ice, which is my main interest. Nokians end up like 30% higher price with the steel wheels, so I'm leaning Michelins (and I have never tried Michelins).

FIGHT!!
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,884
12,862
In a van.... down by the river
I knew there would be some action if I asked about car tires.

Narrowed it down further to studded Nokian Hakka 10s or studded Michelins X-Ice North 4. From what I've read, those two don't lose much if anything on dry and wet roads, but gain a lot on ice, which is my main interest. Nokians end up like 30% higher price with the steel wheels, so I'm leaning Michelins (and I have never tried Michelins).

FIGHT!!
We've run Michelin X-Ice for probably a decade or more now(?) on most of our vehicles (old Honda van, old Subaru Outback, new-ish Mazda CX-5) and they are my preference in our particular climate (CO Front Range), which involves dry roads most of the time during the winter with regular trips to the mountains which involve a lot of everything.

Their dry-road performance/noise is signifcantly better than the Blizzaks we ran for a couple seasons, and the snow/ice performance is very good. Only time the 2wd vehicle had issues was when it was glare ice on a hill - studs would have made that a whole lot better.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,884
12,862
In a van.... down by the river
@SkaredShtles did you ever run Nokians vs the X-Ice Snow? Reddit isn't super excited about 'em


@kidwoo did you ever run Nokians vs Blizzaks on the same vehicle? or @Jm_ for that matter, from CA/AZ or AK experience alike? :D
Nope - only X-Ice and Blizzaks.

TBH - after running all-seasons in the Midwest and here in CO for *decades* the grip of proper winter tires was such a revelation that the nuance between most winter tires would be lost on me. :D
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,367
5,115
Ottawa, Canada
Why not just get whatever Canadian Tire had on a decent deal and aren't rated absolute shite? As I recall, they rustre their deals fairly frequently. I even seen tu recall seeing Blizzaks on sale there.

I wound up with Continental Vikings or something like that. They're fine, no complaints.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,367
5,115
Ottawa, Canada
I've used a set of blizzaks for 6 seasons now. Those are the most durable option IMO. Just don't use them in the summer
The problem with Québec is that they have mandated dates for having snow tires on. So if it's a late winter or early spring, you still have to have your winters on regardless.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,470
7,826
on a silverado 1500 truck

both I had to rotate because the rears wore out pretty quick, but thats also hauling weight and neither were 10 plys.
and via this you favor Blizzaks?

edit: nvmd. with current models of each Nokian seems to be The Way. to Discount Tire I will venture once more.

 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
and via this you favor Blizzaks?

edit: nvmd. with current models of each Nokian seems to be The Way. to Discount Tire I will venture once more.

You can buy the nokkians studded. No one will stud the blizzaks here because I guess theyre too soft.

Unstudded, the blizzaks work better imo but you get hero tires for a season or two with the nokians before the studs wear out. Then you still have a decent snow tire underneath.

I just like the blizzaks because they still work okay damn near bald
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,470
7,826
I just like the blizzaks because they still work okay damn near bald
I'd say I'd not worry about this kinda thing since I'll sell the car long before this happens

but it's my Land Cruiser, the only car I've had for a long period of time. off and on, at least.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
551
679
FWIW, my father has studded Hakka 9s since 6 years and he was amazed yesterday telling me that they still have 9/32" of tread left and all their studs. No cracks yet either (the Russian made Nordman that I have seem to use a cheaper rubber). He drives quite a bit too, I couldn't say how much mileage exactly, but they probably have around 50-60K kms. So the durability is there.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
19,056
9,710
AK
@SkaredShtles did you ever run Nokians vs the X-Ice Snow? Reddit isn't super excited about 'em


@kidwoo did you ever run Nokians vs Blizzaks on the same vehicle? or @Jm_ for that matter, from CA/AZ or AK experience alike? :D
Naw, ran blizzaks on one of the cars I'm using the Toyos on, but since the blizzaks were not studded, no comparison is possible, studs are gamechangers here. The hakkas are usually highly recommended for winter tires though.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,661
19,702
Canaderp
and via this you favor Blizzaks?

edit: nvmd. with current models of each Nokian seems to be The Way. to Discount Tire I will venture once more.

I have the R5 tires, they did swell on the VW.
 

konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
551
679
I ended up buying the studded X-Ice North 4, if someone wants to know how they are (in a few months) just let me know. Thanks for all your comments and ideas!

Edit : it ended up being only 60$cdn more than the unstudded X-Ice Snow so I decided to try them.
 
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mykel

closer to Periwinkle
Apr 19, 2013
5,130
3,849
sw ontario canada
Have had Nokian, Pirelli, Blizzaks and Yoko for snowies and am back on Nokian.

Wife has Nokians on her car for summer (all seasons) and so far they have been great.

<edit> one thing on the snowies, due to climate change and no longer getting decent amounts of snow, I have gone from the open "Snow" style to the more closed friction "Ice" models in the snowies. R3?'s I think. This will be their 3rd season if memory is not glitching again.
 
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konifere

Monkey
Dec 20, 2021
551
679
Here the climate change brings us more rain than before in the winter and usually, just before coldness, which transforms everything into a giant skating rink. Even walking I carry studs now when I walk to work in those conditions, no joke.