Yes You Need Snow Tires

[Campgottagopee]

When it's time for me to get snow's I'll be running 4 studded snows on dedicated steel wheels.
I don't do much highway driving so soft compound tires be damned!

 

[BRLKED]

My mechanic just talked me out of dedicated rims. I asked about cheap steel rims for snows and he asked:

"Are those low tire pressure warnings going to drive you crazy?"

How old is your car? Does it have tire pressure sensors? Do your new rims have the sensors?

Harvey I run steel rims with Blizacks on the Maverick no problems , I did spring for the TPMS in the steel rims. They were killer in all snow conditions last year.

 

[Cork]

My mechanic just talked me out of dedicated rims. I asked about cheap steel rims for snows and he asked:

"Are those low tire pressure warnings going to drive you crazy?"

How old is your car? Does it have tire pressure sensors? Do your new rims have the sensors?

Time to get a new mechanic! My steel rims have the TPMS so no isues with looking at that annoying low pressure light.

 

[Harvey]

get a mechanic!

Who do you use?

Getting daughter's car inspected at Viele's on Thursday.

 

[Cork]

Who do you use?

Getting daughter's car inspected at Viele's on Thursday.

DO NOT GO TO VIELE'S!!!!

 

[Harvey]

DO NOT GO TO VIELE'S!!!!

OK. For an inspection I assume it's probably ok?

Who do you recommend?

 

[Endoftheline]

I used to run 4 studded snows on dedicated steel rims and dealt w the tpms light on for 5 months but studs only w front wheel drive vehicles. With AWD or 4WD vehicles i went non studded snows and still had to deal w dash lights. The cost of adding tire pressure sensors to the steel rimmed snows wasn't worth it.
And with my newest truck I can't even find steel rims that fit it. So i will go w all seasons(worst of all worlds) for the first time in forever this winter. Hoping to jinx us into another big snow year, I can deal with it. Grew up driving massive American made boats, rear wheel drive, bias ply snows only on the rear, talk about having to learn how to drive in snow and we had a lot more snow way back when.

 

[chumpomatic]

We left the snows on the ski vehicle for the last 2 years. We drive it so little in the off season that it is just not worth it to swap the tires out. The other set is just rotting away in the garage.

We had Bridgestone Blizzaks for 4 years. They were great in the snow but loud and wobbly at highway speeds - which is about 95% of our ride to Vermont. Last fall we replaced the Blizzacks with Dunlop SP Winter Sports. These were much quieter and way more stable at highway speeds vs the Blizzacks and still had plenty of bite in the snow.

I had the same experience. I use Michelin X-Ice now and highway riding is much better.

Another advantage to using dedicated snow tires that isn't mentioned enough is that you can optimize your non-winter tires to something that performs significantly better than all season tires, especially on rainy summer days.

 

[Scrundy]

My experience over the years. I've have run mid aggressive AT tires on her vehicle's and same on my trucks for years. Her's were always AWD and my trucks, obviously 4x4. We live up in the hills altitude 1650.
I've never had issues getting up some pretty steep hills to get home in 3"- 6" untouched snow, she struggles with deeper snow because of her ground clearance.

A good AT will be more comfortable and run all seasons, so no fooling around changing shit around.
I do take longer to get where I'm going but honestly think I'd drive the same way with snows even if studded.

A vehicles ground clearance is also something to take account. You don't want to be out driving in a foot of snow with 8" of clearance.
My in-law could tell a story of spending the night in a corn field because of ground clearance.

Don't forget we are a little spoiled in NY, the boys and girls do a pretty dam good job of keeping things clean at the State and County level. So the roads you need worry about is town, I'm on them for 4 miles no biggy.

I don't live up North Country but can't think things are too different. Drive responsible slow down anticipate will go a long way to get you where you want to go on ATs.

 

[Ripitz]

Grew up driving massive American made boats, rear wheel drive, bias ply snows only on the rear, talk about having to learn how to drive in snow and we had a lot more snow way back when.

My 1979 Lincoln Continental New Yorker with four studded snows in Montana. Drove one night during a massive storm on the unplowed roads from Big Sky out to Cooke City. On the way through Yellowstone we were busting through snowbanks that were as high as the hood. I really miss those days.