Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I actually drive a GREMLIN back and forth to work in summer. If you're looking for attention and comments (good & bad) just drive a Gremlin.
Made my day
To those of you who don't agree with the snow tire idea. Just try to drive a car like yours with them for 30 minutes on either snow or icy roads and you too will be singing their praise!
To those of you who don't agree with the snow tire idea. Just try to drive a car like yours with them for 30 minutes on either snow or icy roads and you too will be singing their praise!
S
I don't agree with the snow tire idea not because of their efficacy in snow (though I do have some question about their efficacy on ice), but for those of us who live in very flat areas and where roads are cleared off within hours of a snowfall, they may not be worth the expense and hassle. There are maybe 3 times a year when it's absolutely necessary to drive on a snow-covered road. For me it's not worth putting up with the decreased handling, ambiguous on-center feel, and increased road noise for the other 97 days of winter where they have marginal if any utility. Like I said to the OP, if he lives in a rural part of Michigan where only main highways get cleared off, then go for a set of snow tires. Otherwise, the tradeoff does not obviously fall in favor of snow tires.
I delight in spanking snow-tire-equipped cars while on all-seasons at ice trials.
Here is what I should have done in the first place... a write up from Canada (http://www.canadiandriver.com/winter/tires/hakka_rsi.htm - broken link)
I did one mild winter in southern New England with a set of good all-seasons; no problem. The next winter was brutal snow and ice, so the all-seasons came off and a set of Nokians went on. They're very good in both snow and ice, as well as heavy rain. The handling is fine for me, and I often travel 100-200+ miles per day, mostly highway. Safety is my primary concern. Outside of driving under the influence there's nothing so dangerous as some fool out driving the roads on inadequate tires and putting everyone else's lives at risk. I'd rather put on a set of good snows than be that fool
The roads are usually not the problem. It's parking lots and driveways. Being a FedEx driver in a rural area I usually frequent 40 to 50 driveways a day and after an early morning snowfall the majority of these driveways are not cleared. (my own isn't cleared until I get home at night) So with the all-seasons having very little grip, I do a lot of walking up to houses. But if the driveway is a long one I'll take a chance and drive in. We do carry shovels and several 80# "sand tubes" and they get used frequently. And Greg, the friendly tow truck driver is listed first on my cell. The vehicle I drive is rear wheel drive (Ford Econoline). I think on that vehicle snow tires should be a DOT requirement in winter. Whereas all-seasons work well enough on front wheel drive, snow tires would be and are a bonus (imho) And on my personal front wheel drive car they are not noisy and car handles fine. Maybe the older bias ply snows were noisy but these radials aren't. I'm sure some all-seasons have a more aggressive tread pattern than others so if you're pro all-season and live in the snow belt be sure to check into that.
Hey Sputnik - I see you're from Austin. That's where my baby ('59 Plymouth Sport Fury) came from. No need for snow tires on her; she hibernates for the winter along with her stable mate, the Gremlin
Hey Sputnik - I see you're from Austin. That's where my baby ('59 Plymouth Sport Fury) came from. No need for snow tires on her; she hibernates for the winter along with her stable mate, the Gremlin
The 58 Fury is my favorite car of all time. The 59's are my second. Does it have a 318 or the 361 Golden Commando? Ew
New severe weather snow tires handle as well as All-seasons on dry roads, and are head and shoulders above all-seasons on snow and ice. As for not needing them 90% of the time during the winter, you are right. BUT, the 10% of the time you DO need them, they are worth every single penny. I've lived in the UP of Michigan, Northern Michigan and the very top of Maine all but 2 years of my life, driving on snow and ice is something I do year after year, all my vehicles get dedicated snow tires on all four corners every winter. They last 3 to 5 seasons and are worth every cent spent on them over all-season tires. All-seasons out-preforming dedicated snow tires on ice and snow is a bunch of BS, plain and simple.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
