Pittsburgh Newbie: Should I Buy Snow Tires, Or Just Take the Bus This Winter? (Dormont: house, to live)

[JimboPGH]

Drive slowly, reduce gear (even in an automatic), don't slam your breaks, and stay away from crazy steep side streets. You'll be fine.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Drive slowly, reduce gear (even in an automatic), don't slam your breaks, and stay away from crazy steep side streets. You'll be fine.

yep - decent all season tires won't do any harm (not snow versions), and keep your distance from vehicles in front. And if it really snows big or is icy, take the bus. Snow driving actually isn't very difficult, more common sense. We're Aussies and have mastered it!!

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Bludy-L

All good advice already, but I just wanted to point out that Tire Rack is trying to get you to buy the most expensive winter treads they sell. $400 for two? Unless they are recommending four tires (which actually is best for a front drive car), then $400 is twice what they should be. And you don't really need wheels....it's just more convenient. You can swap your summer and winter tires on the same rims no problem. Accord tire sizes aren't in the over $100 category for a winter tread you'll only use for less that 1/2 the year. You can find them in the $80 each range.

I was assuming $400 for four. Nobody should be buying just two. Around $100 each isn't out of whack, although you're right it probably should be more like $80. $400 might have been the total after tax and shipping.

If you can swap wheels yourself it'll likely cost less to have the winter tires on their own dedicated rims than it will to have them mounted and balanced twice a year. But I guess one must consider factors such as how long one is going to keep the car, etc. If shorter than 4-5 years then it may not pan out. Depends upon cost of wheels and if you're okay going with the cheap steel ones. You need the same storage space either way, whether they're on rims or not.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Drive slowly, reduce gear (even in an automatic), don't slam your breaks, and stay away from crazy steep side streets. You'll be fine.

Or put in neutral if sliding. Driver's Ed 1968

[Bludy-L]

Front drive is nice in most cases, but with FWD you lose all ability to turn when/if your wheels are spinning.

I prefer 4 or all wheel drive.

In reality, front or rear wheel drive isn't the key to a car being good in snow....it's how the weight is distributed. BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes rear wheel drive cars are good in snow because their weight distribution is 50/50.

-- Posted with TapaTalk

[Bludy-L]

Best winter driving advice I can give to the OP is to be vigilant and anticipate.

You just don't want to make any sudden moves whether it be turning or stopping. Anticipate everything and do it gently.

Also remember that even merely damp roads will freeze at night or in patches. Black ice can catch you out. Also, bridges and over passes will freeze when the regular road surface is just wet.

If you do begin to slide, don't stomp on the brakes in panic. If you're skidding, you lose all control. Just let off the gas and gently gain control again.

-- Posted with TapaTalk

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Drive slowly, reduce gear (even in an automatic), don't slam your breaks, and stay away from crazy steep side streets. You'll be fine.

Which is great unless you live on one of those crazy side streets.

I never really even thought about snow tires until I lived up in Mt Washington. They never plowed my road and I did slide quite a few times (NO, it does not always matter how "good" you are at driving in the snow if your car's a sled). I picked up four snows and have been changing them on and off since as I couldn't see any reason not to.

One unforeseen side benefit is that my tires have lasted a lot longer this way.

[Craziaskowboi]

All-season tires should be good enough for snow. I have a rear-wheel-drive pickup truck with all-season tires, and I can drive up to 40 MPH on wet, slushy snow without feeling like I'm about to lose control. If it's dry, granular snow, then it'll get blown around by vehicles, so it's possible to drive near normal speeds. The best way to tell if it's dry snow is if you can see it blowing down the road after a vehicle passes. Even then, I'd recommend driving about five to 10 MPH slower than normal in dry snow, and even more than that if you feel the vehicle skid when you apply the brakes.

As for ice, nothing will work, and extreme caution must be used if you expect to avoid a crash. If you have to drive during an ice storm for whatever reason, do not drive any faster than 10 MPH, and do not use any roads that have more than a 3% grade. These two rules are absolute, with no exceptions. If your rear wheels skid, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid. If your front wheels skid, straighten out the steering wheel and get off the accelerator immediately. Use the brakes minimally. If you live on a hill, park your car somewhere nearby that's level and walk the rest of the way home. Don't even bother retrieving your car until after the ice thaws.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

Which is great unless you live on one of those crazy side streets.

Yeah, that's what's keeping me from buying a house in Beechview.

(Speaking of which, no one needs to let the OP see the youtube footage of the wrecks on Fallowfield Ave from a couple years ago).

[BarqCider]

everytime I drive on s.negley between wilkins ave and 5th, I look at that hill and go" how many wrecks happen at the end of this hill coming down? how many cars don't get up this hill?" when im thinking of snow.