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February, 2025

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Snow tires

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Rumi.
Posts: 1231 - Karma: 556
Are snow tires worth using? we get alot of snow up here and i've always used like all weather ones. the problem is my driveway is so steep i can't get up after like 2 inches of snow.

sparknotes (you gotta be really lazy): snow tires, yes or no.
13 years ago
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
absolutely.

one of the best investments you can make in your car is good quality rubber..doesnt matter how much power/suspension/other mods you make to your car...a lot of it boils down to the 4 small rubber patches that are in contact with the ground
13 years ago
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
this is just being discussed in the prepping the subi thread.

snow tires are over rated. i grew up in minnesota and lived in colorado as well. i grew up driving in snow and ice (literally. on lakes and shit).

snow tires really do not make a big difference at all. its a mental safety thing it gives people. the amount of extra tread that sticks out in snow tires doesnt do much at all.

now if you have at least a quarter inch sticking out. it might do something. we would put screws with hex heads into our atv tires for driving on lakes.. and the heads stuck out at least a quarter inch. only then did it make a difference. not the eight of an inch that barely sticks out on your typical snow tires.

all in all. it really comes down to your driving skills.

and as for steap drive ways. you just might be screwed. unless you have some speed/momentum going into it.
13 years ago
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Janky
Posts: 1323 - Karma: -100
yes, many people try to save money in the tire department, but tire are really important and you should not have a budget when looking for rubber always get good quality tires.
13 years ago
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
i agree to get good tires with a good tread. but snow tires specifically are a waste of money IMO
13 years ago
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Abc567def
Posts: 8756 - Karma: 801
There is a huge difference driving on dry snow compared to wet snow. If it is negative 15 out and basically just dust being pushed out of the way sure you can drive with all seasons. Then try driving in neg 2 with slush and frozen rain all over the place. TOTALLY a different story
13 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,642
All season tires = 3 season tires. Winter is a whole different ball park. You're going to want them.
13 years ago
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
soo false. obviously snow tires aren't some magical cure that turn shitty little asian woman drivers into mario andretti...but they are definitely worth the cost

they do a lot more than you think..but of course they are not a substitute for proper driving skill

13 years ago
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
nominated for the dumbest thing I have heard today




claiming that a dedicated snow tire isnt going to help out compared to an all season- level of fail in that assumption in unquantifiable




13 years ago
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*rkp*
Posts: 8198 - Karma: 258
beat me to it ^


dedicated winter tires aren't only a service to you, but to everyone else on the road.
13 years ago
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
i didnt say they wont help at all.

but they definitely do not help as much as all the emphasis that a lot of people put on them.
13 years ago
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Janky
Posts: 1323 - Karma: -100
depends what y call a snow tire, a tire with metal stubs? i would not buy, but a large goodyear mtr or a pitbull rocker and even the irok are all great tires for snow, rocks, mud. air them bitches down to 10psi and you are going anywhere.
13 years ago
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
am i mistaken, or isnt that what makes it a "snow tire"...metal stubs.

and i dont know what those other tires are.. i didnt look em up.
13 years ago
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
you said waste of money- when they are proven to provide much better traction than any other type of tire. Even the cheapest snow tire will shit on the best AW tire money can buy.


What I think you were tryign to do was say- oooh look at me im a badass I can drive in the snow


and you failed, big time



Tires are the most important choice when it comes down to it, for any season. Running a snow tire which is designed to cut thru the snow to the get as close to the pavement as possible while also having a stronger sidewall so you can run lower psi daily/ an all season designed to drive in the rain.


IMO- buy summer tires and snow tires, save money in the long run because you havent wrapped you car around a pole.


13 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,642
All seasons for West coast? Depends where on the west coast you are. Roads can still turn to shit, and drivers aren't prepared for winter driving. Look at what happens when people drive across the Coquihala, it's a mess. Swallow your pride and dont be an idiot when it comes to road safety. It's for the safety d everyone else on the road
13 years ago
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
hahahaha. not even close.


and running a lower psi than what your tire is rated for is a big mistake.
13 years ago
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connory998
Posts: 1197 - Karma: 34
No. Snow tires have a different rubber compound and tread pattern, specifically designed for driving on snow/ice/cold weather. Metal studs would make it a studded tire.
13 years ago
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KrazyistKarl
Posts: 1725 - Karma: 599
in b4 wikiwiki crushes ryano further. Ryano you are a dumbass who knows nothing about tires
13 years ago
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kris.....
Posts: 759 - Karma: 43
13 years ago
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Fucktown
Posts: 474 - Karma: 22
No. The most common new snow tire designs are sold (and generally remain) studless. If you're saying studs don't help much in the snow.. I agree. But SNOW TIRES do help a great deal, they're specifically designed to evacuate snow and put down as much rubber as possible, through tread compound, tread pattern and tread depth (and buying the proper width snow tire for your vehicle). A real snow tire will be much better than an all season tire. (Not saying you CAN'T use all season tires... as I've driven up to the mountain in ice/snow on summer tires...  but it's definately not as safe as using snow tires - aka. the proper tool for the job)
13 years ago
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kris.....
Posts: 759 - Karma: 43
13 years ago
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Rumi.
Posts: 1231 - Karma: 556
thanks guys, i think the general consensus (besides a few) say that they are better so i'm gonna look into getting some this winter
13 years ago
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Funnel
Posts: 7817 - Karma: 1,537
Those two videos posted should have you sold on the idea of winter tires.
13 years ago
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act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
it depends on where you live
13 years ago
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Big_Willy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 6
It would've been awesome if the dumb **** who slid 100+ yards into my 3yr old car knew about snow tires. Btw I was able to stop to avoid a jacked semi in plenty of time whereas this person definitely could not (she had all seasons).
13 years ago
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Big_Willy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 6
Trust me, snow tires make a big difference. I have driven several vehicles in the midwest and CO with and without snow tires. There is no doubt that they are more than mental.
13 years ago
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
either you have no idea what you're talking about, or you just havent used decent snow tires.

now you definitely dont need snow tires, all seasons will get you there fine as long as you're not driving in deep snow or icy conditions. shit ive driven to the mountains in snow with toyo r888's on a rwd car, which is basically a racing slick with some small groves, it sucked ass but i made it.

but to say snow tires dont make that big of a difference is just plain stupid. the deep snow performance difference is HUGE, same with icy condition performance, especially if you have studs.

ive been on all kinds of snow tires and driven friends cars with all kinds of snow tires and even the worst ones ive driven on were significantly better than the best all seasons.

a good set of snow tires allows you to do everything so much better, not only can you haul sooo much more ass everywhere, your braking, cornering, and accelerating ability is pretty much multiplied. that and everything is so much more predictable and controllable.
i can get around significantly faster in a RWD car with good snows than i could in a wrx with good all seasons.

now that being said, dont just buy any old snow tires. get something good, if you are gonna put money towards snow tires, spend a little more and get the best, it will make a big difference. from everything ive driven, nokian hakkapellitta's are the best. ive driven on 4 different hakka's on 3 different cars and even compared to the second best snow tires ive driven, (tie between some kind of blizzaks on an sti and michelin x ice xi2's) there was a pretty damn big difference. especially in deep snow.

i just got hakka 2's now called nordman 4's i believe, with studs, ive had nordman 4's without studs and the studs make it drive like balls, but its fun, you can slide all over the place in the dry.
13 years ago
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lepowski
Posts: 137 - Karma: 96
all weather tires are the worst of both worlds. shit summer tire, meaning bad mileage and louder. And a SHIT snow tire. get snow tires if you can afford them. Dont get studded tires, they wear down and on dry pavement they can be unsafe. Look for tires that have a zig zag tread patter and that have originated in scandinavia. I had the birdgestone Blizzak's their money, had them on my 08 impreza and it was a tank with um. Look on tirerack.com, good site, fast shipping decent pricing. Keep it between the lines.
13 years ago
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ski_ENDUB
Posts: 2535 - Karma: 86
i have a set of toyo observes for my forester and yes they are worth it and make a huge difference in winter driving and traction
13 years ago
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
yup i just got studded tires and just found out how well they do in the dry. i had the same tires, without studs last year, i thought those were bad in the dry, but these are crazy.. driving up skiing the other day, no snow on the ground, i came into a hairpin corner with a bit of extra speed, figuring ill just slide a little and scrub speed. but the thing just had no grip, i had to go into a full on like opposite lock slide to keep it on the road.. when you get used to it its fun as shit tho. they just completely skip the point where they squeal and are just breaking a bit of traction, and just go straight into a slide. you can drift everything. tight on and off ramps you can drift easy at like 60-70mph.
13 years ago
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Aidan-G
Posts: 9415 - Karma: 10,861
Unless you absolutely need them to move, no. Learn how to drive in the snow for all other cases
13 years ago
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
please explain to me in your infinite wisdom how thats not even close

and your an actual retard- thats why i said they have a stronger sidewall, because they're recommended psi is lower








trust me bros- I drive in snow- i know everything about tires- science- that shits for pussys. companies spending millions developing tires, what for ill just use the same shitty kumho ecstas from 4 years ago-







13 years ago
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saxon
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 551
i can totally notice a difference in winter to all seasons. my car has winter tires, and i am so glad to have them, they made a big stopping time difference, and you can feel that they provide better traction. the all seasons on my parents' car, while not as bad as summer tires, still get iffy when the winters hold up fine.
13 years ago
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Kangbang
Posts: 14211 - Karma: 423
You just answered your own question.
13 years ago
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
yeah lowering your psi works pretty damn well, i usually keep mine higher than normal for highway driving, plus on a underpowered AWD car it makes it a little easier and more predictable to slide around.

but in my RWD car when it snows over a foot, it can make a pretty damn big difference if you lower your psi, i swear ive had them at like 10 psi when its crazy deep and it just keeps on going.
13 years ago
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adamlukowski
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 311
Just got some new dunlop ds3's! yeah, get snow tires, truly worth the investment
13 years ago
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dreadyboy
Posts: 2306 - Karma: 34
My integra was just shit in the snow. But being on winters did make it better then fully worn (steel showing in some spots) low profile all seasons.
13 years ago
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theabortionator
Posts: 52268 - Karma: 170,008
I drove for a couple years with bald tires on icy back roads. Def gets interesting but would def recommend some good snow tires. Even if you don't have snow tires, having tires with good tread is huge.



13 years ago
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
OP we both live in Pittsford so I've got pretty good idea of the conditions you're driving in. Considering that and my experience driving around the area I would defiantly recommend getting snow tires. They make a very noticeable difference and general driving in the winter will be easier, just don't get overconfident and think that since you have snow tires your car will behave the same as it does on clear roads with normal tires.
13 years ago
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atomic1824
Posts: 359 - Karma: 293
The tires are things on your car that make contact with road, your car is the thing on the road that takes you back to your abode.
13 years ago
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Rumi.
Posts: 1231 - Karma: 556
that about seals the deal. gotta trust the locals
13 years ago
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Lord.Quasimoto
Posts: 958 - Karma: 33
dumbest thing i have read in a long time.

13 years ago
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