What to expect in the snow?

[GT-L]

SO...then it's safe to say the Potenza's on the Spec B are NOT good for snow, eh?

 

Damn...need to buy me some all-seasons. Although we don't get a whole lot of snow in DC.

 

i was up in tahoe with stock re's not bad, not good. still had to put on chain, when there was chain control.

[wichitalegacy]

I enjoy seeing zo6 vettes in my rearview mirror in the snow!!!!

[hadvw]

i was up in tahoe with stock re's not bad, not good. still had to put on chain, when there was chain control.

 

Really? I was trying to look at the regs (we were contemplating a trip up to Tahoe on a weekend last winter), and I thought it said:

1) either chains

OR

2) M+S tires + AWD

 

The REs at the time qualified. Not sure if my current Eagle F1 GS-D3's qualify for that..

 

Or did you put on the chains due to bad traction? What do I need to know about chains, if I want to get some?

 

HV

[zmarko]

Ed-

 

Get some dedicated winter treads. AWD is an incredible thing in slippery weather, but as others here have said--it doesn't mean diddley if your tires are poor in and/or not intended for snow.

 

Below is my '05 XT with my studded M+S tires on steel rims...this was my first snow fall in my Subie. Having only driven trucks and jeeps in the snow before, Subaru's AWD exceeded my expectations, for sure! The rear limited-slip is key!!

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~timo1745/_images/subie_images/subie_first_snow/subie_snow%20001.jpg

Cool picture Tim! What size steelies/tires did you go with? I'll assume 17" to clear the calipers.

[HuskerScooby]

Anyone have any thoughts on some good All-season rubber? I have a std legacy not a gt so i don't care for racing or anything

[GBY]

i was up in tahoe with stock re's not bad, not good. still had to put on chain, when there was chain control.

 

Did they tell you to put on chains or did you feel as though you should? Of all the times I was in Tahoe I never saw a Subie chaining up, usually it was SUV's that weren't 4wd, looked really silly.

[GBY]

Anyone have any thoughts on some good All-season rubber? I have a std legacy not a gt so i don't care for racing or anything

 

Do a search in the Wheels/Tires forum, wife has Proxie 4's on the BMW, seem okay but haven't seen snow yet, I mean haven't been drifting yet. j/k. They are a good tire for the price.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Cool picture Tim! What size steelies/tires did you go with? I'll assume 17" to clear the calipers.

 

Hey!

 

This was actually just a tire/wheel package from Tirerack.com 2 seasons ago. They're 16" steelies (were $49/each) with 225/50-16 WinterForce M+S which I had them stud for me. Whole package cost me under $600 including shipping to NJ. The tires are phenominal in the snow and on wet roads, but they are "S" rated, and the sidewalls are significantly 'squishier' than a WR or ZR-rated tire. The "WinterForce" name is one of Dayton/Bridgestone's spin-off brand names and is definitely a quality tire.

 

Since all Outbacks come with smaller brakes than the Legacy GT models, you can run 16" rims with room to spare. In fact, I hear a lot of Outback guys pick up used 16" Outback or Impreza rims from earlier models since they're the same size and are readily available for cheap.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[Garandman]

I was wondering what to expect from my Legacy in the snow this year? I just hydro-planed yesterday for the first time, and it got me to thinking. Obviously the AWD is great, but what about these Yokohama Advants? I'd hate to think that with the AWD the tires would ruin it.

 

Ed

given that you're in Maryland, it would be hard to justify dedicated snows. But the Nokian WR might be just the ticket for you. There's a thread here about them, we've since out them on our minivan.

[rjundi]

Anyone have any thoughts on some good All-season rubber? I have a std legacy not a gt so i don't care for racing or anything

 

Bridgestone G009 are decent tires. However if your are referring to winter performance Nokian WR are great all-seasons (pricey and small dealer network).

[jarrod]

Bridgestone G009 are decent tires. However if your are referring to winter performance Nokian WR are great all-seasons (pricey and small dealer network).

 

How do the G009's do in the snow? They seem to have pretty good reviews on tirerack

[erito]

There is no such thing as "all season rubber".

 

All formulas of different rubber-mix behave different at different temperatures. You should have one set of tires for summer/warm weather, and another setup for winter/cold (prefere stud).

 

That's my opinion

[whitetiger]

There is no such thing as "all season rubber".

 

All formulas of different rubber-mix behave different at different temperatures. You should have one set of tires for summer/warm weather, and another setup for winter/cold (prefere stud).

 

That's my opinion

 

+eleventybillion

[outahere]

There is no such thing as "all season rubber".

 

All formulas of different rubber-mix behave different at different temperatures. You should have one set of tires for summer/warm weather, and another setup for winter/cold (prefere stud).

 

That's my opinion

 

What winter tire are you running in Sweden? Do you frequently drive on ice?

[D0WNxSH1FT]

Isnt it illegal to run studded tires? Why would you need studded tires in NJ? I live in Boston and I have a house in NY and NH and i am fine w/ the RE92's.

 

I think you guys are going a little overboard w/ your tires, this isnt Alaska.

[GT-L]

sorry should have been more clear. Yes, you can use the re's in the snow and they will do fine. you will pass chain control but at the time conditions were really bad and i did not feel 100% safe with just the tires. again not good in snow but its not bad either dont know how to explain it but 'meh' a good word.

[D0WNxSH1FT]

sorry should have been more clear. Yes, you can use the re's in the snow and they will do fine. you will pass chain control but at the time conditions were really bad and i did not feel 100% safe with just the tires. again not good in snow but its not bad either dont know how to explain it but 'meh' a good word.

 

I agree that the RE92's suck in general. I run Falken Ziex ZE512 Ultra High Perf All Seasons during the spring/summer/fall on my WRX. but in the winter i just use the stockers w/ RE92's.

 

I just thought it was weird to have Studded tires in NJ. Which i still think are illegal to use on public roads.

[dark_templer_102]

What does it mean you can use it all weather for M+S tires? I mean what happens to performance tires in snow?

 

Living in GA it will snow rarely. But if it did (school would be canceled for like .3 feet of snow) and i got bored and drove on my Eagle F1 GSD3. What should i expect? Instant sliding into the nearest tree? Or some small degree of control?

[erito]

What winter tire are you running in Sweden? Do you frequently drive on ice?

 

I have tried alot of different tires. Studded and not. Right now i am happy with the by far best winter tires i've ever tried.

Nokian Hakkapelitta 4 studded.

 

Sure you get by with no-stud winter tyres, but in every condition but pure pavement road the studded are better.

 

All season tires are the worst. Not good in the summer and not good in the winter. But you're able to drive the car even with those

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Isnt it illegal to run studded tires? Why would you need studded tires in NJ? I live in Boston and I have a house in NY and NH and i am fine w/ the RE92's.

 

I think you guys are going a little overboard w/ your tires, this isnt Alaska.

 

Actually, each state has it's own regulations on the use of studded tires; in NJ you can legally use them from Nov 15th - Apr 1st. In MA, you can use them from Nov 1st - Apr 30th. And I know a lot of people here would call you "daring" for driving on your RE92's in ANY conditions

 

I can see why you think studs would be overkill; having grown up in MA and spending a lot of my life in NH/ME/VT, each of those states (especially NH) does an exemplary job of keeping the roads safe, and snow/ice-free. They start plowing/salting when the snow starts, and don't stop until the storm's over. Not so in NJ, I'm sorry to say.

 

I live out in the country (it's actually on top of a mountain), we seem to get as much freezing rain as snow these days, and the state and municipal road cleaning crews are notoriously cheap when it comes to cleaning/salting even the major roadways, nevermind the back roads....so during a snow/ice storm, it's not uncommon for them to wait until the storm's over before doing anything. Then there's a melting/re-freezing process which occurs nightly on the back roads, causing "black" ice, etc. Unfortunately for me, none of this changes the fact I'm still required to go to work every day...

 

If my studded tires didn't come in handy more often that not, believe me--I'd ditch them, but there's been too many times to count where they've given my Subie a real advantage in staying on the road during weather which has had most of the other drivers with AWD spinning around in circles, and wrecking into each other. No thanks - I'll keep my studs

 

Cheers,

Tim

[TimGinCentralNJ]

What does it mean you can use it all weather for M+S tires? I mean what happens to performance tires in snow?

 

Living in GA it will snow rarely. But if it did (school would be canceled for like .3 feet of snow) and i got bored and drove on my Eagle F1 GSD3. What should i expect? Instant sliding into the nearest tree? Or some small degree of control?

 

You'll probably have some degree of control, but I wouldn't get too "ballsy" until you have a chance to see first-hand exactly how your car handles. Again, in GA--I can't see any reason to be getting dedicated snows or even M+S tires for as little as it snows there. You'll be fine - just take it slow 'till you see how she handles on those Eagles

 

Cheers,

Tim G.

[Seth1784]

oh this thread is a great read! i have been wondering the same things myself. im curious to see how the legacy will do for me as well... expecially with the stock bridgestones.

[D0WNxSH1FT]

Actually, each state has it's own regulations on the use of studded tires; in NJ you can legally use them from Nov 15th - Apr 1st. In MA, you can use them from Nov 1st - Apr 30th. And I know a lot of people here would call you "daring" for driving on your RE92's in ANY conditions

 

If my studded tires didn't come in handy more often that not, believe me--I'd ditch them, but there's been too many times to count where they've given my Subie a real advantage in staying on the road during weather which has had most of the other drivers with AWD spinning around in circles, and wrecking into each other. No thanks - I'll keep my studs

 

Cheers,

Tim

Makes sense. If you need them then cool. Yea the RE92's are crappy but they do the job. Once they die I will probably get a set of Pirelli PZero Nero M+S for my winter tires.

[rocco]

another reason why i didnt buy another passat. although the 4motion works pretty good.

[outahere]

I have tried alot of different tires. Studded and not. Right now i am happy with the by far best winter tires i've ever tried.

Nokian Hakkapelitta 4 studded.

 

Sure you get by with no-stud winter tyres, but in every condition but pure pavement road the studded are better.

 

All season tires are the worst. Not good in the summer and not good in the winter. But you're able to drive the car even with those

 

I am curious if you are using round or oval studs in your Nokians. I believe I saw at the Gislaved website that oval studs significantly enhance the ice traction, compared to conventional round studs.