When to Change to Winter Tires

[dubunderpar]

Now that I've got all that out of the way, any quick recommendations on a good set of all seasons to replace my worn out summers for next year? (not a thread hijack)

[TSiWRX]

^ I've got too much to learn, for Winters and Summers, to know anything at all about All-Seasons!

[outahere]

Now that I've got all that out of the way, any quick recommendations on a good set of all seasons to replace my worn out summers for next year? (not a thread hijack)

 

The Nov issue of Consumer Reports will have reviews of UHP all season tires. I believe they have tested them for snow traction also.

 

What winter tires are you using?

[outahere]

Continental has a video on their site promoting use of winter tires even if you have no snow, but temps get below 45:

 

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/us/en/continental/automobile/themes/car_tires/winter/ov_winter_en.html

 

They also have a marketing initiative called "Make the 45 degF switch".

[RIPjeep2002]

Now that I've got all that out of the way, any quick recommendations on a good set of all seasons to replace my worn out summers for next year? (not a thread hijack)

 

Continental Extreme contact DWS

[dubunderpar]

Heard lots of good things about ^, and I also am looking forward to the CR to get here. As for snow tires I run the General Altimax Arctic on my OB and couldn't be happier. Like many people have said they are great snow tires and are very cost concious. I have had them in all sorts of conditions from heavy deep snow, to hard packed, to very icy roads and they performed amazing. Next winter I plan to purchase new winter rims and I will be putting on arctics again.

 

Before those (and on the wife's car now) were/are Blizzak ws50's that also work well. I feel like the Blizzaks are louder than the Arctics, but both have done well in the central NY winters. But with the price of the Arctics being significantly lower and both seem to wear at the same rate with the same performance, not sure I will ever buy Blizzaks again

[outahere]

........As for snow tires I run the General Altimax Arctic on my OB and couldn't be happier. .........

 

Studded?

[stevehecht]

Studded?

 

I would think so, if he rates them "amazing" on "very icy roads". What say ye, dubunderpar?

[dubunderpar]

Not studded, but I meant for what they are *studless snow tires they were amazing. The mult-idirectional siping makes a world of difference. I have had studs in the past and will never again, because I can't handle the noise that comes with them. I have more than enough traction and when it is icy I am careful and these tires do do an "amazing" job for being studless. On top of all that, the DOT here puts down SOOOOO much salt I rarely see ice that warrents studded snows.

[outahere]

Here is a 2008 test from the Russian magazine Auto Review, looking at pavement temperature effects on braking, for summer tires, all-season tires, and one winter tire. Results are very interesting.

 

http://www.zr.ru/a/16286

[dubunderpar]

I am switching this week, two days in a row of snow flurries and temps in the 30s and 20s. Plus snow showers predicted for Friday and Saturday.

[TSiWRX]

Here is a 2008 test from the Russian magazine Auto Review, looking at pavement temperature effects on braking, for summer tires, all-season tires, and one winter tire. Results are very interesting.

 

www.zr.ru/a/16286

 

 

^ Indeed, most interesting.....thank you!

 

I guess the take-home is what they said: that there's no need to rush the change in the fall/winter, and no need to delay the change in the spring - provided that there's no wintry precipitation that's going to cause the summer tires to suffer for safety, there's actually better reasons to stay on the summers for as long as possible.

[outahere]

^ Indeed, most interesting.....thank you!

 

I guess the take-home is what they said: that there's no need to rush the change in the fall/winter, and no need to delay the change in the spring - provided that there's no wintry precipitation that's going to cause the summer tires to suffer for safety, there's actually better reasons to stay on the summers for as long as possible.

 

Yep, as long as ice or snow are not in the forecast, leave on the summers.

 

Auto Review has some interesting articles. Too bad Google Translate does such a poor job of translating Russian (and German, Swedish, etc). Google needs to increase the budget for the Translation Division, and decrease the budget for the Spying Division.

[TSiWRX]

Also makes me wish I applied myself more, in school.

 

I guess it's never too late to pick up three or four additional languages?

 

More seriously:

 

This is going to make things really interesting, as I try to decide what to do with my next tire purchase. My 3Ds are probably good for another 2 seasons yet (if I stopped driving like a madman with them, now ), and I probably have the same left on my current summer tires ('Kook RS-2s).

 

The "deep winter" set of studded Pirellis will likely be at full-depth for quite a while.

 

What to do........

 

 

 

----

 

 

Oh, and getting back on-topic (i.e. "focused" ) ->

 

This data and that of the 4-tire comparison of Car & Driver's really shows the pitfall of too blindly trusting those who would have vested-interest in a product.

 

The line that we've been fed as consumers, that somehow, at 45-deg. F., we're all putting ourselves and our fellow drivers at-risk if we don't put on winter tires is looking more and more like a calling-card of greed, rather than actual concern.

 

With current data, it makes more sense to stay on high-performance summer/all-season tires for as long as possible: keeping an eye on the weather forecast for wintry precipitation, instead, which looks to be the actual deciding factor as to where that line of safety lies.

[FrozenNorthLGT]

Changing over to mine on Wednesday. Been mid to high 30's this week, and snow in the forecast for next week. Plus I want to get some use out of my new garage... If this wasn't the last year for the Blizzaks then I'd wait till the day it snowed, but I don't really care about wearing them down since this will be the last winter on them.

[outahere]

The UK organization Tyre Safe is in favor of the 45F change over:

 

"Winter weather tyres can be used all year round but their performance is notably better when temperatures fall below seven degrees Celsius. In these conditions ‘standard' tyres begin to harden and lose their ability to grip the road surface properly. Winter weather tyres contain more natural rubber and advanced silica compounds to reduce the hardening process and improve grip. Tests conducted by the British Tyre Manufacturers Association found that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road at five degrees Celsius stopped five metres shorter, equivalent to more than one car length, when fitted with winter weather tyres."

 

http://www.tyresafe.org/news-and-events/detail/accident-worries-can-be-relieved-with-winter-weather-tyres/

 

The fact that they state "winter weather tyres can be used all year round" does not give me confidence in this organization.

[mattg]

Had mine on for a week now. General Altimax Artic in 205/50-17. Non studded.

[krzyss]

Do not forget it is UK organization. Summers in UK are rarely similar to southern states in the USA or Mediterranean or Eastern Europe.

 

Krzys

[TSiWRX]

^ True, but still, we've seen that even at "mild" temperatures, even "Performance Winters" give up quite a lot in terms of braking distances and skidpad grip, as compared to their "all-season" cousins.

 

And especially given the current data regarding just how cold summer tires can get, without giving up traction (assuming that there's no frozen precipitation involved, of-course), it truly does give me less confidence in any testing authority which says that "winter tires" are suitable for year-round use.

[krzyss]

Look at this from this point:

 

What is more dangerous: winter tires in summer or summer tires in winter?

 

Both situations are bad but which one is worse?

 

Krzys

 

PS I saw plenty of cars in Poland on winter tires in summer and a few (namely one WRX) on summer tires in middle of very cold winter. All spottings were done in quite large cities.

[mattg]

Look at this from this point:

 

What is more dangerous: winter tires in summer or summer tires in winter?

 

Both situations are bad but which one is worse?

 

 

Are you kidding me? I guess it depends on your definition of winter.

[TSiWRX]

Look at this from this point:

 

What is more dangerous: winter tires in summer or summer tires in winter?

 

Both situations are bad but which one is worse?

 

^ While that's definitely and without any question, true - that winter tires in the summer are a far less sin than summer tires in the winter - I do think that there is an inherent fault in any recognized "testing authority" saying that winter tires can be used year-round, even in mild climates, without qualifying that statement by highlighting the potential dangers that comes from the significantly increased braking distances (as well as loss of lateral grip).

 

What outahere was trying to say wasn't that winter tires - or even "All-Weather" tires cannot be used in the summer - rather, that for a testing authority to have made such a statement, given our current understanding of the significant performance gaps that comes from doing so, it does little to add to the credibility of that particular testing authority.

[Sydtron]

Pretty interesting studies. I've always lived by 10c/50f you swap them. Looks like 5c/40f and watch out for the forecast is in order.

[dmanaenk]

Changed yesterday, since I'm probably going to Canada for the weekend, and I bet there's a huge pile of snow there already just across the border

 

Sigh, those winter tires are squishy...

Although it felt like my car wanted to understeer less on those, go figure.

[GTurabus]

Snow is predicted for tomorrow morning. Mine go on tonight.

 

Any interested in a set of stock 08 spec B wheels in good condition? The original RE050's are down to the wear bar, at about 25,000 miles. (I know, post in the sale section ;-)