WEEEEEEE Fun in the Snow!

I agree completely. The cost of mine ($350 shipped, installed, balanced) was very negligible compared to my insurance deductible. Plus, the added convenience, peace of mind, and lack of frustration when driving in snow, makes it all worth it many times over.



If you can afford a set of snows in any way, do it.
 
Accumulator said:
Corey Bit Spank- Well, just remember that you can do a whole lot worse than just dying in a car crash ;) Back in the late '70s I read how poor people in northern Europe skip meals to be able to afford snowtires, that sorta put it in perspective for me. Heh heh, snowtires are cheap compared to the "what ifs" ;)
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I haven't heard about that, eventhough I live in Northern Europe. Doesn't sound good though. :hide:
 
Spilchy,



You obviously rotate your tires often, so the wear between front and rear is pretty even, right? In that case, putting the "best" tires on the front axles isn't really an issue, because your treadwear is about the same front and back.



HOWEVER, every once in a while I hear someone say they intend to buy a couple of new tires and put them on the front axle of a FWD car for winter. This can be a recipe for a spin in snow and ice . . . if the front ends up having significantly more traction than the rear in low traction situations, the rear end will try to rotate under braking (especially if braking while turning). Anytime there's a big traction difference front-to-rear in a set of tires, the stickiest pair should go on the rear of the vehicle REGARDLESS of drivetrain layout (FWD/RWD/AWD).



Spilchy, I'm not referring to your situation at all; your post just reminded me that this is the time of year (snow-n-ice season) when mixed-traction spinny-badness can catch some FWD drivers unaware.



Tort
 
TortoiseAWD said:
Spilchy,



You obviously rotate your tires often, so the wear between front and rear is pretty even, right?
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No, not really. The car maybe gets 8,000 miles a year recently. So I don't pay attention too much to tire rotating until the winter comes. The car is 10 years old with only 45000 miles on it. It used to get much less yearly mileage a few years back. I still have the original rear brake pads.



However, I am obsessed with proper tire inflation!
 
Mark77 said:
I haven't heard about that, eventhough I live in Northern Europe...
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Nolt surprised, it was just something I read in a US car magazine back in '78 or '79. They might've even just made it up to make a point, but I still remember it all these years later and it convinced me I oughta run four snowtires and that whatever sacrifice I had to make to do so wasn't all that big a deal.
 
The chill is here now in St. Louis and I need to get my winter tires (Dunlop WinterSports) on soon. We get spotty snow and ice storms here all the time.



Last year I waited too long and my wife was caught at work in a ice storm with the S4 and my summer tires (Bridgestone S-03's) She came down a long freeway ramp and slid through the intersection at 15mph and was stopped by the curbing on the opposite side of the street after crossing 4 lanes of traffic. Luckily nobody hit her but she damaged one wheel on the curb.



My laziness nearly killed my wife and believe me, I heard about it! :furious:



Gosh, maybe I'll even change them tonight!



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Good to hear your wife is ok, pretty dangerous situation :shocked

People sometimes forget that 4wd doesn't help when you hit the brakes. I drove an Audi Quattro last year with summertires when the road had some snow on it, Didn't even think about the tires before I had to break. Kind of a false sence of security(is that correct English? :o)
 
Summer tires that are Sport or Performance rated are made from rubber that is soft and not made for use below 40 degrees.



If they are mounted on 18 x 8 wheels (like on my A4 UltraSport) or greater than driving around with those on snow and ice is asking for trouble.



All Wheel Drive (like the audi quattro) and 4 wheel drive systems are for keeping the wheels going.



ESP and other computer functions on the car are for keeping the car straight when braking and/or for controling a wheel that's spinning but not gripping.



Out of all of those having the right tires on the car is the most important in the winter.
 
Yeah, even with ESP and quattro, the S8 is terrible in the cold (let alone in snow) with the summer tires (Dunlop SP Sport 8000s in 245/45-18).
 
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