Snow Tires

[Captain Stall]

Bit of a bump (sorry).

I too scoured the internets for tire+wheel deals, including 1010tires and tirerack. While I was searching, I found PMCtires.com, located in Sherbrooke QC.

For reference, my last two sets of winter tires (on an Acura EL) were BFG Winter Slaloms and Michelin XIce2s. I found both were great for my 45 km highway commute (each way).

I did all the tire research I could, and decided on the Yokohama IceGuard IG52c (205/55) on Subaru 16" silver steel wheels. PMC wanted $135 per tire, $45 per wheel, $13 each to mount+balance them, and a mere $15.33 to have Purolator bring 172 lbs of kit from Sherbrooke directly to my door in Moncton. Since I've been doing my own wheel changes spring and winter for years, I didn't even have to load them up and take them anywhere. Grand total: $879, but there's a $70 MIR from Yokohama in progress.

I called 12 shops trying to buy locally, but the best I could do, tires + wheels + balanced + installed, was $945 (less $40 MIR) for Goodyear Ultra Grips (UG Ice WRT were $1134 less $80 MIR) and $960 for Kumho I'Zen KW22s (less $MIR) or Cooper WeatherMaster ST2 ($30 VISA prepaid card). By contrast, the Toyota/Scion dealer wanted $1285 and said the wheels were for the Camry, so I'd need new lug nuts too!

PMCtire.com advises 3-7 business days for delivery; anything longer and they'll notify. I got a tracking number the next day when the order was processed, but after 8 business days of Purolater showing they didn't have the tires en route, and nothing from PCM, I e-mailed PMC to see what was going on. I quickly got a reply saying that stock has been limited ("they are new this year and Yokohama is making them as fast as they can") but I'd have my order on the way next day at the latest. They were on the way the next day, and arrived the day after that.




I only put them on last night so have only made one 90 km round trip on them, but I'm really happy with them. I've already admitted in other thread to driving like a granny (and a slow one of those) but I didn't feel any squirm or slipping like others have described on whatever their new winter tires were.



I actually like the silver more than black.

I skipped the TPMS sensors; ignoring the dash light won't bother me.

I considered an "inexpensive" set of alloys to keep the car looking its best, but we get an awful lot of salt and sand on the roads in the Maritimes, and I just don't know how well alloys would fare. I would like to get something to cover the hub and nuts, but I've found the plastic wheel covers are cheap and break way too easily, needing to be replaced too often. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks for reading.

[thorlius]

Originally Posted by Taro

Looks like I might be one of the last ones to get winters installed. Appointment is in a week and a half.

I was going to wait until next week to put mine on, but I had a summer tire blow out yesterday (sidewall shredded all the way around the rim by a piece of road debris). Maybe 7 months on the tire with ~8,000km, and destroyed... So I ended up putting the winters on. I understand the need for them, but I hate them. On asphalt the car just feels floaty, and in the rain they skid on even slightly-above-average braking, and what would be normal acceleration with the summers on.

[racoiaws]

Yokohama Ice Guards 52c on stock rims. So far so good. This model are brand new this year so I will update on how well they do.

[FLYFISHR]

Originally Posted by racoiaws

Yokohama Ice Guards 52c on stock rims. So far so good. This model are brand new this year so I will update on how well they do.

They are what I have on now. Found the first day in a light rain was very slippery, in the wet they were fine but not as good as our summer stocks are. I guess we will see how they do in the snow.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by FLYFISHR

They are what I have on now. Found the first day in a light rain was very slippery, in the wet they were fine but not as good as our summer stocks are. I guess we will see how they do in the snow.

New road tires take about 1,000 km to properly scrub in and deliver full grip. Before that they all feel slippery to some degree.

[FR Sports]

What tire pressure do you set our winter tires at? I know the manufacturer suggests 35psi but does it apply to non oem tires such as winter tires? My theory is that different tires have different compound, tread, and construction so not all of them would use the same pressure for optimal performance.

[FLYFISHR]

Originally Posted by Suberman

New road tires take about 1,000 km to properly scrub in and deliver full grip.

I'm doing my best to make that happen.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by FLYFISHR

I'm doing my best to make that happen.

I put mine on a month early, it's easier to drift the car on brand new snows. Scrubs em in nicely.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by FR Sports

What tire pressure do you set our winter tires at? I know the manufacturer suggests 35psi but does it apply to non oem tires such as winter tires? My theory is that different tires have different compound, tread, and construction so not all of them would use the same pressure for optimal performance.

Same as for summer tires. If you fit XL spec then they can take a pound or two less because the sidewall is tougher. More important is to keep adding air as the temperature drops to maintain correct pressure.

Add 1 psi over spec to compensate for each 5C you expect the temperature to drop from the temperature at which you measure pressure. In a heated garage driving immediately into zero C you need to have 37 psi as measured in the garage to ensure you have 35 psi while parked at Safeway. In Canada this means your tires will be over pressure for most of the winter to ensure they are to spec early in the morning.

Remember to adjust downwards as ambient temperatures rise towards spring.

Here in Calgary this game gets monotonous quickly as we have spring regularly, tomorrow eg all my cars will have 4 psi too much in their tires by noon and back to spec by sundown.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Same as for summer tires. If you fit XL spec then they can take a pound or two less because the sidewall is tougher. More important is to keep adding air as the temperature drops to maintain correct pressure.

Add 1 psi over spec to compensate for each 5C you expect the temperature to drop from the temperature at which you measure pressure. In a heated garage driving immediately into zero C you need to have 37 psi as measured in the garage to ensure you have 35 psi while parked at Safeway. In Canada this means your tires will be over pressure for most of the winter to ensure they are to spec early in the morning.

Remember to adjust downwards as ambient temperatures rise towards spring.

Here in Calgary this game gets monotonous quickly as we have spring regularly, tomorrow eg all my cars will have 4 psi too much in their tires by noon and back to spec by sundown.

I think you are being a bit overzealous. 4 psi will not likely change much. I used to drive an ambulance and with the sirens on I always drove the speed limit, while other colleagues drove considerably faster. I have never had a patient die because I drove slower. The same will be true with your tire pressure, you aren't going to crash because you have 10% different tire pressure as long as you are not trying to be an 11/10ths rally driver.