Snow tires...wow...

[Suberman]

You guys are all wusses.

Real men fit 225/45x17 Pirelli Sottozeros for high level bare road handling. Then if it snows just get used to driving while looking out the side windows.

Windshield wipers are also just for wusses.

[Evil Jesus]

Originally Posted by Suberman

You guys are all wusses.

Real men fit 225/45x17 Pirelli Sottozeros for high level bare road handling. Then if it snows just get used to driving while looking out the side windows.

Windshield wipers are also just for wusses.

I understand your post was in jest. Also this:

[xbiker]

Blizzacks. I loved them on my STi. The car was plenty sticky on wet and dry pavement. I guess you get what you pay for.

[AznBRZer]

I also got the X-ice 3's and they're Far better than the Blizzaks in dry handling. I'd wager that they feel even better than the stock Michelins.

[jonboy99]

Hmm, I've got xi3s and they are not a patch on the stock tyres in wet or dry. Better in snow only, although haven't been much below freezing with them yet.
( I should qualify that by adding they are only 195s on 16" which may explain a lot of the squirming feel).
Sent from my GT-I9100M using Tapatalk 2

[deadwolfbones]

Running Continental EWCs right now and just did a road trip from Boston to southern NJ and back. Felt a-ok to me in all conditions, though there's just the slightest bit of squirm at highway speed.

[Evil Jesus]

We get snow around here. It's brutal. Foot and a bit at a time.

[tbox]

Originally Posted by Brahsbrah

...I just got them on two days ago and I am amazed how dangerous the car feels. Traction comes on in wet in 3rd and 4th up hill, around every sharp turn and the car feels very unstable. I am comparing them to the stock all seasons which are known to not be the greatest but I didn't expect the difference to be this big.

Can anyone comment on this?

I didn't see anyone mention this yet, but just in case it's not common knowledge: new tires require a few hundred miles of break-in period to get rid of the layer of special lubricant applied during the manufacturing process, and your new tires will likely to be much more slippery than normal before this process is complete.

"Tires are comprised of many layers of rubber, steel and fabric. Due to these different components, your new tires require a break-in period to ensure that they deliver their normal ride quality and maximum performance. As tires are cured, a release lubricant is applied to prevent them from sticking in their mold. Some of the lubricant stays on the surface of your tires, reducing traction until it is worn away. Five hundred miles of easy acceleration, cornering and braking will allow the mold release lubricant to wear off, allowing the other tire components to begin working together."

Source: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=5

Just to chime in, when I first got my blizzaks they were extremely slippery and the wheel spun at every stop light after a light rain, but after about a hundred miles or so they've gotten much better, and they totally kick butt on snow and ice.

[Foobar]

For those shopping around for Winter Tires that won't feel like Jell-o on dry pavement, consider getting a Winter Performance tire like the Blizzak LM series. I've owned both the WS and the LM series and while the WS is ideal for regions with winter-long snow/ice on the ground, the LM is far superior for areas that stay dry for the most part.

[Muskokan]

I did notice the unstable feeling in pavement after getting winters on steelies installed.

When tc is off though and your in snow the slides are just so predictable and easy to grab it makes winter driving amazingly better, as opposed to sliding around like a demented monkey trying to hump a door knob on your stockers. My stocks were the pure summers though.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Evil Jesus

I understand your post was in jest. Also this:

You are correct. To avoid the problem depicted make sure you park where the wind will blow the snow off your car. That's that I did. Had yo shovel my driveway but the car was clear.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Muskokan

I did notice the unstable feeling in pavement after getting winters on steelies installed.

When tc is off though and your in snow the slides are just so predictable and easy to grab it makes winter driving amazingly better, as opposed to sliding around like a demented monkey trying to hump a door knob on your stockers. My stocks were the pure summers though.

If you minus 1 down to 16 in wheels this effect will be more noticeable.

Wear in on bare pavement is essential to get full grip from a set of tires and more so for studless rubber. Nokian even specifies this to ensure their patented sipe system is properly sharpened to optimize braking grip. About 1,000 km is needed for full break in of studless winter tires.

VSC can be useful in loose snow. TRAC on gives you best grip for traction excerpt loose snow. TRAC completely off is the most fun but be careful as this car is twitchy.

[Muskokan]

Originally Posted by Suberman

If you minus 1 down to 16 in wheels this effect will be more noticeable.

Wear in on bare pavement is essential to get full grip from a set of tires and more so for studless rubber. Nokian even specifies this to ensure their patented sipe system is properly sharpened to optimize braking grip. About 1,000 km is needed for full break in of studless winter tires.

VSC can be useful in loose snow. TRAC on gives you best grip for traction excerpt loose snow. TRAC completely off is the most fun but be careful as this car is twitchy.

tires are used.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Foobar

For those shopping around for Winter Tires that won't feel like Jell-o on dry pavement, consider getting a Winter Performance tire like the Blizzak LM series.

Or don't. Especially LM60s are atrocious in the wet.

To all people in this thread who bought some cheap shit and whine - you get what you paid for. Top line snow tires from Michelin/Nokian/Conti will give you a bit more snow/ice grip, and a ton more dry grip. That's where the improvements have been lately.