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I have not run snow tires in at least 15 years. My last 4 wheel drive vehicle was 8 years ago and my current vehicle is a 2wd Dodge Dakota. I get along just fine.
Ditto on that CrazyDave!!! You know there are so many 4 wheel drive choices today, like with Honda, Subaru, Ford, etc for instance, that you really can avoid the snow tires.
However, if you do not have a 4wd vehicle then yes! Most definitely get some.
In my opinion I don't know how you can safely make a decision not to have snow tires. If your only concern is storing them there are tons of storage facilities that you can just store them in...what is the big deal There are so many times when my car literally can't get up hills even with very good tires...snow sucks
Different tires have different characteristics. Just as some all seasons will do pretty well in snow, some provide almost no traction.
For example, compare Goodyear Eagle LS all seasons with Dunlop SP60 all seasons, and you will find the Goodyears have almost no snow traction and the Dunlops will pull like a dedicated snow tire.
I've had both within the last year and the GY are fine in dry or rain, worthless in snow.
The Dunlops provide snow and ice traction equal or superior to the REVO1 snows I had a few years back.
Snows definitely will provide better traction in snow and ice.
All tires have different characteristics. I'd check Tire Rack's website to compare various tires.
Do not fall for the misconception that "all season" means that.
Do not fall for the misconception that all Michelins/ Goodyears/ Whatevers are good (or bad) tires. They are NOT.
Do not believe that necessarily the guy behind the counter at the tire store knows a tinker's damn about tires. Often he doesn't.
He's 90+% of the time a seller, not an expert. Big difference.
There are a few good to excellent tires in each makers' lineup, the rest are not worth buying.
In my opinion I don't know how you can safely make a decision not to have snow tires. If your only concern is storing them there are tons of storage facilities that you can just store them in...what is the big deal There are so many times when my car literally can't get up hills even with very good tires...snow sucks
$15 a month to store tires adds up. I just want to make sure I need to do it.
Ok...here's the deal. There are 4 different types of traction systems. All Wheel Drive (AWD), Four Wheel Drive (4WD), Front Wheel Drive (FWD), and Rear Wheel Drive (RWD).
First, a spiel on differentials: Additionally each driven axle (front or rear) has a differential in it that allows the outside wheel to spin faster than the inside tire during turns to prevent premature tire wear...in a vehicle with an "open" differential this means that in a no traction situation only 1 wheel is spinning. In a vehicle with a limited slip or locker equipped differential it forces power to both wheels (both will spin)...
Here's an overview of the various drive types:
AWD: Both the front and rear axle can receive power, but there is another differential between them (usually in the transfer case/transmission). This allows the front and rear axles to receive different amounts of power and is easier on the drive train (since as the tires wear unevenly the front and rear axles will tend to spin at slightly different speeds). In many cars now this differential is electronically controlled so that in poor traction the power is evenly distributed...and it good traction its mostly to the rear wheels.
4WD: Front and rear axles are mechanically locked and spin at the same speeds when engaged. This maximizes traction in low traction situations...but is generally not meant for "full time" usage due to the inability of the front and rear axles to spin at different speeds.
FWD: Front axle is powered...most cars are "front heavy" (where the engine is) so these wheels have the most traction generally during turns/braking
RWD: Rear axle is powered, in ideal circumstances this allows for the best "driving" experience since the front wheels are used only for turning and the rear only for power.
The best "traction" is provided by a 4WD system with fully locked front and rear axles (all 4 wheels receive equal power). But its totally impractical for daily driving due to the stress on the drive train/resulting rough ride. AWD with computer controlled front & rear differentials (see Subaru) is second best with good road manners... then it descends down...with FWD being decent and RWD being "worst" (largely due to weight distribution).
Now as for tires. 3 season are out. They are not "self clearing" meaning the tread will clog with snow and essentially become a slick- delivering little traction in the snow. So we'll ignore anything but "all season" and "snow/ice" tires:
All season tires are ok at everything but the master of none, they make sacrifices. They are generally too "soft" to be great in dry weather and too "hard" to be great in the snow/ice. The tread pattern is usually "ok" for dry weather/wet weather...and "ok" for snow". But they are very common and a quality pair will get you by just fine on any vehicle. In short- a GOOD pair of all season tires will be fine on any vehicle that's reasonably decent in the snow (FWD or greater).
Snow/Ice tires are designed to stay soft in the cold to maintain good grip. They also are designed to clear the ultra-thin layer of water from atop ice (what makes it slippery) to give you traction. They also provide so-so performance in dry weather and wear quickly in the heat (since they are so soft/spongy). However they DO enhance snow/ice traction dramatically and provide for a very large extra margin of safety over other tires. I ran Blizzak WS-60s last year and will be running the new Michelin X-ICE Ti's this year...will let you know which I like better (the new X-ICE Ti supposedly is better in the rain/dry while still being great in the snow/ice...it is not an all season tire...just uses newer technology to last a little longer when its not snowing).
So...do you NEED snow tires? No, probably not. Will they make your driving in the snow/ice more pleasant/safe...Yes- they will. In the end it comes down to YOU driving safely; no tire or vehicle is going to compensate for bad driving.
Hope that helps!
PS: Tire Rack also sells a very nice set of tire carriers/covers for your winter or summer tires when off the vehicle that look nice/keep them from making a mess. You may be able to store the tires (depending on how wide) under your bed?!?
My wife drives a GMC Yukon 1500, rear wheel drive, currently fitted with all season tires. I have a Chevy 3500 Dually Silverado, rear wheel drive. Here's my question: Will we have to sell either vehicle for a front wheel or AWD if we move to NH? I hate to get rid of either; they're great vehicles and about paid off. Some have said they'll be a nightmare to drive in the snow/ice while others have told me they'll be fine. Of course, all of these opinions come from those that used to live up north and now live in of Flor-i-duh. Thanks for any advice/suggestions.
BF mentioned Tirerack.com - I'd like to also suggest discounttiredirect.com
What is great about these (aside from being a lot cheaper), is that you can read reviews on the tires that you're thinking about by people who have been driving on them a while, not by people who are trying to sell them to you. Both sites will tell you what sort of vehicle the reviewer was driving, what state they live in, whether they are aggressive - cautious- or average drivers ITO, and whether it's city, rural or mixed driving. This way you can match up what you're looking for.
If I'm looking for a tire that will handle well in snow, I'll pay more attention to the driver in WI than I will the driver in LA (state, not city). I also discovered that it pays to sort by my vehicle since some tires got rave reviews by car drivers - but the van drivers said they were really noisy. I drive a van. I switched to that sort (sorted on discounttiresdirect, but bought on tirerack who will ship to the installer of your choice).
Hey, I know nothing about tires, only made sense to read what people driving them in situations I expect thought about them. Salesmen are usually told simply to push product.
My wife drives a GMC Yukon 1500, rear wheel drive, currently fitted with all season tires. I have a Chevy 3500 Dually Silverado, rear wheel drive. Here's my question: Will we have to sell either vehicle for a front wheel or AWD if we move to NH? I hate to get rid of either; they're great vehicles and about paid off. Some have said they'll be a nightmare to drive in the snow/ice while others have told me they'll be fine. Of course, all of these opinions come from those that used to live up north and now live in of Flor-i-duh. Thanks for any advice/suggestions.
If you're buying a house up here, make sure you can fit those big boys into a garage. If you're planning on parking outside, remember a truck bed full of snow/ice is (a) a hazard to other drivers, and (b) bad on MPG (although the weight will add traction to the rear drive wheels).
If you're buying a house up here, make sure you can fit those big boys into a garage. If you're planning on parking outside, remember a truck bed full of snow/ice is (a) a hazard to other drivers, and (b) bad on MPG (although the weight will add traction to the rear drive wheels).
Absolutely. My truck has a shell on it, so I'll have to keep the snow/ice off the top of mine and the wife's as well. My plan is to find a home with a large garage, so hopefully, one will be available in our price range. Thanks for the input.
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There are so many times when my car literally can't get up hills even with very good tires...snow sucks
