# Snow tires



## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Oct 19, 2016)

I'm afraid this may be a silly question- I want to get snow tires this year. The car is front wheel drive. I only need to get two, for the front wheels, right? Also, any thoughts as to the best ones to get?


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## firefighterjake (Oct 19, 2016)

"Best ones" . . . with snow tires, much like woodstoves, this is a rather subjective by and large.

Some brands that tend to pop up quite frequently include Bridgestone Blizzaks, Michelin X-Ices and General Altimax Arctics . . . but many, many folks swear by Nokian Hakkapeliiitas.

I suspect the truth is any snow tire will work better than running All Season tires . . . regardless of brand. Some snow tires may wear better, some may do better on ice and some may do well in wet slushy snow . . . but even the best snow tire will never be a replacement for driving cautiously and defensively when the weather is bad. 

That said . . . I have a set of General Arctics on my Subaru WRX and they were fantastic last year and show little signs of wear . . . I don't think they are the "best" snow tires, but they are very good snow tires at a nice price compared to some brands.


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## maple1 (Oct 19, 2016)

You need a full set of 4 tires. Don't just get fronts.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 19, 2016)

Get 4.


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## heat seeker (Oct 19, 2016)

Get 4 - and best if they're on their own rims. In the long run, it won't cost much, since you're not wearing your summer tires all winter, so they'll last longer. You want them on all 4 so the handling is consistent from front to rear of the car, especially important on slippery surfaces.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 19, 2016)

I have studs since I'm on a hill.
They make a lot of noise.


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## johneh (Oct 20, 2016)

Get 4 snow tires for safety Better breaking and cornering control
on snow and ice  .


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## Dougsey (Oct 20, 2016)

If you have decent alloy rims, you can mount your snows on cheap steel rims which will keep your nice ones away from the salt.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 20, 2016)

If you buy new, I don't think steel wheels are that cheap.


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## Husky (Oct 20, 2016)

Get 4. It is more dangerous to only have 2 snow tires that grab and the other 2 that will be sliding around.


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## sportbikerider78 (Oct 20, 2016)

I have had very good luck getting my Acura TSX around with 4 snow tires on steel rims and Hankook tires..and I'm in the snow belt..and live at the bottom of a gravel driveway.  

Hunt a bit on craigslist and you might find exactly what you are looking for.  It is really common for people to sell their snow tires separately when they trade a car in.  That is how I scored mine for $400 and only 1 season of wear.


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## festerw (Oct 20, 2016)

velvetfoot said:


> If you buy new, I don't think steel wheels are that cheap.



Cheap can be a relative term, if the factory alloy is $250 and steel is $75.

I'll second Craigslist, I've bought 4 wheels for $20 but 15" Jeep wheels are plentiful around here.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 20, 2016)

I found that used alloys can be not too expensive, as well.  With the steel wheels you have to get wheel covers too, and the cheap ones aren't that good looking.  I have snows on steelies on one car and alloys on the other two.


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## sportbikerider78 (Oct 20, 2016)

I don't use wheel covers on my acura.  Doesn't bother me.


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## peakbagger (Oct 20, 2016)

Nokia's Haks are the state tire of VT, Lots of junkers running around with tires worth as much as the car. They are tough to find in my area. I am running Michelin ice tires on my newest car.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 20, 2016)

All the Nokias available near me seem to be made in Russia, far as I can tell.


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## Adamtec (Oct 20, 2016)

Always change all 4 tires ...highly recommend hankook I-cept tires if you can get them..been running them for 5 years they are awesome tire

Oh I'm in Canada so we get a lil ice and snow now and then


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## Ashful (Oct 20, 2016)

heat seeker said:


> Get 4 - and best if they're on their own rims. In the long run, it won't cost much, since you're not wearing your summer tires all winter, so they'll last longer. You want them on all 4 so the handling is consistent from front to rear of the car, especially important on slippery surfaces.



No, best is to buy a bad weather car and a good weather car.  By your logic, it won't cost much in the long run, since you're not driving your bad weather car much. Best way to keep hellish NE road salt off your nice weather car, too!  [emoji12]


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## Adamtec (Oct 20, 2016)

hmm Good idea Ashful


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## festerw (Oct 20, 2016)

Ashful said:


> No, best is to buy a bad weather car and a good weather car.  By your logic, it won't cost much in the long run, since you're not driving your bad weather car much. Best way to keep hellish NE road salt off your nice weather car, too!  [emoji12]
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I did that mod lol.  Bought a $500 Cherokee for winter and drive the Wrangler in the summer.  It's one of the previously mentioned tires are worth more than the rest vehicles.

I've had Bridgestone Blizzaks, Cooper Weathermaster, Mastercraft Courser M+S, Firestone Winterfire/Winterforce, Pacemark Snowtrakker and various all terrain tires.  Can't say any were hands down better than the others.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 20, 2016)

As sportbikerider could attest, they call them 'winter rats' in Syracuse.  At least they did 30 years ago when I lived in Oswego.


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## sportbikerider78 (Oct 26, 2016)

Ashful said:


> No, best is to buy a bad weather car and a good weather car.  By your logic, it won't cost much in the long run, since you're not driving your bad weather car much. Best way to keep hellish NE road salt off your nice weather car, too!  [emoji12]
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Financially, that doesn't work out.  But I think most people that are doing this are doing it for peace of mind.


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## sportbikerider78 (Oct 26, 2016)

velvetfoot said:


> As sportbikerider could attest, they call them 'winter rats' in Syracuse.  At least they did 30 years ago when I lived in Oswego.



I hear ya!  But I drive both of my cars all year.  My wife gets the 4WD late model SUV.  I drive the super reliable Acura sedan with snows.  The heated leather seats are heaven on a cold rear and sore back.  
She's from NC, so when the weather is bad, she's not going anywhere...I take the SUV to work. 

Perhaps I'd have a winter beater if I didn't have a log spliter, atv & trailer, lawnmower, pressure washer, table saw, chainsaw, 2 workbenches and 2 roll arounds in my 3rd bay of the garage.


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## Ashful (Oct 26, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> Financially, that doesn't work out.  But I think most people that are doing this are doing it for peace of mind.


Yeah, just having some fun.  My "good weather car" is not one I would want to attempt driving in snow.  RWD, and all motor.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 26, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> Perhaps I'd have a winter beater if I didn't have a log spliter, atv & trailer, lawnmower, pressure washer, table saw, chainsaw, 2 workbenches and 2 roll arounds in my 3rd bay of the garage.


You could probably also stack up 4 cords in there too, like I do!


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## hockeypuck (Oct 26, 2016)

Continental makes some good snows...check out the reviews on tirerack

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## lml999 (Oct 27, 2016)

Snow tire recommendations should be based on your expected usage. In SE PA, if you occasionally see a couple of inches of snow, and can avoid going out until the roads are cleared, I'd recommend real all season tires rather than true winter snow tires. For good all season tires that can handle snow, I'd go with the Nokian WRG3.

On the other hand, if you're a skier, first responder, etc., who loves driving in snow and heads north at the first sign of precipitation, I'd recommend a "real" winter tire, M&S rated. I run the Nokian R2 on all of my cars and strongly recommend it. I run separate summer wheels/tires as well. This allows me to optimize the size for each -- shorter and wider for summer, taller and narrower for winter. Fat summer tires just don't do well on snow...

The cost difference between a cheap snow tire and a top of the line snow can be as much as $500 (for 4). However, the difference in performance between the two will also be significant, and over 5 years, that cost differential is only $100/year, probably a lot less than your deductible. It only takes one "incident" or one time getting stuck that will easily justify the better snow tire. 

You can find Nokians at some upscale tire shops, and by mail at discounttiredirect.com. My local guy in Boston, Hogan Tire, usually matches the mail order price and sometimes beats it.

I've been running Nokians for 25 years, wouldn't consider running anything else in the winter.

Here's a link to the Nokian tire dealer locator.


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## rowerwet (Oct 27, 2016)

I priced it out and found that it was a wash between buying a set of four new wheels with snow radials from the tire rack dot com, and buying steel wheels and tires here and there to make a winter set.
Then I found brand new alloy take off wheels that were cheaper still on line. (take offs are when someone drives directly from the car dealer to a wheel shop to put new after market wheels on a new car)
I only got around to buying two ,  but with traction control and anti lock brakes it hasn't been an issue for the past three years . 
I start work about the time the plows are just leaving the highway yard, and travel all over the northeast US for my job.


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## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Oct 27, 2016)

rowerwet said:


> I priced it out and found that it was a wash between buying a set of four new wheels with snow radials from the tire rack dot com, and buying steel wheels and tires here and there to make a winter set.
> Then I found brand new alloy take off wheels that were cheaper still on line. (take offs are when someone drives directly from the car dealer to a wheel shop to put new after market wheels on a new car)
> I only got around to buying two ,  but with traction control and anti lock brakes it hasn't been an issue for the past three years .
> I start work about the time the plows are just leaving the highway yard, and travel all over the northeast US for my job.


The little lady was in Costco the other day and stopped by the tire department to see what they had available. A random stranger who overheard the conversation offered up his opinion that snow tires were a waste, that all she needs to do is let some air out (she thinks he said to let out 8-10 psi), and the regular all-seasons will work as well. Any opinions about this?


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## Ashful (Oct 27, 2016)

Dangerous and ineffective. Tires run 10 psi below recommended pressure at highway speed have a high probability of overheating and failing in spectacular fashion. 

Recommended pressure is listed on sticker in drivers door jamb, or inside gas door on some Euro cars, not on tire side wall. 

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## fbelec (Oct 27, 2016)

be careful with using the door jam sticker for the guide of air pressure. that sticker is for the tires that the car came with. change the brand and model of the tire and the door jam sticker is out the window. proof is a few years ago ford was going by the sticker on their door jam on the explorers and people on the highway were having blow outs and rolling over the vehicle result was a long drawn out court battle to see who was at fault ford or the tire company. if you don't want to use what is on the tire ask the tire company thru email. i use a tire shop that has been in the tire biz for three generations thay put my 80 truck tires at 55 pounds result is bad fuel milage and wishy washy ride bad on corners. usually slightly less than max of what the sidewall of the tire says. my car came with tires that had a 35 pound max. the tires i have on there have a 45 pound max. using the door sticker is useless for my tires. as far as running tires at a lower pressure that makes things worse. it's like running wide tires in the snow. narrow tires make for a better grip in the snow. more pounds per square inch than wider tires.


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## Ashful (Oct 28, 2016)

fbelec said:


> be careful with using the door jam sticker for the guide of air pressure. that sticker is for the tires that the car came with. change the brand and model of the tire and the door jam sticker is out the window. proof is a few years ago ford was going by the sticker on their door jam on the explorers and people on the highway were having blow outs and rolling over the vehicle result was a long drawn out court battle to see who was at fault ford or the tire company. if you don't want to use what is on the tire ask the tire company thru email. i use a tire shop that has been in the tire biz for three generations thay put my 80 truck tires at 55 pounds result is bad fuel milage and wishy washy ride bad on corners. usually slightly less than max of what the sidewall of the tire says. my car came with tires that had a 35 pound max. the tires i have on there have a 45 pound max. using the door sticker is useless for my tires. as far as running tires at a lower pressure that makes things worse. it's like running wide tires in the snow. narrow tires make for a better grip in the snow. more pounds per square inch than wider tires.


Your first sentence here is correct, but the sidewall numbers are simply maximum allowable, not a guide to proper inflation on YOUR vehicle.  I run heavier than stock tires on my 1/2 ton truck (the factory tires were actually under-rated for vehicle capacity), and going anywhere near the listed sidewall pressure on those would have me riding on the center bead of the tire, since my truck is never loaded anywhere near the maximum allowable weight rating of that tire.

The goal is to get uniform weight distribution and uniform wear across the tread width of the tire.  As you correctly point out, this pressure has been calculated and tested for the factory tires on your vehicle, and listed in the door jamb.  If you go to larger or heavier ply rating tires, the door jamb number is no longer exactly valid, but it is still closer to "proper" than what may be listed on the side wall of the tire.

In my case, I end up running about 5 pounds heavier than the door jamb number, to account for the heavier ply rating of my after market tires.  Monitoring tread wear over the life of the tire (I've been running this brand/model on this truck for 10 years) tells me I'm pretty much dead-nuts on the proper pressure.


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## semipro (Oct 29, 2016)

fbelec said:


> proof is a few years ago ford was going by the sticker on their door jam on the explorers and people on the highway were having blow outs and rolling over the vehicle result was a long drawn out court battle to see who was at fault ford or the tire company.


My understandings about this is that Ford specified a tire pressure that was too low due to issues with handling and ride quality.  The Firestone tires overheated because of this and suffered tread separation.   More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestone_and_Ford_tire_controversy

When new tires are installed I start with the door jam specs and then watch tire wear and adjust the tire pressures accordingly.   Having spent many years as a mechanic at tire dealers dealing with lots of tire issue and doing thousands of wheel alignments I recommend this method.  I would never start with the sidewall spec, which as Ashful relates, is a "maximum" value based on tire construction and potential loading.


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## rowerwet (Oct 29, 2016)

ED 3000 said:


> The little lady was in Costco the other day and stopped by the tire department to see what they had available. A random stranger who overheard the conversation offered up his opinion that snow tires were a waste, that all she needs to do is let some air out (she thinks he said to let out 8-10 psi), and the regular all-seasons will work as well. Any opinions about this?


that is old info developed by the military to help increase traction on ice and sand, it worked for the old bias ply tires, and is similar to what off roaders do today when they leave the pavement, but will ruin a modern radial tire quickly if you run at any speed that way.
It also won't work on snow as the tread will be crunched together and therefore not grip as well. It still works on sand as it slightly increases the size of the area resting on the sand, possibly keeping you from sinking in as deeply with soft sand. You will need to reinflate the tires to spec though before going fast on a paved road.

snow radials are great for those of us who live where it snows often, not every car needs them though. My car is a ford Focus and the new focuses have very large, wide, tires rated for 90 mph running. Since they used a wide tire, the grip is maximized for cornering on dry pavement, but the weight is rather spread out over such a large contact point for slippery conditions. 
The snow radials I have, have carbon bits mixed into the rubber to give grip on ice, and the tread pattern gives me a better grip in snow. 
cars with narrow tires might not need snow tires. My last car was an '02 focus with much narrower tires, it did just fine in the snow with regular old radials even though it weighed almost 1,000 lbs less than the '12 one does.


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## fbelec (Oct 29, 2016)

i usually run them at 80 psi and get the best milage possible for the vehicle and my last 3 sets of e rated tires i got 55000 miles out of them i don't don't think that i'm doing anything wrong. i get 50000 miles out of simple 40000 mile tires.

but to each his own


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## Ashful (Oct 30, 2016)

fbelec said:


> i usually run them at 80 psi and get the best milage possible for the vehicle and my last 3 sets of e rated tires i got 55000 miles out of them i don't don't think that i'm doing anything wrong. i get 50000 miles out of simple 40000 mile tires.
> 
> but to each his own



Running tires that are inflated to less than sidewall maximum, but over recommendation for your vehicle, does not typically increase incidence of spontaneous failure.  However, it actually reduces tread life, the opposite of your stated goal.  This is because a tire inflated beyond the level recommended for the load of your car will bulge and wear much more quickly in the tread center, while preserving the shoulders of the tread pattern.  You will also have much poorer traction, with less rubber contacting the pavement, simulating the footprint of a much narrower tire.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 30, 2016)

I don't find this to be true.  Maybe has something to do with tire construction.


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## fbelec (Oct 30, 2016)

i've never in my years of driving lost a tire to center wear out not even close


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## Ruben_21 (Nov 5, 2016)

Replace all 4 tires studded if possible. Regarding tire pressure, sidewall will say max load at max PSI. So for example my one ton dually 80 PSI will essentially hold a load of 3042 lbs so multiply that times four tires in the rear, 12,168. So without a load i dont need max pressure if you want to be exact you can go to a public scale and get your axle weights. Do the math. I run 35psi year round and my rears. Or you can take a wax marker draw a line across the tire, ideally you should have 1/2 inch on the inside and outside after driving around. 

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## Pertzbro (Nov 11, 2016)

Buy 4. I've only had experience with a certain type... Firestone Winterforce. Put them on a girlfriends car for year round use. Broke up with her... 2 years later different girl (who ends up being my wife now) her dad put them on her Toyota Corolla for year round use... got 30K miles out of them with decent tread left, just not much of the winter tread. Bought another set and running those year round as well on same car. I then bought a set for my Ram 1500 4x4. Got them studded on some dedicated steel wheels i found on craigslist. What i like about them is the tread is not the super soft compound that wears quickly on warm or dry pavement. Studs help with ice. They are also on the cheaper end for snow tires due to them using normal compounds and not the new soft rubber compounds. Snow tires are amazing. You can have the most advanced traction control system around but if your tires cant grip it doesnt matter. Also remember it's not always about acceleration. Snow tires matter most in stopping and turning, 4wd and even antilock brakes dont help much when you need to stop in a hurry in winter conditions.


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## fbelec (Nov 13, 2016)

Pertzbro said:


> Buy 4. I've only had experience with a certain type... Firestone Winterforce. Put them on a girlfriends car for year round use. Broke up with her... 2 years later different girl (who ends up being my wife now) her dad put them on her Toyota Corolla for year round use... got 30K miles out of them with decent tread left, just not much of the winter tread. Bought another set and running those year round as well on same car. I then bought a set for my Ram 1500 4x4. Got them studded on some dedicated steel wheels i found on craigslist. What i like about them is the tread is not the super soft compound that wears quickly on warm or dry pavement. Studs help with ice. They are also on the cheaper end for snow tires due to them using normal compounds and not the new soft rubber compounds. Snow tires are amazing. You can have the most advanced traction control system around but if your tires cant grip it doesnt matter. Also remember it's not always about acceleration. Snow tires matter most in stopping and turning, 4wd and even antilock brakes dont help much when you need to stop in a hurry in winter conditions.




agree 100 %


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## Wildo (Nov 14, 2016)

lml999 said:


> The cost difference between a cheap snow tire and a top of the line snow can be as much as $500 (for 4). However, the difference in performance between the two will also be significant, and over 5 years, that cost differential is only $100/year, probably a lot less than your deductible. It only takes one "incident" or one time getting stuck that will easily justify the better snow tire.
> 
> You can find Nokians at some upscale tire shops, and by mail at discounttiredirect.com.




Learned this the pricey way.  2mph can easily do $2000 damage to today's vehicles.


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## sportbikerider78 (Nov 14, 2016)

ED 3000 said:


> The little lady was in Costco the other day and stopped by the tire department to see what they had available. A random stranger who overheard the conversation offered up his opinion that snow tires were a waste, that all she needs to do is let some air out (she thinks he said to let out 8-10 psi), and the regular all-seasons will work as well. Any opinions about this?


That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. 

No matter what the PSI of the tire, all tires bend and deflect when the run over pavement. This deflection causes internal friction and friction causes heat.  Sometimes this heat buildup is exponential with very low PSI (anyone remember the Explorer/Firestone fiasco?) and can destroy a tire (catastrophically) and cause a blow out/car flip/other deadly situation. 

The best things she could have done and punch the guy in the mouth.  Maybe then he wouldn't hurt someone else with horrible advice.


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## Easy Livin’ 3000 (Nov 14, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
> 
> No matter what the PSI of the tire, all tires bend and deflect when the run over pavement. This deflection causes internal friction and friction causes heat.  Sometimes this heat buildup is exponential with very low PSI (anyone remember the Explorer/Firestone fiasco?) and can destroy a tire (catastrophically) and cause a blow out/car flip/other deadly situation.
> 
> The best things she could have done and punch the guy in the mouth.  Maybe then he wouldn't hurt someone else with horrible advice.


He was in a wheelchair, so I'm not sure that would have been the most charitable thing to do.  I do appreciate your strong opinion, I like when folks don't mince words and there is no doubting what they are thinking. I'm glad I asked!


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## Ashful (Nov 14, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.


While said advice was a very un-informed opinion, and dead wrong, I can say you don't get around much.  I've heard more stupidity than that in just the last two weeks, much of it while standing in line to vote last Tuesday.


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## lml999 (Nov 14, 2016)

fbelec said:


> i usually run them at 80 psi and get the best milage possible for the vehicle and my last 3 sets of e rated tires i got 55000 miles out of them i don't don't think that i'm doing anything wrong. i get 50000 miles out of simple 40000 mile tires.
> 
> but to each his own




To clarify, you're talking about tire pressures on a truck rather than a passenger car...those pressures would be inappropriate for most passenger cars...


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## Ruben_21 (Nov 14, 2016)

https://www.kaltire.com/the-right-tire-pressure-why-the-maximum-isnt-the-best/

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## fbelec (Nov 15, 2016)

lml999 said:


> To clarify, you're talking about tire pressures on a truck rather than a passenger car...those pressures would be inappropriate for most passenger cars...



same with my car tires


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## sfsurfdude69 (Jan 14, 2017)

ED 3000 said:


> I'm afraid this may be a silly question- I want to get snow tires this year. The car is front wheel drive. I only need to get two, for the front wheels, right? Also, any thoughts as to the best ones to get?




Do not get only two tires (snow) mixed with all season tires. Check out the youtube videos on that subject... they do comparisons
I finally bought Falken winter tires for 350. at Pep Boys and they made a huge difference over my all season tires.


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## fbelec (Jan 18, 2017)

sfsurfdude69 said:


> Do not get only two tires (snow) mixed with all season tires. Check out the youtube videos on that subject... they do comparisons
> I finally bought Falken winter tires for 350. at Pep Boys and they made a huge difference over my all season tires.[/QU
> 
> changing to snow tires is going to make a big difference from any tire in the snow. all season tires are not good in snow not good in mud not good in rain. they can't make a tire that is good for all things. if you change tires every season your next tire should be a highway type. for spring summer and fall. they are quieter and do better at pumping water. so highway and summer tires should be the way to go.


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## rwhite (Jan 19, 2017)

Be prepared to buy all four. Most shops won't mount just 2 on a vehicle. If you have TPS they usually won't mount them without the new rims having TPS sensors as well. So your stuck swapping tires or getting rims with sensors installed.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 19, 2017)

Here in NY, they don't seem to care about TPMS.


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## rwhite (Jan 19, 2017)

velvetfoot said:


> Here in NY, they don't seem to care about TPMS.


You can usually find a used tire shop that will mount next to anything for $12. But the major guys around here won't do it.


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## maple1 (Jan 19, 2017)

Only thing my Honda guys had to advise on, with TPMS, is that if you're going to run without the sensors, it's better to do it in the summer than the winter. That's at a dealer.


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## woodgeek (Jan 21, 2017)

OK.  I cheaped out on my snows and rims, and did not get the TPMS.  I swap them on and off myself.  The dash light blinks a little while when we drive around, and then goes out.  What is the problem exactly?


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## maple1 (Jan 21, 2017)

What kind of car?

The TPMS light just stays on all winter on our Pilot that doesn't have sensors on the winter wheels. Different models/manufacturers likely have slightly different warning/indicator setups.

OK, on a re-read - I guess your maybe not asking what your problem is. More like what's the big deal?


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## rwhite (Jan 21, 2017)

woodgeek said:


> OK.  I cheaped out on my snows and rims, and did not get the TPMS.  I swap them on and off myself.  The dash light blinks a little while when we drive around, and then goes out.  What is the problem exactly?


I think the problem is that quite a lot of folks don't bother doing a walk around on there vehicles EVER. I will say that some of the newer lo-pro tires can get pretty flat before you recognize it. They don't hold much volume to begin with so the TPS is kinda handy. That said, we lived with out them a lot of years before firestones and explorers came along. The spare tires on most vehicles don't have them installed. I have heard that running without them will screw up the calibration in some systems and you have to get it reset when you swap back. No idea if this is true or not.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 21, 2017)

maple1 said:


> The TPMS light just stays on all winter on our Pilot that doesn't have sensors on the winter wheels


That's what a small piece of strategically placed electrical tape is for.


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## rwhite (Jan 21, 2017)

velvetfoot said:


> That's what a small piece of strategically placed electrical tape is for.


LOL!  I had an old Olds in high school that I did that with the check engine light. After a gazillion miles I didn't care anymore. My nephews are still driving it today with the tape still there.


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## maple1 (Jan 21, 2017)

My Honda guys also said that not having the sensors in would also affect traction control. Somehow. Which is why better to go without them in the summer than winter.


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## woodgeek (Jan 21, 2017)

I'm skeptical...but will research.

Thanks.


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## woodgeek (Jan 21, 2017)

A little research says that Traction control works fine without TPMS (indeed, I have seen it in action more than once).

The story goes that in Hondas, if you try turn the traction control off, it doesn't unless it detects a working TPMS.  This could be a hassle if you got stuck and the traction control was preventing you from spinning the wheels to get out.

Personally, I have never turned traction control off to get unstuck, and like that it prevent me spinning and burning the wheels.

And I don't have a Honda.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 21, 2017)

That's not the case for my 13 Hyundai Accent.  I do turn it off to power up a snow covered hill to my house.  Even though the wheels are spinning in the snow, it's better than what the traction control does, which is back way off on the throttle.


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## EJL923 (Jan 31, 2017)

on my wifes civic which seems to eat tpms for breakfast if one sensor is not working then you cant disable the traction control.  In our cases, we have a steep drive that requires full throttle with a head start on some days to get up.  needless to say, we keep the sensors in good condition.

Now replying to this old topic, she has blizzaks on the civic and i just got the same for my tacoma.  They are incredible, and quiet which is why i went over studs.  Time will tell how long they last.  On the civic, 3 winters


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## fbelec (Feb 16, 2017)

i've got traction control on my grand marquis absolutely useless. the car has a posi rearend all the traction control/ idle is slow or stop if going up a incline. also senseless with a posi rearend so i do way better shutting it off. if stuck you spin 5 mph and it will get out without burning a set of tires. any faster and i make my own ice under the tires. what is wrong with a pressure gauge?????????


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