Winter Tires vs A/T Tires

Having to have 2x sets of tyres (summer & winter) would be a PITA for me, storage wise that is.

Just out of a matter of interest though, how do winter tyres compare in price compared to normal, everyday driving tyres ?

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Yeah the thread hijacking is a common thing, but not many seem to care. We all usually go along with it. Unless you cross Carl, he throw you into the fire for hijackin! :bananagunner: haha, j/k
 
mr turbo said:
Having to have 2x sets of tyres (summer & winter) would be a PITA for me, storage wise that is.

Just out of a matter of interest though, how do winter tyres compare in price compared to normal, everyday driving tyres ?

Regards
Mr Turbo
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The prices aren't bad because the demand isn't near as high. They come in about the same, sometimes cheaper than standard tires. The top notch winter tires like the Bridgestone Blizzacks come in at about $100-$110 a corner. Of course i say "not too bad" when you guys down unda' have to pay almost 3x's as much :shrug: .

Here's a couple to look at that range from $112 down to $83.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Blizzak+WS70&partnum=16TR6WS70&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Altimax+Arctic&partnum=16QR6AMAXA&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Firestone&tireModel=Winterforce&partnum=16SR6FWF&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes
 
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Most of the time it seems to be the thread starter hi-jacking their own thread.


dirtyRU said:
Yeah the thread hijacking is a common thing, but not many seem to care. We all usually go along with it. Unless you cross Carl, he throw you into the fire for hijackin! :bananagunner: haha, j/k
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Indeed, I am also guilty!
 
dirtyRU said:
That's something i've been guilty of on more than one occasion. :biggrin:
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Rally said:
Indeed, I am also guilty!
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As to am I :o

Those prices seem quite reasonable really, but then again, its something for us down under in OZ don't have to really worry about :)

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
dirtyRU said:
This is something i've been curious about for some time. Being in TX, i hear very little about winter tires & have no use for them. But after looking at some of them & reading from other people about them, many of them have pretty agressive treading & look similar to an All-Terrain.
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So, you can use snow tires for off-road use, but there are certain disadvantages to this practice you'll want to keep in mind. First, check the load rating of most snow tires. You'll notice that they're not built as sturdy as their AT or XT tires. This means you have less rubber between the out side of the tire and the pneumatic core of the tire and it makes it possible for rocks and other road hazards to punch holes in your tire even if you're not close to the load rating. I've done this twice in the past 10 years.

Second, studded snow tires are what you need if you're spending a lot of time driving on icy or snow packed surfaces (paved or otherwise). The studs provide a level of traction on the really slippery stuff that you can't any other way. Here in Colorado we see about 9 months (give or take) of treacherous conditions where studs help you negotiate frozen bridges or shaded icy corners. The problem here is that studs work very poorly in mud (tread patterns collect instead of clear mud) and worse on in rock gardens (you'll end up spinning very quickly until you wear down the metal studs).

Conversely, using AT or XTs in the snow works and the tires tend to last longer by comparison. You won't, however, see the same kind of traction characteristics you get with studded snow tires on ice and snow pack.
 
I am no expert, but snow tires would not be suitable for all-year use in warmer climates as far as I know. They are made with much softer rubber in the treads. Generally snow tires will have improved traction compared to all-season tires even on dry pavement once the temperature falls below 10C. But you can imagine how much more quickly they would wear out when it is >30C.

Even in Canada I don't think anyone would run snow tires all year round unless they lived WAY up north in the high arctic. We generally keep them on a second set of wheels and swap them on for 4-5 months of the year, depending where you live.
 
dirtyRU said:
That's good to hear Escher, i hope your health issues get sorted out quickly & things back to normal!
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Thanks, dirtyRU! All's back to normal. Managed to return to Africa about a month ago, just after the end of rainy season and in time for the more pleasant "winter" weather. :raw:

When you originally asked your question, I only thought about the rubber compound. But Saguache makes an excellent point about the structure of the tire and resultant durability (or lack thereof).
 
winter vs a/t

I know from experience...the A/T's are the better choice overall IMO.

unless you dealing with icy or hardpacked roads stick with A/T's

My Wife's car has Nokian hakkapalettias(studless) they stop on a dime and give you a buck change...no joke..
they are the best snow tire in the world..and rated so..! I agree..:biggrin:
the con's are fast tire wear due to a softer compound ..expensive to replace.
Plus is better traction...on slick stuff , icy, packed roads.

In deep snow the A/T' s usually have bigger side blocks to dig and shed snow..

With the A/t's I just drive abit slower...
Get your A/T's siped for extra traction it helps alot on the slickstuff and wet pavement..
Some A/T's have the mountain snowflake rating as a traction tire..
I know BFG A/t's have it..
A/T's last longer and are cheaper overall..one set does it for me..BFG A/T.

besides with ever changin weather you never know day to day ...
Who want's go out in cold and change tires...or wait at the tire shop...for hours..only to find out the storm was a couple days..
too many folks leave them on way to long ....and are back buying another set in two years instead of five.
 
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