Snow/Ice winter tires

708 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2009 at 12:57 PM

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#644 of 708 Re: You gotta be careful [kurtamaxxxguy] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Dec 15, 2008 (7:17 am)
Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 14, 2008 10:50 pm) A car is totally defenseless against sheer slick moist ice. I don't care what you put on the wheels, you're pretty much screwed although you might be able to tippy-toe to the side of the road.
#645 of 708 Newbie Oregonian here... by legge Dec 15, 2008 (11:23 am)
Hey there -- I have a bonehead question as I'm a very recent transplant to Oregon and am in CA for Xmas. I need to drive back in a couple of weeks and need to ask this: Do I NEED snow/winter tires? I travel over the Siskayous all the way up to Salem. I have NO clue whatsoever whether chains are good enough, and, if so, what kind of chains? Or do I have to get snow tires?? AArrrgggh! He'p! Replies to this message: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 12:09 pm) ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 5:17 pm) kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 5:47 pm) and 1 more... isellhondas (Dec 16, 2008 7:11 am) kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 16, 2008 9:07 am)
#646 of 708 Re: Newbie Oregonian here... [legge] by kurtamaxxxguy Dec 15, 2008 (12:09 pm)
Replying to: legge (Dec 15, 2008 11:23 am) Right now, if you do not have winter tires, don't try driving up here - many roads in Portland are mostly ice and snow. You will skid right off the road or get nowhere fast. Oregon does not use salt on its roads Wrt chains, if your car/truck has room in the wheel wells, there are "quick fit" chains that are a little easier to install than most, but expect to take some time with them. I do not know which brand is best. An alternative are AutoSocks, which are easier to install and work well on ice and most snow and (up to 30 mph) on bare roads for brief periods. Wrt tires, if you have space for dedicated winter tires, there are many to choose from. Oregon allows studs for a few months per year. If you want to have only one set of tires, M&S won't do it as they loose traction fast once freezing temperatures arrive. The only All Season Winter-rated tires I know come from Yokohama and Nokian, and the Yoko's won't work as well in summer as the Nokians will. Replies to this message: ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 5:17 pm) kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 5:47 pm) ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 6:02 pm)
#647 of 708 Disappointed: Michelin X-Ice Xi2 by ex_tdier Dec 15, 2008 (5:17 pm)
Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 12:09 pm) I got these tires installed several days ago. Initially, I was very impressed with the soft ride but as soon as I went on the highway, I felt noticable vibration. This is in contrast to the previous generation X-Ice which had very little road noise/vibration. However, that was not what disappointed me. These tires are marketed as a studless ice and snow tire,. Ice comes before snow and studless is promoted. One can get the impression that this rubber compound can be just as good as studded tires. Well, no....absolutely not. These tires adhere to ice better than all seasons only when driving exceptionally slow, barely moving. Not practical unless you're in an ice rink coasting applying the breaks while barely moving. Another thing. The tire/tread is not made for pacific west coast climates like Seattle or Vancouver where they get lots of wet and slushy snow. This tread is simply not aggressive enough. It doesn't have the bite to get you going and surely no bite to stop you unless you're traveling less than 2 mph. My suggestion before buying these tires is consideri going for something cheaper, say, chains or cables. These work exceptionally well and are easy on your pocket book. They'll also last longer too. If you must get snow tires, get the least expensive you can afford but are also Transport Canada severe winter rating approved. These tires are way too overpriced for the Pacific Northwest Region. Replies to this message: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 5:47 pm) ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 6:02 pm)
#648 of 708 Re: Disappointed: Michelin X-Ice Xi2 [ex_tdier] by kurtamaxxxguy Dec 15, 2008 (5:47 pm)
Replying to: ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 5:17 pm) Sorry to hear the X-Ice did not work for you. Perhaps Nokian knows something Michelin does not - the Canola oil compound Nokian uses? My tests of the WRG2 were on a number of side streets with some moderate hills. Nearly all the roads were a sheet of ice covered by windblown snow in places. Temperature was 32 - 24 degrees. If the ice was wet, I would loose traction on one or more wheels momentarily, but the Forester XT never got stuck, including on a 10 - 15 degree hill with that wet ice. I got up to around 5 - 10 mph and was still able to stop reasonably well if I was gentle. Jack rabbit starts or stops would definitely break the wheels loose. This is the worst case I can think of. If ice was typical (shiny but no visible water) or covered with snow, the traction was much better. There the XT started and stopped without trouble provided I was gentle with throttle and brakes. These are winter rated but not dedicated winter tires. More aggressive winter compounds and/or studs would do better. But I'm very pleased with how the WRG2's work. Roads I tackled this year would have positively stopped my former TripleTreaded Malibu Maxx. By comparison, a lot of FWD / RWD cars were slipping like mad, unless they had chains (quite a few did). Replies to this message: ex_tdier (Dec 15, 2008 6:02 pm)
#649 of 708 Re: Disappointed: Michelin X-Ice Xi2 [kurtamaxxxguy] by ex_tdier Dec 15, 2008 (6:02 pm)
Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 15, 2008 5:47 pm) I like your analysis. Just to give you an example. The ice was shiny with packed snow underneath, not much snow though with no visible water. The temps were around 29 to 26F. I was going around 10 mph when I braked and I ran through a stop sign. Fortunately, there were no cars around. These tires are marketed as a dedicated winter tire. I wish there were more tire review sites that I could post my review so I could share my opinion on these new tires.
#650 of 708 Re: Newbie Oregonian here... [legge] by isellhondas Dec 16, 2008 (7:11 am)
Replying to: legge (Dec 15, 2008 11:23 am) The Suskayous can be nasty and unpredictable. I would carry chains and have an emergency kit in your car. Blankets, water, flares, flashlights etc. Replies to this message: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 16, 2008 9:07 am)
#651 of 708 Re: Newbie Oregonian here... [isellhondas] by kurtamaxxxguy Dec 16, 2008 (9:07 am)
Replying to: isellhondas (Dec 16, 2008 7:11 am) Yes, the Oregon mountain passes require chains in bad weather. And an emergency kit or at least the bare emergency essentials are important. I do not know if ODOT has approved AutoSocks as a workaround.
#652 of 708 more oregon driving by kurtamaxxxguy Dec 16, 2008 (8:47 pm)
This time came the big hills around Portland OR. We have several subdivisions built on Bull Mountain that have numerous winding, hilly streets. Most of those streets were covered with snow-swept ice, occasionally sprinkled with a few cinders. Some hills approach 20 - 25 degrees. One hill's lack of traction had sent a Jetta and a small MiniVan down their slopes. A number of FWD cars were spinning wheels as they tried to get going. The XT with Nokians, in all but one case, just went up and down the hills. As before, speeds had to be kept low, but the XT stopped and restarted on any hill, and stopped when going down the same hills. The worst case was when the ice was wet - the ABS definitely kicked in for those braking situations. Accelerating, I did not see any VDC/TC warning lights but felt some of the wheels alternating traction. There was little hesitation and no violent spinning of wheels. Only time the XT lost traction was when it was bounding/turning over a small hill at 5-10 mph. Loss of weight allowed tires to drift momentarily. Overall, WRG2's seem to work Replies to this message: ex_tdier (Dec 16, 2008 11:05 pm)
#653 of 708 Re: more oregon driving [kurtamaxxxguy] by ex_tdier Dec 16, 2008 (11:05 pm)
Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Dec 16, 2008 8:47 pm) The XT with Nokians, in all but one case, just went up and down the hills. As before, speeds had to be kept low, but the XT stopped and restarted on any hill, and stopped when going down the same hills. The worst case was when the ice was wet - the ABS definitely kicked in for those braking situations. Accelerating, I did not see any VDC/TC warning lights but felt some of the wheels alternating traction. There was little hesitation and no violent spinning of wheels. That's interesting. Perhaps the tires weren't spinning due to traction control? The Michelin Ice Xi2s are one of the best if not the best studelss tire out there for ice. I was doing some more starting and going on ice today and my tires were spinning, irregardless how easy I was on the accelerator. I wish I could test drive these tires going up a snowy or icy hilll; however, my Mazda3 does not have traction control. I doubt it would make it.