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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 193
CEG\'er
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OP
CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 193 |
Hi folks, I thought I'd see if anyone on the board knows of any good deals on snow tires.
I've got a set of Yokohama Guardexes for my Focus that look like they might be ready for retirement.
Need either 205/55/16 or 205/50/16.
Also, does anyone have any experience, either good or bad with Hankook Ice Bear snow tires? I found those on Tiretrends.com for under $120.
All tips & advice appreciated!
Ray V.
98 SVT Contour #1702 (silver) - traded in & missed alot!
02 SVT Focus #2686 (blue) - beginning to enjoy the 4-banger.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399 |
Hi Ray,
No idea on the Hankooks, but I hear that the Kumho snows are pretty good.
Whatever you get, check with Deals 4 Wheels, they have great prices as a rule.
I am debating whether or not to buy new ones as well. I guess I will have to take a good look at your old BFGs to figure that out. If I do it, I am leaning towards Michelin X-Ice or some Pirellis.
98 Silver Frost SVT
97 BMW 540I Sport, six speed
"Blue is for sky, black is for soil, and white is for simplicity, purity and hope for the future"
"A coveted car should never stunt your life, but should make it more rich and interesting."
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399 |
The few reviews on the Tire Trends site for the Hankooks are positive.....
98 Silver Frost SVT
97 BMW 540I Sport, six speed
"Blue is for sky, black is for soil, and white is for simplicity, purity and hope for the future"
"A coveted car should never stunt your life, but should make it more rich and interesting."
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 193
CEG\'er
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OP
CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 193 |
Deals 4 Wheels, eh? I'll have to check that out.
I'm torn, as those old Yokos still have some tread on them - I only put 6,000 km on them last winter, and really, they still don't look too bad.
On the other hand, they have been around the block a few times over the years, and even if I only drive 6K again this winter, it's almost all 416/401/400 driving, often in snow storms.
What to do...I might slap the Yokos back on until Christmas or so, and maybe get a new set of tires early next year.
I don't want to spend alot, as there is a good chance that the SVTF will be up for sale as both my wife and I are leaning towards something more practical like a Forester or CR-V.
What to do...
Hope your Contour is still holding up well, Phil. Take care!
Ray
98 SVT Contour #1702 (silver) - traded in & missed alot!
02 SVT Focus #2686 (blue) - beginning to enjoy the 4-banger.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 130
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 130 |
Hey Ray,
I too need winter tires for my Focus. And my other car...
Harry
Focus SE Sport Wagon (the wife's)
Mazda3 (mine)
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 198
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 198 |
I've got a set of 4 snows off my wife's Focus buried in the basement (205 50 16) - used 1 season then I went to snows on rims which kind of forced me to 15 inchers, so I never used them again.
I'm pretty sure they're Michelin's top of the line from about 2002 and, guessing here, I'd say they have no more than 4 or 5k on them - my wife does no more than 10k a year.
If anyone's interested I will dig them out and get the exact model name and I can take tread depth of you want.
If you're interested they are available as a set of 4 and for 30% of what I paid which was $100 each.
And at this point I guess somebody will tell me if I should have put this in the classified forum - but hey, he started it right? ;-)
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,043
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,043 |
Originally posted by EO1702:
Hi folks, I thought I'd see if anyone on the board knows of any good deals on snow tires.
I've got a set of Yokohama Guardexes for my Focus that look like they might be ready for retirement.
Need either 205/55/16 or 205/50/16.
Also, does anyone have any experience, either good or bad with Hankook Ice Bear snow tires? I found those on Tiretrends.com for under $120.
All tips & advice appreciated!
Ray V.
I'd forget about the 16-inch snows...unless you have an SVTF. The thinking with snow tires is that thinner is better. Some 15-inch steelies on an non-SVTF will make winter life easier. Also, the 16-inch Focus rims are VERY pricey if purchased new. The last thing you need to do is smack one and have to replace it 
If you insist on running 16-inch wheels, going with the 205/55s will cause a SLIGHT discrepancy on the speedometer (only a few clicks slower than you really are going). However, that size is a bit more common. The 50-series may run you a bit more $$$.
Right now, Costco has a sale on BFG and Michelin. That being said, our club's tire specialist stated the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2s were rated the worst in a German test.
A bunch of us run Nokian tires (I run the WR on the ZTS). We've had the best wear and traction from them. Others have had great luck with no-name brands that are actually made by the big manufacturers.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,168
I am Canuckian
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I am Canuckian
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,168 |
Originally posted by Mysti-ken:
And at this point I guess somebody will tell me if I should have put this in the classified forum - but hey, he started it right? ;-)
You got it. Or at least to the pms. Put a post in the classifieds though. 
Green 96 mystique gs 4cyl mtx
16.9 in the 1/4 mile @102500 miles
95SE in Midnight Red MTX
MSDS headers and y-pipe
SVT exhaust
SVT UIM
Optimized se TB.
Full pre 98 SVT body kit
15.741 @ 87.73mph :)
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,399 |
Originally posted by EO1702:
Deals 4 Wheels, eh? I'll have to check that out.
I'm torn, as those old Yokos still have some tread on them - I only put 6,000 km on them last winter, and really, they still don't look too bad.
On the other hand, they have been around the block a few times over the years, and even if I only drive 6K again this winter, it's almost all 416/401/400 driving, often in snow storms.
What to do...I might slap the Yokos back on until Christmas or so, and maybe get a new set of tires early next year.
I don't want to spend alot, as there is a good chance that the SVTF will be up for sale as both my wife and I are leaning towards something more practical like a Forester or CR-V.
What to do...
Hope your Contour is still holding up well, Phil. Take care!
Ray
I am in the same boat: I don't drive too much distance in the winter, and as such, the snows only saw about 4-5000 kms last year MAX.
I don't honestly know how long I will have the SVT....It could be years, it could be weeks. So, are new snows worth it? I know that I will need at least 2 new summers in the spring.
As for the SVT holding up, it runs fine, but I have been very unhappy with my braking and with the rust situation. My Contour Enthusiast Light is on, and the ABS light came on today for a little while. One front control arm bushing is on its way out too. Getting nervous.......
98 Silver Frost SVT
97 BMW 540I Sport, six speed
"Blue is for sky, black is for soil, and white is for simplicity, purity and hope for the future"
"A coveted car should never stunt your life, but should make it more rich and interesting."
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 993
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 993 |
I have to give my opinion here. I do a lot of driving in the winter, (well actually all year round but I digress  ) Anyway, I am partial to a traditional snow tire. They are usually cheaper than the "performance snow" tire and they seem to be better in bad driving conditions. In my opinion, I think the type of tire that you want will depend on the areas you will be driving in. If I lived and worked in the City I would probably not go with the traditional tire but since I don't I feel more comfortable with them. I will say however that they are definately noisey but I dont really care about that. I am looking for safety. Now as for size I do think if you can get away with a 15 you may be better off especially price wise most times anyway. The bigger they are the more expensive they get. But everyone has their own views on snow tires and I can only give you my opinion based on my experiences. BTW, I am only going to to my second set of snow tires for this car since I bought it. So keep that in mind too. I was running Hercules Snow tires. They were cheap and I loved them. This time around I am buying a set of used tires from a friend so I don't get the choice of tires but they should last me a couple of years anyway. Good luck with choosing a tire.
1998 BLK SVT CONTOUR
#2980 of 6535
395,000(ish) km (and counting)
SVTOA-TORONTO
Chapter Director
www.svtoa-toronto.ca
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