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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 32
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 32 |
I just bought my first snow tires and had them on for about 3 months. I wasn't impress with the proformance. I was expecting more grip in snow specially around turns. They feel like an all-season tires in snow, maybe with a little bit more grip. Since they were my first, I can't compare them to other snow tires. I would like to hear other people's comments on these tires.
1996 Ford Contour GL
108,000 miles
Automatic
2.5L Duratec V6 Engine
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,177
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,177 |
It's funny ... so many people seem to think that a winter tire is going to give them perfect traction.
You will probably not see a huge jump from an all-season to a snow tire. You will notice that it is slightly better. The more you drive though, the more you will learn your tires ability ... and be able to use the increased traction. The increased grip will really show itself in the more extreme weather, deep snow, ice laden roads, and extremely cold temperatures.
You will also want to look at the conditions you drive in ... frequently ploughed and salted town roads or the 'we don't plough our roads as everyone as 4x4's' type country roads. Obviously unploughed roads will show the biggest difference.
If you really want to compare ... wait until another good snowfall and put your all-season's back on.
1998.5 T-Red on Midnight Blue SVT
Build Number 5320 of 6535
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 179
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 179 |
christian is right, snow tires won't give you full traction in the snow. i don't know about x-ice, that's new, i've had michelin arctic alpins and blizzaks and i don't regret getting them.. they help a lot and i don't get stuck anymore.
i think they do make the biggest difference stopping, and accelerating from a stop. on corners i still slide out a little with my blizzak's which is controlled and is fun.. but to be safe i still drive carefully in the snow as if i had all-seasons if you know what i mean.
Also you can get LSD and it'll help on those turns.
00 CSVT
#390
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,777
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,777 |
dunlop graspecs are your friend! - they grip like mad on snow and ice, I have tried to ebrake my car around a turn at like 15mph and the damn things just wont let go!
Now- the drawbacks - it feels like driving on marsmellows on dry ground and they dont grip much on dry. They feel downright dangerous when braking hard on dry ground as they squirm a TON. - but if you got snow and ice - get them now! Cheap and perfect - oh and they wear kinda fast on dry ground.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,910
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,910 |
Originally posted by Christian:
It's funny ... so many people seem to think that a winter tire is going to give them perfect traction.
no they don't give you perfect traction but they are way better then all-season tires, my father drove his car around the block with all seasons and my mothers cars with snows and he said it was a world of difference
you can't get the dunlop grasphics to break? man I can do it all the time with the ebrake but then again this is about the fifth year they have been used and I beat on them, but I say they are decent in the dry, but they are nothing compaired to a summer tire of course
- 95 Mystique LS - Zetec/5spd
- 99 Contour SeVT Sport - Duratec/5spd
Official NE-CEG Contour/Mustang Family
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,177
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Originally posted by brapple:
no they don't give you perfect traction but they are way better then all-season tires, my father drove his car around the block with all seasons and my mothers cars with snows and he said it was a world of difference
Exactly ... I was trying to explain this to my sister-in-law today. I was explaining it that when you drive in all-season's and you hit that 'edge' where you know it's getting close to break point, if you had snows on it would just be a little further away. I think you have to view the traction/performance difference as a 'safety margin' rather than simple 'better traction'. Viewing it as better traction gives you a false confidence, and sometimes ends up with some kid scratching his head, looking at his car in the ditch saying "But I have snow tires!?!"
I personally never noticed the snow tire advantage until I went the other way ... snows to all-seasons ... that's when you appreciate the better traction.
1998.5 T-Red on Midnight Blue SVT
Build Number 5320 of 6535
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