Dang, talk about no traction. here in Indiana we got hit with alot of snow and it was causing havoc with the roads. needless to say, if I had to go up a hill like an interstate ramp or something, the car sucks!!! and taking off from a stop isnt fun either. Seemed even when i tried to take it easy from a stop, my tires still spun. Oh well, made it home safe last nite though. Just thought I'd share the fun-fill experience i had last nite.
The ride into work in Pittsburgh, PA wasn't too fun this morning at 5:30, either. But the road crews did a pretty good job of keeping most of the roads pretty clear. Snow tires go on this weekend. Then it should be better.
Scott
How are your tires? I don't really have too much trouble in the snow. Front wheel drive helps. My wife's van is better though, but I think it is just because it is heavier.
You do have to be a little extra careful starting from a stop, since our cars are so powerful... Just take it easy.
Stay safe! We are getting the storm right now.
start off in second...and get some blizzaks
Originally posted by el' padrone:
start off in second...and get some blizzaks
i used summer tires when i lived in maine for the winter and got by fine. i always thought the car was good in the snow.
-a
my car was fine last year, no big problems..I had lots of traction..I didnt have blizzaks
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
Originally posted by todras:
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
My Contour does awesome in the snow.......... sitting in my garage. 
I always had a hell of a time coming to a stop with it in the snow, when I drove it year round. This was when it was new, and had the BFG KDW G-Force's. They were definitely not snow friendly.
Mark
Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
my car was fine last year, no big problems..I had lots of traction..I didnt have blizzaks
Mine also. Our roads and road crews s**k around here, not plowed frequently, very little salt and I was fine.
Glad that you made it home safe. 
New tire time?
Welcome to the world of contours. and every other light front wheel drive car. (My moms sebring kinda spun out and hit a mailbox)
Originally posted by todras:
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
.
Actually I meant to type summer not all seasons. If you have KDW's on a Contour in the winter you're insane.
Originally posted by todras:
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
i think more than anything its just being in my first snow with the SVT. my tires are fine. Today was alot better coming to work, just getting a feel for it in the snow was not fun cause it was insane last nite(some people took 5 hours to get home on a normal 20 min drive).
My Contour handled wonderfully in the snow, best and most predictable car I've ever driven in snow short of my parents' Subarus. Definitely agree you've got the wrong tires if you're having problems.
Originally posted by 98 SE:
My Contour handled wonderfully in the snow, best and most predictable car I've ever driven in snow short of my parents' Subarus. Definitely agree you've got the wrong tires if you're having problems.
My 97 SE handles like a champ in the snow, it has Yokohama Avid A4's on it. My SVT at the time had some bald cheap summer tires and it did horrible, i put some Sumotomo all seasons on it and so far it seems fine through our first two storms. I think it's all in the tires!!!
First time I ever drove in the snow with KDW's was an ass-clenching experience - they are NOT a snow tire by any stretch of the imagination and trying to drive with those in the snow is a gamble with your life - GET SNOW TIRES!!!!
Originally posted by Quick_SVT:
My 97 SE handles like a champ in the snow, it has Yokohama Avid H4's on it. My SVT at the time had some bald cheap summer tires and it did horrible, i put some Sumotomo all seasons on it and so far it seems fine through our first two storms. I think it's all in the tires!!!
Fixed
I was a little late getting the Parada Spec-2s off and the snow tires on. Driving in the snow with the Yokos is rather pointless. It snowed Saturday morning, so I figured I had to put the snow tires/wheels on. Took me an hour to get to my parents' house (where the snow wheels/tires are, and they live only 2 miles away), and it took another 40 minutes to get up their driveway.
Snow tires make a world of difference. I have absolutely no problem driving in the snow with them on, and I assume I get better grip than people with non-Contours with all-season tires, just by the way some others drive. The SVT gets an A+ in the snow from me. If your car sucks that bad, get new tires.
Originally posted by Davo:
If your car sucks that bad, get new tires.
Yes, definetly. I just bought a barely used pair of blizzak ws-50's(?) off my buddy who sold his car, and I think it does really well as far as a fwd car goes(Compared to my f-250, first winter not driving it). Night and day difference from the all-seasons that were on there prior even.
LSD + BFG g-force sports =
I NEED SNOW TIRES!!!
Will the 15" rims clear on an SVT?
I swear I have searched a while ago and they would but double checking...
I'm gonna kill myself if I don't get some tires.
15's will clear, 14's won't.
I have Blizzak's on mine. It is almost as good in the snow as our Jeep Liberty LTD.
I know it says I live in Tampa, but that's actually only about 5 months a year. I also find myself in North Carolina and NY a lot of the time. In the winter that means I see snow every now and then. I wanted to ask. Has anyone else thought that their SVT does worse in the snow with aftermarket suspension. I have koni's, Ground control, and a rear swaybar. I have decent all season tires that do work somwhat in the snow. I autocross and I know things not to do, like downshift. Unless you think it's fun to do 360's in the snow. I just did and autocross this weekend in the rain, and found myself about to loose it after downshifting while entering a turn. I know, your not supposed to do that. I cought it, but not bofore taking out a few cones.
Originally posted by spdsk8r:
I have Blizzak's on mine. It is almost as good in the snow as our Jeep Liberty LTD.
think I could get away with just two front blizzaks?
And some steelies outta the junk yard?
My buddy says, that driving blizzaks on the asphalt once the snow is gone will ruin them.
What's you take, will i get more than one season outta these?
Originally posted by frenchblueC2:
15's will clear, 14's won't.
also will the factory sized 205/60/15 tires hit anything?
SVT = Sledding Vehicular Terror
Old news...
With anything but dedicated snow tires that is. (Like any car with hi-po tires on it)
With snow tires is behaves great in the snow.
I've got Pilot Sport A/S and my god they are awesome!! i had to drive through this road not plowed with 2-3' of snow..went very slow and the car handled great
I hate to burst your bubble but 2-3" of snow is barely a dusting. That really is not any indication of a tire's snow ability.
Originally posted by BlackBirdRacing:
My buddy says, that driving blizzaks on the asphalt once the snow is gone will ruin them.
Your buddy=not smare. Very false. Give a call to Tire Rack and ask them. I'd like to hear the laughter.
I wish everyone was smare
Originally posted by DemonSVT:
I hate to burst your bubble but 2-3" of snow is barely a dusting. That really is not any indication of a tire's snow ability.
With H&r's anything deeper than 2-3 inches the car becomes a snow plow, and i dont care what kinda tires you got on. The contour is no snow plow. I know from first hand experience 
Originally posted by dubkatz:
Originally posted by DemonSVT:
I hate to burst your bubble but 2-3" of snow is barely a dusting. That really is not any indication of a tire's snow ability.
With H&r's anything deeper than 2-3 inches the car becomes a snow plow, and i dont care what kinda tires you got on. The contour is no snow plow. I know from first hand experience
I am running H&R's with Koni's and snow tires. So far as long as the streets are plowed its a great driver!
Originally posted by XKontour98:
Originally posted by dubkatz:
Originally posted by DemonSVT:
I hate to burst your bubble but 2-3" of snow is barely a dusting. That really is not any indication of a tire's snow ability.
With H&r's anything deeper than 2-3 inches the car becomes a snow plow, and i dont care what kinda tires you got on. The contour is no snow plow. I know from first hand experience
I am running H&R's with Koni's and snow tires. So far as long as the streets are plowed its a great driver!
Key word. PLOWED.
My car is amazing in the snow! We got socked with snow lastnight and I had to drive to work on unplowed roads that had snow as deep as the bottom of my licence plate in spots and I was able to plow to work at a steady 70-80kmh and not worry about dying. Traction with 4 snow tires is great,and I don't even have TC or ABS. My car is a beast in the snow.
Originally posted by BlackBirdRacing:
Originally posted by spdsk8r:
I have Blizzak's on mine. It is almost as good in the snow as our Jeep Liberty LTD.
think I could get away with just two front blizzaks?
And some steelies outta the junk yard?
My buddy says, that driving blizzaks on the asphalt once the snow is gone will ruin them.
What's you take, will i get more than one season outta these?
Pretty sure that your insurance co won't cover you if you have summer tires in the winter, even on the non-drive wheels.
The blizzaks are fine on asphalt as long as its below 8*C or so.
First snowfall we had here in Vancouver I hadn't switched yet, and sure enough i started sliding backwards when I stopped in traffic, uphill, on slush.
When I made it safe off that stupid hill first thing I did was get the snow tires mounted ...
Originally posted by todras:
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
todd you are soo wrong on that one u need to remember a SVT has traction control and ABS SE's don't. and i have heard goodyear aquatread's are good snow tires. so i have to say my contour sucks in the snow.i hit the gas my tires spin, i hit the brakes my car slides. the only way my car does good in the snow is if you go 30 MPH and remember to be patient.
Originally posted by lizard:
todd you are soo wrong on that one u need to remember a SVT has traction control and ABS SE's don't.
uummm,
my SVT doesn't have traction control.
I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one...
Originally posted by BlackBirdRacing:
Originally posted by lizard:
todd you are soo wrong on that one u need to remember a SVT has traction control and ABS SE's don't.
uummm,
my SVT doesn't have traction control.
I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one...
Most of them don't .. it's an *extremely* rare option (recorded on two SVTs on here, I believe?).
Secondly you've got to be an idiot to drive faster than 30MPH and expect the car to handle like it does on dry pavement .. snow tires or not. I don't even go faster than 30MPH in snow to begin with!
you can't screw with todras man...
Don't you know todd spelled backwards is
GOD!!
I drove my SVT a few days ago when there was 6-7" of fresh snow on the road. The Falkiens slipped quite a lot but they behaved decent for a pseudo all weather tire. I definitely was plowing though.
I'm sure the 3L, hyper throttle response, and manual transmission don't help there.
Originally posted by lizard:
todd you are soo wrong on that one u need to remember a SVT has traction control and ABS SE's don't. and i have heard goodyear aquatread's are good snow tires. so i have to say my contour sucks in the snow.i hit the gas my tires spin, i hit the brakes my car slides. the only way my car does good in the snow is if you go 30 MPH and remember to be patient.
All first generation SE's (the real SE's) came with traction control standard - not so with the SVT's.
And I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that Goodyear Aquatreads are not snow tires. What tires do you run the rest of the year.
Originally posted by BlackBirdRacing:
Originally posted by spdsk8r:
I have Blizzak's on mine. It is almost as good in the snow as our Jeep Liberty LTD.
think I could get away with just two front blizzaks?
And some steelies outta the junk yard?
NO NO NO! A thousand times no. Unless your driving would be limited to drving up perfectly straight snow-covered hills, it'd be safer if you had no snow tires at all.
Yeah, yesterday I got to drive on 6" of fresh snow. I hated the contour on my all seasons, an absolute nightmare to drive in during any snow storm. However, this year I got this Blizzaks, and oh man, what a difference.
Do yourself a favor and buy a decent snow tire, hell get them used if they have okay tread life. There's a ton of ads here for used snow tires, and get some steelies from a junkyard. It's a total different ball game w/snow tires.
Originally posted by 96RedSE5Sp:
Originally posted by BlackBirdRacing:
Originally posted by spdsk8r:
I have Blizzak's on mine. It is almost as good in the snow as our Jeep Liberty LTD.
think I could get away with just two front blizzaks?
And some steelies outta the junk yard?
NO NO NO! A thousand times no. Unless your driving would be limited to drving up perfectly straight snow-covered hills, it'd be safer if you had no snow tires at all.
I had been driving a car in the winter with snow tires only on the front. it was the best driving car in the snow i have ever driven. not unpredictable at all.that honestly sounds like something the tire companies make up to get you to buy 4. if you live in an area with alot of hills and only have 2 snow tires like i do, then put them on the front.
Originally posted by todras:
If you state a Contour sucks in the snow you don't have adequate tires. I'm guessing all seasons. Any FWD car with good tires does a great job in the snow.
Exactly. How can one say this or that car suxxx in the snow, when the main factors are tires and having an MTX vs ATX plus some basic winter driving knowledge/experience?
Beats me... it's like to say, "I got pulled over by cops for speeding while driving a Contour; thus Contour suxxxx" 
Originally posted by guitarman19853:
I had been driving a car in the winter with snow tires only on the front. it was the best driving car in the snow i have ever driven. not unpredictable at all.that honestly sounds like something the tire companies make up to get you to buy 4. if you live in an area with alot of hills and only have 2 snow tires like i do, then put them on the front.
Thats like claiming that Russian Roulette is safe because you didn't get your head blown off. Its extremely dangerous to drive any FWD car that has substantially more traction on the front tires. You're just asking for trouble.
Originally posted by 96RedSE5Sp:
Originally posted by guitarman19853:
I had been driving a car in the winter with snow tires only on the front. it was the best driving car in the snow i have ever driven. not unpredictable at all.that honestly sounds like something the tire companies make up to get you to buy 4. if you live in an area with alot of hills and only have 2 snow tires like i do, then put them on the front.
Thats like claiming that Russian Roulette is safe because you didn't get your head blown off. Its extremely dangerous to drive any FWD car that has substantially more traction on the front tires. You're just asking for trouble.
if you know the limits of the rear tires then thats what matters... in my area its more important to be able to get up hills than have cornering grip... its a trade off between getting stuck on a hill and having to take corners slower and more carefully.
I regularly (every other week at least) drove back and forth to school at 30-35 mph on windy completely snow covered roads (they dont do a good job on cleaning roads in the middle of nowhere) and i must say that the car had the ability to handle well enough that i was going faster than all of the cars that i would get stuck behind
If you're spinning in a car with snow tires in the front, then you are going too fast.
Originally posted by 96RedSE5Sp:
All first generation SE's (the real SE's) came with traction control standard - not so with the SVT's.
Not true, Traction Control was an option. I didn't order it on my 96 SE.
Originally posted by mean'tour:
You do have to be a little extra careful starting from a stop, since our cars are so powerful... Just take it easy.
I can't believe you just said that! 
Granted our cars are powerful but I consider powerful with like Mustangs and Cadillac Eldorado's. Just my opinion.
On the original tires, my SVTC was horrible in the snow, but after buying a new set of Dunlop Z-rated all weather tires of some sort in the Summer of '02, when the winter came... MAN! What a difference. I freakin' loved those tires, they seemed to excel at everything: When they were new that summer, I felt like I was driving a BMW 330 (unbelievable traction while accelerating, and that godly Bimmer-like steering) and again, my traction in the snow was beyond reproach.
I've since worn them out, and was underwhelmed by my current set of tires; I can't even remember what brand they are. Meh.
But yeah, a good set of all weather tires and you're golden. Snow tires, on a FWD MTX car and you're ready to drive to Point Barrow in January.
--T.J.
Originally posted by TJSwoboda:
On the original tires, my SVTC was horrible in the snow, but after buying a new set of Dunlop Z-rated all weather tires of some sort in the Summer of '02, when the winter came... MAN! What a difference. I freakin' loved those tires, they seemed to excel at everything: When they were new that summer, I felt like I was driving a BMW 330 (unbelievable traction while accelerating, and that godly Bimmer-like steering) and again, my traction in the snow was beyond reproach.
I've since worn them out, and was underwhelmed by my current set of tires; I can't even remember what brand they are. Meh.
But yeah, a good set of all weather tires and you're golden. Snow tires, on a FWD MTX car and you're ready to drive to Point Barrow in January.
--T.J.
Old girlfriend, skeered in the snow, had a V6 Citation (chevy)
I hung a full set, 4 wheels, of studded snows on that monkey. Talk about, "Get outta my way, I'm comin' thru" in the snow!!!! It'd probably have wipped my old 4wh full-time Dodge. 
Snow tires should always be purchased in sets of four. New tires in general should generally be purchased in sets of four. If only replacing one, replace the other one on the same side (basically buy a pair of tires) and make sure that the new tires are always mounted on the rear. Even if your car is FWD.
-SAV
Originally posted by SAV:
Snow tires should always be purchased in sets of four. New tires in general should generally be purchased in sets of four. If only replacing one, replace the other one on the same side (basically buy a pair of tires) and make sure that the new tires are always mounted on the rear. Even if your car is FWD.
-SAV
why? it would only make sence to have them in the front... and i still firmly believe that if you only have one pair of snow tires and need them, they would do the most good in the front
I guess for everybody it is different. When the front of the car has substancially more grip than the rear, you're going to get oversteer. I don't think this is a problem at all in a FWD, because correcting oversteer involves no more than a little throttle and pointing the driving wheels in the direction you want to go, the back will follow. I prefer snows up front, none in back, because I enjoy the potential oversteer thats on tap. However, for safety for drivers that may be less able to cope with oversteer, 4 tires would be safer.
My SVT proved a champ in the snow
In fact, the wheel spin and oversteer got boring, so a little e-brake didn't hurt anyone
I think I could do without the antilocks though. They go on when I hit the slightest patch of snow and then I can't stop
[first time driving mine in snow as well]
Originally posted by acammer:
I prefer snows up front, none in back.
wouldn't that be bad for the stock rotors...
I think I will leave some tires back there, it would probably roll batter.
Actually I think Stazi was getting at with the put the new tires in the back no matter what, is that the rear tires do not get worn as fast (unless in a FWD you like doing burnouts all the time) the front tires get the most wear, because of turning.
If I had a few extra bucks to just throw away, I'd get me a set of steelies from a junkyard or where my friend works (at a tire store) and I'd also get a pair of all terrian truck tires for the winter and put on my car, now that would be great in the snow.
Originally posted by guitarman19853:
why? it would only make sence to have them in the front...
...if you prefer snap oversteer in the rain. I didn't believe it either until I was rounding the bend in the rain from my girlfriend's house to my house (we live about a block away from eachother) and the back of my FWD Escort slid right around and I ended up in some guy's front yard.
Originally posted by Michelin Article:
Let's say you drive a Nissan Altima and you notice your rear tires have 50 percent of their tread left, but the front tires are worn and need to be replaced. You go to your local tire shop, and they happily pull the fronts off and fit a set of brand new ones in their place. Is there anything wrong with this scenario? It seems logical, even the safe way to go, right?
We were given the keys to two identical Altimas, one with new tires on the front and half-worn tires on the rear and the other car with just the opposite front/rear setup. On a half-mile polished-concrete, wet skidpad, we approached 55 mph in the car with worn front tires. The only hint of a problem was that the steering would occasionally get light, and we found ourselves intuitively slowing down to avoid understeer (running wide of a turn).
Switching to the car with the new front/worn rears (as the tire shop suggested), we again approached 55 mph. Suddenly, the car snapped its tail out, and we were beyond oversteer and well into an off-pavement excursion. We were no longer drivers, but passengers in a car spinning out of control. We tried a second time. Even when anticipating the moment the car would break loose, there was no time to correct for the slide because it happened so fast. By the third attempt, we finally learned how to regain control of the car.
The problem is that, in reality, you don't get three chances to avoid an accident. Next time you buy two new tires, insist that they go on the rear, not the front of your car. It doesn't matter if it's an all-, front-, or rear-wheel-drive car: Always put the fresh ones on the back.
Article Linkcan be found here.
-SAV
Ditto last post...
Had my car inspected last feb/march, the shop rotated back tires to front. Well the fronts were almost shot and the rears were nice.
So now I had good tires up front and [censored] in the back. Went around a right hand turn doing 35 and the ass just let loose and almost took me and the car because I didn't expect it. It wasn't till after that I realized they put the crappy tires on the back.
obviously dont have 2 bald tires and 2 new tires. if you have to buy only 2 snow tires i would probably put them on the front assuming u have allseasons with lots of tread in the back. now if u have hipo tires please dont think having snow tires in the front and hipo's in the back is a good idea. i cant stand seeing these hondas with steelies in the front and their 18s in the back with rubberbands. the winter's gonna eat up the wheels to start, wear out the summer tires and wont match the front tires stored away (rotation is gonna be thrown off), and summer tires simply arent made to handle temps below like 40F. different rubber compound and all. you might as well have comletely bald tires in the rear on those 18s. buy 4 snow tires. if all u do is drive straight then put the 2 snows in the back. if u have to turn onto a hill like my street your gonna want snow tires on the front wheels and very slow gas in 2nd to creep onto my street and make the turn. get the 4 snow tires.
and if u have gc's, raise them. thats the advantage of them and get it realigned. i do it before and after winter.
Look at the article SAV posted - 55mph wet skidpad??
If anyone is taking corners at 55 MPH in heavy rain or snow your asking for trouble no matter what tires your running.
If your going to run 2 snow tires you should put them on the front. Why? B/C the front tires need traction for accelleration AND braking. Which is more important, being able to stop quickly or taking corners at 55 in the snow?
The spinout problem can be solved by taking corners slower.
Originally posted by akrump47:
Look at the article SAV posted - 55mph wet skidpad?? If anyone is taking corners at 55 MPH in heavy rain or snow your asking for trouble no matter what tires your running.
Because when you travel on the interstate, it's a perfectly straight line and you only do 40 mph, right? 
BTW, great job comparing snow tires and non-snow tires in the article, and then making a judgment based on a comparison that nobody else was talking about. The fact of the matter is that you don't need to be going 55 mph for the rear end to break loose if your tires are bad enough. I was only doing 30 in my instance and the rear still snapped out on me.
Geez. 
-SAV
OK point taken about non-snow tires in the article. But I stand behind my comment about having 2 snow tires in the front if your going to only have 2 of them. And adjust your driving habits accordingly.
Originally posted by akrump47:
Look at the article SAV posted - 55mph wet skidpad?? If anyone is taking corners at 55 MPH in heavy rain or snow your asking for trouble no matter what tires your running.
If your going to run 2 snow tires you should put them on the front. Why? B/C the front tires need traction for accelleration AND braking. Which is more important, being able to stop quickly or taking corners at 55 in the snow? The spinout problem can be solved by taking corners slower.
You should always run 4 tires of the same type. Running snow tires only in the front makes a car dangerously prone to snap oversteer in snow or icy conditions. Even at very low speeds.
akrump, it doesn't mention the size of the skidpad. Making assumptions about how tight the "corner" in that case is ignorant at best. Either way, it demonstrates how dangerous a car can be if it has more grip in the front than rear.
I put my factory 16's back on with those new Nitto NT SN1 snow tires and wow I couldn't have been more please for the $359 I spent on them. I had to drive the first day of winter on my 17's with 215/45's not pretty. Definately get a set of winter tires if you are driving an SVT in the winter or any car for that matter.
Rara I agree 100%, and I have experienced the snap oversteer from bad rear tires before. My point is that - if for whatever reason youre forced to run only 2 snow tires, like I was last weekend for a short time, they need to go on the front otherwise the car will barely be able to acellerate or stop at all in any kind of snow or ice.
Originally posted by akrump47:
Rara I agree 100%, and I have experienced the snap oversteer from bad rear tires before. My point is that - if for whatever reason youre forced to run only 2 snow tires, like I was last weekend for a short time, they need to go on the front otherwise the car will barely be able to acellerate or stop at all in any kind of snow or ice.
If they are on the rear, you may have difficulty accelerating, but at least you will be able to consistantly control the car. Either way, putting only half a set of snows on is a bad idea.
i have 4 new snow tires on my lx, and its incredible compared to the 16" stock focus tires that were on my focus last winter, that thing wouldnt go anywhere, now with these new tires on the contour i park in my front yard when there is no room, i live in erie, pa, we get plenty of snow
It wasnt accelleration but braking and steering that really scared me with the G-force tires - as in the front end felt like it was ice-skating. I'd never ever leave those on the front if I had to choose between front and rear snows again.
Hell, my Tour doesn't handle snow very well, but the Mustang is downright scary! Way too much rear wheel torque and Z rated summer tires. The tour is my winter vehicle but the Yokahama yk420s on it suck in the snow.