Winter tires and rims.

[J. Peterman]

I am looking for new winter tires for my Honda Accord 2004, can anyone make a suggestion for the best brand? I am also looking for rims for these tires, used or new, where would be the best place to find them?
I realize that some of these threads are not SP and MP related, but isn't the lounge the place for all the members to share info to enrich their lives outside of MP and SP activities?

 

[Thetis]

the best winter tires

I drive a 2004 subaru WRX sti, i wanted the best winter tires, but they had to last more than one winter, example: the bonding chemical in blizzaks wears off very fast. after some careful research, i found out that the creme de la creme of winter tires are by NOKIAN, its a swedish tire, and they are amazing, they performed perfect last winter, i highly recommend them.

http://www.nokian.com/

 

[G1GBallday]

I have a 300HP rear wheel drive car that I drive year round in Quebec City and I use Bridgestone Blizzaks LM-22. They are the best winter tires I've ever owned.

As for steel rims, any tire or Honda dealer can help you out.

PS. I think the LM-22 are being discontinued and replaced by the LM-25.

 

[kandy&kink]

I tryed the blizzaks lm-22 fine tire but kind of soft for high speed driving. For me the best high performance tires I have owned is the pirelli winter 240 snowsport.

 

[G1GBallday]

I tryed the blizzaks lm-22 fine tire but kind of soft for high speed driving. For me the best high performance tires I have owned is the pirelli winter 240 snowsport.

I’m a little surprised you found them soft for high speeds. I inflate to 40psi (cold) which is 5 psi higher than recommended by the manufacturer because my pressure sensors always freak out in winter if I only use 35psi. Despite the extra firmness I find them very smooth on pavement with surprisingly good handling for winter tires.

The LM-22 have a V speed rating so that also influenced my choice which happened to be very limited because I keep my mags on and need 18" tires. I haven’t come across any other brand that offers V-rated winter tires so far.

 

[kandy&kink]

The snowsport 240 is rated V and I get mine in extras load version it gives it even more stifness also the recomended psi is 42lbs.

 

[G1GBallday]

The snowsport 240 is rated V

Thanks, that's good to know.

I did a comparison of the two on www.tirerack.com and the 240 outrate the LM-22 in ride and noise comfort and tread wear. They are also a little cheaper.

I'll have to check them out when it's time to replace my Blizzaks.

 

[seeking]

well seeming as they don't make snow tires like blizzak in 31" I have to settle for canadian tire mud&snow with studs, mind you when it gets icy out (or they haven't bothered to clean the street in 2-3 days) I'm not slipping and sliding (but I do sound like hell on dry road).

 

[Special K]

Four Hakkapeliittas cost less than 2 hours with an I-N girl. Who's afraid of a little snow.

Regnad,

Just wondering, what exactly is a Hakkapeliittas?

Go Sox,

SK

 

[Doc Holliday]

Nokian, the best snow tires around!

Wrong....Bridgestone's Blizzak is the best. Put this in the bank!

 

[Special K]

Perhaps we should start a snow tire thread and leave this one be???

 

[Mod 2]

A thread already existed. I split & merged it.

M2

 

[MG_mtl]

Sorry Chloe, but I will have to dissagree with you on that one. An all seasons tire will freeze much faster then a winter tire. So when you drive at 20 below on a cold night and you hit the brakes your all seasons, they will not stick to the pavement (not ice, the pavement) as well as your winter tires which stay softer under cold conditions and will stick to the pavement much better. You're talking about much better handling in winter conditions. + try parking on Ste-Catherine with the big snow banks with all seasons... then try getting out ! You know how many days it can take those guys to get the snow out of the streets ! I really see a BIG difference between the 2 types of tires and will not be cheap with my life. It is worth the investment IMOHO.

My 2 cents.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Bridgestone makes a very good tire for AWD (all wheel drive) vehicles. I recently got well over 50,000 miles on a set of Bridgestones which I absolutely beat the shit out of with numerous hard highway miles on I-95 and I-91 and numerous trips to Montreal.

Please note that with AWD, when one of the tires goes, you have to replace all 4. You can't do it one at a time as with a non-AWD vehicle.

 

[metoo4]

There is not such a big difference between 4 seasons and winter tire: there is a HUGE difference. I spent the first winter with my new car's 4 season and I tought the car was shit on slippery roads. Last winter, 4 real winter tires and wow! Not the same car!

At a time, my mom and I had the same exact car. She didn't believe in winter tire so had 4 seasons. I had Pirelli winter tires at the time. I took both cars to a parking lot, after a slight storm had left 2-3 inches of snow on an icy packed snow base. I had to force my car into skidding with the handbrake while her's was going wild just by turning and releasing the accelerator at the same time. And that was at 20km/h! The test was repeated on a frozen lake, at 80km/hr. My car would skid but I could still control it enough to prevent doing 180 degrees. On a road, I would have still hit the ditch but, at least, I had a slight chance to select what I was going to hit. With my mom's car, it was "round and round" with even complete 360! It was impossible to control or predict where you would end-up.

Numerous times since then, when a traffic light pass to green and it's slippery, I see guys skidding and spinning while I just start and pass them like it was summer. Numerous times, on the highway, I see cars in the ditch when mine doesn't even slip when I stop to help them. These peoples mostly, 4 times out of 5, have 4 seasons tires...

It's been proven in numerous tests, 4 seasons becomes almost as usefull as "slicks" on water when the temperature gets to -10C (14F). It was proved that the best 4 season, at -10C was not even close to the worst winter tire in terms of traction and stickyness. CAA is not affiliated with tire companies and urge peoples to install winter tires. Some north europeean countries even have laws making them mandatory between certain dates. In Québec, such a law is currently being discussed.

As far as ecology is concerned, I'm ready to do my part, but not at the expenses of my life so, 4 winter tires it is for me. And don't use them until the thread wear indicator shows-up: they are useless in snow past around 70-80% of thread wear. Just thinking about all the peoples who don't believe in winter tires and keep even 4 season till the thread wear indicator shows-up gives me goose bumps... Inappropriate tires in bad shape... Brrr!

 

[metoo4]

Please note that with AWD, when one of the tires goes, you have to replace all 4. You can't do it one at a time as with a non-AWD vehicle.

Absolutely right for the AWD or the AWD system might start acting up. One way or another, for both 2WD and AWD, if the tire is more than 50% worn (even less if you're picky like me) if you have to replace 1 tire, you should replace the other one on the same axle. If you don't do this, the car will start pulling to one side (the side with the old tire) because the old tire will be smaller. It might not be pulling hard enough to be annoying on dry pavement but, on icy or rainy condition, it might be enough to cause a lost of control while trying to compensate.

- Never put different model/brand of tires on the same axle and, as much as possible, keep all tires the same.
- Never put only 2 winter tires, always go with 4.
- On a front weel drive, if you insist in using only 2 winter tires, put them on the REAR axle: what you want is stability, not traction. Stability will keep you safe, traction will make you get at higher speed just fast enough to realize the back won't follow you in a curve. Basically, with winter tires only on the front weels, traction will get you in trouble faster and lack of stability will ensure you don't come back. With winter tires only in the back, if you can't get out of the snow because you don't have enough traction, you won't kill yourself because you went in an uncontrolled spin.

 

[Doc Holliday]

My two cents: Winter tires for city folks are a waste of money. Unless you often drive in bad winter conditions you shouldn't bother buying them. Plus, not to be a granola-chicky or anything, but two times more tires is two times more polution, recycling tax or not.

Chloë

I disagree with this. Driving anywhere with a winter tire as compared to any other tired is like night & day. It's so much better, and you instantly notice the difference. I drove for nearly 20 years in winter time with all-season tires. My former boss used to call them "all-season-except-winter' tires. Five years ago, i didn't trust the tires that i had, so i purchased Motomaster Ice Tracks, at my local Canadian Tire store. I noticed quite a difference. However, not as much as 2 years ago, when i put the best-of-the best: Bridgestone's Blizzak tires, which are dubbed 'the tire that sticks to ice'. The difference was incredible! I felt like my car had turned into a 4X4 all-terrain vehicle!

On a similar topic, the Ontario Gov't will be allowing motorists in northern Ontario to drive with studded tires, which had been banned over 30 years ago because they were destroying highways. Other provinces allow such tires, which are safer. The reasoning was that it allows drivers a better chance of not wiping out during icy road conditions. Plus, it can't be worse for the roads than the salt they're spreading on it in order to melt the ice. It also can't be worse than the damage tractor-trailers cause to the roads, due to their weight.

Bottom line: Winter tires do save lives. Many. They also keep insurance premiums low.

JaJ

 

[BiGBoy]

well i use winter tire cause winter tires are made of a rubber that have more grip in colder temperature compared to a allseason tire they have different type of rubber that why they don't last in summer compared to a allseason witch is made of a softer rubber.

 

[J. Peterman]

Canadian tire just fine.

This winter I installed a new set of winter tires from Canadian Tire. They only have 2 types in their house brand, I took the cheaper of the two. i found them to be quite good, and have had better traction with them than other winter tires I have bought from years ago. I hope this ifo helps out for the next winter.

 

[J. Peterman]

Dunlop winter tires at Walmart. (cheaper than CDN tire, much better quality)

I would like to alert all merbites that are planning to purchase winter tires but have not done so to look at Dunlop Graspics at Walmart. You can get these tires for less than you can for the Canadian Tire Goodyear winter tires. ( by about $6 per tire on my car ) These tires are very good quality with a "Q" rating ( tested to 160 KMH )
When you see these tires on the rack you will be impressed by the agressive tread on the tires. ( they look like sneaker bottoms ) I tried out a set on my second car this last icy week end and was very impressed with the grip at a price lower than CDN tire.
I understand that these tires are manufactured with a very soft rubber compound that does the job well and grips the pavement and ice in the winter. This being the case, it is suggested that you remeove these tires soon after the temperature goes above 10 C.