Thats not the largest list of tires available I've sen but one of those should work. Most of the guys I know recommend something else over anyone one of those tires...I guess thats why I was saying it was a pain to find a tire to fit, its like you have to just accept an alternative instead.

 

i've got hankook icebear, but i would recommend bilzzak's over them. Just another to add to that list.

 

Nope. Drove into the tire place, said drive an RA. Dude said here are 6 or 7 different options, here are the 2 or 3 types I reccomend. I asked him to price me 15" steelies and tires to match, still had all the same tire choices. All the major brands have snow tires.

This will only be difficult if you try to buy snowtires someplace it never snows. Just move to Colorado and you'll have more choices in snow tires than you would ever want to think about.

 

I would hardly consider those tires "alternatives." Blizzaks are pretty much the best studless snow tires there are for passenger cars.

 

I'm interested to hear what your all-knowing acquaintances would recommend as a snow tire. If there's a snow tire that's better than what's on that list, I'd like to hear about it.

 

i love eternal summer...

 

 

someone should start a new thread for snow tires, this one is titled "traction with a LSD installed".

 

I wasn't stating they were crappy, aren't there tires with comperable performance that last longer than those Blizzaks

 

I think it has been answered...yes it provides traction but it would take some getting used to at first. Besides tires it's probibly the next best handling mod(that or coilovers)

 

Depends on the Blizzak. The WS-50 has the best traction, but might not last as long and isn't high-speed (80+) rated. That's where the LM-25 comes in. Still great snow traction, but better wear rating, and okay for high-speed driving (150.) Also, keep in mind that with winter tires, they're designed to driving in low temps, as long as you know to take them off when temps start getting at or above 40, then they'll last quite awhile.

 

**random resurrection**

Figured since this thread exists that i would update it instead of making a new one...i'm bored, it's late, and i'm waiting for a youtube upload...

I'll start by clearing up a few things.

LSD in the winter is awesome once you get used to it, but it has its drawbacks, which are easily swept under the rug.

If you're easy on the throttle, you can accelerate quickly in the snow... however, if you're not easy on the throttle, it is very easy to break loose, which means, because it's an LSD, both wheels break loose, meaning you no longer have steering...lol, sounds bad, but once you get used to it this can be avoided.

When turning/cornering again if you're easy on the throttle, both wheels try to pull you in the direction you are pointing them, so as long as you don't break them loose, you will go that way quicker than the stock diff...

Another thing is if you do break the tires loose, having both wheels going roughly the same speed, it's actually very predictable and easy to compensate, even if it does require "oversteer" to correct the obvious understeer you would experience while spinning both front wheels faster than the car is actually moving. It's very easy to control, even if you have to steer half way to lock to correct for minor front end drift during wheel spin. Again once you get used to it, it's very easy to control, and very predictable.

You basically take what you know about winter driving, and add in a new dynamic which is throttle control...that's really the only drawback of the LSD in winter conditions, keep the wheels from spinning excessively and it's amazing...but again, if you play with it a bit, you'll get a feel for it, and even if you get 2 wheel spin, it's so predictable and easy to compensate that you can pretty much drive around with your tires spinning...

Obviously you don't drive at speeds above what you can safely stop in a reasonable distance, just because you can get up to speed easily...it's like the 4x4 dummies you always see with their jeep on the back of a flat bed tow truck, cause they think that a 4 wheel drive will somehow be able to corner and brake at high speeds in snow and ice, because they have good traction...don't be that guy...

 

(Imitates the family fued contestants) GOOD ANSWER GOOD ANSWER

actually, I just wanted to post on this thread to tell otter how much I like his new advatar.

 

Well if I'm not easy on the throttle in snow I wheel spin in 5th quite effortlessly. I rather wheel spin with an LSD than without.
What happens when you are driving say 60-80km/h and hit a patch of snow or ice with only the wheels on one side ?

For me, the front wheel that hits the patch spins up and the car pulls to that side. Does the LSD react quickly enough to prevent such ?





Well yes, LSD or not winter driving is throttle control especially when moving off up any incline no matter how gentle it seems in summer. I just use 2nd gear sometimes to move off. Even with throttle control though, going up an incline once which was much steeper than normal in Ottawa, I had the revs barely over idle, 1st gear, my right side wheel was spinning and the left one was barely moving at all, I went up at a slow march pace. To my mind, an LSD would have hauled the car up without issue. I do not understand why they are not basic OEM for markets with winter like ours, rather than the useless junk they keep offering. I mean an LSD is something that can be useful everyday. A GPS on the other hand ?
If you cannot find your way to work and back then take the bloody bus.

 

yeah, if one tire is on dry/wet pavement and the other is on snow/ice, you can just floor it, you'll go where the tire on the pavement is going. It's pretty awesome...it doesn't pull or hesitate




Good point...there's a pretty decent hill by my place, and i climbed it in the snow last night no problem...the front does drift when you break the tires loose, but again steer to compensate the other way and stay consistent oin the throttle and she'll keep going. I still use first, but not for long, and i'll tell ya, if i go to 3rd at low speed, and feather the throttle, i can get up to 80km/h pretty damn quick...

another thing, i pulled an 85 firebird with summer tires across sheer ice, up a slight incline in my dad in-law's back yard...he was impressed he didn't have to get the truck out...