Snow tires vs. M+S rated tires - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

elchivito · #16 11-12-2011, 12:11 PM

buying a set of dedicated rims isn't out of the question, but Bridgestones are.

Stoneseller · #17 11-12-2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

buying a set of dedicated rims isn't out of the question, but Bridgestones are.

I'm curious now.
I actually just recently invested in a set of dedicated winter wheels & Bridgestone Blizzaks. I've not yet put them on the vehicle, waiting at least another month here in MD.
Everything I read lead me to believe the Blizzaks to be an excellent tire?

t walgamuth · #18 11-12-2011, 01:38 PM

I grew up in the snow belt and in the last 40 or so years of driving have bought snow tires just once, for my 99 Durango 2wd after my wife spun it off the interstate one day and mowed down a fence.

They didn't seem to help much though.

With 4wd at least around here I would not bother. The snow is scraped off and melted down to salty water within a couple of days usually and snow tires then become something to wear out and fiddle around with.

Stoney · #19 11-12-2011, 06:51 PM

Slapped a set of these on when I bought the car and was quite impressed with their ability last winter after the 18-22" snowfall here in New York City.

I was climbing hilly streets on 12" of packed snow/ice with no worries.

The are also champs in the rain, no hydroplaning at all.

elchivito · #20 11-12-2011, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoneseller

I'm curious now.
I actually just recently invested in a set of dedicated winter wheels & Bridgestone Blizzaks. I've not yet put them on the vehicle, waiting at least another month here in MD.
Everything I read lead me to believe the Blizzaks to be an excellent tire?

I'm sure they are, they have rave reviews.
I can't fault anyone for buying Bridgestones and am sure they build some fine tires. Here's why I won't buy them ever again. I took a 14 passenger school van loaded with other people's children on a long overnight field trip to the southern part of the state. The van had 5 new Bridgestones. They still had the nubbins on them. The passenger side front tire bubbled up and exploded before I was even aware what was thumping, at 60 mph. My belief in angels was forever sealed at that moment, as I somehow kept the vehicle upright on a two lane road with no shoulder. Ever been in a 14ps van loaded to the hilt that's trying to roll? The tread wrapped itself around the front axle and we had to use improvised pry bars to get it off. 90 miles further north passing thru phoenix the back driver's side tire began to thump. I immediately left the freeway and coasted in to a McD's parking lot to discover a nearly melon sized sidewall bubble ready to blow. It was 630 p.m. There was a Costco about 2 miles away so I called their tire center and the guy offered to wait for me. I off loaded everybody and limped over to Costco where I bought, with a district credit card, FIVE new high dollar Michelins and stuffed the Bridgestones into a parent's pickup who was following in our caravan. What are the odds of losing two brand new identical tires in under a hundred miles on the same vehicle? I'm betting the Powerball is better odds. I can't get around the distaste I have for that tire brand, nor do I wish to.

Stoneseller · #21 11-12-2011, 07:40 PM

That certainly reads like a great reason to avoid the brand.

I hope I have better luck this winter with my B.B. DM-V1's.

I am a long time Michelin loyalist, but Michelin offers very limited options in the size i need for my current ride.

Thanks for that info!

Xlimodriver · #22 11-13-2011, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

The other choice is Nokian WR's. They are all season but they're made to work well in the snow and cold. I put 50k on mine.

Nokian WR is a winter tire suitable for year round use because it has lower rolling resistance and better wear in summer than typical winter tires. However, not all winter tires are equal, and if you look at the Nokian website, you will see that they have a range of winter tires reflecting different compromises for different driving needs. The Nokian Hakkapeliittas are their "true" snow tires (we have Hakka4s), and they are better in deep snow than the WR. The WR is aimed more at German drivers (high speed, less snow, more wet), whereas the Hakkas are aimed at Scandinavian drivers (snow covered roads). RSI is somewhere in between. Pick the tire that suits your needs. Nokian makes some of the best snow tires on the market. Someone in Toronto or Vancouver who mainly commutes in the city and doesn't want to swap tires might really like the WRs. In general though, attributes of good winter tires and good summer tires are opposites (eg winter tires should be narrow, summer tires should be wide), so something will be compromised in any year round tire vs. performance season specific tires. Using a friction tire (like WR) year round will reduce its ice grip each winter. Some asked about using winter tires in summer, but in addition to the tread wearing quickly, winter tires have worse rolling resistance than summer tires, so they are noisier and use a little more fuel. Summer tires are better than winter or all-season tires in summer!

Check this site @ CBC.ca - Marketplace - Your winter tire questions answered

elchivito · #23 11-13-2011, 08:25 AM

That's a great link and I'm having my son read it. We've decided on two seasonal sets. Not sure on which winter tire yet, still reading. He's liking a Hankook right now, and they do have rave reviews on tire rack and discount tire's websites.

Thanks!

Stoney · #24 11-13-2011, 08:38 AM

I had the same merde happen with spanking new Generals and Pirellis.
2 at speed sidewall failures in 1 week with the General All Seasons (which General refusedd to replace) and cord/belt separation on the Pirellis that resulted in the rear tires losing the entire tread portion of the tire leaving only the casing (Pirelli did replace them).
The deler replaced thre General All Seasons when General refused to act. I have never bought a General product since. Continental is worse-I had the sidewalls develop what looked like bunches of grapes which meant the sidewall was not made correctly. Think Conti did anything? Not until I sued them in Small Claims and invited the local Cionsumer Reported to attend as a guest. All of a sudden they wanted to give me 2 sets of new tires (1 to replace the baddies and 1 to STFU). I refused and said show me the deutchmarks and refund for the set of 4 plus cost of replacements plus $1500 which the court awarded and the Rep. sheepishly wrote the check on the spot.

Goodyear and Nokkia are the few that will honor the warranty no matter what happens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

I'm sure they are, they have rave reviews.
I can't fault anyone for buying Bridgestones and am sure they build some fine tires. Here's why I won't buy them ever again. I took a 14 passenger school van loaded with other people's children on a long overnight field trip to the southern part of the state. The van had 5 new Bridgestones. They still had the nubbins on them. The passenger side front tire bubbled up and exploded before I was even aware what was thumping, at 60 mph. My belief in angels was forever sealed at that moment, as I somehow kept the vehicle upright on a two lane road with no shoulder. Ever been in a 14ps van loaded to the hilt that's trying to roll? The tread wrapped itself around the front axle and we had to use improvised pry bars to get it off. 90 miles further north passing thru phoenix the back driver's side tire began to thump. I immediately left the freeway and coasted in to a McD's parking lot to discover a nearly melon sized sidewall bubble ready to blow. It was 630 p.m. There was a Costco about 2 miles away so I called their tire center and the guy offered to wait for me. I off loaded everybody and limped over to Costco where I bought, with a district credit card, FIVE new high dollar Michelins and stuffed the Bridgestones into a parent's pickup who was following in our caravan. What are the odds of losing two brand new identical tires in under a hundred miles on the same vehicle? I'm betting the Powerball is better odds. I can't get around the distaste I have for that tire brand, nor do I wish to.

t walgamuth · #25 11-13-2011, 09:03 AM

I like the looks of that Nokia. I presume the outside is for summer which takes the wear and cornering while the inside is for winter where you cannot generate much in the way of lateral G.

aklim · #26 11-13-2011, 09:05 AM

For my snow tires, I put them on when I see the forecast predicting snow and take them off a few days after that.

elchivito · #27 11-13-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

For my snow tires, I put them on when I see the forecast predicting snow and take them off a few days after that.

Doesn't sound like any fun. How many times a winter do you have to do that?

From reading it looks to me like the issue on winter tire wear is more a factor of temperature than snow or ice. 45 degrees seems to be the high cutoff point for most dedicated winter tire compounds where wear will begin to increase.

aklim · #28 11-13-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

Doesn't sound like any fun. How many times a winter do you have to do that?

From reading it looks to me like the issue on winter tire wear is more a factor of temperature than snow or ice. 45 degrees seems to be the high cutoff point for most dedicated winter tire compounds where wear will begin to increase.

No more than 10 times. More likely 5 or 6 times a season. You see, just because there is a dusting doesn't mean I will put them on. There has to be some real snow and accumulation before I put them on.

It isn't because of the wearing so much as it is that they are kinda squishy and I don't like them for regular driving. With my 201, I could drive uphill in the snow and accelerate a little too. IIRC, it seems like they are good about 1/3 to 1/2 of their wear on the snow before it becomes like a regular tire because of the siping that wore off. Short way of saying it is that I don't like the feel and try not to wear it too much, in that order.

Xlimodriver · #29 11-13-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I like the looks of that Nokia. I presume the outside is for summer which takes the wear and cornering while the inside is for winter where you cannot generate much in the way of lateral G.

I actually only use my Nokia in the summer, I find that the BlackBerry has more grip in the snow.

Kuan · #30 11-13-2011, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

No more than 10 times. More likely 5 or 6 times a season. You see, just because there is a dusting doesn't mean I will put them on. There has to be some real snow and accumulation before I put them on.

OMG what you trying to make them last 20 years? They'll last like 3-4 seasons already anyway. (for normal people)