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  #1  
Old 03-03-2002, 11:33 AM
steve hutson
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ever wider,wider,wider!

My first experience of driving on ice in my 99E300 occurred yesterday morning in Dallas. The temperature was 28deg, wind
was blowing 20-30 mph sheet ice was everywhere. What annoyed me other than watching other people driving recklessly in those conditions was how poorly my car handled. It wandered
all over the place, sliding, catching ice grooves etc. When I got home I took the 87 wagon to the store and was impressed at how well it handled the conditions. Both cars have Continental tires, the only difference being in the width of the tires. I've noticed that as the years pass, tires seem to be wider, with a lower profile. This may work for track test conditions, but is it really better for all-around real-world driving? Does the extra rubber contact of the wider tire produce more opportunity for hydroplaning and slipping? It seems that it would. I'm thinking of replacing the tires on the 99 with the next narrower tire when the time comes. Any opinions from the panel?

Thanks
Steve

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Old 03-03-2002, 02:46 PM
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Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,638
Steve- my understanding is that for ice & snow, wide tires are not recommended because it makes for a wider surface area to SURF ontop of the snow & ice.

What you want is a tall & fairly skinny tire that still meets your load ratings.

When spring driving through snow & ice on the BearTooth Highway straddling Montanna & Wyoming, instead of the normal 215 front 225 rear tires, I went with the stock-size of 195/65VR15 with all-season tires.

If you're having more than 15 straight days of snow & ice, I'd mount a 195 or 205 series tire (with the same overall diameter of 25-25.5 inches) in a nice Nokian tire (several to choose from) http://www.nokiantires.com/indexen.html

I'd try the Nokian WR for occasional snow/ice needs, or the dedicated winter-line of tires known as "Hakkapeliitta".

Good luck,
:-) neil
1988 360TE AMG
1993 500E
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  #3  
Old 03-03-2002, 04:30 PM
steve hutson
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Neil,
thanks for the fedback. I had Nokian NRVs on a 95 E300 and was really pleased with them, and I'm sure you are right that there isn't anything better for snow and ice than Nokian tires. Down here, if we get fifteen days in a row of anything it is either 100deg days or no rain!
Steve

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