Had winter tires installed today ! What a difference !!

[canadien99]

GTA and Souther Ontario with snow tires ... what a difference !

Before, i never changed into snow tires in the winter time and kept my all seasons.

Today, i took the plunge along with my wallet, and had 4 winter tires installed for my car using a single drop in speed rating.

Wow, what a difference it made ... now, i know why other cars on the highway can continue to drive that fast and still maintain control in the snow... it wasn't because of "braking" skill, it was because of their snow tires ....

I practiced "abrupt braking on the highway" from 120kpg, and it felt great !! That was fantastic control ...

Further, i went into the parking lot of the shopping mall after closing where they have a perfect clean layer of snow and "practiced" abrupt braking from 80-100 kph, and the feeling was great !

Never did i have that kind of "control" with all-seasons.

Am i getting over-confident about my winter tires ?

[rchong]

GTA and Souther Ontario with snow tires ... what a difference !

Before, i never changed into snow tires in the winter time and kept my all seasons.

Today, i took the plunge along with my wallet, and had 4 winter tires installed for my car using a single drop in speed rating.

Wow, what a difference it made ... now, i know why other cars on the highway can continue to drive that fast and still maintain control in the snow... it wasn't because of "braking" skill, it was because of their snow tires ....

I practiced "abrupt braking on the highway" from 120kpg, and it felt great !! That was fantastic control ...

Further, i went into the parking lot of the shopping mall after closing where they have a perfect clean layer of snow and "practiced" abrupt braking from 80-100 kph, and the feeling was great !

Never did i have that kind of "control" with all-seasons.

Am i getting over-confident about my winter tires ?

yes

[chinaboy1021]

please drive safe. also take note snow also comes in different kinds.

regard snow tires as regular tires, and for those odd moments, hopefully they come in handy.

[Billa-786]

Always better to be on the safe side......just remember the guy behind you might not have winter tires.

[canadien99]

Always better to be on the safe side......just remember the guy behind you might not have winter tires.

Amen.

[GoiNGPoSTaL]

GTA and Souther Ontario with snow tires ... what a difference !

Before, i never changed into snow tires in the winter time and kept my all seasons.

Today, i took the plunge along with my wallet, and had 4 winter tires installed for my car using a single drop in speed rating.

Wow, what a difference it made ... now, i know why other cars on the highway can continue to drive that fast and still maintain control in the snow... it wasn't because of "braking" skill, it was because of their snow tires ....

I practiced "abrupt braking on the highway" from 120kpg, and it felt great !! That was fantastic control ...

Further, i went into the parking lot of the shopping mall after closing where they have a perfect clean layer of snow and "practiced" abrupt braking from 80-100 kph, and the feeling was great !

Never did i have that kind of "control" with all-seasons.

Am i getting over-confident about my winter tires ?

I'm going to guess you'll be another notch in a ditches belt when you end up in one. You know one of those, "I don't understand why I crashed I had snow tires on?" or "What do you mean I can't drive 150 in these conditions, I got snow tires on?!" while in a ditch.

[BlizzardNeon]

Always better to be on the safe side......just remember the guy behind you might not have winter tires.


Then its not his fault its the guy without snowtires and the guy that didn't leave enough room to stop incase the driver in front had to hit his brakes, why should he remember the guy behind him he should worry about himself. I have been rearended one to many times to care about someone riding my rear and not giving himself time to stop, its there fault no one elses and they always get what the deserved.

[brendonp]

Then its not his fault its the guy without snowtires and the guy that didn't leave enough room to stop incase the driver in front had to hit his brakes, why should he remember the guy behind him he should worry about himself. I have been rearended one to many times to care about someone riding my rear and not giving himself time to stop, its there fault no one elses and they always get what the deserved.

This may be true, but it doesn't help you much when the guy that rear-ends you ends up killing you as well...

[Avatar]

Then its not his fault its the guy without snowtires and the guy that didn't leave enough room to stop incase the driver in front had to hit his brakes, why should he remember the guy behind him he should worry about himself. I have been rearended one to many times to care about someone riding my rear and not giving himself time to stop, its there fault no one elses and they always get what the deserved.

I agree it should always safe and watch cars behind you. However it happened to me once a while that the car behind me was just following TOO CLOSE that I couldn't even see the headlight. I just engine brake the hell of of it and I don't care about being rear ended. Should teach those kids a lesson sometime.

About the snow tires yes they do make difference. It's the first time I put them on after driving for so long and am wondering why I didn't got them on the first place. Kept rotating tires so the all season last longer too. The all season might not good for winter but still good for another summer season. So you save $$. Problem is that you have to keep the car for a long time. So it will be best to get the snow tires when you bought a brand new car.

[KorruptioN]

Same here. This is my first winter with dedicated snow tires and what a difference they're making. I have more traction to get moving and to stop in shorter distances. However, I will still be watching for "the other guy" who still insists on following too closely.

Even with snow tires, you still have to be on the lookout for ice. Be careful.

[Halifax55]

Reading the "stuff" posted in this thread just reaffirms that it is not only my own driving I have to worry about but the driving of others. Believing that you can stop on a dime @ 150 kms an hour in snow because you now have snow tires; believing that if you just tap your brakes, others behind you will be taught a lesson...gets you no where, but killed. You may not die or injure yourself by your sloppy miscalculated driving "skills" but you will most likely cause injury or death to someone else as you continue to drive merrily along oblivious to the accidents you may have just caused.

May I and others have the license plate numbers of some of you so we can 1) stay out of your way and 2) notify the police of your erratic driving....
There are some who do all of the above and talk on their cell while also weaving in and out of lanes. Usually the ones that feel that they can stop on a dime (must be because of those good tires!) are the ones who are tailgating.

Please do not be over confident...accidents are called accidents because there was no intent...driving recklessly you can predict that you will eventually have an accident...it will not be an accident, you should have known that your behaviours are not safe and are putting you and more importantly others at risk. The insurance companies and police do not call driving accidents "accidents" for a reason, there is the believe that the driver should be in control of their vehicle at all times!!!!!!

[dealmeone]

Told you so!!!

I wont be without winter tires ever again.

Sure you might "get by" with all season tires, but it will be alot harder than with good winter tires. You can feel a HUGE difference. Your life is worth it.

You still have to be careful out there and compensate for the conditions.

[ElvaSoShexai]

winter tires are great until u hit that patch of black ice on a curve on the highway going @ 100+km/h... :(

[mpsrent]

I live in central Ontario's snow belt region and have been driving with snow tires for so many years I can't remember. There is no question that they provide far superior control over their "3" season cousins. The truth is, I don't understand how the manufacturers even call those tires "all season" unless they are targeting Florida.

Snow tire newbies need to be cautioned that all snow conditions are not the same. Even with snows, slushy snow can drag your wheels towards the ditch and black ice will always be just that...ice.

My advice is enjoy the control of your new snow tires, but still drive cautiously respecting the fact that you are on ice and snow.

Drive safely.

[hytong]

winter tires are a better fit for current conditions but like anything else physical there is a limit, this limit arrive later than all seasons and the approach is more controllable than all seasons, it is the difference between impossible and possible.
tires are for both safety and performance, all else equal, you request too much of performance and you will lose safety, keep a balance and reserve a margin for the unexpected

slushy snow, like shoulder mud in summer, simply increase resistance/causes drag and upset vehicle motion, if not compensated in time (before all that power goes to slipping tire without LSD or you lose traction everywhere) the yaw moment can spin / flip vehicle belly up (think of hitting a curb sideways at slow / high speed)

[Webhead]

GTA and Souther Ontario with snow tires ... what a difference !

Before, i never changed into snow tires in the winter time and kept my all seasons.

Today, i took the plunge along with my wallet, and had 4 winter tires installed for my car using a single drop in speed rating.

Wow, what a difference it made ... now, i know why other cars on the highway can continue to drive that fast and still maintain control in the snow... it wasn't because of "braking" skill, it was because of their snow tires ....

I practiced "abrupt braking on the highway" from 120kpg, and it felt great !! That was fantastic control ...

Further, i went into the parking lot of the shopping mall after closing where they have a perfect clean layer of snow and "practiced" abrupt braking from 80-100 kph, and the feeling was great !

Never did i have that kind of "control" with all-seasons.

Am i getting over-confident about my winter tires ?

Yes. To answer your question.

Welcome to the club and safe motoring during the winter.

Also, Just because you have winter tires on - you still have to drive according to the road conditions.
You have better grip and control, but that doesn't mean you can go 100kmh on the highway while everyone around you is going 50kmh.

[canadien99]

Despite the "defensive" driving measures, s*** will still happen either because of that patch of ice, or because of someone else's driving that causes us to steer clear away but instead towards an obstacle.

Not acknowledging this possibility and not being prepared for it, is putting ourselves and the other vehicles on the road in jeopardy.

So, i've got a little question for all:

As i was waiting for my snow tires to be changed, i chatted with another customer. He suggested of a technique to use in the even that your wheels start to turn left rather than moving forward.

This is what i was told, please advise what is its merit, how useful and under what conditions it may be used ... ?

1. Keep the steering wheel straight
2. Apply the parking brake
3. Jam into the brake

Thanks !!

[hytong]

As i was waiting for my snow tires to be changed, i chatted with another customer. He suggested of a technique to use in the even that your wheels start to turn left rather than moving forward.
so you are going straight but vehicle drifted to the left? this is akin to running onto shoulders or a strong side wind situation isn't it?
if you are moving, compensate with your steering and throttle input, keep in mind weight transfer takes a moment to happen and try to steer at an appropriate rate


This is what i was told, please advise what is its merit, how useful and under what conditions it may be used ... ?

1. Keep the steering wheel straight
2. Apply the parking brake
3. Jam into the brake
Keeping the fronts straight minimize drag at startup, it will help you get moving from a dead stop.

apply parking brake to add artifical drag on the rear (saab has parking brake locks the front)? this is a technique for torsen LSD on very slippery surface
some may use to purposely break traction on the rear (and cause a spin out)

jam into the brake? left foot braking is used to shift weight and allow rotation to happen, if you have ABS this should allow you to steer as much as possible under braking

[Rekognize]

Welcome to the club

[Mayoo]

Good Job .. BUT please drive safe.. i had the same excitement in the beginning as even with winter tires its not safe enough they still slide in certain condition .. Keep your distance in front of you and if you see a moron closing back of your car, right away change lanes and leave him.. i seen live incident that he ended up hitting the person driving in front of me.

[BartBandy]

In *some* conditions, winter tires can make snow feel like dry asphalt. A slight change in conditions, and 120km/h will put you off the highway - fast.

Learn to test your grip at different speeds in increments. Get to know what you can and can not get away with in an empty parking lot away from light standards. And drive with a factor of safety built in.

Also, realize that, while you can stop more quickly, the guy behind you probably can't. Leave room in front of your car for your own reaction time, and to give yourself room to move forward in case the twit behind you can't stop.

Basically, people make mistakes in winter conditions. You don't want to be in positions where one mistake, by anyone, will cause a collision (it's not an "accident"). Don't drive line-abreast (one lane away) with other cars. Basically, leave two "mistakes" worth of space around you.

Actually, this goes for summer driving as well, but it's incredibly important in the winter.

[jm1]

Please drive carefully. Winter tires give you an extra, last-ditch chance to avoid an accident, but does not make your family sedan a Hummer.

Also, to be fair, some of the increased traction, etc. can probably attributed to changing from used tires to new tires, regardless of whether it was all-seasons or winters. I'm not saying that winter tires aren't important (I've had them for years on my family's two cars), but let's give proper credit where credit is due.

[Ebtek]

in all fairness i don't think the OP's intentions were to to suggest he can now drive like an a-hole.

ive never had winter tires on any of my cars but, now 2 kids later, am contemplating it. i have an suv with awd, but for the extra 1k, its well worth the extra safety.

also, i read on here that theres a chance that some insurance companies will give a break on premium if you tell them you have winter tires. worthy of some investigation

[dealmeone]

in all fairness i don't think the OP's intentions were to to suggest he can now drive like an a-hole.

ive never had winter tires on any of my cars but, now 2 kids later, am contemplating it. i have an suv with awd, but for the extra 1k, its well worth the extra safety.

also, i read on here that theres a chance that some insurance companies will give a break on premium if you tell them you have winter tires. worthy of some investigation

After switching to Premium winter tires (4 of them), I can honestly say that I highly recommend it. While maybe not quite as good as driving on dry roads in the summer, it is much much much better than trying to "get by" with all season tires..you will feel a HUGE difference. You still have to be extra careful out there.

Even if you avoid just a fender bender, the cost of most insurance deductibles will cover the cost of the tires. Your life and your family's life are worth the relatively small price. Wishing you safe driving!