First of all I'm in Utah and it just snowed last night. Now I have Kumho's with tons of tread left and I know they are superior in the rain, but how are they going to perform in the snow? Would it be worth it to go buy some steelies and buy some snow tires, or do you think they will be sufficient enough? (I bet you're thinking, is it worth damaging your car....if it is then don't buy snow's....) Anyways, just curious because this is my first winter in my GS-R and I don't want to hurt my baby.

Thanks

 

do not use these in the snow period! no lie i almost lost my life in like 1" of snow.

i dunno exactly why theyre not good in snow but take my word for it,dont risk it. try for yourself in an empty parking lot. no grip in snow.

 

get some steelies and a set of blizzaks.... seen 14" wheel and tire deals all over the place

 

lucas has some good advice..... go to an EMPTY parking lot and 'test' them out. You'll realize that the 712's are a summer tire ONLY.

I was almost stupid enough to think last winter that I could 'get by' with them..... 2 weeks after our first snowfall, I ordered my Arctic Alpins.

 

I'm glad it doesnt snow here. I guess if i go up tot the mountains this year somebody else is going to be driving

 

Yeah, the Kumho's are great in the rain, but they absolutely blow goat ***** in snow. get a cheap set of steelies with some cheap winter tires on them for winter - that's what most people do here in StL who use their Honda/Acura as daily drivers.

 

There's a reason your tires are called "summer tires." Summer tires have large tread blocks spaced close together to prevent tread squirm. This gives you great handling in the dry and sometimes in the wet.

However, as a snow tire, large tread blocks close together is the exact opposite of what you want. In a snow tire, you want a lot of tread spaced apart. This spacing allows the tire to dig into the snow and provide you with traction you're looking for. The large spacing also allows the snow to be removed from the tire as it spins, putting rubber down on the surface with each rotation. A summer tire's tread will clog with snow. When the snow doesn't leave the tread, it continues to build up around the tire leaving you driving on a set of snow *****.

Besides the tread differences, summer and winter tires use different rubber compounds. A summer tire will usually harden as the temperature decreases, giving you a decrease in grip. I see a noticeable loss of grip when the temperature reaches around 40 degrees. A winter tire is obviously made to run in the colder weather. However, once it starts to warm up, then the winter tire will usually start to wear much quicker.

If you still have your OEM tires around, I'd recommend that you put those on. I ran those for three years in the winter until I wore them out. They're not half bad in the snow (though nothing like a true snow tire). That'll save you some bucks and still give you realitively safe traction.

Hey Aaron, I'm not shopping for some winter tires. How long do you expect those Alpine's to last you? I'd like to get at least 3 seasons from a set of snows.

 

Heh, me and the non-stop snow tire topics.

I put 8k miles on my fronts last winter..... virtually no wear. Sure, I take it easier in the winter (no hard corners), too, so tread wear will be minimal. I don't need to bend my car in the winter. I always have in the back of my mind when there is no snow on the ground and I've got my Alpins on, that I'm just chewin' the **** out of them, but I really am not. I expect about 25k miles from them, which should be about 3 winters, so we'll see. Lemme know which snow tires you end up getting.

BTW, the snows are a much welcome change.... my Kumhos were shot (bad cupping.... awful noisy ) and the Alpins are so quiet even on dry pavement!


[Modified by MmmVTEC, 1:51 AM 11/26/2001]

 

Kumho's suck in the rain. Why the hell would u drive them in the snow?

 

This past Saturday I found them to suck major rhinocerous ********* in the rain and I'd never even think about driving them in the snow.

Mike
2001 Ford Taurus rental while the Teg is at the body shop getting pretty again.


[Modified by RacerMike, 10:23 AM 11/26/2001]

 

Being from the south and completely ignorant of the snow, and the north for that matter, just wondering, do you guys have to constantly deal with snow in the winter? I was under the impression you guys had roads made of potholes and salt in the winter and a constant barage of snow plows kept he roads clear and wet.

Now I am familiar with iced up roads, do snow tires help there? I'm thinking that they wouldn't, never even seen snow tires myself though

 

Runnin anything other than a snow tire in the snow, is STUPID. Even "ALL SEASON" tires blow in the snow. Get another set of stock wheels and some nokkian's

 

I live in Wisconsin. Enough said! Snow plows destroy the roads, and fill the holes with salt and sand. There's nothing good about a winter when it comes to cars. Nothing at all!

 

Good call 420. The roads up here in WI are decent only because there is NON-STOP road work all year 'round and they seem to repave the major highways every 2-3 years. It's either that or they screw it up the first time and decide to redo it again! It's hideous. No wonder why our taxes are so high..... "Duh, we fucked up, so we'll, uh, do it again!"

Then again there are the roads that do not get repaved often and they are harsh on a lowered rattletrap of a car like Integras. I've got a sorta fat sidewall now, so that will help in ride until spring.

 

There are tires made for snow and tires made for ice and tires made for both. And there are tires you can put studs in for even better ice traction. Here in wisconsin, our roads are generally a mix of snow, ice, slush, water, and dry salt spray. The thing is, when we have snow, we usually get dumped on...and I like to go home from work every night. Camping out would suck.



[Modified by Shmeek, 8:58 AM 11/27/2001]