# Winter Tires?



## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

My all-season tires have performed nicely living in T.O over the past 7 years but I just moved further north and there are lots of rural roads and apparently even the highways around here get nasty. So I am thinking of getting a set of winter tires but have no clue what's good what's bad etc. Someone at work told me that the cheap ones at Canadian Tire are actually really good but I thought I'd solicit the wise folks of the board. Is it worth getting the steel wheel part as well or does it matter if you just buy the tire part? I imagine they will charge a lot to put the tire on the rim so maybe it's worth going for the wheel as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
E


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## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Canadian Tire's _Nordic Winter Trac_ tires are actually BF Goodrich _Winter Slalom_. They're good, especially when considering the price -- and they can be studded.

I have a set of Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice; they're excellent and I'm very happy with them. I'd certainly buy them again.

Getting a set of winter rims is a good idea as there will be no & tear on the tire bead from the annual dismount & mount of summer/winter tires. If your car has alloy wheels you'll also avoid salt damage & scratches from road gravel by switching to steel rims in winter.

If you have a brand in mind check out Tirerack - they have lots of consumer reviews. They don't have their whole winter tire section up yet I think, but it'll all be there soon enough. Their winter tire guide is available now though.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

really any "winter" tire on their own rims will be very good, especially when compared to all seasons

you really can't make a mistake

the only big difference on price is how the winter tire handles at higher speed/highway


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

Macspectrum is right; just about ANYTHING will be better than "3 season" tires. This is especially so on smaller cars. Getting a separate set of rims is also an excellent idea. It will mean that swapping the tires on and off the car will go much smoother, and it will extend the lives of both sets of tires.

I'd be very happy with the Canadian Tire product, although I bought a set of Coopers last year (an old high school friend runs a tire shop), and it made a huge difference on my little car. It happened to be snowing/slushing when I drove out to his place, and I could tell the difference right away on the way home.

Go ahead an do it. It'll be a decision that you'll be happy with and might very well save your life.


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## guytoronto (Jun 25, 2005)

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/automotive/snow-tires/


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

One can usually find a set of extra rims quite reasonable at an auto wreckers. Just be sure they are not damaged or warped. Cost is usually less than half of new.

Then your winter tires can sit in the garage all summer and if you buy yourself a good floor jack, you can save money by changing them yourself. Get the first set installed and balanced by a tire shop, them mark them with chalk as left front, right front, right rear and left rear so they go back where they were in the fall and you won't have any balance issues next winter.

Same thing applies to the summer tires tires you remove before you install them in the spring.


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## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

I've heard good things about the Nordic Winter Trac as well. When I priced mine out, I actually found Blizzaks were a few bucks less so that's what I went with. Now that I live in town, I don't think they are needed but when when I was doing a lot of country driving, they saved me numerous times. Even when driving on icy roads, I had no problems. I'm sure we've all tried pulling the parking brake in an empty snowy parking lot? Don't bother trying it with Blizzaks. They won't let the back end kick out like your all seasons 

If you get a high quality winter tire like these, make sure you don't put them on too early and don't leave them on too late in the spring. The rubber is so soft that the warm pavement will rip them apart. I still have 2 of my original set and this will be my 5th season. If you take care of them, they will last a long time.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

DG, I have Blizzaks for my Toyota Echo. Since we got the 15 inch wheel model, since it came with ABS breaking, which is a real plus here in St.John's, they cost a bit more, but they were worth it. Because the Echo is higher off the ground, it was able to get throught some 30+cm of snow on the ground snowfalls last winter.


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## DP004 (Mar 9, 2005)

I have Good Year's Ultra-Grip after using Blizzaks. They are quite good. I am trying to find a tire as good as the Blizzak but one that last longer. If they can stop it from disintegrating when the temperature gets warmer (but still in winter) I will buy Blizzaks again.


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## PenguinBoy (Aug 16, 2005)

I run Michelin Pilot Alpins with steel rims on my Subaru in Winter, and have been quite pleased with them. While AWD would probably be enough to prevent me from getting stuck even with all season tires, the Winter tires really help with stopping or cornering on ice.

Some folks run "All Season" tires that are compromised more towards Winter grip than summer performance, these might also be a good choice if you don't want the hassle of seasonal tire changes. I know Nokian make such tires, there are probably others as well.

I can see a few advantages to separate steel rims:

-Protect alloy wheels from damage due to salt on roads or pranging a curb.
-Simplify changing tires, as mentioned earlier.
-Allows the use of taller, narrower tires with the same outside diameter. This is especially useful for folks with low profile summer tires, details here: http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126


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## iNeedhelp (Oct 23, 2005)

Anyone getting those new winter tires from Canadian Tire? I thought the commercial for it is pretty good, I might purchase them...


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## darkscot (Nov 13, 2003)

ya that commercial rocked, youdoNeedhelp 
that cdn tire schlep is such a dork

as fore winter tires, I used my Toyos which are all-season and excellent in wet conditions and found they were great on snow too. I'm still gonna look into a set of rims and real winter tires regardless.


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## Bolor (Sep 14, 2003)

I just put on Nokian RSi tyres with new steel rims. The cost was a bit more, but those tires are rated the best in the world.


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## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

Lots of advice already, but there are a few things to consider:
1. If you buy winter tires, getting separate rims is better, otherwise taking the tires on and off every siz months from the same rims will weaken the glue and you'll have slow leaks.
2. Steel rims in the winter will save your expensive alloy rims from damage.
3. You'll need storage space to store your spare set of tires and rims.

4. I personally use the Nokian WR all seasons - they're the only winter-rated all seasons and Nokian makes the best winter tires in the world (no flames please )
- the advantage is that I never have to worry about weather conditions or getting my tires changed or storage.
Downside is that they can be expensive depending on your tire size.

Anyway, just my 2c


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## gwillikers (Jun 19, 2003)

Bolor said:


> I just put on Nokian RSi tyres with new steel rims. The cost was a bit more, but those tires are rated the best in the world.


Those Nokian extreme weather tires are going on my wife's Civic very soon. I've heard many glowing reports about them.
Don't skimp on tires my friends.


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Chalk up another vote for Nokian's. WR's for me though, as I've got no space to store an extra set of tires. I'd rather my tires' performance lean toward wet/winter weather than dry conditions anyway. 

By the way, Nokian calls them "All Weather" tires not "All Season", a better distinction if you ask me. They are rated by Transport Canada with the Snowflake/Mountain symbol (severe weather), so I drank the Kool-Aid and got a set. I'll let you know after the winter how they perform.

Good luck,

Miguel


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## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

This is also my problem - nowhere to put the off-season set.


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## RevMatt (Sep 10, 2005)

My mechanic stores my tires for me, and installs them for free. There are some plusses to small towns  I only have one set of rims, but since I average 40k+ kms each year, my tires don't last much longer than one or two changes, so the wear caused by changing them is minimal. I have experimented with 4 cheap snow tires, and with 2 good ones, since I can't afford 4 good ones, and both have their advantages. I prefer to have really good grip on my front tires, and just accept the fact that my back end is going to slide about, but it's an issue of personal preference, really.

If you don't drive a lot, and will remember to change your tires regularly, then getting really good quality snow tires with their own rims is the way to go. It will be expensive, but if you are going to get 4 and 5 years or more out of them, then it's doable.


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## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

I'm leaning towards a set of the Nordic ones at Canadian Tire with rims. I think I can make some room in a closet for the summer set and just cover them with some plastic for the winter. Better to be safe than sorry is what I'm thinking - my wife drives a lot along the 115 HWY and I want her to be as safe as possible. Just yesterday morning they closed part of the HWY because of ice...there were a bunch of accidents and it hasn't even snowed yet!

Thanks for all the great info!


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## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

snow tires won't be a lot of help on ice - you're going to need studs or chains


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## maximusbibicus (Feb 25, 2002)

RISCHead said:


> snow tires won't be a lot of help on ice - you're going to need studs or chains


Compared to all season tires, they will be a LOT of help. 

I bought a set of Hankook W300. They got some pretty good ratings online, and the price was right. I will be putting them on this weekend. 

I bought a second set of OEM rims for my RSX. Just cause i'm driving in the winter, doesn't mean my car has to look like crap. 

I'll let you guys/gals know how they perform when we get some snow.


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

I think winter tires are necessary...but only really if your area gets a lot of snow. If you drive highways and the northern parts, get winters. 

But if you're a city person, all seasons will do you fine. And here in Toronto, we don't get much apart from the odd storm...which get plowed pretty much the next few days after.


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## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Snow tires are certainly needed here in St. John's, due to the amount of snow, sleet and rain we get each winter.


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## andrewenterprise (May 22, 2005)

It all depends on where you live. I live kind of on the outer edge of the city here in Waterloo, Ontario, and if you spend a lot of time on the Rural roads then Snow tires will definately prove to be an asset. Judging by experience, even my street (Which is not a side street, more of a main road) can get extremely slippery. Even just a few cm of snow can make snow tires so much more worth it. Also, it depends on the vehicle you drive. In a car, a lot of the time, the snow gets to be so much, that no matter what you drive, you aren't going anywhere.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

I have the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 (LT load range C); a good winter tire with decent dry and wet handling. It's not the best ice or snow tire I've ever used; but it's much better than most and doesn't lose much on dry or wet roads; it also seems to have decent wear.

Other ice winter tires I've used were better on ice and snow (Kelly-Springfield, Cooper) but not nearly as good in rain or dry pavement, and wore faster. Tires are always a compromise of one sort or another. With true truck tires (rather than just Passenger Car tires in truck sizes) the selection is fairly limited.

I expect a lot from a winter tire; I expect to be able to drive through 12-18" of snow whenever the need arises (high enough that you're cutting a swath with the undercarriage, not just tire tracks). Stopping on ice is very important, as that's the usual state of city streets all winter in Saskatoon; only main thoroughfares will be cleared to pavement at any time during the winter.

If I were using all-season tires, I would need at least 300 Kg in the box to be able to handle moderate snow and stopping on ice is always a problem with heavy vehicles. Lighter cars can get away with all-season tires, but still benefit from winter tires.

You might want to check this list of all Winter-Rated tires available in Canada (or print it out):
Transport Canada
It might help you save some money comparison shopping, and eliminate some confusion; shopping for tires can be maddening.


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## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

So Canadian Tire has the Michelin X-Ice tires on sale this week so I went last night and got a set. This morning I noticed that 3 are the right size tire for my civic (185/65/15) but they put a 195/65/15 on the back left. Way to go! So now I have to take it back tonight and get the right size. It's the most basic thing you would check when putting a new tire on you would think. I wonder why people call the place Crappy Tire?


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

RISCHead said:


> ....
> 4. I personally use the Nokian WR all seasons - they're the only winter-rated all seasons and Nokian makes the best winter tires in the world .....


Can anyone tell me who sells these? Canadian Tire?


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

From the nokiantires.com dealer locator:

AUTOIMPORT
Ottawa, Ontario
phone: 613-226-7902
email: [email protected]

Frisby Tire Co.
1780 Queensdale Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1T 1J8
phone: 613-521-4080
toll free: 800-370-1853

Frisby Tire Co.
425 Industrial Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z1
phone: 613-521-8681

Frisby Tire Co.
890 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6R7
phone: 613-236-0511

Goldwing Autocare
1750 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7V6
phone: 613-727-7000

Performance Motors of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario
phone: 613-741-0123
url: www.performancemazda.com

Robson Racing
Ottawa, Ontario
phone: 613-798-8163

And here is a review of the tires: 

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/hl/nokian.htm

Good luck,

Miguel


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

miguelsanchez said:


> From the nokiantires.com dealer locator:
> 
> ...


Thanks, Miguel! 
I guess I could have looked that up. 

_"This 'Internet' thing, how does it work?"_


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Some trivia, but on topic at least:
Nokian (the tire guys) and Nokia (the phone guys) are the same company.


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## jdurston (Jan 28, 2005)

RISCHead said:


> snow tires won't be a lot of help on ice - you're going to need studs or chains


I strongly disagree, my Michelin Artic Alpins offer substantially more grip and control on ice than any all season I've tried. The soft rubber compound along with aggressive siping seems to help a lot. Studs and chains do help a lot though.

I've driven these tires for the last four winters. I've no experience with the Nokian WRs though. I would like to try them sometime. Nokian tires are hard to come by in Waterloo.


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## Bolor (Sep 14, 2003)

I just put on the Nokian RSi winter tyres. (Their spelling) I am very happy with them. My son has used the Nokian WR all season tires in BC and has travelled into the interior in all types of weather and has had no problems. He doesn't use chains with them either.


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## davidslegend (Jan 6, 2004)

*Hi,*

Hi,

So should one really be worried if they keep the same rims.....I was thinking of buying a set of 4 ... GM has a sale on "Tiger Paws" winter tires & I was considering them....??? But, I was thinking of looking for used rims later maybe...

Thanks,

davidslegend


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## davidslegend (Jan 6, 2004)

*hmmph.....*

Eye,


....I walk in and every one runs to a different forum. Okay, I feel myphed...nobody likes me...???

Cheers!

davidslegend


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## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

I'm no expert, but from what I researched people seem to recommend getting a set of extra rims if you are going to be swapping between tires a lot. I guess it wears out the rims somehow by taking off tires with the tools that are used. I got a set of rims as well, but I plan on using snow tires every year now so I think it's a good investment to go with another set.


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

You will risk damage the tires if you keep changing them twice a year. It's better to pick up a second set of steel wheels for your winter tires. You can buy new wheels for about $40-60 each depending on the size. You might want to try a wrecker's to see what they have as well. Many tire stores will give you a package price if you buy the tires and wheels from them.

Eukaryotic is correct. It is worth it to get the steel wheels since they will last at least the life of the car and then some.

Good luck,

Miguel


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## draz (Jun 13, 2005)

I actually have just bought a second set of rims for winter driving. I run Pirrelli Asemetrico 17" 245 V tires in the summer and am looking at getting Pirrelli WS 210 for winter but am not sure which brand to buy? I also run Eagle GA F1's on our other summer car but it never gets driven in the bad weather...


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## bryanc (Jan 16, 2004)

Two reasons to get separate rims for winter tires:

you won't prang you nice summer alloy wheels on a curb hidden in the snow..

you won't trash your tires' beads by changing them twice a year

you won't wreck your wheels with a lot of sand, grit, salt and associated road grime while they're stored in your garage/shed/under your deck/in a pile in the back yard...

... three reasons....

...nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition....


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## mr.steevo (Jul 22, 2005)

With the way the weather is right now, who is thinking about winter tires?

s.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

mr.steevo said:


> With the way the weather is right now, who is thinking about winter tires?
> 
> s.


in edmonton?
you could get 30 cm overnight


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## krs (Mar 18, 2005)

I have read this thread a couple of times - really good info and good links, but right now I'm not going to read the three pages again, so, if this was covered - forgive me.

Elsewhere,on RFD, they talk about downsizing for winter tires if you decide to get separate rims as well. From every comment I have read about that, downsizing seems to be a terrific idea - you get better winter performance because the tires are narrower and you save money to boot!
Any comments on that?


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## mr.steevo (Jul 22, 2005)

My understanding was that the reason the Beetle was such a good winter traction car was because of the weight on the drive wheels and the narrow tires that cut through the snow. The wide, snowshoe like tire is not good for winter (as I discovered)

s.


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