'tis the season to buy snow tires.

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Yep. It makes for a quandry. When you run snows for 5 months per year, for the few days it actually is bad weather... sometimes you wonder. I might just give in and get snows for the truck only, and leave the cars with all seasons.

I can't tell what is worse: buying "expensive" snow tires and only getting two years out of them (because you wore them out on your daily driver); or buying "expensive" snow tires and having them age out (because you put them on the rarely driven weekend warrior). For some reason I keep tripping over this very issue.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Yep. It makes for a quandry. When you run snows for 5 months per year, for the few days it actually is bad weather... sometimes you wonder. I might just give in and get snows for the truck only, and leave the cars with all seasons.

I can't tell what is worse: buying "expensive" snow tires and only getting two years out of them (because you wore them out on your daily driver); or buying "expensive" snow tires and having them age out (because you put them on the rarely driven weekend warrior). For some reason I keep tripping over this very issue.

You could try some cheaper studdable snow tires, they tend to last quite a while in my experience. Sure they aren't quite as good as ice tires on ice, but on snow/slush they can be better due to the more open tread pattern.
In your case, I think I'd get studdable snows(unstudded) for the truck and run them year round, and just drive the VW as much as you can, even in the winter when the weather allows.
 
Yeah, I got bit by the rave reviews on the LTX's and have a set. Bad investment. I suspect you might be right, snows for year round on the truck might be the best compromise. If I behave it only gets about 10k/year; when I bought the Michelins I was dithering about getting rid of the VW.
 
Quote:
need to buy winter rims ...but will have to wait

I buy take-off wheels in the summer, then buy snow tires in October when the shops have their stock but need to move some to pay bills.

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Alignment is good, wheel bearing is good, ball joints are good. It still pulled the studs out of the RF wheel and wore a good amount of tread off. I didn't even drive it much!

What is "good" alignment? Just somewhere within spec isn't good enough for me. For example, from a Tundra forum I found that getting the toe & camber at the middle of the spec and the caster at the max allowable works best on these trucks. I will not pay for an alignment that doesn't meet these settings. Your rig may do best with something else, but someone somewhere knows what works best, and you can demand that as long as it is inside the factory spec range. (Outside the spec is a whole 'nother argument.) Be sure to get the 4 wheel thrust alignment where they measure the direction of thrust of the rears and align the fronts to that. My FWD Volvo did best with aftermarket camber adjusters and negative 1° front camber--and that's what I would pay for.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: supton
Yep. It makes for a quandry. When you run snows for 5 months per year, for the few days it actually is bad weather... sometimes you wonder. I might just give in and get snows for the truck only, and leave the cars with all seasons.

I can't tell what is worse: buying "expensive" snow tires and only getting two years out of them (because you wore them out on your daily driver); or buying "expensive" snow tires and having them age out (because you put them on the rarely driven weekend warrior). For some reason I keep tripping over this very issue.

You could try some cheaper studdable snow tires, they tend to last quite a while in my experience. Sure they aren't quite as good as ice tires on ice, but on snow/slush they can be better due to the more open tread pattern.
In your case, I think I'd get studdable snows(unstudded) for the truck and run them year round, and just drive the VW as much as you can, even in the winter when the weather allows.


The Winterforce tires that spent 2 years on the front of my focus aren't worn too bad. The ones on the back got chewed up pretty good. I don't expect them to wear any more now that the car is aligned. I think they are wearing good for snow tires.
 
I've started thinking about snow tires for my taurus. Thought about getting steel wheels for winter but wondered if I can run the car without the tire pressure monitoring sensors on the factory wheels?

Never thought of that until now. Maybe I should just swap tires and use the factory wheels?
 
Originally Posted By: dustyroads
I've started thinking about snow tires for my taurus. Thought about getting steel wheels for winter but wondered if I can run the car without the tire pressure monitoring sensors on the factory wheels?

Never thought of that until now. Maybe I should just swap tires and use the factory wheels?


Just looked at Tire Rack and they offer lots of fancy wheels but can't get plain ol' steelies for my car. Oh well.

They mention either purchasing a TPMS triggering tool or buying new TPMS sensors if getting new wheels. Anyone familiar with the TPMS "triggering tool" ?
 
Originally Posted By: dustyroads
Originally Posted By: dustyroads
I've started thinking about snow tires for my taurus. Thought about getting steel wheels for winter but wondered if I can run the car without the tire pressure monitoring sensors on the factory wheels?

Never thought of that until now. Maybe I should just swap tires and use the factory wheels?


Just looked at Tire Rack and they offer lots of fancy wheels but can't get plain ol' steelies for my car. Oh well.

They mention either purchasing a TPMS triggering tool or buying new TPMS sensors if getting new wheels. Anyone familiar with the TPMS "triggering tool" ?


http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=170&category=Tire+Pressure+Monitoring+Systems
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: SLCraig
Got mine last fall. Brand new Altimax Arctic

Great winter tires at a great price. Mine are now 5 years old. Plenty of tread left, but I'm a little concerned that the rubber may have hardened by now, but I'm still planning to use them this season.


I need to really look at mine. The Sequoia has the Altimax Arctics and are 5 seasons already. they are wearing down and definitely not as good last season. TR has them for $120 each shipped. DTD is $113 (with $40 off) and both have the $50 card offer.

I REALLY want to go back and get the Nokian R2 but 2x the price is just real hard to justify. For the R2 price I can get new Altimax for the Sequoia AND ExtremeWinterContact for the Sonata (which is also on the edge for winter).
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
It doesn't force the traction control on like Honda. I run my '11 Focus without TPMS every winter.


Ok cool. I don't give a hoot about having TPMS but I wondered what affect it would have on the car without the sensors. I thought maybe the car would give me a hard time about it. Thanks for the reply.
 
It is illegal for a tire shop to make the TPMS inoperative. That includes installing non-TPMS wheels when the car came in with an operating TPMS system.
http://www.tirereview.com/nhtsa-clarifies-make-inoperative-provisions-of-tpms-regs/

Our new car's TPMS system may have saved us the cost of a replacement tire. Nail in the tire, wifey spotted the signal light, got it fixed before the tire was ruined. Maybe the tire would have been not run flat too long and saved without the TPMS, and maybe not. The only tire I've ruined was run flat too long, pre-TPMS. No, it didn't feel different, on the rear, just made an odd noise.
 
Thanks Ken. I could take care of my own tire mounting/installing if I only I could aquire some steelies, but if Tire Rack doesn't sell them (for an '11 taurus) I may not find them. I have not checked anywhere else yet.

I don't mean to discount the TPMS but I'd be willing to forego them for the winters. Your point is well taken, though.
 
Originally Posted By: dustyroads
Thanks Ken. I could take care of my own tire mounting/installing if I only I could aquire some steelies, but if Tire Rack doesn't sell them (for an '11 taurus) I may not find them. I have not checked anywhere else yet.

I don't mean to discount the TPMS but I'd be willing to forego them for the winters. Your point is well taken, though.


The tire shop can't go in and rip out the TPMS sensors and disable the system via tuner.

Installing a set of wheels and tires on a car that do not have TPMS is not illegal. They aren't defeating it.

Or - you can just carry in the winter tires and wheels and have them mounted at the shop, then install them on the car when you are ready.
 
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