Winter tires for the old nova

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No experience with the Winterforce but the Glacier Grip II tires that I used for a couple years as hand-me-downs from my dad's old car were marginal at best. Plenty of tread left but noisy and not particularly effective wet, dry, or snowy. My car is not super powerful but would often break them loose even making a casual turn in the wet. Dry handling was unusually floaty and imprecise even for snow tires. In snow they were better than all seasons simply because of the tread pattern, but not exactly confidence inspiring overall.
 
Can you use the much more common 195/70-14? Didn't they still use those letter sizes in the 70s?

There's also the size 185R14, in that size there's a studless winter tire called Antares Grip 20

I'd buy that studless Antares before any non-Nokian studdable tire without the studs.
 
How is the snow there? My parents moved to KY from Maine and have always chuckled at what they call weather... But I want to say ice is a real issue? and not so much deep snow. IIRC the Winterforce was good in deep snow and not much else. In short, I'm kinda of the opinion of 4 snows and deferring to better light snow and ice traction.

How old are the fronts? Just wondering if dropping to 195/70R14's on all four corners makes sense. I've been content with my RT43's in our winter. No snow tire but cheap when on sale (DTD for $175 after rebates, all four tires). I'm not sure how new RT43's would stack up against Winterforce in ice handling.
 
Originally Posted By: jakewells
I'm only putting them on the rear so yes im keeping to the original size on the car.


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Winter tires must be used in sets of four.

In fact, only using two may be worse than not using them at all.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
How is the snow there? My parents moved to KY from Maine and have always chuckled at what they call weather... But I want to say ice is a real issue? and not so much deep snow. IIRC the Winterforce was good in deep snow and not much else. In short, I'm kinda of the opinion of 4 snows and deferring to better light snow and ice traction.

How old are the fronts? Just wondering if dropping to 195/70R14's on all four corners makes sense. I've been content with my RT43's in our winter. No snow tire but cheap when on sale (DTD for $175 after rebates, all four tires). I'm not sure how new RT43's would stack up against Winterforce in ice handling.

The last few winters have been bad snow totals where between 3-4 feet with drifts in the 6-8 ft range ice is a problem but i have not found a tire that worked on ice that well anyway but i do have chains.
 
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Originally Posted By: jakewells
I'm only putting them on the rear so yes im keeping to the original size on the car.


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Winter tires must be used in sets of four.

In fact, only using two may be worse than not using them at all.

been using sets of two for the last few years with out problem i got chains i use also.
 
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Originally Posted By: jakewells
I'm only putting them on the rear so yes im keeping to the original size on the car.

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Winter tires must be used in sets of four.
In fact, only using two may be worse than not using them at all.

My take is that two snows is really a major concern on a FWD car when the owner decides to put them on the front, leading to a potentially very dangerous oversteer condition in which the rear will come around with some authority due to the lack of traction back there.
I'd still say that 4 snows is much better for any case, but a RWD car with the snows only in the back should tend to understeer in bad conditions. This is still a scary proposition, but not as bad as the prospect of doing unintentional donuts.
 
I agree--get 4. But it's RWD, and not only that, what's the odds of getting it sideways in an old 6 banger anyhow?
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Well, I got some Yoko Ice Guards that seem to have worn fast, bought them used (wouldn't have otherwise) but they seem fine in our winter. I liked my Hakka's but they were pricey. The iPikes on my truck seem fine but after getting them I read plenty of reviews of how bad they are--but man are they better than LTX's in snow. Perhaps Winterforce (despite all the bad reviews) would do you well.

I agree, it'd be odd to drop in size to the rear, but would it matter that much? 195/75R14 in front, 195/70R14 in rear? Should be a small speedo error. If it opens up tire choices...
 
I've run 2 rear winter tires on numerous two wheel drive trucks (plus sand bags) never an issue and good traction. In fact I've run four winter tires on two wheel drive trucks and didn't notice a big difference over just two. I think weight in the back and driving slower helps.
 
I do drive a lot slower than everyone else but i always have. The road can be awful during the winter here since the interstate is #1 priority here the back roads and streets in town rarely get touched maybe a sprinkle of salt and that is it.

I remember a few years back during a unusually cold and snowy winter ( 2015-16 ) it wouldn't have mattered if i had snow tires all the way around.
Roads where terrible with drifts of snow and big patches of ice i had to use chains on all four tires of my truck and load the bed with firewood to drive to work that was a long and hair raising ride to work.
 
Nice thing about working in a tire shop got to looking and i found some mud/snow tires buried in the stock room they are a few years old but should do the job strange they are 6 ply LT rated. Here is the tread pattern only thing i can find on the tire is CO-OP my work sold them a few years back but they have been discontinued.
 
Those look like they will be terrible in the snow. No sipes.

I had a 76 Nova. Do not use a 195/70R14. Tire will be too short and look funny. 215/70R14s are a great fit at all four corners on those cars. For a while, I was running a 195/75R14 on a 6" wheel up front, and a 215/70R14 on a 7" wheel in the rear.
 
Originally Posted By: novadude
Those look like they will be terrible in the snow. No sipes.

I had a 76 Nova. Do not use a 195/70R14. Tire will be too short and look funny. 215/70R14s are a great fit at all four corners on those cars. For a while, I was running a 195/75R14 on a 6" wheel up front, and a 215/70R14 on a 7" wheel in the rear.

car has cooper trendsetter 195/75/14 on it now since i didn't like the price of the mud/snow tire. I guess i will be careful this winter if i have to drive in snow.
 
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