Winter Tires: And Why YOU Need Them

[AkG]

Bullshit tires for my truck even on the low end would cost 1000 and that doesn't including mounting and such.

TireRack.com dude. Screw paying canuck retail prices for tires!

 

[Pabz0r545]

Wait.... How long have you lived in the prairies for? And you are just figuring this out now? Glad you're ok but sucks you had to flip your beat of a vehicle to figure this one out.

Even all season are complete garbage for alberta winter driving. They are only good to like -15 or something after that they become hard as rocks and have no grip.

As do most automotive summer and all-season tires. You need a tire that doesn't loose significant performance below 7 degress, and last time I checked there is not a place in Canada that doesn't get below freezing let alone 7. If you can afford a car, you can afford tires.

Yup. If you can't afford tires you are simply irresponsible and should stick to riding the bus or getting your parents to drive you around.

TireRack.com dude. Screw paying canuck retail prices for tires!

Yup tirerack FTW! Saved my life back in 08 when Quebec bought up all the tires in Canada.

 

[Perineum]

Not be be condescending, but I looked at the similar thread "Why don't people put winter tires?" and your post there leads me to believe you don't understand the significance of a snow tire. "Knowing how to drive" and owning a 4x4 does nothing when you surpass what is capable of a tire. You cannot compensate for a tire that simply does not function sufficiently when you have to stop in an emergency or maneuver, that's why those all seasons do not get the certifications for being a snow tire. They're not good enough. As for 4x4, all that does is allow you to get moving. If you're in a situation where you're relying on all 4 wheels putting power to the ground to avoid an accident, chances are you're already in over your head and just trying to salvage what you can for safety.

Surpassing what is capable of a tire is something rally car drivers do on a regular basis.

While I agree 100% that it affects stopping, maneuvering can be done in such a way that you know and expect to lose traction on all or some wheels.

And where I come from it's cold enough that your tires stick to the ground and aren't round from freezing solid. It takes a few blocks for them to heat up enough to stop acting like camshaft lobes.

 

[maverick_brent]

winter tires are a must...dont care how big your epeen is....my debate this year with a gf travelling with my 2yr old and a 4.5mth pregnancy was studded or not studded ..(she is a great driver, and i dont even have a license...(personal choice))....guess what...shes driving studded tires from home to her 50k trek to the babysitters and work...i bet you, it makes me feel a whole lot bettter, but she still tells me when shes safe and when shes leaving...OP glad your okay...vehicle is easier to replace than a life...and anyone that wont spend 500-1000 on good soft winter tires and let their loved ones ride in danger is in pure disgust from me....i am like AKG on his gun issues when it comes to your loved ones in cars.....

 

[member 3099]

can't argue the facts..

Tire Rack Tire Test - All-Season vs. Winter Tires - YouTube

30 more feet at just 50km/hr... That's the difference between a successful stop and an accident a lot of times.

 

[enaberif]

And? You have a truck, tires are just as much of a necessity as fuel to make it go down the road. It's a cost you need to factor in when you purchase the vehicle.

Not be be condescending, but I looked at the similar thread "Why don't people put winter tires?" and your post there leads me to believe you don't understand the significance of a snow tire. "Knowing how to drive" and owning a 4x4 does nothing when you surpass what is capable of a tire. You cannot compensate for a tire that simply does not function sufficiently when you have to stop in an emergency or maneuver, that's why those all seasons do not get the certifications for being a snow tire. They're not good enough. As for 4x4, all that does is allow you to get moving. If you're in a situation where you're relying on all 4 wheels putting power to the ground to avoid an accident, chances are you're already in over your head and just trying to salvage what you can for safety.

Sure you may have gotten away fine so far, but that's because you haven't been the unlucky one yet. Would you drive around without your seat belt? I've never been a situation where I needed it in my short 10 years of driving, but I sure as hell am not going to argue how necessary it is.

Your decision to justify risking others lives because you do not want to incur expenses is extremely selfish.

Winter tires making a difference in Quebec
Winter safety

I think your getting a bit too defensive on this. I've been in two accidents in my whole life one in the winter and one in the summer. The summer one was 100% other drives fault and the winter one nothing could have been done about the situation and the only person that was involved that could have gotten hurt was myself.

I know the importance of winter tires on a vehicle and how they can help But I have also driven with good all season tires in the winter and winning half of the battle is proper driving techniques and knowing how to drive in the winter. Winter tires with this obviously helps but knowing what to do and how to do it with any tire will go a long ways.

The best thing for ANY truck is weight in the back and this is where knowing wins more often than not. A truck is no different than a car when it comes to weight distribution and I would honestly say for a truck there is LESS weight over the rear tires than a car. You put 500-600lbs in the back of any truck and it makes an immediate change.

What happened to the OP is simply the issue with driving a rear wheel drive vehicle on icy conditions going far to fast with improper headlights and thinking he knows what the road entails.

 

[Perineum]

can't argue the facts..

Tire Rack Tire Test - All-Season vs. Winter Tires - YouTube

30 more feet at just 50km/hr... That's the difference between a successful stop and an accident a lot of times.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with stopping times, and I've already said so in one of my posts.

winter tires are a must...dont care how big your epeen is....

Well I'm going to go ahead and say that winter tires are not a must.... and I drive cars. Does this mean my epeen is swelling?

I think they're a good idea, especially studded. However, with a harsh winter good tires are just going to allow morons to overdrive the conditions and their abilities just like they do with ABS and 4x4.

Skill is the winner here, unless you're trying to stop as fast as possible or trying to accelerate as fast as possible.

 

[Pabz0r545]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with stopping times, and I've already said so in one of my posts.



Well I'm going to go ahead and say that winter tires are not a must.... and I drive cars. Does this mean my epeen is swelling?

I think they're a good idea, especially studded. However, with a harsh winter good tires are just going to allow morons to overdrive the conditions and their abilities just like they do with ABS and 4x4.

Skill is the winner here, unless you're trying to stop as fast as possible or trying to accelerate as fast as possible.

You live in Surrey LOL. It's not the same as Alberta winter. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

But I do agree I see it all day everyday. Particularly people with trucks just like the OPs. Overdriving the conditions and driving like a complete jackass just because they have good tires.

 

[ipaine]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with stopping times, and I've already said so in one of my posts.



Well I'm going to go ahead and say that winter tires are not a must.... and I drive cars. Does this mean my epeen is swelling?

I think they're a good idea, especially studded. However, with a harsh winter good tires are just going to allow morons to overdrive the conditions and their abilities just like they do with ABS and 4x4.

Skill is the winner here, unless you're trying to stop as fast as possible or trying to accelerate as fast as possible.

Yes I'm sure we are all agree that skill is the most important thing, but skill + proper tires wins every time. Just look at the racing world, why do you think they fit different tires for different conditions. It doesn't matter how good of a driver you are, if you have the wrong tires then you have a serious handicap when driving.

As the part that is bolded says "unless you're trying to stop as fast as possible" which is usually the case in an emergency. I know first hand the difference in winter tires as I have driven many a winter with both all-season and winter tires and while I do believe I am a fairly skilled driver, I always prefer to have the winter tires as they perform much better.

Now all that said, do some research before buying winter tires. There are some pretty crappy winter tires out there.

Overdriving the conditions and driving like a complete jackass just because they have good tires.

Well I'm in Edmonton as well, so I think I can easily back you up on this one. I commute 60km a day and it just amazes me the drivers here.

 

[Soullessone21]

Dude its great to hear your ok.. but what the hell did you do to that beautiful womans truck, I mean the Tundra/Tacoma is my wifes favorite truck and my old boss had one to. I remember driving that thing all over the mountains in BC and with how much weight and random power shifts it gave, no amount of good tires would save you if you didnt slow down at the first sign of bad conditions.

I'm sorry to see such a beautiful truck rolled, very happy to see your in one piece but maybe stick to a car next time.

I have been in one winter accident in my life and if I was in a truck my wife and daughter would of been dead but just like you I got cocky thought my WINTER tires were going to make a world of difference and they were friggen Pirelli winter tires less then 10km on them and I got up to 80 in a 80 zone did a 180 then jumped a ditch, my lowered Civic held its own till it hit the other side of the ditch taking out the ground effect bumper kit but we all walked away unhurt. In a truck it would of been a roll over.

6 years of driving since that happened and honestly I drive my wifes lifted truck slow as a old **** in the snow as I have seen things go very wrong to many times before.