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Winter tire woes

PunkST

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#1
So since i have gotten this car every winter tire ive tried has done nothing to make me have confidence that im not going to end up in a ditch.

A new set of gt radial champiro winters ( from my old focus) sucked when icy out under the snow. As it always seems to be here.
A1 season used set of hakkapelita snows and im struggling to stay pointed straight at 30 mph. I have a 32 mile drive to work one way. And nobody to get hold of if i do end up stranded. Im wondering if the car is just too light to actually cut into the snow even on 195 width 16"s. Or if the torque vectoring just makes the car totally unsafe when the roads arent plowed. Maybe i need a real lsd, idk, I need something better for next winter so i can stop having panic attacks in the snow. [scratch]
 


TyphoonFiST

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I think you need to drive for the conditions...if its apocalyptic out I drive 5-10 mph under the speed limit and I roll a GEN2 GTX2860R ....I also have stock size Pirelli scottozero winterTires that are light years ahead in term of traction and stopping in snowy/Icy conditions any day of the week. Inflate your tires just as Fords wants also....Don't overinflate them ALSO.[raceflag]
 


OP
PunkST

PunkST

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Thread Starter #3
The roads are 55 mph. I couldn't even approach half that in this freezing rain/ ice combo. I may try those sottozeros. Had them on my old car and liked them. Plus then i can get back on 17"s. It was awful tonight. Worst was having sone jerk in a town car try and pass and almost hit me 3 times.
 


Plainrt

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Why would you want 17 inch snows? That’s just gonna be worse traction. You need more sidewall in winter. 15s is the ticket. I haven’t had a problem with multiple snow tires on my fist. It’s a really fun car in bad weather imo.
 


JDG

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#5
A1 season used set of hakkapelita snows
What does this mean?

From your post, the only decent winter tire I see mentioned are the Hakkas. Why not try the Bridgestone Blizzaks? I would recommend you buy them new too. They are arguably some of the best. As far as tire sizing goes, Look at 185/60R15 or 195/60R15. You want to target an actual tread width around 6" to cut through the snow. I drive 50 miles one way and have done it in 4" of snow in the fiesta without issue many times. I typically turn my traction control completely off.
 


kivnul

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I like Michelin X-Ice 3's.

tiresize.com

I have to plow thru 6" of snow at times and deal with a decent amount of slush, ice and hard pack.
 


Business6

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#7
I've been really surprised by the Blizzaks, in stock size even, and what they've been able to pull me through. I'm switching down to 16s so next winter I'll be running 195/50 most likely. But this car with the low end grunt is so damn fun in the snow with snow tires.
 


M-Sport fan

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#8
I like Michelin X-Ice 3's.

tiresize.com

I have to plow thru 6" of snow at times and deal with a decent amount of slush, ice and hard pack.
The X-ice's are actually one of the best non-studded tires out there for black ice, or even ice under powder snow.

I would stick to 185/60-15s, and nothing wider. ;)
 


TyphoonFiST

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Why would you want 17 inch snows? That’s just gonna be worse traction. You need more sidewall in winter. 15s is the ticket. I haven’t had a problem with multiple snow tires on my fist. It’s a really fun car in bad weather imo.
I beg to differ...I have stock size tires in Pirellis sottozeros on mine and they the same as driving around on 15s or 16s. Anything is better than Stock all seasons in the Snowbelt. [biggrin]
 


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Plainrt

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Waiting for new trend of Offroad people to start running low profiles in mud.......it’s coming any day now
 


OP
PunkST

PunkST

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Thread Starter #13
Sorry there was supposed to be a space there. The hakkas were a season old when purchased. Im not a huge fan of soft sidewalls. And most of the time the only real snow i encounter is headed home from work before the plows get all of 57 and 114. So around 70% of my winter driving is on cold dry roads.
 


Jerickson88

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#14
Waiting for new trend of Offroad people to start running low profiles in mud.......it’s coming any day now
So that's debatable.. now I see jeeps on 20" wheels but the tires are also 37s or better, whereas the go to 10 years ago was 33/12.50 on no more than a 17, the standard has changed. Oh hell, its perspective too. All [limphand]
 


Plainrt

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Sorry there was supposed to be a space there. The hakkas were a season old when purchased. Im not a huge fan of soft sidewalls. And most of the time the only real snow i encounter is headed home from work before the plows get all of 57 and 114. So around 70% of my winter driving is on cold dry roads.
My 15 inch hankooks are hardly soft. They grip well enough in dry to pull a rear wheel when messing around. They are nothing like older soggy snows I have used. I go all summer on high performance tires to snows and I have no issue doing so.
 


Plainrt

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So that's debatable.. now I see jeeps on 20" wheels but the tires are also 37s or better, whereas the go to 10 years ago was 33/12.50 on no more than a 17, the standard has changed. Oh hell, its perspective too. All [limphand]


now days is more hey look at me over actual performance in many cases........
 


M-Sport fan

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now days is more hey look at me over actual performance in many cases........
NO REASON whatsoever for an Escape (or any high CoG SUV/CUV for that matter) to have rubber band profile tires on it, save for a (misplaced, IMHO) given 'aesthetic'.
The one in that Ford TV ad, pushing their SUV over cars ideology, backing into the parking space pushing the garbage cans out of the way looks asinine to me with that no sidewall tire/wheel setup. [nono]

And yes, I have seen those pics of the Jeep Track Hawk lifting both inside wheels over the curbing @ VIR during the 'Lightning Lap' sessions there, but that is an exception, given that ride's insane reason for being. [wink]
 


M-Sport fan

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My 15 inch hankooks are hardly soft. They grip well enough in dry to pull a rear wheel when messing around. They are nothing like older soggy snows I have used. I go all summer on high performance tires to snows and I have no issue doing so.
^^^[like]

When I pump the 195/60-15, XL side wall rated, Altimax Arctic 12s (on 15x7s) up to 45+ psi, they handle perfectly dry, HOT summer tarmac roads (when working on summer ARA rallies, getting to the gravel stages on the 'transits') with much better response/turn-in, and MUCH less 'scrubbing', than what would commonly be believed!

VERY impressive for a high profile side wall, pure winter tire. [thumb]
 


Plainrt

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NO REASON whatsoever for an Escape (or any high CoG SUV/CUV for that matter) to have rubber band profile tires on it, save for a (misplaced, IMHO) given 'aesthetic'.
The one in that Ford TV ad, pushing their SUV over cars ideology, backing into the parking space pushing the garbage cans out of the way looks asinine to me with that no sidewall tire/wheel setup. [nono]

And yes, I have seen those pics of the Jeep Track Hawk lifting both inside wheels over the curbing @ VIR during the 'Lightning Lap' sessions there, but that is an exception, given that ride's insane reason for being. [wink]

Yep just took of the 17s with low pro garbage off my wife’s crosstrek. Installed 2 inch lift with 235/75r15s. Plenty of sidewall now lol.
 


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