Quote:
Originally Posted by Perfectlap
I also live where it snows. That being said, all season tires are a waste imho.
They are useless if you get caught out in fast/heavy accumulation during winter, has happened to me more than a few times, and are far from ideal in the summer. Granted having a 2nd car with AWD is probably best but I didn't have that option, I only drive weekends as it is.
I too got tired of changing over the tires and the $180-$200 charge so I simply bought a replica set of wheels ($600) mounted with legit snow tires. And even with the full snow tires there have been a few times when they were just making it up a hill. All seasons would have been sliding backwards. With a $20 race jack from Harbor Freight and a decent Craftsman or Bosch impact gun you can change from Summer wheels to winter wheels in 15 minutes. Repeat when spring rolls around. You'll put significantly fewer miles on your expensive tires and your nicer set of wheels will take less of a beating on salted roads. Wet weather performance will also be better on snow tires during cold temps.
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I couldn't agree more. All season tires are a compromise. If you were looking for a skinny 15" tire, AS tires might be fine because they could compromise towards the snow ability. But we're talking about a 16"-18" tire that has to be capable of 150mph speeds. What direction do you think they'll compromise towards? It's not snow capability. If you lived in the mid-south, maybe you could get by with an AS tire, but not in CT.
And if you plan to keep them on year round, you'll be disappointed with the high performance capabilities too. Jack of (almost) all trades, master of none.
Perfectlap nailed it. Get a 2nd set of wheels and a dedicated set of snows. I don't have an impact wrench but can complete the job in 30 min with my race jack.