[Lorne]

I haven't had a chance to get my snow wheels and tires out of storage and my real winter beater (that I only drive in very snowy weather) is still sitting in my parents driveway...

With 3 inches of snow on the roads this morning, and 275-35-18 Nitto's it was a pretty interesting drive to work... It starts fine and turns fine but braking is all but not present...

Had to stop a few times by driving towards the snow banks on the side of the road. The bottom of the car (only 3-4 inches of clearance) in the snow was providing more stopping power then the damb abs brake system...

Lorne

 

[wraith]

Been there, done that. Don't risk it. I had to use a high curb to stop the car coming down a hill into a T-intersection (I even put it in reverse at one point becasue 1st gear wasn't low enough to slow her down, and the brakes made the ABS go on which made the car go even faster! Ended up spending $1500 in parts to fix the damage, and she still needs an axle.

Sam

 

[TajMan]

Yep, thats just how my GSX was. It accelerated and turned alright but if your braked at all then watch out. The only accident I've ever been in was that Eclipse in the snow lightly braking around a mild turn. Snow tires are a must.

 

[Wicked91RT]

oh great...not all Nittos are bad in snow are they? I forget the exact name of the nittos I just got...Think they were nitto extremes...

 

[jdk88888]

Same with the Kuhmo Ecsta Supra 712's... I had an incident with a curb last winter...

I would guess any "UHP" tire, not rated for snow/ice would perform the same.

 

[Lorne]

I had Dumlop Sport 9000's on the car for one of the winters that it wasn't driving the VR4 regularly. The few times it was in the snow though, I don't remember the 9000's being as bad as the Nitto 555's were this morning...

Edit: Oh yeah, with 245-45-17 Eagle M&S's on the car, I was/am more comfortable driving the VR4 in Boston winters than some of the SUV's I've driven..

Lorne

 

[Gorilla]

I don't even bother trying anymore.
"Honey, get the kids dressed, you're taking me to work!"

My father's supra turbo (May it rest in piece) was impossible to even pull out of the driveway with 1/2 an inch of snow. Literaly. I would have fun just trying to get it out of the already shoverled driveway.

Man do I miss that car

 

[WeaponX]

I have that problem too. Even if the roads are dirty with debirs I am all over the place. I have been in the rain once and was the slowest person on the road . I won't even try snow.

 

[pogophil]

Ahhh, the memories....

Last year, with Sumitomo 245/45zR17 summer tires on my 94 Stealth, I fish-tailed into a curb making a left turn -- destroyed my rear passenger side wheel/control arm. Cost a bundle to fix, claimed it on my insurance.

A few weeks earlier (I should've learned my lesson), after the first snow, I had been slipping and sliding all over the road with the summer tires. It was so bad, I couldn't go straight up ramps, and I couldn't get out of parking spaces on slightly crowned roads (I literally had to push the car out).

DON'T DRIVE IN THE SNOW WITH SUMMER TIRES ON -- GET ALL-SEASONS AT LEAST!!!

 

[chunsangp]

Yup I've done that with kumho 712 but it held somewhat okay But I will NOT drive my car on snow with summer tires

 

[FYRBALL MT]

Drove all last Winter on Kuhmo 712's and hated them after the first snow storm. Tonight was the first time on icy roads with the BFG KWDS's and they worked great. The roads where so slick that when I tried to walk across the parking lot I was slideing all over the place, almost fell on my ass a couple of times. I hope the KWDS's do as good on snowpacked roads.

 

[KuJaX]

ekk.. that doesnt sound good.

 

[6g72tt]

I have p-zero's as my winter tires on my stock rims. They work amazingly well, I guess the fact that they are at full tread depth helps!!.

 

[chunsangp]

I have p-zero's as my winter tires on my stock rims. They work amazingly well, I guess the fact that they are at full tread depth helps!!.

U mean summer tires?

 

[puffe516]

Good thing I read this thread

 

[Paul H.]

I have the Sumitomo and they also suck in the snow. Great in the rain or summer. I had some Goodyears and they were fine. Now I have some Firestone winterhawk or something like that, 1000s of little finger and hightly rated for snow and ice. They are studded also I can't wait for the snow.

 

[6g72tt]

U mean summer tires?

NO, I mean winter tires. My summer tires are my 18's. I use my stock 17's in the winter, which happen to have p-zero's on them. They get me to the ski hills and everything, its funny when I pass SUV's (with ppl that don't knwo how to drive) in my car, you should see their faces.

 

[241comp]

I now have 4 Blizzak WS-50's on my car (245/45R17) now and they are great in the snow - haven't had that much yet, but I drove in about 3" the other day and stopping was very easy (at least, compared to the summer tires I had on there when it first snowed). I highly recommend them - and after 50% snow/ice tread is worn, they still have 50% standard all-weather tread for wet weather use. I was kinda worried because I had heard they have lots of road noise, but I've been up to 80 on the highway (rated to 99 though I wouldn't recommend it) on them and they're quiet as all get-out. And sears will pricematch TireRack if you want to buy them locally.

 

[Fiasco]

Anyone have any opinions on the Sumitomo HTR+ all season tires on tirerack? The reviews are glowing....