TRUXterra Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 Keep wheelin in mind ;) I found a smoking deal on 16" steelies for the X back in April. Now looking to put rubber on them for the winter. I'm going studded so that is not debatable, but looking for opinions for winter tire sizes. My 3 season rims are 17" & I'm running 285/70/17 BFG MT's (33's) My tire size selections for winters so far are: 235/85/16 (32') 265/75/16 (32') 285/75/16 (33') I don't mind running a smaller tire in the winter as I wheel less often, but am I missing a metric size (between 32-33")? My rims are aftermarket so they are only 6" wide. Given my total mileage of less than 10k/year, I don't care if the specs call for a larger width rim. 235/85/16 would be awesome for traction on road, but floatation when aired down is a bit of concern. Looking for your opinions based on experience, but I will admit the 235's look good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastcoastcam Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 235/85/16 would be perfect with the skinnier rim, plus they are similar height-wise to your otber tires. You can air them down still for traction, or swap out to the others for wheeling. You could even go to 245/75/16 if a set came about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93grand Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 235/85/16 skinnier the better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomWood Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 I ran 235/70/16 and they were better then the 265/75/16 I ran. Personally I would go to a factory size winter tire, but 235/85/16 is the way to go for 32's, popeye runs that size on his truck and rover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72LandRover88 Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 235/85-16 is a fine tire size. Tall and skinny is the way I always go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomWood Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 235/85-16 is a fine tire size. Tall and skinny is the way I always go! Aint that the truth ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackPrintz Posted September 26, 2013 Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 Why do people still use studded tires in winter? My dad used them on his bias belted tires when I was a kid and I guess they served the purpose back then. In some provinces and countries, they are illegal for various reasons but here in Nova Scotia, they seem to be an accepted practice. Hmmmm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRUXterra Posted September 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2013 Why do people still use studded tires in winter? My dad used them on his bias belted tires when I was a kid and I guess they served the purpose back then. In some provinces and countries, they are illegal for various reasons but here in Nova Scotia, they seem to be an accepted practice. Hmmmm? Have you had experience with both? It's a good vid, but not accurate (not comparing the same tire head to head & also on a flat surface). Search the web for the same tires with & without studs, then you will have an accurate comparison. In my real world situation: I have to descend a hill steeper than Magazine Hill & then climb it from a dead stop at the bottom. We do not live in a priority neighbourhood so we are cleared within 24 hours of a snowfall. Not a lot of houses in my hood either so the end result is usually hard packed ice/snow for a couple days. Our previous car was a Protege5 (1/2 worn studded winters) and I had to drag it into the driveway on 2 occasions in 3 years. Our current car is a Corolla (non-studded) & I've had to drag it home 6 times in the past 2 years. For the Protege5, it got buried in a snow drift entering the Cul-de-Sac both times. The Corolla recovery was 1/2 way down the hill 4 out of 6 times with new Nordics. The other 2, it made it to the drift at the end of the Cul-de-Sac that the Protege5 would have plowed through. Same tires on both cars Goodyear Nordics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72LandRover88 Posted September 27, 2013 Report Share Posted September 27, 2013 I can not watch the video (work network will not allow it and I am too cheap to pay for interweb at home...) but I am a fan of studded winter tyres. I have driven cars with the same tyres studded and non-studded and in the types of situations described above, the studded tyres perform better everytime. Keep in mind though, we are talking about actual snow tires with studs... not M&S rated tires with studs. As far as the legality (I think that is a word...) is concerned, it is illegal to run studded tyres in Nova Scotia during the warmer months (I believe it is between the beginning of April and the end of October) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackPrintz Posted September 27, 2013 Report Share Posted September 27, 2013 The video was comparing 'Studless' winter tires to 'Studded' winter tires and found that the 3 studless tires outperformed the studded tire. I'm also going to guess that any winter tire that's made to accept studs with have better grip when studded, but will it be as good as one of the studless types with their higher tech compounds and construction? Just curious. After living in central Ontario for 24 years, where you can't use studs, due to the damage to roads, I just was surprised to see it when I moved back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjoecanadian Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 I have never used studded winter tires, and I never used winter tires till my now ex wife was driving my car. I do not see a reason to put studded tires I lived in Winnipeg ( winterpeg ) and on a good set of winters I could drive like it was summer in the middle of a snow storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autumnwalker Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 From a wheeling perspective I'd get the largest tire you can fit / afford / find. From a winter driving perspective get something that is a proper winter tire and the skinnier the better. As always in our hobby - there are pros and cons - a winter tire will not be a mud tire in the dirt and a mud tire will never be a winter tire on the roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightpath Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 What they don't show or mention in that video is : - are they using the same tire, studded and not studded? - are some of the tires siped? - are they testing different tires on the same car? - are they testing at different speeds? - is the rubber that the tires are made of the correct type for the cold? Unless we know their controls and variables the video is moot. The black BMW might be AWD, silver/red might be FWD, or the traction control on one might be faulty or turned off. I've used studded and non studded. Studded seems to work better on icy surfaces since they dig in instead of just flatted/expand like rubber. IMO, the build of the tire is MUCH more important than anything else. Then there's the addition of AWD/4x4 ;) I found a MUCH better video here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaIfx_IV0vU&feature=player_embedded#t=4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackPrintz Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Just a bit of clarification is obviously needed here. This test was done in 2007 and tires have improved a lot since then and Tire Rack is going to redo their testing with currently available tires. Question #1: NO, they are comparing a studded winter tire to 3 studless tires (meaning they cannot be studded). #2: All the tires are siped, they are all winter tires. #3 Somewhere when they originally did this test, I recall seeing the info on the cars as being the same make and model, but I can no longer find that info. It also listed which tires were used and how they scored. #4.....? #5.....? I think if you watch the video, what is being determined is that the 'Studless' tires of today are a very good winter tire, especially on packed snow and ice. I don't think anyone would argue that a particular winter tire that has studs will be better in these conditions than the same tire without studs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightpath Posted October 26, 2013 Report Share Posted October 26, 2013 Different tires = different amount of siping :P The video I posted shows the BMW m3 or whatever it is, it's all they use and they comment on all of them being RWD. The first video states that studless winter tires > studded. It's a very short and abrupt video that's misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72LandRover88 Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 I love the mission creep that tends to happen on forums!! Seems this thread's original purpose was related to tyre size... However, based strictly on my experience, I have found that a modern studless winter rated tire will outperform it's studded counterpart on ice or hard packed snow. Where I have found tbe studless winter rated tyres lacking is their performance in deep snow. It seems the studded winters often have wider and deeper tread seperation which may cause them to dig through the deep snow better. Drive some studs into'er and you also get reasonable performance on ice and/or hard pack snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e36m3 Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 when i lived in quebec, we used to get crazy winters, not even remotely close to what we have here, for example my dad saw 3cm of snow last week lol. i never used studded tires, just a good ol' quality winter tire and never had any problem. i would also choose the 235s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRUXterra Posted October 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 lol...Adam, I knew those comments of studded vs. non-studded were bound to come out. The main reason I comment on being studded is as follows: 1) I'm not spending big $$ on tires to run ~4 months a year. Studless vs. true winter tires that can be studded, studless are $$$ 2) I've used both studded & non-studded on the same vehicle in the same winter conditions and studded out performed based on my driving patterns 3) I'm a stud (at least in my own mind) and they match my personality :P btw, the last point is the most important! But back on topic ( ;) ). Here is a bit of a long vid but it shows the same tire, studded vs. not. Keep in mind that my neighbourhood is cleared within 48 hours of a snowfall (not 24 as I posted earlier, though usually within 24). and for 50%+ of the winter, the street is hard packed snow/ice covered except for the centre line. Oh yeah, I climb a hill as steep as Magazine Hill from a dead stop on the way home and then I descend it to a "right or left" T-intersection at the bottom of the hill! There's a beautiful power pole that has been replaced twice since we moved in 5 years ago at the bottom of the hill! Why they haven't moved it, I cannot explain! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaIfx_IV0vU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRUXterra Posted November 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I still haven't found a set of used winter tires (preferred), but I can tell you that it's coming really soon! I'll search for another week on Kijiji and then buy new, despite my CBS affliction (Cheap Bastard Syndrome). A few cm of snow fell here yesterday. It melted on the pavement and then froze again with additional snow on top. I took the opportunity last night to take the X for a drive without kids and it was f'n nuts! BFG MT's are like skate blades on a thin sheet of ice/snow (already knew that), but in real world they are down right scary! at 20 km/hr on a down hill ABS was clicking like crazy and it took me 40+ feet to stop! The conditions were really bad! I then watched a 2009 Wrangler slide into the same intersection on non-studded, dedicated winter tires (1/2 worn) behind me. I know the owner & we stopped to chat and watched as a minivan with studded winters (could hear them) come down the same hill to the same intersection and at a higher rate of speed (probably over the limit of 50 km/hr). We thought for sure he was bound for the front yard of the opposing property, but he stopped at the sign and continued on. Needless to say, he is also searching Kijiji for studded tires; thankfully for a 17" rim ;P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autumnwalker Posted November 25, 2013 Report Share Posted November 25, 2013 I have never run a studded tire, but strongly considering a set. I have had some close calls over the years - on and off road as a few can attest to with my display on B&G last winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4x4Mckay Posted November 26, 2013 Report Share Posted November 26, 2013 I have never run a studded tire, but strongly considering a set. I have had some close calls over the years - on and off road as a few can attest to with my display on B&G last winter. Video proof of the hummer coming down backwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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