'Tis the Season...

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

You don't have to hit me in the head with a (snow) shovel. When I looked outside this AM and saw those little white flakes and then watched while they proceeded to accumulate, I decided I had postponed the tire changeover long enough.

 

We have a lot of car guys (and gals?) on here and I was just curious - How many of you have your snows (or whatever you use in the winter) already mounted on wheels? With the preponderence of front wheel drive, how many change all four? Of those of you that have separate summer/winter tires/rims, how many change their own?

 

I just got done. Even though my car is RWD I change all four tires to all-season tires. I run larger (19" vs.18") high performance summer only tires from about April 'til now. I wouldn't let a tire monkey with an air wrench near my car, so I prefer to do it myself. That way I make sure they are properly mounted and torqued - and yes, I am wrapped a little too tight.

 

So how many on here are DIY'ers?

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Krdshrk 3,877]

I used to change from summer to all seasons, but now I have all-seasons on my summer wheels. I change/rotate 'em myself but I don't know how to mount/balance the tires on the wheels themselves.

[StanBo 1]

This is the first winter with my truck so I have to see how the all seasons hold up.

 

I have a second set of wheels for my mother's car (blizzacks on alloys) and swapped them out last weekend.

 

My wife's van gets a set of winterforces on steelies so they will be swapped soon.

 

I would like to get a tire changer for the garage. I try to do everything myself.

[MedicYeti 96]

I DO NOTHINK!! I live life on the edge and if things get too bad I'll mount a couple bullet proof clipboards to the front bumper of the Saturn and I'll be good to go.

[Shane45 807]

Well, I drive a Subaru so that was my preperation

[mikeyboyeee 66]

I drive my all season tire in, well, all seasons!

[Destinydog 9]

Total DIY'er, i took a perfectly good truck and modified the crap out of it, including an airride suspension and new rear frame, ect, ect,ect. my moneypit!

[vjf915 456]

I have FWD, and have all season tires on my wheels. I cannot afford to have two sets of wheels/tires, so these are on year round. I don't do this myself, but when I can fix it I do. And when I do need to take it to a shop, I take it to a reputable one.

[Geene519 1]

I drive a Jeep. need i say more? lol

[JonF 79]

I used to have separate winter tires/wheels for my m3 but since getting a truck, its no longer my daily and sits with summer tires all year round. I still drive it in the winter but only on days where the weather is dry and no salt on the asphalt. Traction isn't great but its not like blizzaks were that sticky on the dry anyways. I actually kept some road race tires on the car all summrt until recently the temps dipped into the 30's and they practically turned into hard plastic. Lol

[tony357 386]

we are all 4 wheel dr except my daughter and she runs all season tire has new ones well see how they do, she is front wheel drive so that helps, mitsubishi eclipse spyder..

[savageshooter 10]

I'll be rotating the 2 balding tires on the front to the back, and vice versa.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I put my snows on last friday, i saw the forecast for monday and saw snow so i jumped on the opportunity since i had a lot going on this week. I can definitely say i make it around better in the snow with fwd + snowies, then most people do with all season 4x4. I have summer wheels so its a must they come off, they dont provide the better traction in the cold weather any way, and total death sled with any kind of snow covering.

 

I go from 18" summer performance

to

16" Dunlop M3 snows- i change all four, i had a rear end slide out a couple years ago which prompted me to get snows in the first place. It wasnt bad by anymeans but that was the issue, i took a slow turn and the rear kept going, Your actually supposed to change all 4, i mean your talking about insane traction on the front end and barely any at the rear.

 

Me and a friend do ours at the same time every year, he has a nice garage that keeps us warm.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

DP.

[matt6669 71]

Just dropped 686 bucks on dedicated snow tires. That hurt my freaking wallet

[coldsolderjoint 84]

I usually don't get new tires till the metal wires are sticking out.. so.. I guess mine are considered "all-seasons"

[alowerlevel 77]

My truck's AWD so I dont even worry about it

[JonF 79]

I usually don't get new tires till the metal wires are sticking out.. so.. I guess mine are considered "all-seasons"

I suppose you could call them a poor man's ice studs. hehe

[Shocker 151]

All season = no season. I switch out in mid December.

 

And AWD doesn't help you stop or turn so don't fool yourself.

[Wastegate 9]

My car came with summer tires.

I have a separate set of wheels and snow tires I usually switch out in November.

 

AWD + Snow Tires == Unstoppable

[Krdshrk 3,877]

I usually don't get new tires till the metal wires are sticking out.. so.. I guess mine are considered "all-seasons"

I suppose you could call them a poor man's ice studs. hehe

 

Not really - by that time your tires are so bald they'll be useless. Snow tires are all about surface area.

[Malsua 1,422]

All season = no season. I switch out in mid December.

 

 

My various trucks have run All seasons for the past 25 years and I've never once ditched or been stuck with the exception of last year and it took a Komatsu 600 loader to clear the road and it even got stuck. Pics here: http://thewellrats.com/malbor2/storm10/snow.html That's in NW NJ where there are 15-25 degree grades to get into my town.

 

I used to live in the snow belt of Ohio.

 

This is not to say Snow tires aren't better they are. This is to say that if you aren't stupid, you can get around just fine with all season.

 

 

 

And AWD doesn't help you stop or turn so don't fool yourself.

 

It makes a difference. Not so much in stopping but in turning it sure does. I own a Subaru WRX now and it corners better in snow than any of the past FWD cars I've owned. My 4x4 have always cornered in the snow better in 4x than in 2x.

[JonF 79]

Not really - by that time your tires are so bald they'll be useless. Snow tires are all about surface area.

We weren't actually serious, Nick.

[alowerlevel 77]

All season = no season. I switch out in mid December.

 

And AWD doesn't help you stop or turn so don't fool yourself.

Well considering I drove nothing but RWD vehicles (89 Trans-Am GTA, 94 S-10 Blazer that was lowered alot) for the last 10 years, AWD may not stop better but definately turns 10x better.