Why do winter tires handle so badly?
12-02-2010, 11:39 PM
#16
Drifting
12-02-2010, 11:51 PM
#17
Rennlist Member
I suppose that's why they're called "snow tires".
12-02-2010, 11:59 PM
#18
Parts Specialist
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12-03-2010, 04:37 PM
#21
Team Owner
The advantage of winter tires on snow and ice has little to do with having a larger contact patch or the tread pattern--in fact, narrower tires are recommended when driving on snow and ice. The composition of the rubber is MUCH more important, and the same properties that make a winter tire work good in the cold make them work like crap in the summer, and the properties that make a summer tire work well in the heat make them useless in the winter.
Hell, it's illegal in many parts of Canada and Europe to even use summer tires during the winter months...there's a reason for that.
12-03-2010, 05:03 PM
#22
Three Wheelin'
I figure my winter tires are narrower and have an open tread pattern, which (combined) places probably half the contact patch on the road. It's adequate, but if I horse the car around, they may stick reasonably well, but I'll be leaving a trail of ground rubber behind me. They shouldn't be 'awful'....but I don't expect them to be close to summer tires....even in Dubuque.
12-03-2010, 07:16 PM
#24
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i use Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 and it handle great on dry cold road ( 295 rear ) just like my summer Bridgestone,very good in snow and ice and very quiet for a winter tire,i use Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
on my Cayenne and they are very great and quiet ,
I love the Pilot Alpin but the Dunlop would be a good choice for the Carrera.
I had narrower Nokian and Bridgestone before and the handling was horrible.
Pirelli are another great tire for winter great handling and quiet.
on my Cayenne and they are very great and quiet ,
I love the Pilot Alpin but the Dunlop would be a good choice for the Carrera.
I had narrower Nokian and Bridgestone before and the handling was horrible.
Pirelli are another great tire for winter great handling and quiet.
Last edited by Mephisto; 12-05-2010 at 06:23 PM.
12-03-2010, 10:23 PM
#26
"Whay do winter tires handle so badly?"
Has a lot to do with how winter roads handle badly. Hot asphalt is better traction. Then wet asphalt has as much traction as dry concrete.
Has a lot to do with how winter roads handle badly. Hot asphalt is better traction. Then wet asphalt has as much traction as dry concrete.
12-04-2010, 12:22 PM
#27
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There is as much variation in performance between winter tires as there are between summer tires. My experience with dunlop wintersports and falken HS439s is a good example.
The falken's are much better than the dunlops in the cold and wet. We haven't had significant snowfall yet so I can't attest to snow performance.
To the OP I would suggest that you'll have to do comparisons of winter performance tires much like one would do for summer tires.
Also, avoid snow and ice tires as they tend to have the worst dry performance in cold weather and can sometimes fall victim to chunking. A good example is the difference in performance profiles of the blizzak LM series versus the WS series.
The falken's are much better than the dunlops in the cold and wet. We haven't had significant snowfall yet so I can't attest to snow performance.
To the OP I would suggest that you'll have to do comparisons of winter performance tires much like one would do for summer tires.
Also, avoid snow and ice tires as they tend to have the worst dry performance in cold weather and can sometimes fall victim to chunking. A good example is the difference in performance profiles of the blizzak LM series versus the WS series.
