OT: Mount snow tires, replace my summer tires, or ...?

smontanaro · #1 10-23-2020, 04:23 PM

We're taking a trip from Evanston, IL to Kansas City , MO on somewhat short notice (leaving Sunday). We don't drive our car a ton (2017 VW Golf Sportwagen), but it's time for new tires and also just about time to put on the snow tires. I was going to just put on the snows at the usual time and get new summer tires next spring. Now I don't know if I should try to get new tires tomorrow, try and get the snows rotated into service or maybe buy new tires in KC. The forecast in KC is for a chance of snow showers Monday. The driving will pretty much all be interstate, I80 to I35.

Ozz · #2 10-23-2020, 04:51 PM

Are you summer tires "summer tires" or all season tires?

Pretty good discussion here from about a year ago: https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=243369

C40_guy · #3 10-23-2020, 05:27 PM

If it's almost time to put on the M&S tires anyway...and the summer tires are about due for replacement (old/bald/dry rotted/heat cycled)...

...then it's time to put on the M&S tires.

Better safe than sorry.

Buy/install the new summer tires next spring. No need to buy them now, have them installed, and then swap shortly. Also, new tires can sometimes be "green" and rather greasy. I wouldn't be taking them into a potential snowy environment right away...

...but I am a huge believer in dedicated M&S tires anyway. Have a set of four mounted Nokian M&S tires for each of my cars (and children's) cars, and the cars are all Audi quattros. Now if it would only snow once in a while.

Oh, and if you do go through the process of getting the snow tires mounted, your entire drive will be bright & sunny. There's a win right there!

smontanaro · #4 10-23-2020, 06:15 PM

Thanks for the feedback. The snow tires are Bridgestone Blizzaks. The "summer" tires are what came on the car, so yeah, "all season." I'll try to get the snow tires mounted.

charliedid · #5 10-23-2020, 07:07 PM

Funny, I just did that drive two days ago in my Sportwagen and I live just across the border from you in RP. Anyway I don't have much to add other than to say generally the roads were very good. The most notable thing was how dense the fog was heading into and an hour past KC. Crazy fog... and if it were night and or snowing I would have been terrified. Or more terrified.

Have fun :-)

likebikes · #6 10-23-2020, 07:09 PM

use the current AS tires, snow won’t be an issue on your trip. toss them when you’re back home.

AngryScientist · #7 10-23-2020, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by likebikes

use the current AS tires, snow won’t be an issue on your trip. toss them when you’re back home.

unless they are totally shot, i agree with this. that's a lot of highway miles to pile on blizzaks. AS tires will be fine if snow showers are all you are going to see.

gbcoupe · #8 10-23-2020, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

unless they are totally shot, i agree with this. that's a lot of highway miles to pile on blizzaks. AS tires will be fine if snow showers are all you are going to see.

I 3rd this.

Gsinill · #9 10-23-2020, 07:20 PM

Living in Chicagoland, all I get for my daily drivers are Nokian All-Weather tires.

C40_guy · #10 10-23-2020, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

unless they are totally shot, i agree with this. that's a lot of highway miles to pile on blizzaks. AS tires will be fine if snow showers are all you are going to see.

Well, its about 1K miles round trip.

The 10 day forecast does look pretty good (warm/sunny).

gbcoupe · #11 10-23-2020, 07:24 PM

For what it's worth, I have Yokohama Avid Ascend GT's on my Mini. Best all season by far on this car. Smooth, quiet and good stick. Great in the rain. I'd assume they'd do well in snow, but haven't tried and won't. I have winter wheels/tires for that.

smontanaro · #12 10-23-2020, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

unless they are totally shot...

The tread is down to the wear indicators, so they kind of hum when you're going at highway speeds. There is definitely tread left though.

Ken Robb · #13 10-23-2020, 09:06 PM

It is a MISTAKE to drive anywhere on "iffy" tires but especially a long high-speed trip. Unlike the snow tires of my youth in Chicago in the 1950s-60s new ones are not loud/vibrators so you won't have a downside to replacing your tired tires (no joke intended) with dedicated snows before rather than after your journey to KC.

ChainNoise · #14 10-24-2020, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smontanaro

The tread is down to the wear indicators, so they kind of hum when you're going at highway speeds. There is definitely tread left though.

If it rains you're gonna have some fun alright!!!!

Why chance it? I don't understand. If it's cold enough to snow, snow tires should be on anyways. Snow tires aren't just for snow, they are much softer to grip better in cold temperatures. I really don't know why you're questioning this. The snows won't 'burn up'

saab2000 · #15 10-24-2020, 07:02 AM

Do you change the tires from the rims each season? That's not ideal but I know some folks do that.

I'm definitely a winter tire advocate and think most all-season tires are inappropriate in winter but that opinion is made clear in the many threads about this topic.

If your all-seasons are currently worn to their wear indicators I'd get them replaced before taking a road trip. They will hydroplane far easier if you encounter rain. I've experienced this and it's unnerving to say the least.

As for the Blizzaks, I'd get them installed on separate rims (steel rims are fine) and put them on when high temps are expected not to climb above 40-50ºF. The compound on all-seasons is somewhat harder than Blizzaks and lose some grip in cooler temps. I had Blizzaks with my GTI and loved them. They just got sold with the car a couple months ago.

I just picked up a set of Michelin winter tires on BBS wheels for my Tiguan and they'll be going on soon.