snow tires for 215/65R16 tire size?

[skiur]

Absolutely STAY AWY from BJ', s CostCo, Sears and NTB. Their in house brand is garbage made in China.

My BIL laughed when I paid $1100 for the Nokian R2's. He paid $500 for NTB "Super Claw" something that were complete junk. Couldn't get up our NH driveway, then slid right off Rt 16N at Pinkham Notch while behind us going to WC. I never even realized that the road was a lil slick. Getting back after skiing, he couldn't get up the driveway again. Left car on road and it was gone the next morning. Towed and impounded by Conway PD. Net cost was over $900 plus one day lost work on Monday and then he still had to go out and buy some Blizzaks....

Don't cut corners on tires, especially Snows if you need 'em.

BJ's also sells Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone and others, not sure why you should stay away from them.

 

[2Planker]

BJ's also sells Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone and others, not sure why you should stay away from them.

Reread my post.
I specifically refer their own in house brand tires.

Michelin, and Goodyear are good manufacturers, but their Snow Tires are not as good as the ones we've been mentioning.

 

[darent]

I was told when buying winter tires that you shouldn't copy the exact size that your normal tires are. say you run a 225/65R 17, you should go to a 215 or narrower width. I used Town Fair tire when I bought winter tires for my Subaru, Free switch mounting for 6 years, can't beat that. I had my winter tires on a second set of steel rims.

 

[teleo]

A friend of mine who ran a tire store said to get nokian hakkas years ago. They are great. I've run hakkas on my subie outbacks for 15+ years now. They are not cheap.

Wife has blizacks on her car. They work well for her.

My subie does all the VT trips and gets a lot of mileage. Hers is almost all local. So the weardown of the blizacks good rubber is not a big deal for her. I doubt I'd get 3 seasons out of blizzacks on mine, but haven't tried.

 

[2Planker]

I was told when buying winter tires that you shouldn't copy the exact size that your normal tires are. say you run a 225/65R 17, you should go to a 215 or narrower width. I used Town Fair tire when I bought winter tires for my Subaru, Free switch mounting for 6 years, can't beat that. I had my winter tires on a second set of steel rims.

Correct
Referred to down sizing. My Audi wears 245/40/18 normally, but is rec for 225/50/17 in winter.
You actually do want a slightly narrower tire to get some "bite". A good tire shop will do the calculations to make sure your rolling circumference is almost identical, otherwise your Speedo will be off.

 

[kbroderick]

I've been happy with every true snow tire I've used, even a Cooper M+S SUV tire that was still 3PMSF rated; I've also run Michelin Arctic Alpins when the idea of super grippy studless snows was relatively new, Blizzaks, General's snow tire (forget the name) and Nokians of three different varieties. Most of the current crop of snow tires are better then most of what I've used (tech usually moves forward), and based on some head to head reviews I've seen, I'd bet that some of the all-weather tires now would beat the Arctic Alpins I had in 2002.

All that said, if you're new to good winter tires, any of the major name options will probably make you happy. My ex-wife thought the money was stupid until I took her car in for an inspection and came back with good but not Nokian good snow tires (we were still married at that point); a month later, she had convinced her parents to put true snows on their SUV, too.

Also, Nokian has a bit of a supply problem right now, so this fall may be an interesting one for getting snow tires.

 

[zyk]

Before the a/t tires I ran firestone winterforce studded. Studs suck on dry pavement but great in bad weather. Around here you can always hear who hasn't taken the studs off in the spring.

 

[Smellytele]

Before the a/t tires I ran firestone winterforce studded. Studs suck on dry pavement but great in bad weather. Around here you can always hear who hasn't taken the studs off in the spring.

2 or 3 weeks ago I saw (heard) someone that still had studded tires on.

 

[2Planker]

2 or 3 weeks ago I saw (heard) someone that still had studded tires on.

Fines in CT, ME, MA & RI for Studs on after May 1. April 1 in RI

 

[Smellytele]

Fines in CT, ME, MA & RI for Studs on after May 1. April 1 in RI

Must not be in NH and VT where I saw them.

 

[drjeff]

Fines in CT, ME, MA & RI for Studs on after May 1. April 1 in RI

I was under the impression that this was one of those laws, where they won't stop you specifically for it, but if they stop you for something else, and notice it, then they will tack it onto whatever they stopped you for in the 1st place.

Fully agree with the premise of the law though, Get the studs, and the wear and tear they cause on the road surface, off of the vehicles in the non frozen weather likely months

 

[abc]

anyone in jersey or nyc have a shop they trust i can go talk to about all this?

TireRack web site also has a tab for you to choose an installer. Plug in your zip code and a few installers would pop up. Those are shops agree to install tires from TireRack at a price shown on the web site.

I did that the first year. But by year 2 (tire already on the rim), I decided to get it put on by a shop closer to where my house it. It turns out they can do it for less than the shop on the TireRack list.

Fast forward a few years, I had developed a “relationship” with that shop from the semi-annual tire swap. So when I needed a new set again, he offered to match the TireRack price from his distributor. Then fast forward yet another few years, his distributor didn’t have the tires in stock, but TireRack had. He had me ordered the tires from TR and ship to his shop. His charge was in the same ballpark as TR’s listed installers.

In short, if you know a good shop, talk to them. They‘re probably open to get you setup for similar cost. But if you don’t have a shop you know well, just use the installer list from TireRack’s web site.

 

[kbroderick]

I was under the impression that this was one of those laws, where they won't stop you specifically for it, but if they stop you for something else, and notice it, then they will tack it onto whatever they stopped you for in the 1st place.

Fully agree with the premise of the law though, Get the studs, and the wear and tear they cause on the road surface, off of the vehicles in the non frozen weather likely months

I thought I knew someone who did get pulled over with it being the primary reason given, although I think it was as much an excuse to take a closer look at the admittedly less-than-top-notch vehicle and its occupants as much as anything else.

Agreed 100% that running studs beyond the end of snow-tire season is a jackass move. There are corner cases—I ended up in Oregon past their statutory date because I was on a road trip from Montana and not ready to pull them, for example—but those are relatively few.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

TireRack web site also has a tab for you to choose an installer. Plug in your zip code and a few installers would pop up. Those are shops agree to install tires from TireRack at a price shown on the web site.

I did that the first year. But by year 2 (tire already on the rim), I decided to get it put on by a shop closer to where my house it. It turns out they can do it for less than the shop on the TireRack list.

Fast forward a few years, I had developed a “relationship” with that shop from the semi-annual tire swap. So when I needed a new set again, he offered to match the TireRack price from his distributor. Then fast forward yet another few years, his distributor didn’t have the tires in stock, but TireRack had. He had me ordered the tires from TR and ship to his shop. His charge was in the same ballpark as TR’s listed installers.

In short, if you know a good shop, talk to them. They‘re probably open to get you setup for similar cost. But if you don’t have a shop you know well, just use the installer list from TireRack’s web site.

yea, i solicited some recommendations for a local tire shop on reddit. im going to go talk to them in person before i order anything.

 

[2Planker]

I was under the impression that this was one of those laws, where they won't stop you specifically for it, but if they stop you for something else, and notice it, then they will tack it onto whatever they stopped you for in the 1st place.

Fully agree with the premise of the law though, Get the studs, and the wear and tear they cause on the road surface, off of the vehicles in the non frozen weather likely months

Nope ! Not in MA & RI
They can hear ya coming from 100' away... Kind of hard to deny.

Gloucester Cop at an intersection was givin a gal a hard time on 1st weekend in April.
Did let her go BUT said next time - $$$$$$

 

[rebel1916]

Reread my post.
I specifically refer their own in house brand tires.

Michelin, and Goodyear are good manufacturers, but their Snow Tires are not as good as the ones we've been mentioning.

Michelin X-Ice is a phenomenal snow tire.

 

[2Planker]

Michelin X-Ice is a phenomenal snow tire.

True that. I had a set years ago. They wee Good BUT my expeirence is that 15+ years ago, I thought the Blizzaks wee better...
After that the Nokians were excellent but Pricey and LOUD

Gotta say the Continental Viking Contact 7 is the best snow tire I've tried in the last 20 years.
All of them have been on Audi Quattros
https://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/Continental/Viking+Contact+7

 

[BodeMiller1]

I "drove" The Kangamagus (spelling?) from N. Conway to I93 to ski at Cannon many moons ago in a FORD MUSTANG with 4 studded somethings. Big deal right? NO, there was over two feet of snow at the top of the pass, white - out conditions. If I had stopped I was stuck. Had a N.H. State Trooper waiting for me at the end (didn't meow at him). I guess the plow truck driver called him. It was -80F with the wind chill, sustained 40 MPH winds; not just up top. One run and done. Ski Patrol suggested I get off the hill.

A bad day of skiing is better than getting stoned and posting on ski boards, until it's not.

Which reminds me why does Frosty the Snowman always say Happy Birthday when he comes alive?

wait for it....



Because it is his birthday.

Highway Star OUT

 

[BodeMiller1]

Now that I've mellowed my poo, Good Year Defenders...

There's a lot to meow about here...

 

[BodeMiller1]

Blizzaks...

Are you the guy that blows by me going 95MPH on I93 on Powder days? From sentence structure analysis, you fit the bill.

No offense