whats better for winter, wide or thin?
11-11-2004, 11:28 AM
#16
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Originally Posted by BAN SUVS
Dead wrong. In snow, you want narrower tires to cut through to the pavement. The smaller contact patch means more pressure over each square inch to help cut through the snow. It also reduces the hydroplaning effect. This is why WRC cars run 15x5.5 wheels for snow stages.
For Subarus, stock tire size (205/55/R16 for Imprezas) is the best bet for winter tires. 215/45R17 is the best choice if you have brakes that require 17" wheels. If you can run 15" wheels, try to find a 195/65R15 or 205/60R15 snow tire.
For Subarus, stock tire size (205/55/R16 for Imprezas) is the best bet for winter tires. 215/45R17 is the best choice if you have brakes that require 17" wheels. If you can run 15" wheels, try to find a 195/65R15 or 205/60R15 snow tire.
11-11-2004, 12:57 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by BAN SUVS
Do you drive up to Tahoe for ski season?
11-11-2004, 09:59 PM
#18
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Originally Posted by bringndefinitio
yup! Countless times! Trying to head over there asap but have to get tires first. I also have another question do I need to break in my tires or can I just mount them balance them and head straight to tahoe??
11-11-2004, 10:00 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by bone324
WRC cars drive extremely fast in deep snow, which is unlikely for a daily driven WRX. I seriously doubt that 10 or 20 mm is really going to make any difference. I'd just stick to a decent tread pattern that can handle water and snow for a winter tire.
11-12-2004, 08:22 AM
#20
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so I should be ok if I just mount my new tires on and hit the snow ?? Just afraid it won't give me the traction I need up in tahoe and a while back I remember dozens and dozens of cars either off the road or hit a tree guessing because they didn't have traction nor the tires gave them the stopping power they needed.
11-12-2004, 10:51 AM
#21
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New tires sometimes need a 100 miles or so to wear off the molding gate nubs, but they will be ok. I have two sets of tires for my old *****'s. Wide and soft for floatation over the snow, mud, water when solid traction is deeper down than the frame height and a set of narrow military tires that can dig a trench to solid ground below. Soft and wide means float and hard and narrow to dig down. Realistically, on a car at road speed, in most instances you probably do not want to try to float on the surface unless you are driving on unplowed roads. On a light *****'s is is pretty easy to fit tires that will spread the weight out so the vehical has very little weight per square inch of tread contact, on a subaru, I do not know how big of tire you would need to lower the contact weight substantially, but it should be easy to figure out.
11-12-2004, 08:06 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by bringndefinitio
so I should be ok if I just mount my new tires on and hit the snow ?? Just afraid it won't give me the traction I need up in tahoe and a while back I remember dozens and dozens of cars either off the road or hit a tree guessing because they didn't have traction nor the tires gave them the stopping power they needed.
Even with snow tires, you need to be cautious. Remember that your brakes are much worse in particular in the snow, and locking up wheels is too easy.
11-13-2004, 06:52 AM
#23
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yes stoping and turnning is the trick in snow. that is why you need every advantage available to you. winter tires and abs along with smooth driver inputs will make yoyr winters enjoyable. oh do not forget to practice practice practice.... it will be to late to figure out how the car handels when that tree is looking large in your windshield1
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