Tire Question

[MENINBLK]

Winter Tire question...

I know all about the Blizzaks.
I've seen them in packages from Tire Rack and a set with steel wheels, and a road hazard Warranty shipped is about $700 to NY.

I've also seen these tires...
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.
http://www.michelinman.com/catalog/tires/MichelinPilotSportAS.html?tire type=0&tire=1&source=ta
These are all season tires and available in 235/50ZR18 97Y.
I would have to put 4 all around in the same size.

Has anyone tried them for the winter ??

COSTCO has these for $252 each.

[hdwrench]

what is "winter?"


:)

[BillyGman]

I don't know about the all season tires you're asking about, but for what it's worth, i just want to say that an all out snow tire such as the Briddgestone Blizzak WS-50 tires and others like it will be better in the snow than any all season tire would. So why would you even want to go w/an all season tire for the winter? Are your factory BFG's beat?

[hitchhiker]

Winter Tire question...

I know all about the Blizzaks.
I've seen them in packages from Tire Rack and a set with steel wheels, and a road hazard Warranty shipped is about $700 to NY.

I've also seen these tires...
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.
http://www.michelinman.com/catalog/tires/MichelinPilotSportAS.html?tire type=0&tire=1&source=ta
These are all season tires and available in 235/50ZR18 97Y.
I would have to put 4 all around in the same size.

Has anyone tried them for the winter ??

COSTCO has these for $252 each.

$252/ea is a rather expensive tire.

Do they have them in the two sizes our Marauders require?

Thanks,

David

[David Morton]

what is "winter?"


:)I seen it when I lived in Georgia. It's bad! It gits real cold! It got so cold outside once, I opened my back kitchen door and a squirrel rushed past me and put his nuts in my toaster! It gits so cold up there that the bridges go slick and it didn't even rain! I seen a bunch of New York lawyers on chairs takin' lessons from a bridge one winter. :D

[jaywish]

Bah Da Boom

[jaywish]

Hey Pete,

The steel for winter makes sense. Are you talking 18" Bliz?

Jay

[MENINBLK]

Hey Pete,

The steel for winter makes sense. Are you talking 18" Bliz?

Jay

No Jay,

They are 16" Steelies with Blizzaks offset to match our tires ratios correctly.

I've had Michelin Pilots on cars in the past and they have always been
a very aggressive winter tire as well as a very quiet and very good
all around all season tire.
This is the reason why I asked about them.

The Pilot series is worth every penny you pay for them.
It is a tire that won't wear fast, is exceptional in the winter, and excellent in the rain.
It would be one tire that I can ROTATE, and not worry about having 2 sets of tires,
with one set always parked in my basement all year long...
(wife doesn't like to see these in the basement...)

If I were to buy a new set of KDWS for next year, along with the winter set,
I would be looking at spending about $1200 and have one set in my basement.

If I go with the Michelin Pilots, I get only ONE SET, they will last ALL YEAR LONG,
and I don't have to worry about the space it takes up in my basement,
and it will probably cost me the same or less...

Michelin also has a NEW SIX YEAR WARRANTY on its tires for defects !!
Not that they would last me that long, but it is comforting to know that
Michelin is that confident in their products.

[jaywish]

Hi Pete,

I can't say Iv'e used alot of Michelin tires lately. My stale experience with Michelins' has been one of long lasting but not very sticky tires.

I was thinking about the Pilots for my wagon since they make them in 225-70-15 and most other large manufactures have stopped makeing performace tires in that size.

You say they are great in snow and water, how about dry?

Certainly the value of space is important. I have so many wheels and tires now it borders on silly.

If you would like a recommendation/introduction to a local tire guy who gives me good prices, let me know. It might be worth a phone call on your part.

Jay

[ADE 1000]

The Pilot Sport A/S is a fine tire, but I can't imagine them being much better than the stock BFGs in the snow. I think you would have to move to a true snow tire to see any kind of improvement. The A/S is still a low profile performance tire, I think the best it could offer is a slight improvement.

[MENINBLK]

When I had my 98 Contour SE Sport, it came with FireHawk tires.
They were the noisiest tires I had ever driven on.

I replaced them with a set of Micheling Pilot XGT H Series and didn't look back.
They gripped the road like rails, regardless of the weather,
and were very predictable in the snow.

Now with that said, the Contour was a FWD car, and the tires were 15".
The combination of these would lend an advantage to snow traction
over the Marauder.
But even with the Michelin Pilots, I had to really push the Contour
to get it to slide on the snow.

I've never tried the Pilot Sport A/S, and I am looking to get some prices
outside of Westchester county.
Most of the time I buy tires, I've bought them from Sears in Harrisburg, PA
or National Tire & Battery, which I think no longer exists today.
In any purchase, I've always gotten a price outside of the NY area,
and found it much cheaper than anyone local could touch.

Costco and Sears seem to be good judges of prices.
If you can find someone local who can beat their prices by a buck or two,
then they are trying hard to get your business.

My dealership told me that they could get me any tires I wanted
when they found out hat I had purchased new tires for my Contour.
I looked at them and laughed saying, "At what prices ???".

I agree with you guys that dedicated snow tires are the best route,
and for the Marauder are probably worth the investment.
I don't think it pays to get a Road Hazard Warranty on them,
since they won't be the ONLY tires on the car,
and if I get them from Tirerack, I'd have to pay to ship the tire back
for the Road Haward anyway, so I'm thinking save the money and
use it to buy the replacement tire, if I should really need one down the road.

[jaywish]

Pete I think snows are the way to go, it's the best choice.

Maybe I will try the Michelins on the wagon in the spring, thanks for the recommendation.

My offer stands for the referral if you'd like.

Jay

[rayjay]

Winter Tire question...

I know all about the Blizzaks.
I've seen them in packages from Tire Rack and a set with steel wheels, and a road hazard Warranty shipped is about $700 to NY.

I've also seen these tires...
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.
http://www.michelinman.com/catalog/tires/MichelinPilotSportAS.html?tire type=0&tire=1&source=ta
These are all season tires and available in 235/50ZR18 97Y.
I would have to put 4 all around in the same size.

Has anyone tried them for the winter ??

COSTCO has these for $252 each.
For $472 I had set of mounted, balanced, shipped to my door WinterForce snow tires from the tirerack. Admittedly I need snow tires where I live, we actually have winter (200+ inches per year). Put them on today, snow flurries in the forecast later ths week. For the price of the tires you are looking at you could get after market wheels with snows on them.

[MENINBLK]

For $472 I had set of mounted, balanced, shipped to my door WinterForce snow tires from the tirerack. Admittedly I need snow tires where I live, we actually have winter (200+ inches per year). Put them on today, snow flurries in the forecast later ths week. For the price of the tires you are looking at you could get after market wheels with snows on them.

What size tires and wheels did you get for $472 ???

[CRUZTAKER]

Negative on the ALL-SEASONS on a Marauder....they don't work on the Lincoln LS we own, and they won't work on the MM either. My LS, Vic, and previously the MM all had the same setup and perform outstanding in the snow.

If you deal with REAL snow in your area, for god's sake buy REAL snow tires.

BTW: Blizzacks are NOT the end all in snow tires. There are other selections....much more aggressive selections. Some are even cheaper. I know I sound like a broken record, but check out the Kelly Wintermark for rear applications.

[MENINBLK]

...but check out the Kelly Wintermark for rear applications.

Are these what you are using ?
Please describe your setup, sizes, and your approx cost...

[BillyGman]

If you deal with REAL snow in your area, for god's sake buy REAL snow tires.

.

I agree!!!!!!!!

[CRUZTAKER]

Are these what you are using ?
Please describe your setup, sizes, and your approx cost...Sorry it took so long to get back to your question, but at first I couldn't remember the tire sizes, as I sold them last year, and then I lost this thread to reply to.:rolleyes:

The Kelly Wintermarks I used (on the rear) were 225-60-16 and optionally I had then studded.
When matched with another brand snow tire for the front in the same size, 225-60-16, I took a measurement and found some interesting results.

The Kellys, being a super aggressive snow tread, had an outer circumference that was 3/4 of an inch bigger than the other brand on the front. This kept the OEM front to rear tire circumference (aside from being 16" vs 18") the same ratio at 1:1.05. It kept the rake appearance, and didn't mess with the ABS whatsoever.

I got the 16" steelies from tire rack for $45 each. Cheaper than used ones at my local junk yard. I beleive the Kellys were $69 each, and the stud package was $15 per wheel.

The fronts I use now (on my lincoln and vic) are Bridgestone Blizzaks. And yes, I stuck with the Kellys on the rear of both cars. Both studded as well. Tire rack doesn't carry Kellys, gotta find a Kelly dealer near you. The multi-tire dealers may have trouble finding the size you desire.

[tjg442]

16" STEELES, (ALL FOUR), "COOPER" CTS TIRES...215/70s FRONT, 235/70s REAR, AND YOUR IN !!! HAVE THEM ON NOW, NO ABS OR TRACKTION CONTROL PROBLEM !!

[Aren Jay]

.............................. .

[GetMeMyStogie]

Nokian markets their WR and WRG2 as all-weather tires. They're snow tires (with the snowflake-on-the-mountain symbol), and are apparently suitable for summer use.
I've been using the WRG2 this year, on 16" rims, and I'm very happy with their performance, on ice, slush, snow, wet and dry roads.
I just checked their website, and while they do offer a combination that works on 18" rims, there's a minor difference: 235/50R18 WRG2 for the front, 255/55R18 WRG2 SUV for the rears. I'm not sure of the difference in the passenger car version vs. the SUV version, but visually they look identical.
Btw, I'm running 215/65R16 with 225/70R16 WRG2 SUV all-around, but I don't plan to run them in summer - my 18s look way better :)

[Windsor58]

I ran Nokians year round on an 04 Touareg and was very pleased with their performance year round (which I can't say about the VW).