Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 18:05:39 -0600
Reply-To: tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Organization: Tippen Ringware
Subject: Re: studded snow tires: 2 or 4?
In-Reply-To: <16802-3F22F439-182@storefull-2198.public.lawson.webtv.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
I lived for 30 years in one of the heaviest snowfall areas in the US, the
eastern tip of Lake Ontario, where we got about 300 inches a year snowfall. We
used snow tires, tractionized tires, and for a while, when they first came out,
studded tires. They are not worth anything in snow beyond the tread you are
on. They are great on glare ice. Look at the conditions you will be driving
in, and buy a good M/S or snow tire accordingly. And skip the studs unless ice
is a normal occurance.
And then there's CA. Unless you have to deal with the silly CA rules on
chains, don't bother either. I could have outrun a CA state trooper who used
chains if I ran bald tires. These people do _not_ know snow.
And I did run "bald" tires during the 30" Halloween blizzard in Minneapolis.
4WD cars were running off the road, and me on Comp TA R1 Road Race tires on my
GTI that had 4000 miles on them. :)
So I would advise a good snow tire from a good mfgr. I can't tell you which,
since I don't bother with them at all. Minneapolis only gets 55 or so inches
on avg. That's summer tires all year for me.
tom
On 26 Jul 2003 at 14:35, Lee Kouns wrote:
> Calling all experts at driving in snow & ice!
> This southern California couple is headed to the mountainous snow
> country of South Lake Tahoe for the winter. I assume that having studded
> snow tires will help us drive our Westy more safely and without as much
> need of chains. One vanagon owner that I talked with, claimed that two
> studded snowtires (on the rear wheels) would work just as well as
> studded snowtires on all four wheels. I would really appreciate any
> additional opinions from other vanagon owners who have experience with
> either (or both) approaches.
> Thanks in advance for your experience.
> Lee Kouns
> 87 Westy
> 88 Westy
>
------
Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW EN34hx
85 Wolfsburg Westphalia Albert
96 Jetta GL The Intimidator
taring@taring.org
"It is better to go into a turn slow, and come out fast, than to go into a turn fast
and come out dead." Stirling Moss
