And this is why you buy good tires

[Exterous]

The roads were awful today. Perhaps the worst conditions I have ever driven in because everything was polished ice. At a certain point nothing really helps (like earlier in my commute where everyone on the road was sliding despite only going ~5pmh and regardless of whether they were in a car, suv, truck or semi - which is very disconcerting when two of those semis are immediately behind you)

But I did see several cases of what I am assuming were people with bad tires. While stuck on a slightly downward sloping freeway we were basically completely stopped most of the time. Still I saw several vehicles repeatedly start sliding down the road. One second they would be stopped. The next gravity over-road their coefficient of friction and they started sliding despite completely still wheels. I saw one E-350 slide straight into the back of a semi despite its front wheels pointed in a completely different direction. Fortunately 2mph crashes don't do too much damage. 98% of the other cars in the traffic jam had no issues while these vehicles had issues frequently.

One of the cars in question was a BMW M5. Dude - you spent that much on a car get some decent tires to go with it. He almost hit probably 7 different cars as he struggled. Not sure if he made it out without actually hitting anyone or not.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

People who aren't into cars or know anything about cars won't know how to properly maintain a car.

IE: the dude in the M5 might have bought the car only for the status symbol, not because he knows anything about cars in general (besides BMW = cool, M series = cool).

I've seen plenty of nice cars running mismatched tires (I'm talking fronts being different, not mismatched front/rear/), chinese tires because they're cheap af, etc. etc.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Another thought: people shit on ricers, stance boiz, etc. etc, but these people know that running bald tires are bad and usually don't run baldies (although they may drive on tires with a huge amount of camber wear)

(okay, maybe not all ricer/stance boiz, but most of them)

 

[soulcougher73]

I love how people brave those types of conditions just to get to work. id call in and stay safe vs. being rear ended and dead by a semi.

 

[Ns1]

Another thought: people shit on ricers, stance boiz, etc. etc, but these people know that running bald tires are bad and usually don't run baldies (although they may drive on tires with a huge amount of camber wear)

(okay, maybe not all ricer/stance boiz, but most of them)

As a former ricer, I cannot confirm this. At some point you run out of money cuz you spent it all on mods so you have to buy Kumho's and don't replace them until the camber wear gets dangerous.

 

[highland145]

Sorry, Ex, about shipping you our Southern black ice but it was that of kudzu.

Serious question since I live in the South. What makes a good tire on ice? Seems to me it wouldn't matter if it was bald or not.

 

[sourceninja]

That M5 probably had some very nice SUMMER tires on it.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Sorry, Ex, about shipping you our Southern black ice but it was that of kudzu.

Serious question since I live in the South. What makes a good tire on ice? Seems to me it wouldn't matter if it was bald or not.

Nothing. On actual ice, unless you have chains or spikes, you're gonna slide. No tire saves you.

Weird slush, mixed patchiness, etc can have mixed results. I had an exciting time driving my Camaro out of Syracuse this year during one of the hellish storms they got, basically slid through tire track grooves for a few miles until I got to actual pavement. Haven't felt that much anxiety in years.

 

[nakedfrog]

As a former ricer, I cannot confirm this. At some point you run out of money cuz you spent it all on mods so you have to buy Kumho's and don't replace them until the camber wear gets dangerous.

I've had Kumhos on a few cars, they seem like perfectly acceptable tires. I figured he was talking about the ones where you've never seen that name on a tire before.

Sorry, Ex, about shipping you our Southern black ice but it was that of kudzu.

Serious question since I live in the South. What makes a good tire on ice? Seems to me it wouldn't matter if it was bald or not.

Studded snow tires (even then, I'd still rather just not go anywhere).

That M5 probably had some very nice SUMMER tires on it.

Had no idea how useless summer tires could be in winter until I got my Miata. Drove it a couple hundred miles home on a freakishly warm January day, a few days later, it was typical January weather and it had snowed, so I tried to move it so I could shovel. Nope, it wasn't going anywhere.

 

[NoCreativity]

Glad I got into work before things went to crap this morning. Glad you made it safely as well.

Winter tires work decent on ice because they are designed to stay pliable at lower temperatures and they have sipping which is supposed to help with traction in snow, ice and water..

 

[T_Yamamoto]

As a former ricer, I cannot confirm this. At some point you run out of money cuz you spent it all on mods so you have to buy Kumho's and don't replace them until the camber wear gets dangerous.

Kumho's are alright, I'm talking about Westlake, Leao tyre, winrun, literally anything that's like 50 bucks a tire.

Kumho, Nankang are both acceptable, except iirc they're still chinese tires.

EDIT: who remembers that youtuber who was getting mad at tesla for their tires needing replacing because he didn't know that teslas came stock with summer performance tires?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I love how people brave those types of conditions just to get to work. id call in and stay safe vs. being rear ended and dead by a semi.

Some jobs won't really tolerate that. If you show up late at work here because of snow people will make fun of you and boss will give you a dirty look. You can usually make up for it by going to get coffee though. I imagine it's even worse if you are non unionized or in a "at will" place as they can just fire you on the spot.

 

[Muse]

doggone good reason to not turn that key... driving in conditions like that you have to have your heart in your throat. Yeah, I understand, sometimes you have to anyway. If you are in that kind of situation, best to have the safest vehicle you can manage. Those race car drivers survive crashes that would seem to be way more calamitous than what is apt to happen on icy roads, seems to me... but then I haven't seen a snowflake in over 50 years, nor do I watch car races... what do I know?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Kumho's are alright, I'm talking about Westlake, Leao tyre, winrun, literally anything that's like 50 bucks a tire.

Kumho, Nankang are both acceptable, except iirc they're still chinese tires.

I am well aware of the importance of good tires, particularly winter tires in, you know, the winter. But I'm also cheap, and if I can just manage not to hit anything for another couple weeks, I'll be able to putter around on my baldies all summer and buy a nice set of Blizzaks in Novermber or so.

And then another set of wheels and pair of proper all-seasons to swap in the spring of 2019, because holy crap winter tires wear out fast when you drive them in the summer, and I don't want to make that mistake again.

EDIT: who remembers that youtuber who was getting mad at tesla for their tires needing replacing because he didn't know that teslas came stock with summer performance tires?

Oh god, that guy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/6lvl7d/guy_gets_rid_of_his_tesla_because_it_has_worn/

 

[BoomerD]

That M5 probably had some very nice SUMMER tires on it.

yeah...tires that are otherwise "good," having decent amounts of tread can be worthless in the snow and ice. Hell, even good M&S tires don't always do the job. (which is why most state DOT's require "traction tires" for winter travel over the mountain passes during snow storms. (if they don't require chains)

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I am well aware of the importance of good tires, particularly winter tires in, you know, the winter. But I'm also cheap, and if I can just manage not to hit anything for another couple weeks, I'll be able to putter around on my baldies all summer and buy a nice set of Blizzaks in Novermber or so.

And then another set of wheels and pair of proper all-seasons to swap in the spring of 2019, because holy crap winter tires wear out fast when you drive them in the summer, and I don't want to make that mistake again.



Oh god, that guy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/6lvl7d/guy_gets_rid_of_his_tesla_because_it_has_worn/

I know people up north tend to have 2 sets of tires/rim combo, winter with steelies for... winter, and all season for the rest of the seasons

 

[ImpulsE69]

I love how people brave those types of conditions just to get to work. id call in and stay safe vs. being rear ended and dead by a semi.

good luck holding a job down if it happened more than once a year.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I know people up north tend to have 2 sets of tires/rim combo, winter with steelies for... winter, and all season for the rest of the seasons

Yeah. I live in Minnesota, I know. :-D

When I was poorer and had a Ford Focus and no garage, I just ran Nokian winter tires all year round, but I was lucky if they'd last 40k miles. Great winter traction, but rough as hell on pavement. And when I finally succumbed and put a set of Ecopias on the thing, it was like a whole new car... in spring/summer/fall anyway. Crap in the snow, though, instant regret.

So I know it's the "right thing to do" - you get the best traction, best ride in the summer, and your tires last longer - but am trying to put off the expense because I'm still cheap.

 

[clamum]

If I had a garage/storage I might consider getting nice winter tires for my car, and switching them out in the spring/fall. I normally run all season tires but I've been wondering how much better actual winter tires would be (I'm in Michigan).

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If I had a garage/storage I might consider getting nice winter tires for my car, and switching them out in the spring/fall. I normally run all season tires but I've been wondering how much better actual winter tires would be (I'm in Michigan).

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/g709/tire-testing-showdown-winter-vs-all-season/

I'd say the difference is pretty noticeable.

Whether or not you need it depends on your local weather, and whether or not you have to drive in the snow, and whether you're prone to buying things "just in case."

 

[Iron Woode]

I wish studded snow tires were legal here. I remember as a kid that my father had them on his 1968 Pontiac *Parisienne (basically a Chevy Impala/Bonneville made in Canada) and that thing never got stuck ever.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Parisienne

 

[Exterous]

I love how people brave those types of conditions just to get to work. id call in and stay safe vs. being rear ended and dead by a semi.

doggone good reason to not turn that key... driving in conditions like that you have to have your heart in your throat. Yeah, I understand, sometimes you have to anyway. If you are in that kind of situation, best to have the safest vehicle you can manage. Those race car drivers survive crashes that would seem to be way more calamitous than what is apt to happen on icy roads, seems to me... but then I haven't seen a snowflake in over 50 years, nor do I watch car races... what do I know?

I completely agree. But like I said I think this was a surprise to everyone. It was warm enough a little bit of salt would go a long way but no one realized that MDOT had like no trucks left to do that. My general rule of thumb has always been to evaluate my commute if schools are closed. Well - everything was open so everyone was on the roads

Nothing. On actual ice, unless you have chains or spikes, you're gonna slide. No tire saves you.

While nothing but chains might prevent sliding it can affect how far you slide. Some people were very obviously having more problems than others with completely stationary cars

 

[Exterous]

I am well aware of the importance of good tires, particularly winter tires in, you know, the winter.

I think another potential issue with that is when you change them. Its past the middle of April and we've already had 70 degree days. I'm willing to bet a fair number of people with winter tires already changed them. Hmm - maybe the M5 guy. But I wouldn't go straight summer tire in MI till May at the earliest.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think another potential issue with that is when you change them. Its past the middle of April and we've already had 70 degree days. I'm willing to bet a fair number of people with winter tires already changed them. Hmm - maybe the M5 guy. But I wouldn't go straight summer tire in MI till May at the earliest.

I'm optimistic enough that I'd probably have done them in April most years, but this year? We knew winter was hanging on.

Mother's Day is "It's now safe to put your plants in the ground" day for a reason.

 

[dyna]

I had purchased cheap tires once in college and I experienced exactly what you described. Just slight bit of rain and I would slide when stopping when even moving as slow as ~5 mph.