Snow tires are on

"Aaron M - MasoFiST" (amarks563) 01/11/2016 at 13:50 • Filed to: None

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Continental WinterContact SI, wrapped on the stock wheels. Had a bit of a kerfluffle with a sticky valve stem, but other than that tires have been good so far. I do want to know, though...this is the first time I’ve had a car with snow tires. On the Subaru I made do with all-seasons year round, admittedly ones that were relatively good in snow (Continental ExtremeContact DWS). So here, I’m driving on snows in wet conditions (no snow yet in Boston), and I’m noticing that abrupt lane changes will cause my TCS light to flash briefly. So I wonder: a) are snow tires that squishy, or b) is full-on traction control that intrusive? This is my first car with TCS, too, so I’m not very clear on what’s normal.

bob and john > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:00

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both. winter tires are VERY soft (its what makes them good in the winter and snow) you really shouldnt have snows on if its warmer then 7*C

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > bob and john 01/11/2016 at 14:04

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You can drive snows in warmer weather, they’ll just degrade faster. They’ll have less grip but it’s enough to get around

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:05

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Yes they are quite squishy. That’s what makes them good in snow but worse on pavement.

Also, how aggressive are you changing lanes that it trips your traction control?

McMike > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:06

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Sigh, I just hauled my snow tires up from the shed yesterday, and two of them won’t hold air. Leaky bead.

Threw them in the back of the car to drop off on the way home today.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > bob and john 01/11/2016 at 14:07

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The weather in Boston has been utterly schizophrenic, it’s one reason I waited until January to get the snows on. It’s stayed under 45 for the most part though...well, except yesterday, but I wasn’t out driving.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 01/11/2016 at 14:10

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Normally. To be fair, it’s not so aggressive that I notice any throttle cut, just that the light comes on. This was only in the wet, and on I-93 in Boston so there were lots of bumps, expansion joints and potholes that could upset the rear a little.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:17

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I see that plenty in my FR-S around Michigan, even on my street tires with water and enough bumps

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 01/11/2016 at 14:24

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OK, thanks for the perspective. This is my first car with snow tires, TCS, and RWD, so my perception of normal isn’t quite there yet.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:26

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A short flash usually means some wheel slip is detected, not that TCS has started intervening

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 01/11/2016 at 14:28

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Gotcha. My only other experience with TCS is in my Dad’s Accord, where the light came on pretty much only when we were trying to get up an icy driveway.

Master Cylinder > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 14:37

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Snow tires are very squishy, yes. They’re also pathetic in the rain when it’s above 40*F or so, at least the Blizzaks I have are.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Master Cylinder 01/11/2016 at 14:42

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That makes sense. Mostly I wish the weather in Boston would make up its mind, though we’re back below freezing for the foreseeable future with some snow possible this weekend.

deekster_caddy > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 16:21

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If they are brand new tires the treads are still a little high, so they will give a little more. It will settle down with time. They will feel much better when it’s really cold out. The rubber compound is pretty soft, which is great when it’s cold but meh when it’s warm.

Also make sure your pressures aren’t too low. I tend to set snow tires a few PSI higher, as we all know you lose a couple PSI when it gets colder, especially if you are a football...

I’m just north of Boston and do tires on the side. Let me know if you’d like me to take a look at them.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > deekster_caddy 01/11/2016 at 16:29

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I got them on last Thursday, they are really damn new. I don’t think the behavior is worrying, just the triple whammy of TCS, snow tires and RWD meant that I had no reasonable baseline for normal.

deekster_caddy > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 16:54

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What kind of car? edit - nevermind, I’m guessing an E82?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > deekster_caddy 01/11/2016 at 16:55

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BMW 128i. I just put the snow tires on the stock wheels, and am planning to buy something nice for the summer.

deekster_caddy > Aaron M - MasoFiST 01/11/2016 at 16:57

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Let me know if you want to save a couple bucks when it comes to mounting and balancing (unless you are at a shop in which case you can do them yourself).