Snow Tires

Hi,
We have lived here(Central Oregon) for almost 30 years and have tried a lot of different tires and brands, what we found works the best on cars and trucks alike are a good m/s tire that we have siped. The siping of the new tires makes them grip better (we think) than studs in more types of driving and helps make the tires last a lot longer. The studs are not always the best for traction, especially on wet roads. Another perk of siping is that you dont have to fight the lineups at the tire shops to have them put on or taken off, they can run all year and save time and dollars that way too! We have ran large lug tires on the trucks and some mild tread on the cars and have found a real treasure in the siping. The cost is cheap per tire too.($8-15) Ask your local tire dealer about it, they will tell you a pros opinion!
-S.

I agree with Corrie. My first thought was the studless tires. My husband actually has some on his Explorer. They are pretty hefty tires.

I have a set of new studded snow tires on custom wheels from Les Schwab. These tires are Signet Brand, Winter Trax. Size is 205/70/R15, on 15" chrome wheels. I had these tires on a Pontiac Bonneville last winter and drove the car three times in town. I am not sure if these will fit on what you drive, you can call any Les Schwab and get more information about these tires. They worked fantasic for me, I now have a truck and can no longer use them. If you are interested in buying these tires/wheels you can contact me by email at ____@____.com.

the studded tires will leave ruts in the road - it is very common in Alaska because most of us put studded tires on our cars during the winter, we would not be able to get anywhere without them! .. so I think it is just not good for the road.. and one problem that can arise is when the road is wet these ruts can fill with water, so there is a risk of hydroplaning.. but wet or dry.. studded tires are going to give you more traction.. though you could get fined for having them on past season. Check out your local laws regarding studded tires then make your decision. Sounds like you need them though.

Hi N.,

My husband works for a tire chain manufacturing company and I forwarded your inquiry to him for his advice. Although he didn't really have an answer, I felt I should forward you his response:

"I don't know much about the different brands of tires, I'd say just go to Schwab. I think pretty much any studded tire is not great on wet asphalt because the metal on a wet surface can mean more skidding."

I did a ton of driving between Portland and Central Oregon last year and got the Nokian studless snow tires: http://www.nokiantires.com/en/tire_wr.aspx?season=winter. They were honestly the BEST purchase I ever made. Our truck has studded tires in the winter and slips and slides all over the place on wet pavement. The studless ones handle better than anything I've ever driven on wet, dry, and on snow they were unbelievable. Not cheap, but worth every penny!

My family has purchased tires from Les Schwab for 2 generations now and have always been more than satisfied. Perhaps other dealerships do the same? Here are some perks all for free:

Rotate tires, fill up low tires (I use this one because I don't like getting smudged up using the gas station air pump, check tire for leaks when the air is quickly getting low, replace tires if they're damaged (they measure tread and give you a credit towards your new one, (I've used that too. The damage was my fault but it didn't matter. if it's a manufacturing problem they do not charge.) Install and take off snow tires. There may be more. They do this at any Les Schaub outlet. It doesn't have to be the one from which you purcased the tires. If you have a blow out they will come to you with a new tire. (This happened to us. We were on freeway over 20 miles from the store.)

I praise you for investigating.