Re: winter tires gliding on dry surface?

[Tad <tad@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tim,

    Get rid of the Blizzaks and go for the Michelin "Artic" Alpin tire!
I tried the Blizzaks one year.  Exceptionally good traction but cornering sucked.
Last year I went with the Yokohama Guardex 600.  Again, traction was great
and cornering was improved over the Blizzak but I still hated them.  This year
I went with the new Artic Alpin.  Much wider with bigger blocks and more sipes
but the traction is almost as good as the Blizzak and the cornering and ride is truly
great!  I talked to the Michelin customer service before I bought them.  They said
that they got the technology from the Swedes.  From just looking at them you
wouldn't think that they would do well but I am very pleased with both the
traction on snow & ice and ride and cornering ability.

No affiliation, just a happy winter driving!

Tad Allen
1995 530i (sharked of course!)
BMW CCA #F158020

>
> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 08:01:58 -0800
> From: Greg Williams <gaw@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re:  winter tires gliding on dry surface?
>
> timothy estin <testin@domain.elided> wrote on Wed, 17 Feb 1999 at 15:34:03 -0500:
>
> >>>>i just purchased and installed 4 new Blizzac 195/65 14 winter MZ02
> Snow/Ice for my '90 325 ic. On dry surface, the car feels as if its
> gliding or
> swimming, or even floating sort of , across the road . . .<<<<
>
> As with almost anything in life, specialization trades off performance in
> one area for increases in another.
> Good snow tires have characteristics which make them effective on snow and
> ice, but compromise dry pavement performance:
> 1)  The tread is comprised of many small blocks, and the blocks themselves
> are heavily "siped."  This, combined with the extra depth of the tread,
> produces squirm, which is what I believe you describe as floating.  A high
> performance dry tire has large tread blocks, or in the case of racing,
> slicks with no grooves.
> 2)  The most effective snow tires are narrow in width, again a trade-off in
> the dry.
>
> As another has suggested, the best solution is to keep snow tires on
> separate wheels and use them only when required.
>
> Greg Williams
> gaw@domain.elided
> Lake Oswego, OR
> '94 325i
>

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