Snow

[IslandTractor]

I'd love to see that article. The rationale is sound certainly if it is the rubber compound that makes the difference but the tread design is so different I have a hard time imagining that doesn't detract from snow tire performance on pavement.

 

[T.Narley]

I'm sorry, try as I might I've been unable to locate the article. It specifically addressed winter tire performance on cold dry pavement due to the specific rubber compound used. IIRC the winter tires equaled the factory "all season" tires at around 40 degrees and out-performed them on an increasing basis the colder the pavement got. Once below freezing the difference was dramatic.

They also commented on how poorly the winter tire performed on a hot summer day, and how fast it wore out at high pavement temperatures.

I manage a fleet of 10 emergency vehicles in a hilly northern ohio snow belt area. Once I took over one of the first things I did is get the purchased of snow tires approved (Firestone Winterforce) for our rear wheel drive 70's era Crown Vics, which regularly would run brand new Firestone Firehawk Pursuit all-season tires each winter. With the all-seasons the cars were pathetic during snow and ice events. Officers would refused to pull into driveways, would get stuck in the middle of the road hills where cars were wrecking and spinning out(embarrassing), and on several occassions I recall cruisers being stuck on the bottom end of town unable to respond to calls.

This is the 3rd season we've run the winterforce tires and the difference is so dramatic that we'll never go back. Not one single cruiser has gotten stuck in that time. Nobody has wrecked one (a seasonal occurence before) and we go just about anywhere with confidence, regardless of conditions.

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

Here's one article:

http://news.carjunky.com/car_maintenance/the-cold-truth-about-winter-tires-ab412.shtml

Here's another, which has more technical details:

http://www.insideline.com/features/inside-line-asks-who-needs-winter-tires.html

 

[T.Narley]

http://www.insideline.com/features/inside-line-asks-who-needs-winter-tires.html

That article makes many of the same good points. The one I recall was similar but more technical, and had video simulations of the hard "all season" tire vs the winter tire compounds contacting the road.