Do you use Winter Tires?

[mom45]

To each their own. Probably works better than as a traction aid.



1200#?! no kidding you won't spin the tires. Not my first choice but it works.



yea, saw part of it in another thread too. seems a localized disagreement has spilled out onto the street.

I haven't gotten stuck in ANYTHING with that load in there. I've tested it a few times but Old Blue just keeps on rolling.

 

[Areoflyer09]

Getting tires tomorrow. 271 total for four. Hanook with a 70k mile rating. should last me forever.

70K tires would last either my personal vehicles upwards of 8 years and they would age out before they got to that point.

I just finished off a set of Pirellis (they were the factory installed tire) that didn’t last 10k miles...

 

[russc2542]

I haven't gotten stuck in ANYTHING with that load in there. I've tested it a few times but Old Blue just keeps on rolling.

The location of the sarcasm doesn't show. I'm not surprised you don't get stuck, I'm knocking putting over a half ton of weight in the truck to get by. It works but it's working harder not smarter.

 

[ghuns]

My dad used to tool around in this 2WD, extended cab, long bed, Chevy with 1200 pounds in back.

4, round, 300lb John Deere wheel weights. He'd set them over the ball for his gooseneck hitch. Had a bracket with 2 chains that hooked to the ears on the hitch, went up through a 2X2 piece of steel tubing, and topped off with a 3/4" nut with lock washers.

If you're gonna drive around with that much weight, it had better be secured.

 

[Hawkeye]

If you're gonna drive around with that much weight, it had better be secured.

And that your brakes are working well!

 

[mom45]

Yep...secured and hasn't caused any issues. This is the third year that this has been my main vehicle in winter, and I have carried the weight back ther. Brakes and good tires are both a must on any vehicle I drive. My dad pounded that into my head as a kid...don't go cheap on your tires because that is your only contact with the ground and they need to be in good shape with good tread/traction. Brakes are a no brainer. If I hear a squeak, the brakes are getting checked out ASAP. If I feel a pull, calipers are being checked to make sure they are working properly.

I have never understood how someone can drive a car and have a tie rod break or their brakes fail...there had to be warning signs that were ignored. My son told stories and sent me pictures from his phone of some of the vehicles that came into the shop when he worked at Goodyear and/or Tire Barn. It was very eye opening. I now make sure to give other vehicles plenty of room on the road because I'm always wondering who is going to wreck in front of me or crash into me when their car breaks.

 

[schafe]

Driving daily from Bloomington to Greenwood for 18 years taught me a couple of things:

1) Most people on the road at 4:00 AM are trying to do a good job driving.

2) When the chips are down, ice is on everything, folks are sliding off and crashing, and sliding backwards downhill, a good set of winter tires on a RWD vehicle with a judicious amount of weight in back, can provide better traction and stability than AWD with all season tires. The difference is dramatic.


My RWD truck has Blizzaks and 450 lbs. of weight. It's my go-to winter transport. If I thought it was economically feasible, I would run them all year round.

 

[russc2542]

I have never understood how someone can drive a car and have a tie rod break or their brakes fail...there had to be warning signs that were ignored. My son told stories and sent me pictures from his phone of some of the vehicles that came into the shop when he worked at Goodyear and/or Tire Barn. It was very eye opening. I now make sure to give other vehicles plenty of room on the road because I'm always wondering who is going to wreck in front of me or crash into me when their car breaks.

Willful ignorance, denial, procrastination, poor budgetary decision-making. "It's been making that noise a while now but it still drives OK" "I just can't afford to fix it now" "I've been meaning to have that looked at"

one good one was the car that was towed in because "the pedal went to the floor suddenly": they'd worn through the pad, backing plate, half the rotor (and the fins) and 1/2" of piston until the piston literally came out of the seal dumping brake fluid.

Another was a ford full size van that'd been driving on bad front end everything so long there were literally 5 rollers found from the wheel bearings on one side. Drove in, drove away (liability waiver signed that we declared his vehicle unsafe and told him) with nothing holding the wheels on but the washers and a prayer.

 

[mom45]

Willful ignorance, denial, procrastination, poor budgetary decision-making. "It's been making that noise a while now but it still drives OK" "I just can't afford to fix it now" "I've been meaning to have that looked at"

one good one was the car that was towed in because "the pedal went to the floor suddenly": they'd worn through the pad, backing plate, half the rotor (and the fins) and 1/2" of piston until the piston literally came out of the seal dumping brake fluid.

Another was a ford full size van that'd been driving on bad front end everything so long there were literally 5 rollers found from the wheel bearings on one side. Drove in, drove away (liability waiver signed that we declared his vehicle unsafe and told him) with nothing holding the wheels on but the washers and a prayer.

This sounds a lot like the things my son saw. Scary stuff out there....on the roads. I am so paranoid that I make my husband check out anything that doesn't sound quite right or feels different. If it starts pulling or clunking...there's a reason for that.

 

[KJQ6945]

Yep...secured and hasn't caused any issues. This is the third year that this has been my main vehicle in winter, and I have carried the weight back ther. Brakes and good tires are both a must on any vehicle I drive. My dad pounded that into my head as a kid...don't go cheap on your tires because that is your only contact with the ground and they need to be in good shape with good tread/traction. Brakes are a no brainer. If I hear a squeak, the brakes are getting checked out ASAP. If I feel a pull, calipers are being checked to make sure they are working properly.

I have never understood how someone can drive a car and have a tie rod break or their brakes fail...there had to be warning signs that were ignored. My son told stories and sent me pictures from his phone of some of the vehicles that came into the shop when he worked at Goodyear and/or Tire Barn. It was very eye opening. I now make sure to give other vehicles plenty of room on the road because I'm always wondering who is going to wreck in front of me or crash into me when their car breaks.

Anything can break. Something's with zero warning whatsoever. I had a tie rod break while making a low speed, right turn in a 1ton, crew cab, diesel Ford. I was about 45 degrees into a 90 degree turn. Factory part, snapped in the middle, no warning whatsoever.
Thats a whole lot of metal, with a mind of its own at that point. Luckily, no one was sitting at the stop sign. 45 minutes later, new tie rod end was in place, then off to get it aligned.

 

[mom45]

Anything can break. Something's with zero warning whatsoever. I had a tie rod break while making a low speed, right turn in a 1ton, crew cab, diesel Ford. I was about 45 degrees into a 90 degree turn. Factory part, snapped in the middle, no warning whatsoever.
Thats a whole lot of metal, with a mind of its own at that point. Luckily, no one was sitting at the stop sign. 45 minutes later, new tie rod end was in place, then off to get it aligned.

I understand it can happen and sometimes have no warning signs. It is scary though how many just ignore all of the signs and keep on driving down the road without a clue. I blew a brake line on my truck as I turned into my parents' driveway one day. Called hubby and he drove 45 miles to come and fix it so I could get back home safely. He really loves me on days like that. I had no issues with the brakes prior to that. Stopped at the bottom of the hill and put a bit more pressure on the brake than normal...to the floor it went. My son had a ball joint let go in the school parking lot one day. He was lucky that he was not on the highway. He, however, had heard some noises that he ignored...learned the hard way not to do that. He got to pay the tow bill and then couldn't drive until he had saved up enough to fix his car...back to the old school bus.

 

[KJQ6945]

That's the difference between being 29 and 19. We have more money, and better insurance.

 

[mom45]

That's the difference between being 29 and 19. We have more money, and better insurance.

You must be one of the youngest grandpas I know!! I was so young when I had my son, we were in kindergarten together I think.

 

[BlimpDriver]

If it was 1975, all of us would say we use winter tires. This was a time when men where men and jacking the car up to put the winter tires on was a common experience seen up and down the block. Front wheel, all wheel and of course four wheel has changed all of that, thank god!

 

[russc2542]

brake lines... they give warning but it's visual in the places hardest to see (and reach, usually). I've had em go out twice, once was hard braking for traffic on the interstate (I65s going over the bridge to KY). talk about pucker factor, good thing there was a shoulder.

That's the difference between being 29 and 19. We have more money, and better insurance.

and hopefully a little bit of wisdom born from experience. I know I got a little less dumb between those ages. Maybe not much but I learned from a few less than stellar choices.

If it was 1975, all of us would say we use winter tires. This was a time when men where men and jacking the car up to put the winter tires on was a common experience seen up and down the block. Front wheel, all wheel and of course four wheel has changed all of that, thank god!

someone isn't reading the thread on a mad rush to 50. cause AWD makes such a difference braking. Also, while winter tires existed, I've never heard that old of a fart talk about using them back then.

 

[mom45]

brake lines... they give warning but it's visual in the places hardest to see (and reach, usually). I've had em go out twice, once was hard braking for traffic on the interstate (I65s going over the bridge to KY). talk about pucker factor, good thing there was a shoulder.



and hopefully a little bit of wisdom born from experience. I know I got a little less dumb between those ages. Maybe not much but I learned from a few less than stellar choices.


someone isn't reading the thread on a mad rush to 50. cause AWD makes such a difference braking. Also, while winter tires existed, I've never heard that old of a fart talk about using them back then.

It should be noted that KJ and I are both 29....and we plan to remain 29.

 

[Jagermeister]

I would buy an extra set of wheels and put snow tires on my front wheel drive VW's. Worked perfect.

 

[femurphy77]

If it was 1975, all of us would say we use winter tires. This was a time when men where men and jacking the car up to put the winter tires on was a common experience seen up and down the block. Front wheel, all wheel and of course four wheel has changed all of that, thank god!

If it was 1975 you didn't need winter tires because all those damn hoses on the carburetor really weren't necessary so you took them off rendering your car unstartable once the temp dropped below about 30 degrees!

 

[femurphy77]

It should be noted that KJ and I are both 29....and we plan to remain 29.

My favorite Jimmy Buffett lyric: "I'm growing older but not up. . ."

 

[mom45]

My favorite Jimmy Buffett lyric: "I'm growing older but not up. . ."