Topic: Running on winters all year

[slybry]

Do go bullistic yet. I know it is stupid to run winters in summer. Hear me out.

My mom does only about 6,000 kms a year. She rarely if ever goes on highway. She just putts around the suburbs. I am getting her another car and I was going to set her up with extra set of rims and winter tires. Some are suggesting I should just get her winter tires and let her run them all year for the little driving she does.

Hyundia want $90 for a steel rim for the Accent. What a rip off. This idea will save my mom lots of money and save me from doing wheel swap twice a year.

I think they might have a point.

If we are correct what brand of winter tire would you suggest knowing that it will be run through the summer. Been using Artic Alpins till now.

[wing]

I run winters all year and I drive far more than that.

They will wear faster but if she only drives a few thousand KM I don't see a problem.  

There is a safety issue though, they will be horrible in the rain, and squirmy if it's really hot, an emergency stop situation can get hairy as the car will tend to squirm left to right rather than braking in a straight line.

I'm not sure if I would let my mom drive with winters in the summer, she wouldn't be as prepared as I am for funny things that might happen as a result of the soft tire.

[mrthompson]

You should be able to find aftermarket steel wheels from just about any tire shop.  The Nokian WR has received good reviews as an all season tire that outperforms most all seasons in winter driving conditions.

[Driver]

What Mr.T said.  Nokian WRs are a good compromise.  The catch though is the price.  Last year it was about $192 each for size 205/55/16

Another compromise is a V-rated winter tire.  A bit harder rubber is used and could help withstand summer temps better than Q rated winters.  TireTrends carry V-rated Hankooks. I got a set from them for my old 2004 Impreza OBS.

[articsteve]

That's what I did with my mom.  5 series Bimmer with Blizzacks for about 10 years.  She called me up one day and told me that she did a donut in a Toronto intersection on a very lite snow fall and that was it for me.  I just told her that she was riding on snows permanently and of course she could have cared less.  I also would drive this car of course when I was down and I took it to Niagara Falls one summer and did about 140 kph all the way on the QEW.  Safety is not an issue.

For heavy snow in a plugged up street or back lane Arctic Aplins stink.