Tires - what would you do? Studded snow tires vs siped all seasons

[41magsnub]

2013 Outback bought in Feb.  The OEM tires, once I figured out the correct inflation -stupid dealer, are fine for normal driving.  However, they royally suck in snow and ice I am figuring out in the recent weather.  My old FWD Avalon with good all seasons did better than this does.

This weekend I'm doing a long road trip and need to make a change since the weather could be pretty sporty, so I need to make something happen tomorrow.

Option A: buy studded snow tires
Option B:  buy some really good all seasons and sip them, then try to sell the OEM tires that only have 13K miles on them
Option C:  F it and take the land cruiser.  It has siped snow tires that happen to also be good off road tires, weighs 3 tons, and I can't hardly make it spin.  Stopping is another matter though.  The difference in gas between driving the cruiser and the outback would probably buy 2 of the snow tires.  this is my backup plan if the tires don't happen.

My inclination is Option A.  Then I get a car that, other than ground clearance, is the pretty much the ultimate winter rig.

[Gewehr98]

Check to make sure studded snow tires are legal in your state.

[41magsnub]

They are between October and May.

[Gewehr98]

That's cool.

Still illegal here, and the highway I traverse the most happens to have the worst icing.  Grr!   

[TechMan]

Check to make sure studded snow tires are legal in your state.

List of where studded tires are legal: http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/studded-tires/

[Ben]

Given the current tires are pretty new, seems like it would make the most sense to get the studded tires now. Go to option B when the two current sets wear down.

[charby]

Wife had a set of Goodyear Assurance triple tread on her old car, those tires were freaking awesome in the snow and rain.

[Scout26]

Swap 'em out.   (all four since it's AWD)

Probably won't be the first time this winter you'll need snow tires on the Outback.

[zahc]

What are siped tires? I know that race car drivers cut extra, custom grooves in their tires and call it "siping" them. Do people do this for street cars? Why don't the tires just come with all the necessary grooves to start with?

[Regolith]

What are siped tires? I know that race car drivers cut extra, custom grooves in their tires and call it "siping" them. Do people do this for street cars? Why don't the tires just come with all the necessary grooves to start with?

Pretty much the same thing as the racing tires. The reason most standard tires don't come with it is it shortens the life of the tire, and is only really necessary when you absolutely need more grip like in snow or while racing.

[41magsnub]

What he said.  Every rig I've ever owned I consciously made that trade off of tire life for better inclement weather traction and not needing to screw with swapping summer and winter tires.  This is the first new car I've ever bought so sipping wasn't an option.  The continental tires on it now are really optimized for gas mileage above everything else.  They get pretty awful reviews otherwise.

I think Plan A is still the plan, maybe see how cheap the tire guys can do some steel rims for the snow tires as well.  Then I can do the summer/winter swap myself.

[French G.]

I'm kind of in the same place, need studded tires. My plan is to find another set of rims and mount them on those. I also have 4 dismounted tires good enough for a couple of months use if I needed more tires and had no money. The Outback is hard on tires, my daily commute is hard on tires, and last but not least I'm hard on tires. So, that adds up to I buy a lot of tires.

[zxcvbob]

Studs are illegal here, and I drive a 2WD pickup.  Over the years I've learned to do a few things to get by in the winter:
  1) pop out the ABS fuse so I'll have brakes. 
  2) put about 400 lbs in the bed right behind the wheel wells. (it would be safer to put it against the cab, but not as effective) 
  3) I put on tall skinny ASR tires for better traction.  (215/85R16's.  7.50R16's would be even better)

And I carry a shovel and a chain with me for when I get stuck anyway, but that doesn't happen often.

How about getting a set of ASR's with the "Mountain Snowflake" winter rating?  You can use those year-round or like snow tires.

[Chuck Dye]

I was waved off siping my Wild Country tires by Les Schwab, who warned that my off road use, my steep, well rocked driveway, would result in potentially serious chunking of siped tires.  If the chunking is not an issue for your use, I'd trade the extra wear for the extra traction.

[Matthew Carberry]

Blizzaks

[Regolith]

I was waved off siping my Wild Country tires by Les Schwab, who warned that my off road use, my steep, well rocked driveway, would result in potentially serious chunking of siped tires.  If the chunking is not an issue for your use, I'd trade the extra wear for the extra traction.

Speaking of Les Schwab, don't they have a machine in their stores that sipes tires? Perhaps they might be able to do the siping on 41magsnub's current tires.

[bedlamite]

I run 2 sets of wheels. Currently I have Blizzaks for the winter. and Wranglers for the summer.

[Chuck Dye]

Speaking of Les Schwab, don't they have a machine in their stores that sipes tires? Perhaps they might be able to do the siping on 41magsnub's current tires.

Yes, Schwab sipes tires in house.  Subject, I presume, to the individual tire.

[Regolith]

Ok, that was creepy...

I went to look and see if there were any Les Schwabs near 41magsnub, not knowing if they had expanded into Montana, and typed "Les Schwab tire locations" into Google. I didn't specify WHERE I was going to search for them. I live in Oregon, and Les Schwab started in Oregon, so I figured when I opened the Google Maps link, which was the fourth result, to view them it'd probably center me on Oregon, given that's where my IP is located.

Instead, the map was centered on Missoula. 

And yes, there are two stores there.

[geronimotwo]

we use asr's.  but we live in a village with a grocery store, and our road crews do excellent work.  if it snows for that once a week trip to the small city 30 minutes away, we can delay until the next week.  lately we have only had 3-4 storms a year where it would have been necessary to delay, so we can work around that (t-y global warming!)

[41magsnub]

I've always been told tire shops won't sip used tires.

[41magsnub]

Studs are illegal here, and I drive a 2WD pickup.  Over the years I've learned to do a few things to get by in the winter:
  1) pop out the ABS fuse so I'll have brakes. 
  2) put about 400 lbs in the bed right behind the wheel wells. (it would be safer to put it against the cab, but not as effective) 
  3) I put on tall skinny ASR tires for better traction.  (215/85R16's.  7.50R16's would be even better)

And I carry a shovel and a chain with me for when I get stuck anyway, but that doesn't happen often.

How about getting a set of ASR's with the "Mountain Snowflake" winter rating?  You can use those year-round or like snow tires.

When I drive my pickup in the winter, I use a little frame built out of scrap lumber that keeps the sandbags centered on the rear axle.  Works quite well with siped AT tires.  The ABS is broken in that rig anyway!

[Tallpine]

I heard that Subaru gets around better in the snow than any other vehicle ever made.

[41magsnub]

I heard that Subaru gets around better in the snow than any other vehicle ever made.

And the tires don't matter at all..  hell, I just just run rims!

[MechAg94]

Who makes those tires that Speed Racer uses.  They do both.  Reinflate also.