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Need Snow/tire Help!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by AAWADKE, Sep 9, 2007.

  1. AAWADKE

    AAWADKE New Member

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    Hello Frnds,
    I have recently moved to Wisconsin from Texas ....I neep some snow help on prius!! First I guess i need good tires. While in Oklahoma I have experienced some TRAC problems.....I mean making car immovable on ice. Any tips or insight will be highly appreciated.
    Thankyou
     
  2. timm

    timm Medical Transport Driver

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    Welcome to God's country!

    I'd be glad to share my methods (and foul weather gear I keep on board) with you "one on one" if you wish. I am a combination "'ol South Dakota Farm Boy" and "Small Town Wisconsin Hick". Therefore I have done things wrong enough times to now know what works and what doesn't. I also deliver the US mail in the rain, snow, sleet or... whatever.
    :D
    Others will share with you here in text, but a few minutes in the vehicle with you will give you hands on experience that can't be beat.

    You can use the great search tool here on Priuschat and/or read some of my posts here:

    http://priuschat.com/Introducing-the-Wisco...rum-t28395.html

    Contact me when you want to arrange to meet.

    Timm in Spring Green, WI

    [attachmentid=11311]
     

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  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Why not attend one of the very well organized and active madison Hybrid group meetings and talk with people who live where you do and see how they deal with it. contact ericbecky for meeting times/details or look in the appropriate local club forum below.
     
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    tires are crucial.

    take advantage of the local hybrid group, for sure. enjoy madison, we sure miss it back at home :)
     
  5. AAWADKE

    AAWADKE New Member

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    Thanks for the Intro frnds!!!
    Yes I will be changing the tires for sure........I have around 32k on mt integrities and they dont seem that good......I did survive some ice and snow in OKlahoma last winter but i guess Wi would be different......any suggestions as far as tires go???
    would i really need winter tires or can good all seasons be fine??
    thanks
    btw I am still to settle in madison area .....just stepped on WI soil..... :)
     
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    the west end of the state, near the mississippi, is really beautiful country. ;) but madison's nice too.

    we junked our integrities at 28k as well.

    if you've got the money, get a spare set of rims with snow tires. if not, high quality all-seasons. i just drove on continental tourings all year, since my financially independent years there were nothing like prosperous and i just got what was cheapest on my beater car!
     
  7. donee

    donee New Member

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    Hi AAWADKE,

    Texas driver hmmm? Here is my advice - if its early in the morning, just above freezing, and the road looks OK, but everybody else is going slow - GO SLOW!!!!

    Because the air warms up allot faster than the roadway, and it could have ice patches. And the locals know where the ice patches will be. Under overpasses, and on top of overpasses are especially suseptable.

    Saw a Texas driver do a loop-de-loop and then rolling backwards up a hill because he just would not do 40 mph on the interstate like very body else. When he hit the ice patch at 60 cutting off somebody, that was all she wrote. Luckily, nobody was hurt, and no other cars were involved in the acident. His Transam chasis looked like a banana afterward, though.
     
  8. AAWADKE

    AAWADKE New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Sep 9 2007, 08:21 PM) [snapback]509819[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks for the tips....I have driven in oklahoma for over 3 years during winters and am aware of those icy patches.....thanks for the info
     
  9. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    You have two choices, dedicated snow/ice tires with rims or all-season tires. The dedicated snow/ice tires with rims will outperform anything else, but the tires will wear incredibly fast. Don't drive them on bare warm roads for very long. As far as all-seasons, don't just assume any tire labeled "all-season" is. I know from personal experience on three vehicles that Nokian WR tires perform well on dry, wet, icy, and snow covered roads. And they wear very well. They have the snowflake symbol on the sidewall so are officially ok without chains when chains are required on interstates. There are a few others, but I don't know them all.

    However, way above good tires is good driving. On icy roads higher speeds will put you out of control faster than a bull with a rider with spikes! Also, you will always have more trouble slowing down than speeding up.
    Practice practice practice! ;)
     
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AAWADKE @ Sep 9 2007, 09:39 PM) [snapback]509794[/snapback]</div>
    We run all season tires here in Michigan, and Michigan gets a lot more snow than Wisconsin (the prevailing winds blow across Lake Michigan - lake effect snow!) Really good snow tires are better, but the all season ones work well for normal driving. The Integrities are terrible.

    Tom
     
  11. alg

    alg Junior Member

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    Buy Nokian WR or the newer WRG2 tires.
     
  12. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Timm @ Sep 9 2007, 05:55 PM) [snapback]509785[/snapback]</div>
    I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to read this part of your post. Here on the west coast, some Postal workers are spoiled and will not deliver mail if there is a car parked in front of the mailbox. I understand if someone parks their car in front of the box day after day after being asked nicely not to do it, but to skip mail delivery because a service truck that is maybe stiped by for a neighbor, and out of our control, it makes me want to ask "What ever happened to through sleet and snow and dead of hurricane?

    Seriously, you are top notch to offer one on one snow driving lessons. I wish I could come back there myself, altough our snowfall is quite lite here, I always want to learn more.
     
  13. twilsonchicago

    twilsonchicago Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Sep 10 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]510084[/snapback]</div>
    No snow tires yet for my 3-day-old Prius, but I have a set for the 7-year-old BMW 3-series wagon it replaces. (and a nice BMW 3-series wagon for sale, by the way.) I bought a set of Blizzaks back in December of 2000, about umm... 1 day after a really horrible evening rush hour Chicago slushfest. I've used 'em every year since. They go on around Thanksgiving and come off the first or second really convincing spring-like weekend in April. Usually winter driving for me is 99% urban dry or "chemical wet" pavement. Usually only have to deal with actual snow getting in and out of my driveway. Still, worth it for that, and for the one or two slushfests each year. So seven winters times 4 months... thats about 24,000 miles. And they still have plenty of tread.

    Tim
    Chicago
     
  14. djkarrels

    djkarrels beermandave

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    So what's the answer on a really good set of all-season tires?

    2nd winter coming up with the blue bomber (I need a better nickname, but it hasn't happened yet).

    The oem tires have to go before then. They don't like starting from wet pavement either.

    Patchy frost tonight. Might kill the mosquitos.
     
  15. djkarrels

    djkarrels beermandave

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    So what's the answer on a really good set of all-season tires?

    2nd winter coming up with the blue bomber (I need a better nickname, but it hasn't happened yet).

    The oem tires have to go before then. They don't like starting from wet pavement either.

    Patchy frost tonight. Might kill the mosquitos.
     
  16. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(beermandave @ Sep 11 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]511041[/snapback]</div>
    Hey neighbor,
    I changed to Goodyear TripleTreds and am very happy with them.


    Dan.
     
  17. DGH

    DGH Thread Terminator

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(beermandave @ Sep 11 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]511041[/snapback]</div>
    Hey neighbor,
    I changed to Goodyear TripleTreds and am very happy with them.


    Dan.
     
  18. timm

    timm Medical Transport Driver

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Sep 10 2007, 04:55 PM) [snapback]510271[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks for the kind words! My offer is open to anyone who wants a little “one on one†foul weather driving training. (Send me a PM)

    Most rural Wisconsin Cheeseheads are willing and wanting to help others. Although, I’ve learned it’s best to lock my car doors when parked in the village or it will be filled with donated zucchinis and other veggies when I return.
    :p
     
  19. timm

    timm Medical Transport Driver

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Sep 10 2007, 04:55 PM) [snapback]510271[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks for the kind words! My offer is open to anyone who wants a little “one on one†foul weather driving training. (Send me a PM)

    Most rural Wisconsin Cheeseheads are willing and wanting to help others. Although, I’ve learned it’s best to lock my car doors when parked in the village or it will be filled with donated zucchinis and other veggies when I return.
    :p
     
  20. AAWADKE

    AAWADKE New Member

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    Some update on tires.....
    I am inclined towards goodyear tripletreds....i was presented with a cheaper option of yokohama AVID TRZ......any thoughts ?? I enquired in SAMS CLUB .......are there any cheaper tire shops in madison area??
    let me know fellas....
    thank you