Winter tires, whos put them on?

sirpuddingfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
May 14, 2010
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
05 Passat, 05 Jetta
Hakkepeliita calls their stud system "Eco Stud". Apparently the soft cushion under the seat of the stud reduces dry pavement noise and reduces damage to the road surface (thus making it "Eco"?).
 

loudspl

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2005
Location
Osakis, Minnesota
TDI
02 ASV w/ 02J
....just put on 4 of the new Blizzak WS-70s on the old 15" steelies

these things are unstoppable..

slipping only if i am extremely aggressive with it....very comparable if not better than Michelin X-Ice Xi2s i had on the car in Oregon at Crater Lake
noticeable road noise but not unbearable
stable at high speed but can be squirrely like any non-"performance" winter tire
 

bf1967

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Location
Burlington, Wisconsin
TDI
2005 Golf
I made the trip to Tire Rack in South Bend on Monday since I had the day off and I picked up a full set of the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 for $360. They mounted/balanced onto my steelies & installed the tires on the Golf for another $60.

I also got in on the last day of a $70 rebate. What was interesting to me is that as big as the place is (they have about 15 bays), the installs are done with four floor jacks.

Overall a very good experience. They have a very nice facility, a nice waiting area, and prompt efficient service. I forgot that Indiana is in a different time zone, so it was a good thing that I got there early or I would have been late.

Just waiting for some serious snow to evaluate the tires.

Bob
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
I live in a lake-effect snow belt along Lake Michigan. Normally we get hammered all of December. This year I finally bought a snowblower....dropped $700 on a new single-stage Honda. And what happens? Hardly any snow this year (so far.) Used it 3 times. Guess my buying a snowblower somehow helped ensure that it woudn't snow. ;)
 

All of Us

Ian's Dad
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Brookfield, IL
TDI
2015 NMS Passat SE TDI "Gin" 2006 A5 New Jetta TDI "Graycie" and 2003 A4 Jetta GLS TDI "Liath"
Guys:

Thanks for lightening the snow load on the rest of us Midwesterners! Is there anything you can do about the cold temps? Any help would be appreciated.

Dan
 

noplug

Veteran Member
Joined
May 22, 2005
Location
Southern Maryland
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS
Conti Extreme DWS's 16"

Conti Extreme DWS's 16"
I put these on about 3K ago and they're going to be my all year tires
at this point, found a used set of Superleggeras 16X7 and handles great
in the heavy rain and Medium snow. $92 ea Tire Rack plus local mounting (approx. $50.)
I have to say these are better for 6" and less snow, just a good all around tire.
We'll see how they wear in the long run, they balanced well on the light wheels.

 
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jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
single stage in MI????? Sorry but WWAAHHHAAAA HHHAAAA HAA!!!!! lmao. Hope you don't get wet snow and a heavy driveway end....

Give me a 2 stage 13hp any day.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
I like the Hummer dealer (now defunct) up the road from me. I ride my dirtbike on their concrete hill/angle track and practice tight slip rock climbing/desents. well.....untill they come out and yell at me!
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
single stage in MI????? Sorry but WWAAHHHAAAA HHHAAAA HAA!!!!! lmao. Hope you don't get wet snow and a heavy driveway end....

Give me a 2 stage 13hp any day.
That's just it....we don't get much wet, heavy snow. Just lots of mornings, like this morning, where you wake up to another 3" of lake-effect fluff. In fact, you should be laughing that I need a snowblower at all. Most of the time it's so light that all you need is a pusher shovel, and one swoop will clear the whole width of the driveway. The stuff that the plows toss is the not-so-fun part, which was part of the rationale for getting a snowblower. The other was that the other tenant of my duplex is a single woman who doesn't apparently own a shovel, so I'm doing the whole 'U' drive, rather than just my 50-foot straight shot of concrete. But a 2-stage would be overkill. The single-stage is light and fast.

Edit: I should add that one reason for getting this Honda was that an elderly man I know here has a 34-year-old single-stage Honda that still starts on the first pull. Not bad. And, it did a nice job of cleaning his city driveway for 34 years.
 
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jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Ah. Not like here as you know from growing up here. Honda make a nice 1 pull snow thrower. I'll give you that. I have the magic button to start mine.
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2001
Location
Kalkaska Mi.
TDI
Jetta, 2006, Campanella White, Anthracite Int. DSG, Pkg. 1; New Beetle, 1998, Yellow, black leather Int., 2013 Passat TDI SEL Night blue, grey Int. given back to VW (well, not given... ;) ) 2018 Tiguan; first gasser in years
Geeze Dean, I don't know where you get your Lake Effect snow from but up here what we get eats single stage blowers for breakfast! Might just as well use it as a shovel then you don't have to worry about whether it starts first pull or at all! The best investment I've made since moving up here was the 26 H.P. tractor with the 2 stage blower attachment. Wish I could've afforded the Kubota diesel but we all have to make compromises. BTW, on topic content :eek: The Nokians (Hakka 2s) and the Green Diamonds on our Jetta and NB are working like a charm so far although the wobbling from the snow packed in the wheels is starting to drive me nuts.
 

GTSLOW

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Location
Fort Knox, Kentucky
TDI
15 GSW & 04 Golf
Mine came with winter tires. Now I gotta find some cheapy wheels and buy some summer tires. Anyone have 4lug steelies forsale?
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
I wish I had my log book, but r90sKirk got that along with my old Golf. I think I usually ended up doing my change-outs in the first week or 2 of March. But I have done them in late February, too.

I have to say that I have been amazed with the Continental ExtremeWinterContacts. We didn't get much for major snows this year, so I can't say how they do in the deep stuff. (Managed to stay home during the 1 blizzard day and by the time I left the house the plows had done a good job.) But they were AWESOME in the light snow, slush, and ice. Most of the time I just drove around as usual, wondering why everyone else was going so slow. And the ride quality of the tires was amazing -- these 16" snows ride nicer than than my 17" Continental summer tires, without any feeling of being squeamish like snow tires often feel. I have a feeling that the tread and/or sipes are shallower on these tires, which helps the handling, but will probably mean that they are shorter-lived than my previous Dunlops, which were good for 35k miles and 5 seasons. I'll probably get 3 seasons out of the Contis before they lose their performance, but I'm impressed enough with them that I won't mind.
 

All of Us

Ian's Dad
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Brookfield, IL
TDI
2015 NMS Passat SE TDI "Gin" 2006 A5 New Jetta TDI "Graycie" and 2003 A4 Jetta GLS TDI "Liath"
Volks:

I guess we are just using the same thread for when we take them off, too? I took the Blizzak WS60s off today and put the alloys with the All season tires back on Liath. Graycie spent the whole winter on the new(er) Michelin Primacy MXV4s so no switch over needed. BTW those MXV4s were pretty good in the ice and snow that we had here this winter, although we did tend to take the car with the dedicated winter tires (Liath) when conditions were the worst.

Dan
 

frugality

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Location
Spring Lake, Michigan
TDI
none, 2016 GTI
Volks:

I guess we are just using the same thread for when we take them off, too? I took the Blizzak WS60s off today and put the alloys with the All season tires back on Liath. Graycie spent the whole winter on the new(er) Michelin Primacy MXV4s so no switch over needed. BTW those MXV4s were pretty good in the ice and snow that we had here this winter, although we did tend to take the car with the dedicated winter tires (Liath) when conditions were the worst.

Dan
+1 on the Michelin Primacies. Last winter (2009-2010) I ran the Golf with those, and was VERY impressed.
You guys are brave. It's only the middle of March and in the Midwest it could snow anytime in the next few weeks. :eek:Bob
Took my snows off yesterday. Sure, it's possible it could snow, but it won't stick around. It's nice to have the sniny 17" Goals back on.
 

All of Us

Ian's Dad
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Brookfield, IL
TDI
2015 NMS Passat SE TDI "Gin" 2006 A5 New Jetta TDI "Graycie" and 2003 A4 Jetta GLS TDI "Liath"
Bob:

I agree with Frugality that it could still snow this season. However, it will not be as bad as what we had this winter and the all-season tires currently on either of my cars will be sufficient to deal with any white stuff that comes along. If I was putting tires on that were not all-season M+S rated I might think twice about changing them this early, but that is not my situation.

Dan
 

GVTDI

New member
Joined
Mar 17, 2011
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
TDI
2003 Jetta
I am taking off the winter tires and need some new summer/all-season tires. I'm looking at Michelin Harmony ($450), Michelin Primacy ($500) and Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position ($400). Any recommendations?
 

isonic

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Location
St. Paul, MN
TDI
2003 Golf 4door 5spd
Sometime around the first of April I will likely switch over to the summer tires. I run General Exclaim UHP in the summer. As long as the precipitation is holding back until temps rise I think the switch is ok.
 
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