Snow Tires

I used to work for a guy that would put studded snow tires on. Every spring he'd have the studs pulled out.

I am in Minnesota and we have some weather challenges here, too. My daily driver is a RAM 1500. When the weather is slippery I just go to 4WD High and that works for me. The Nexen Roadian HTX2 tires that came with it are an all-season, highway-terrain tire.

I bought my wife a 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV with AWD a few weeks ago. (We intend to use it as a flat towable vehicle behind our RV.) It also came with all season tires. So far, so good on traction.

I retired in February and my wife retired a couple of months ago. When the weather is bad, we either don't go anywhere or don't drive very far from our farm. MN-DOT, the county highway departments and city public works departments usually have roads passable in a reasonable amount of time during and after snowfalls.

Years ago I remember putting tires chains on a rear wheel drive car at work. They were noisy as Hell driving. You didn't drive very fast with them, but you could get around.

In 1965-1971 studded tires were temporarily permitted in Minnesota for six winter seasons. Minnesota banned studded tires for residents in 1971 after the state legislature didn't extend the temporary allowance from 1965-1971, and they remain illegal for residents today due to road damage, though some non-residents or specific vehicles might have exceptions, making it a permanent ban for most Minnesotans.

At this point, at least around where I live, few people seem to switch back and forth from summer tires to winter tires because of the popularity of all weather tires. Using full mud and snow is a good way to go for some situations, though.

When I drove on some county roads going to work, I would have a set of wheels with snow tires mounted on them and change them out for winder driving. Now that I live in town and have retired, the snow tires have also been retired.

A coworker Margaret told me, I remember going down to the Sears on 69th and my dad would have "the snow tires" put on!

I think it was still a thing in the 1970's.

I bet all weather is the best trade off, but really not sure. I see them on a lot of vehicles and I own one all weather tire, cuz I was collecting used Enclave tires and rims.

When I had a Volvo all through the 90's, I had 4 studded snows. The 2nd set (both Nokia, first Hakka 1's, second Hakka 10's), had "eco studs."

On a business trip to WA state in 2018, I noticed vehicles had studded snows. I was told it's not for snow they don't get a lot, it's for ice....

I haven't put snow tires on my vehicles since I retired 23 years ago. Over the years, I replaced the vehicles with those that have AWD or 4WD. We live on a steep hill but now get by just fine with all season radials.

studs for winter, all seasons (called 3 season here) for summer, had 3feet of snow blizzard already, and winter hasn't started yet
4wd,
drove to next town yesterday, around towies pulling people out of the ditch
the people who don't believe the road closed signs
was a little snowy n blowy the night before

used to run light truck tyres on everything, because stiff sidewall tyres ran better >45ᵒC 24/7/365 and no speed limit
but that is a different story

It would be great if this forum hosted pics, but it doesn't so that element of sharing on posts doesn't exist.

Esp for RWD imho one needs snow tires in 2025. Most people think, RWD? Why? Well, because I think RWD>4WD>AWD>FWD. So I've worked very hard to eliminate the two on the far right, and keep the two on the far left. Because a 4WD is really RWD 95% of the time.

If I could show you what a road here looks like, 48 hours after 5" of snow has fallen and it stayed cold, it would become apparent why some form of tire more than all season would be better. What happens when say an all season is down to 5 or 4/32"? Do you buy the tire mfg's claim that tires get better as they wear down? Isn't that the "K&N" filter hoax? For decades they claimed as their filter got dirty, it became more effective? One day someone had multi million dollar testing lab gear and debunked that myth.

At any rate yesterday was 60F and pouring rain, and I forgot my badge so I had to park on the street. Luckily my car wasn't stolen or towed, when 500+ spaces available in the garage and I couldn't get in. Wrong tires for that, but I wasn't going to change them again haha

You can post a picture to one of the image hosting websites, then use a link to that picture in your post here.

I suggest Imgur.

Yes the link to a photo elsewhere is the only way here, but what I wish was this forum would open a link in a new window like everywhere else I go. I always forget and close a link that I've clicked here, which also mean I have to re log in to this site.

You can "Right click" on the link and then select "Open link in new tab".

Yes, I am aware, but since 99% of places I visit open a new tab/window with a left click on a link I never think about that here, muscle memory left clicks automatically, then I close the window when I'm done a realize I'm no longer on the factory.

I have a car software that I used once in 2016 to replace my ABS pump. Software is the only way per the mfg to evacuate the air that's in the pump once it has been removed. Some guys on the forum said oh you can just drive hard in the rain or on gravel, slam on the brakes, it's the same. I didn't want to bet on it, doesn't sound right, where's the air going to go?

Anyhow knowing no modern software could communicate with my car (smartphone, bluetooth, etc), I still need to use this software to register the battery upon replacement. Go to launch it and nothing happens. It's "the" only reason I left the laptop at Win 7, for this software.

Extensive google search turned up nothing. Finally, I found an old reddit thread where this was happening. Person said you must go into the directory,

C:Program Files (x86)Name of ProgramName of appbinRelease

Highlight and right click from here, and run as administrator. Then click yes to allow this program to make changes, and now the program launches.

Imagine I was one reddit thread away from not being able to use the program. Poor design really. It isn't that we want everything handed to us and done for us, but the above is beyond not user friendly.

btw I know it's been answered but how come this site isn't even https, isn't that reckless in this day and age

In the end I'm glad I put the snows on. Needed them quite a few times based on temps and poor snow removal in my area. imho all the accidents and fender benders in my area are due to poor care of the roads, it was only 1" on Friday night.

AWD and all weather tires, no issues.
But i also know how to drive in the snow. ????

No matter how well you know how to drive in the snow, if there's no traction, there's no traction and you'll go nowhere or slide.

Winter/snow tires improve (though not as good as studded tires) traction in these conditions to where the car is driveable (quite well even if awd/4wd).

Had a bunch of rwd cars in the past, ie a camaro. Would go nowhere even with just a 1/4" of snow with all seasons. With a decent set of snow tires, could start off in 1st gear on packed snow. Without have hundreds of pounds of sand in the back.

I may try to get along with all season tires this winter. Last winter hurt my back (Compressed disk) lifting the winter tires on rims into the backseat. Still feel the effects of that.
Where I live studded tires are illegal to use unless you live way up north.
Since I am retired I can decide when I want to go shopping and can wait until roads are clear. I have enough provisions in the house to last me quite a while.

Living in a warmer climate has it's advantages in the winter, but is harsh in the summer. Although every few years we do get ice.

thing that is pure marketing genius, all weather tires, man wants the most goodness packed into a single purchase.

So we say, hey Michelin, i've been buying your tires for 3 decades, always with a A or AA traction rating, and now, your products all have B traction ratings. Isn't B, < A? How come?

And just like with the premier LTX tires starting at 8.5/32", they made a claim they are just as good worn, as when new (hahahahahahahaha reminds me of K&N filters getting better as they get dirtier--hogwash), their warranty claims blew up as did their reputation with user complaints since they wore out at about 20k, not 60k. What did they do? They increased the tread to 10/32".

I totally get UTQG ratings are self reported, just like mpgs to the EPA, so iffy already. But Michelin self reporting B traction ratings, they claim well you have ABS now, so it's fine lol

Believe me I get it, who wants to do snow tire changeovers in 2025. I don't, but I do it so I have the correct shoes on for the season if you will. It comes with a time and cost tradeoff for sure. As do all season and all weather tires. The tradeoff is up to the driver, as to what they are willing to spend time and money on....

Around here, snow tires are required if you use "snow Emergency Routes" during the Winter months. All season tires are legal if they have the M.S. (Mud Snow) designation on the sidewall.

All my vehicles are AWD or 4WD with all season tires. I have no problems getting around, including my steep private road.

Being retired also gives me the advantage of staying home when the roads are slick. You may be prepared but the other guy may not. All it takes is one stuck vehicle without snow tires to strand dozens that do.