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View Full Version : Winter tires? Metal or rubber stems?


vit
10-05-2010, 05:57 PM
Ok, you all who don't get snow don't have to rub it in.
Here is what I am thinking... The Goodyear Eagle F1's are going to suck for winter driving. I'm shopping for winter tire and rim package at Tirerack. Thinking of going with 195/60R16 Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 Blackwall tires on steel rims. I figure these should work better in snow than 205's. The current size on my Vibe GT is 215/45-18 .What should I do for valve stems? Metal or rubber? The car is equipped with Tire Pressure Monitoring System. DO I get a set of these for the winter set up? TPMS sensors are only 136 bucks for the set if going with rubber and I was almost thinking of getting them as they are twice the price with metal stems. Maybe I should just put up with the low pressure light... decisions...
ATAK, Inc.
10-05-2010, 06:13 PM
With snow tires, wider is not always better. So as long as the tire diameter is the same as what you had on it, no speedo issues to worry about.

My mounted set of snow tires has rubber stems, but if you can keep the tire monitoring, it will be worth it in the long run. Saving you just one time, stuck out somewhere and it is white and friggin cold, will pay for itself!
swampdragon
10-05-2010, 06:15 PM
I've had rubber stems on all my tires my entire life...except for the motorcycle.
:conf44:
old Grump
10-05-2010, 06:32 PM
What are you driving and where? Unless you get -60 F I wouldn't worry about stem material. City, highway, rough off the road or small country roads, mountains, plains, forests?
JVD
10-05-2010, 06:38 PM
I don't know of anyone that uses snow tires unless they have a plow lol.
vit
10-05-2010, 06:59 PM
What are you driving and where? Unless you get -60 F I wouldn't worry about stem material. City, highway, rough off the road or small country roads, mountains, plains, forests?

Ozaukee county, they don't like to plow roads around here. It just sucks balls going to work early in the morning with the white crap all over and a 30 mile drive down an unplowed road.
This is the car:
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff280/uzvslbu/IMG_4606.jpg
vit
10-05-2010, 06:59 PM
I don't know of anyone that uses snow tires unless they have a plow lol.

You will be surprised at how many people use winter tires. The tires I have on my car now are going to suck in the white stuff.
Dan Morris
10-06-2010, 08:05 AM
Never heard of em till I came to the hills.....currently have Michlen TSX's on my Jimmy..after last winter, I love em! Stems...rubber has been fine for me.
Dan
circuits
10-06-2010, 11:05 AM
Just rubber stems, but I run metal studs on my snow tires during winter.
Krupski
10-06-2010, 01:42 PM
I've had rubber stems on all my tires my entire life...except for the motorcycle.
:conf44:

Same here. Rubber stems, no problems.
sevlex
10-06-2010, 07:16 PM
Steel rims: rubber stems.
Alloy rims: metal stems.

:coffee:
HDR
10-06-2010, 08:03 PM
I don't know of anyone that uses snow tires unless they have a plow lol.


Flat lander?

The "road" where I live has switch backs. All Season tires on a AWD or a 4WD won't get it done here as they easily do elsewhere; here you need aggressive snow tires.
JVD
10-06-2010, 11:39 PM
Flat lander?

The "road" where I live has switch backs. All Season tires on a AWD or a 4WD won't get it done here as they easily do elsewhere; here you need aggressive snow tires.

I guess WI is pretty flat. I've only had a couple times where I wish I was driving a 4x4, my car has been able to handle everything I've driven it through.
Mark Ducati
10-07-2010, 06:20 PM
For a second I thought you were talking about metal studded tires on the tread... I remember dad putting those on every year in Michigan. They're banned there now, but I don't see the difference between them and tire chains tearing the roads up...

Remember these bad boys?

http://winter-tires.net/images/studded%20tires.jpg

Are they still legal? I thought they were banned in Michigan... maybe its a county thing?
Mark Ducati
10-07-2010, 06:21 PM
Of course if you're gonna do it... do it right!

http://www.tireunit.com/info/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/studded-tire.jpg
HDR
10-07-2010, 07:13 PM
I guess WI is pretty flat. I've only had a couple times where I wish I was driving a 4x4, my car has been able to handle everything I've driven it through.

The road where I live is dirt and I live on the "ridgeline." There are two hills to get in one has switchbacks and the other should have had a switch back; however due to the terrain it isn't possible without major bucks. Its a forest so after an ice storm the neighbors and I have a chain saw party. lol

My last 4WD truck handled snow and ice with mild tires; however here it needed aggressive tires. The AWD is the same deal. It did 7" of snow on a paved road like it was nothing; but it would not get it done here.