[urq] Re: Snow tires.

[Greg Galinsky]

Louis-Alain RICHARD wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Since GF find her car very unstable, I will buy new winter tires (on the car
> are 3 years old cheapies) tomorrow.
> 
> My 1st question regards the Hakka:
> 1- Which one should I buy (H1, H2 HQ )?
> 2- Studded or not?
> 
> 2nd question: Are the Gislaved fine too, since I can have nice price (way
> cheaper than Hakka) on these?
> If yes, EuroFrost 2 or NordFrost 3?
> 
> Finally, between Blizzak LM18, Eagle UltraGrip GW2 and Yoko AVS Winter V901,
> which one?
> 
> 
> Remember car is a VW Cabrio driven in a snowy town called Montreal. Black
> ice is frequent, and cold wet salty tarmac from December to March.
> 
> If you don't feel to start a new Best Winter Tire Tread, feel free to just
> reply privately, I will compile the results for the sake of knowledge.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Louis-Alain
> 83 urQ with Sqarellis Winter 210 (Huw, you were dead right about the
> Pirellis.)
> 
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> 
Louis-Alain

If you are experienceing a lot of black ice the studs in the Gislaveds 
more more protustion designed in.  They will give better grip on ice but 
be noisier on dry roads and require more braking distance; especially on 
wet pavements.  I personally have run the Hak Q for the past 7 years 
near Milwaukee, WI.

The Hak 1 is discontinued in all the car sizes; still the current SUV 
tread.  The Hak 2 seems a bit louder up to 25 mph thatn the Hak 1; but 
then quites down nicely.  We have not had any real nasty snow depths to 
test them in.  The Hak Q feel a bit looser that Hak 2 on dry roads; more 
tread wiggle.  Most of the time here in the states the Gislaveds were 
about $8 to $10 more per tire than the Hakkas. I speak from experience. 
  I've sold Hakkas since 1979 and sold Gislaveds for about 8 years till 
2000.  I always liked the more choices of treads that the Hakkas gave a 
person.  With Gislaved in North America; it was one tread or nothing.
Till the Nordfrost 3; none of the Gislaveds were directional.  The 
directional treads allow better water and slush dispersion.

If you want to keep as much of the dry handling as possible and still 
have a halfway decent winter tire; try the Nokian WR.  Most of my 
customers that live in urban areas love them. Those people deal with 
salt and wet roads and the refreezeing crap that results.

The Bliz are OK if you only want ice function and don't care  aobout 
tread life or dry handling.  Very poor in deep snow compared to the 
Nokians or Gislaveds. No firsthand experience with the Ultragrips or Yokos

Greg Galinsky
G & G Service