Sure, Bill, the standard recommendation for a passenger car is to go
with a minus-zero tire for snow, one that's a size narrower and a size
higher in aspect ratio, such as 185-75-14 for a W123. I didn't check the
size comparison charts, but I think that size would be
appropriate.Taller, narrower tires are better.
As for tread pattern, the main thing to look for these days is sipes.
Most modern snows are designed on what I'd describe as a scrub-brush
theory -- their tread blocks flex while in contact with the road, and in
doing so shift on a slippery surface until they find something to bite
into. The rubber compounds in use are generally on the soft side to
remain flexible in the cold. Bridgestone Blizzaks are about the softest,
and have a pretty short tread life, but they're excellent on ice. Other
tires use a silica rubber compound with (I assume) some abrasive
characteristics, like the Michelin. X-Ice. There are also some
innovative locking sipes out there (such as on the X-Ice and Nokian)
that firm the tire up for more stability on the dry road. One of the
common complaints about Blizzaks is that they feel mushy or "squirmy" in
the dry. A new innovation from Nokian is the introduction of plant oil
(!) in the rubber compound of their Hakkapelliita RSI. It supposedly
sheds moisture -- but I recall one user post somewhere that they were a
little slippery right out of the box.
That said, I would agree that all-seasons should be all you need for a
couple weeks in New Hampshire. The highway crews that far north are
undoubtedly quite adept at keeping the roads clear. I remember back in
2000 when we had our massive December snow dump of 54 inches, everybody
I worked with was freaked except for a guy from Syracuse. Serial 12-inch
snow storms were nothing new for him, and apparently were quickly dealt
with in his hometown.
One point about all-season tires in the winter -- the ones that are
least siped and have the highest wear rating are the least effective in
snow. The hard rubber can't flex and the solid tread blocks can't scrub.
So a "touring" all-season is generally better than a "performance" all
season. Of course, if you're tooling around on Hoosiers, all bets are off!
Russ
BillR wrote:
As I will only be in the snow for a couple of weeks for my NH trip this
Winter, I'll probably stick to my normal radials. IIRC when I was in the
frozen wastelands [Indiana] for several years folks who had to drive in
every snow situation [the ambulance drivers I worked with as a ambulance
tech] favored an odd looking narrow tire with an 's' pattern running around
the tire. Their reasoning was that the wide, hard angled, fierce looking,
tread tires held the snow = a slick donut of a wheel that pushed snow into a
wall in front of the tire, which then could get no traction. With the
narrower 's' groove tire the snow wouldn't stick in the tread = a narrow
footprint they could most always dig through snow with and drive with.
Don't know as I'd want to drive on the highway with those, but they did seem
to work on the rural roads we had to get around on. Ambulance didn't use
them, but we always had a snow plow to front for us when we were loaded so
not a problem. Thanks to other listers I have been educated a bit as to
changes in tires since I was up there. Is any of this still good
information?
BillR
Jacksonville FL
300SD EM 265K /200K engine - which should be ready for pickup tonight!
_______________________________________
For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/
For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to:
http://striplin.net/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_striplin.net
_____________________________________________________
This message scanned for viruses by CoreComm
