Winter tire discussion for grown ups thread.

[spacemanrick]

For the wheel torque check is one of these 2 all that you need? Which one of these 2 is recommended for wheel torque check? I assume the $99 tire change kit is all that I need if I wanted to change over my own tires + some sort of jack. Is the $69 version good enough and how much do you torque the bolts on the wheels?

I am not very good with repairs and doing my own maintenance so I will probably continue just going back to swap my mounted tires at Lougheed Acura every Fall and Spring for $50 but who knows I might break out of my comfort zone :-) . I also have 2 vehicles to swap mounted tires on twice a year so that adds up to $200 every year (4 x $50).

Interesting unless I missed it Lougheed Acura has never told me to come back after 40 km to check the bolt torque on the wheels on our Tesla and Acura....

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...roduct-details

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...1.html?loc=plp

[Razor Ramon HG]

You need a breaker bar to take the lug nuts off, torque wrench to put the lug nuts back on, and sockets that match your lug nut size.

The tire change kit will have all three (dunno if they match your lugs, you'll have to check). The torque wrench will only allow you to tighten the lug nuts, but you would still need a matching socket.

I'd probably get the whole kit if I had to choose from the two. Whether they're good or not I'll let others answer.

[trollface]

Amazon makes a decent 1/4 with 3/8 adapter. I usually get a shorter breaker bar and then pipe it. Easier to store.


You don't wanna use TQ to remove nuts, it puts wear on the tq mechnism and eventually messes it up.

[jcmaz]

Originally Posted by spacemanrick

For the wheel torque check is one of these 2 all that you need? Which one of these 2 is recommended for wheel torque check? I assume the $99 tire change kit is all that I need if I wanted to change over my own tires + some sort of jack. Is the $69 version good enough and how much do you torque the bolts on the wheels?

I am not very good with repairs and doing my own maintenance so I will probably continue just going back to swap my mounted tires at Lougheed Acura every Fall and Spring for $50 but who knows I might break out of my comfort zone :-) . I also have 2 vehicles to swap mounted tires on twice a year so that adds up to $200 every year (4 x $50).

Interesting unless I missed it Lougheed Acura has never told me to come back after 40 km to check the bolt torque on the wheels on our Tesla and Acura....

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...roduct-details

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...1.html?loc=plp

I would get the $99 one with the 1/2 breaker bar, torque wrench, and sockets. You can't piece a kit together for cheaper than that imo.

The 1/4 in torque wrench is in inch pounds, kind of useless for tires.

Those deep sockets are good for hand torquing but they shouldn't be used on an impact dugaduga wrench.

How do you plan on jacking up the cars?

[jcmaz]

I have a Maximum 1/2 in torque wrench, Crappy Tire 1/2 breaker bar, 1/2 impact rated sockets, M12 Fuel Impact Wrench, and a Princess Auto 3 ton low profile aluminum jack as part of my tire swap kit.

Basically I swap wheels and tires for my family, my in laws cars, and my cars so 7-8 cars? The setup has paid for itself already!

[bcrdukes]

I also recommend the $99 one. It looks awfully the same as my DeWalt tire change kit, without the DeWalt brand and the case is black. Same exact breaker bar, torque wrench, everything. And yes, the 1/4 inch wrench is no good for your use case. The gents above have it pat down.

[spacemanrick]

Haha I think you guys scared me off. I think I will just continue taking my Tesla and Acura to Lougheed Acura for the $50 mounted tire swap and car wash. My daughter has the Subaru with the new Michelin Crossclimate 2 tires from Costco and she will just take it into Costco in Port Coquitlam to check the wheel bolts. I have fat fingers and with my luck I will under torque the bolts and the wheels will fall off or I will drop my car off the jacks.

By the way when I was walking by the Costco tire center in Port Coquitlam last week I heard the technicians shouting and I looked over and there was a car that had partially dislodged from their hoist/jack and was teetering off balance from their hoist......

[jcmaz]

It's not hard to do seasonal tire swaps, just a bit of physical labour. But then again it seems like I'm on the younger side and don't mind doing work like this. SUV/Tesla tires are heavy to lift up.


I have the peace of mind knowing that I torqued everything to the right specification. I've had techs from dealership impact blast on lug nuts which in turn, make it impossibly hard to loosen when the time comes to put the spare on the side of the road.

There's a rotational dial thing on the torque wrench so you can't miss the numbers. I've had good luck at the Wellingdon and Production Way Costco

[supafamous]

https://www.amazon.ca/stores/LEXIVON...5?ref_=ast_bln

Lexivon has some Prime day sales on their torque wrenches. I have the 1/2" 10-150ft-lbs one which isn't on sale but there are other options that are fairly cheap.

[Badhobz]

thanks Supa, i picked up the 1/4 drive torque wrench. Good for my oil filter / drain plug torque-ing

[6o4allmotor]

Need Some opinions for a set of winter tires. Car is a MK8 Golf R will be going to a 225/40/18. Drive around 20-50km for work.

Been recommend the Viking 7's but keep reading that they have issues with Hydro planning and with our climate may be overkill with conditions.

Some of the other options that have been recomended

Nokian Wrg4
Kumho winter craft wp72
Hankook winter icept evo 3

Any input or recommendations

[whitev70r]

^ have you considered Pirelli Sottozero 3?

Not related or no connection to seller but this seems like a fair deal, $850 for a set of 4:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...0025644272282/

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by 6o4allmotor

Need Some opinions for a set of winter tires. Car is a MK8 Golf R will be going to a 225/40/18. Drive around 20-50km for work.

Been recommend the Viking 7's but keep reading that they have issues with Hydro planning and with our climate may be overkill with conditions.

Some of the other options that have been recomended

Nokian Wrg4
Kumho winter craft wp72
Hankook winter icept evo 3

Any input or recommendations

Pilot Alpin 4, any Sottozeros, or Continental TS winter tire. These are all "touring/performance" winters so less squishy. I have the Continental TS850P on my RDX and they drive like a solid all-season in warmer conditions and they work fine in all of the lower mainland snow conditions (up to 8-10"). They don't eat snow but I've been in any kind of trouble. I'd like just a bit more traction on ice but other than that I love them - quiet in the dry, good wet weather performance and good steering response.

Ideally I wanted the Pilot Alpin 5s but getting stock at the time was impossible.

[radeonboy]

Originally Posted by 6o4allmotor

Need Some opinions for a set of winter tires. Car is a MK8 Golf R will be going to a 225/40/18. Drive around 20-50km for work.

Been recommend the Viking 7's but keep reading that they have issues with Hydro planning and with our climate may be overkill with conditions.

Some of the other options that have been recomended

Nokian Wrg4
Kumho winter craft wp72
Hankook winter icept evo 3

Any input or recommendations

Assuming you drive mostly on flatter roads in Vancouver / Richmond / Fraser Valley, I second supafamous on getting performance winters - with something like a Golf R I would sacrifice a bit of snow performance for better-handling characteristics since we don't see snow most of the season.

I don't have experience with any of the tires you've listed, but I've had a few performance winters including the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, Pirelli Sottozero 3, and Sottozero Serie II. They're not as great as the WinterContact SI and X-Ice Snow in snow, but they still performed fine in the last few winters with just a bit more slip.

If you need to plow through unshovelled snow in hilly areas like North Shore or Coquitlam then I would go for the squishier tire options.

[mb_]

Originally Posted by 6o4allmotor

Need Some opinions for a set of winter tires. Car is a MK8 Golf R will be going to a 225/40/18. Drive around 20-50km for work.

Been recommend the Viking 7's but keep reading that they have issues with Hydro planning and with our climate may be overkill with conditions.

Some of the other options that have been recomended

Nokian Wrg4
Kumho winter craft wp72
Hankook winter icept evo 3

Any input or recommendations

I've never had issues or found problems with Viking Contact 7 and hydroplaning and will continue to recommend them as the best bang for your buck winter tire

[6o4allmotor]

Originally Posted by radeonboy

Assuming you drive mostly on flatter roads in Vancouver / Richmond / Fraser Valley, I second supafamous on getting performance winters - with something like a Golf R I would sacrifice a bit of snow performance for better-handling characteristics since we don't see snow most of the season.

I don't have experience with any of the tires you've listed, but I've had a few performance winters including the Michelin Pilot Alpin 4, Pirelli Sottozero 3, and Sottozero Serie II. They're not as great as the WinterContact SI and X-Ice Snow in snow, but they still performed fine in the last few winters with just a bit more slip.

If you need to plow through unshovelled snow in hilly areas like North Shore or Coquitlam then I would go for the squishier tire options.

Originally Posted by mb_

I've never had issues or found problems with Viking Contact 7 and hydroplaning and will continue to recommend them as the best bang for your buck winter tire

The car will be a daily Driver, work sometimes on the North shore, Richmond driving from Langley.


Ive been searching some reviews and the Hankook Icept evo3 compares right next to the Alpin 5 on tests, but who know the longevity of them and how they will handle our Snow/slush ice mix if we get it due to very limited info.
For the Viking 7's How did you find they handled the dry roads? And how are they wearing so far?

[mb_]

I don't have exact measurement but my eyes says they haven't worn that much after 2 seasons

I'll get exact measurements brand new since I got my gf's mom to get the VC7 as well vs. 2 seasons with approximately 10k km on them

In the dry, I didn't feel any major difference, from summer/all-season tires with daily driving. It definitely feels a bit softer on corners if you push it a bit hard but it wasn't as much as the X-Ice Xi3 I had when I daily drove my FRS through the winter

[bcrdukes]

Winter is coming.

[Badhobz]

Gotta love that little red chinaman chair / stool / table

Epic

Can fold it up and bring to dai pai dong or beat your wife/kids with it.

[bcrdukes]

Hot pot meet

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Winter is coming.

Lol it's funny how instantly recognizable this is as the GTA by that brickwork and stone. It's the particular color of it, even!

[whitev70r]

How many years from DOT date do you feel good/comfortable using in terms of expiry? I'm reading from manufacture the range of 6-10 years. Any insights?

[Traum]

I usually go for something in the 5 - 7 years range, taking tire condition, tread depth, storage condition, and grip levels into account. Check for dry rot / micro cracking on the tires -- if you see these, you'd want to replace them. Also remember that UV is the biggest enemy for tire compound deterioration, as well as the fact that a lot of winter tires only has its softest and most winter-capable compound in the first half of the tread, with the later stuff being more like an all season compound.

[bcrdukes]

Likewise for me. 5 - 7 years has been consistent for me. My previous tires were always stored by the dealership in an offsite storage centre but towards the 5th year, started to see micro cracks on all four tires, nevermind overall wear and tear of the tread overall.

[trollface]

I run em until they're bone dry. It's not bread.