Advice on Non-Studded Snow Tires

Hello RA, I went MIA for a while there.

What's the best performing non-studded snow tire? I needed to order my new tires last week! Must be available in 13" or 14". Car is a 1992 Honda Civic Si, 125HP, approx 2200 lbs. Though I will be running them on a 1999 Honda Civic Si/SiR, 160HP, approx 2600 lbs till I get my 1992 Civic prepped. The 1992 Civic will be a dedicated rally car.

I would like to run them on a 14x6 aluminum wheel, though if that is too wide I can use a 14x5 or 14x5.5 steel wheel, I also have the options of running 13" steel wheels if 14" treads are too wide for this application (I think the 13s are 5" wide).

I've heard the Michelin X-Ice are among the top performers. What about the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R? I"m looking for the best performer in mainly deep snow and some ice.

Thanks,

Carthik

---

Carthik S
1999 Honda Civic 2DR



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2013 12:49PM by Carthik.

I've got a set of the x-ice2's and am very happy with them. From an informal survey the Michelins are quieter, get better milage, and don't get super soft in warm temps like the Nokian stuff does. Probably can't go wrong with either for a road tire.

---

-KTurner
Stomp down on the exhilarator and hold on to the wheel.

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear enough. Edited my first post. This is for a rally car, that will not run studs.

---

Carthik S
1999 Honda Civic 2DR

No competition experience, but I've been happy with both the Firestone Winterforce and Cooper Weathermaster S/T2 in snow usage.

They're probably not as good (on ice) as a a more ice-oriented tire (most blizzaks, and looks like the michelin x-ice too).

cooper:

---

KF7RWG
http://www.utahrallygroup.com

My experience from SnoDrift says that the Nokians are better in snow and the Blizzaks and X-ice's are better on glare ice... if your not one of the first 10 cars...your on glare ice! I have my Nokians grooved to help with snow traction and the Blizzaks lightly tractionized.... then just bolt on what the weather dictates and services allow. IMHO you need 6-8 tires for the varying conditions and to bolt on if your not careful with the "curbs", so get a a set of your best guess and 2-4 more of the other.
Hope this helps.

Deep snow and ice are vastly different. Experience (in Canada) tells me studs are always better. The sidewalls on Hakkas are weak. I have had good performance with Firestone Winterforce.

---

Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

Quote
Rallymech
Deep snow and ice are vastly different. Experience (in Canada) tells me studs are always better. The sidewalls on Hakkas are weak. I have had good performance with Firestone Winterforce.

Plus juan on the Winterforce tires. They are fantastic on snow, and decent on ice (studs will always perform better in my experience). They can also be used as some serious grass-o-cross tires, and they're CHEAP too! Don't run them (or any snow tire) on wet or dry pavement for a long time, they will be smoked in 1-2k.

linky-poo

Nokians are expensive, last I checked.

I've been running Kumho kw19 winters for many years, recently replaced by the kw22.
The kw19 has been a 'go to' tire in the western Canadian Championship and we see them both studded and not. We allow studs in our regional series, within limits. Usually in deep snow we see the Yokohama AO34s come out.

WalMart, in Canada at least, has 'Marshal' kw19s and 22s which I expect are made under license or on contract. If it isn't the same rubber compound, it won't be the same tire even if the tread pattern is the same.

I'm on my 3rd set of Kumho winters.

---

First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

Liked the old Yokohama IG10 and IG20 ice tires, but they didn't last long...1.5 winters and the ice sipes were all done.

My current winter tire is a non-studded General Altimax Arctic. They're basically the Gislaveds that were stolen from Nokian when they snagged a couple of their engineers a few years back. Not perfect, but a good street car compromise tire. They're studdable, I didn't, wish I had. I'm on my second winter with them, probably have one more winter left before they become "summer" snow tires or Craigslist curb alert freebies.

---

Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

My favorite snow tires are whichever ones I get for a decent price on craigslist.
I usually search for Nokian, Gislaved, Subaru Snow and BMW Snow.

---

Grant Hughes

I have a set of iPikes that worked really well, but again, thats just on the street.

I seem to recall someone mentioning they were going to use them for a rally, though. Or maybe they were sold at a rally?

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

I have 215/65/15 General Altimax Arctics on my Evo and like them a lot. Better deep snow grip than Blizzaks and just about as good on ice. Not bad on dirt or gravel if you have a tendency to ignore your daughter yelling "no cut" when just driving her to and from school.

Yeah, an Evo isn't exactly the same as a Honda, but they do come in a few 13" and 14" sizes.

Just be like me about an hour ago and see how close you can get to hitting signs.

---

Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?

Quote
fiasco
Liked the old Yokohama IG10 and IG20 ice tires, but they didn't last long...1.5 winters and the ice sipes were all done.

My current winter tire is a non-studded General Altimax Arctic. They're basically the Gislaveds that were stolen from Nokian when they snagged a couple of their engineers a few years back. Not perfect, but a good street car compromise tire. They're studdable, I didn't, wish I had. I'm on my second winter with them, probably have one more winter left before they become "summer" snow tires or C
raigslist curb alert freebies.

Thinking about a set of these for our outback. Funny thing was I remembered this post, thought, I think this is the tire Andrew was saying were basically rebadged gislaved.

---

Grant Hughes

According to a Volvo forum:

General Altimax Arctic = rebranded Gislaved Nordfrost 3. They're both Continental products.

---

Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY