[T3] Tires

[Max Welton]

--- On Tue, 10/30/12, Dave Hall <dave at hallvw.clara.co.uk> wrote:

> I'm afraid wider tyres spell less
> grip in snow and rain.  While we don't
> usually get much snow in the south-west of the UK, we can
> get rain any day
> of the year.
> 
> A friend of my son was seriously injured aquaplaning in his
> wide-tyred
> hot-ship.  Driving style comes into it too, but you're
> nearer the edge with
> wide tyres when the weather is against you.

We get plenty of ice and snow here in the Rockies as well as some torrential rain from time to time and this car is driven through all of it. I've driven to work in warm sunshine and crawled home through a driving blizzard. Spring here can be fun. Sun, rain, slush and ice all in the same day.

The 205s do fine in water, having a nice deep water-funneling tread design. The extra width hasn't been an issue. But I most likely don't drive like your son's friend. Experience counts as much as good equipment.

But the 205s aren't so good on snow and ice. They are Mastercraft A/S IV tires and a little too much of a compromise. Before these I had Michelin Agility tires (same size) and they had a very hard compound. On any snow at all they were undrivable.

For snow and ice I have the 195x65/15 Blizzaks. I just put them on last week. IMO, these are the best snow tire available anywhere for any money. I ran studded snow tires (205x65/15) on my 63 baja winter car and the Blizzaks are better in every way except on the you-can't-even-stand-up ice. There the studs rule.

Bridgestone recommends against using the Blizzaks all year and I can see why. The compound is very soft. I can push my thumb into the tread easily.

The Blizzaks grip on dry pavement is incredible. The stock brakes on my 68 are in top shape and I don't have enough leg-strength to lock them up with the Blizzaks on. I've tried. The car just squats down and ... stops. Everything not tied down winds up under my feet.

So there was a question about handling and side-wall flex. To be honest, I haven't noticed any handling issues during the odd occasions where I had to dodge around debris. The 195s probably do a little better in the handling department, but that could also be the different construction of the Blizzaks.

I have noticed that the bigger 205s ride a little harsher than the 195s. The shocks don't seem to handle the extra unsprung weight as well and pavement joints are noticeably more jarring.

Cornering with the 205s is a little less comfortable than with the 195s. Never dangerous or uncontrollable. But as mentioned previously, I'm not an aggressive driver.

Max Welton
http://www.maxwelton2k.net/