Xoutpost.com - Best snows Blizzak vs. Nokian

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Quote:

Originally Posted by c-bolt (Post 847187)

I fully agree with your comments on a narrower tire being somewhat better in deep snow, but it has nothing to do with the weight or the size of the contact patch. Since the vehicle weight is constant, I presume you meant more pressure on the contact patch, not weight. Any tire is going to have the same size contact patch, the contact patches will just be a different shape. A narrower tire will have a narrower leading edge to the contact patch, and the contact patch will be proportionally longer. The benefit with a narrower leading edge is that it is easier for it to climb up the snow when you are driving, as the snow 'wedge' in front of the contact patch is narrower.

This all matters less than it did years ago, as older winter tires drove more from the lugs on the side, and having a narrower tire meant more engagement from those lugs. Modern winter tires with advanced compounds drive more from the full contact patch, which is why we now see 20" winter tires.

Can't really go wrong with any off the big names. In parts of Europe winter tires are obligatory and manufacturers compete fiercely in this segment. I have had excellent results with winter tires from Dunlop, Michelin and Conti (there quite few non-winter tires from Conti that are poor performers and I don't like).

Personally not very fond of Bridgestones, neither winter nor summer performance tires. Also, I understand Blizzaks are very good when new but when the outer layer wears off they stop performing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by c-bolt (Post 847187)

Honestly, a 255/50/19 or a 255/55/18 would work much better than the 275's you are thinking of. A wider tire is MUCH worse in snow and ice. By choosing a narrower tire, you are putting more weight on the contact patch, creating more traction. The wider tires will try to float a bit more in the snow and ice. If you go way too narrow, performance (and looks) will start to suffer.

Ive been driving in snow country for 19 years, the last 11 here in ALASKA! I usually average about 6 months of snow tire usage.

I have personally used Nokian Hakkapeliitta's on my non awd E30, had Blizzaks on my E39 528i and E46 325xi, and Dunlop Grandtrek WTM2's on our old E53 4.4i, and currently have studded Cooper Discoverer M/S for winter on my F250 Superduty.

I liked the Nokians, because they were studded on our old E30. Also on my truck, I choose studded. It really helps the tires grip the glare ice on the roads and where it builds up at the intersections for vehicles without modern traction control.

My wife says she has never felt more confident in the winter than in her old X5. One time, we had 24" of snow in our neighborhood and the Dunlops kept pulling. The narrower tire (we had about 1.5" narrower 18's than the stock 19's) kept the tire from floating and packing snow under them. Snow was litterally piling up and coming over the hood. Once we got out on the main streets, it was a sloppy mess. It was pretty cool to be out there with all the big trucks. We got quite a few looks...

In my opinion...The only time studs are really necessary are for glare ice. For most people, most of the time, a good non-studded winter tire will work great and provide the best all around performance. They will outperform an "all season" tire by a large margin. I would choose whichever you like best. I really like the directional ones, they seem to go through the slush better, but that is a pretty subjective comparison. Ive never switched brands in the middle of winter or tested two back to back.

All that being said...Ill probably order Blizzaks for the wifes X5d that is on order.

This is all acurate, however the x5 does not shy for weight by any means making the 'narrower is better' argument slightly less pertinent. Not less accurate, just less pertinent. Dozens of posters on this forum have the Pirelli's on 20s (myself included) and have raved about their performance. All three are quality tires - no bad choices here.

I agree that the newer tires are much better than tires of old. I also have plenty of experience driving through the snow...recently...with new technology tires. I have never been upstate NY or Boston or Maryland in the winter, so I am not familiar with the amount of winter snow you get. For the amount of snow we get here in Alaska, I will choose a bit narrower tire, at it helps cut through the snow a bit better.

I do agree with JCL though, a narrower tire will give you a longer contact patch. I did a bunch of research on the subject. If a guy doesn't increase air pressure, the patch will remain relatively constant. Its a pretty interesting subject, and practically impossible to prove right or wrong. Sidewall strength, air pressure, size...etc. All the factors come into play. So within 5-10% or so, Im not sure a "normal" person could tell the difference in Ice traction.

I am not really sure what size I am going to put on my wifes yet...I was swinging towards the oem 19's size as it is much cheaper and allows me to do the swap myself. Are you guys with the 20's running the same size tire on the stock rims? The pirelli does look pretty good...lots of little siping and tread blocks. I just really prefer a narrower tire because of all the snow we get, Ill have to try and remember what size tires I had on the old X5...

I just put pirelli icy and snow yesterday, we don't have ice and snow here yet but I already feel the difference, much better traction and breaking performance, handling is very good as well.

X5 35d with sport pack 19" wheel, but for winter I put 18".

I have the Blizzaks that were new on my '04 X5 just last winter and they did really great in snow and ice; much better than the summer 19" tire I had on there (for obvious reasons). I kept them since they will fit the 18" rims on my 2011 35d. I unfortunately don't have a great opinion of Pirelli tires (from the all seasons we had on our first 3 series that wore so fast and got increasingly louder at EOL) but have heard feedback that the snow's are good tires.

I've used my Blizzaks in both deep snow and on ice. The ski hill I have to drive to has a mixture of packed snow and frequent ice from the turns that are in the sun during the day and freeze at night and they scoot me right along.

Wow, thanks for all the snow "physics" lessons.
And sorry for hi-jacking the post about Pirellis...
THat said I have ordered Pirelli Snow & Ice RFT's and am 99% sure on a 300M style rim....
Like these , but from a different retailer ($800ish delivered):
20" X5 M Staggered Wheels Rims Fit BMW X6 | eBay

But am questioning a last-second black-rim choice:
20" STAGGERED X5 STYLE BMW X6 M X5 xDrive48i RIM WHEEL | eBay

Anybody with pics of an X5 in Space Gray metallic with black rims ?

Thanks
Swipe

PS
You near SunValley up there in Boise ? I can't wait for snow down here and hitting the ski slopes.

Sun Valley is about 2.5 hours outside of Boise. I've never skied there before but hear it has quite long runs; more advanced. We have Bogus Basin here in Boise about 45 mins from town. It's nice and easy to get to. :thumbup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWIPE421 (Post 847635)

Vredestein Wintrac

I know this thread is Nokian vs Blizzak but I wanted to comment on the Wintrac since they are not common. I put a set of 235/60/18 on my stock rims last winter and they are terrific. I picked the narrower profile based on discussions here on Xoutpost.

We had some heavy snows in the Boston area last winter and the X5d tracked like a tank. Dry condition highway driving is smooth and quiet, much better than the Michelin RFT that they replaced.