A8L_Driver_Dan

I've had them on for two seasons now. We experience about 12 feet of snow a winter, so I drive through a lot of it for months on end. I have never had a slippage problem with these tire and found them to be a decent performance (albeit winter) tire. They seem to wear better (longer tread life) and not make as much noise on wet roads...something that really bothered me with Blizzaks. Now, we don't have very hilly terrain here so I can't speak to mountain climbing with them.

I also found it easier to buy a second set of wheels and keep the foul-weather tires mounted and balanced.<ul><li><a href="http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=AR4&amp;url=%2Ftires%2Ftires.jsp%3FtireMak e%3DMichelin%26amp%3BtireModel%3DPilot%2BAlpin%2BP A2%26amp%3BvehicleSearch%3Dfalse%26amp%3Bpartnum%3 D26HR6PA2%26amp%3BfromCompare1%3Dyes%26amp%3Bplace %3D0">Lin

ryoung

ABS works by releasing the brake on a tire that has locked up on a low friction surface, but there's one big catch. ... The ABS computer must first be able to determine that something's wrong.

At least one tire must have enough traction to keep rotating to allow the computer to determine the car's speed. On ice with near zero traction under all four tires, any braking causes all four tires to immediately stop rotating. You're sliding down the road, but the ABS computer thinks that you've already come to a stop! ABS isn't pulsating because it doesn't know that anything's wrong.

The only solutions in these conditions are chains, studded tires, or not driving.

SteveIAS8

Makes sense, Randy. I learned something new tonight.

My situation encountered was not on an ice situation. I'll have to "play" on an open icy parking lot next time bad weather comes this way.

Steve

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

I just have to drive more carefully on the icy road. Like you said, chains or studded tires are needed in those conditions.

Keke

Abs does not pulsate when the car is on icy surface

dimitristx

good point. exactly the reason why ABS is not as effective on loose gravel.