04 Savant

PS: 225/35/18

NJA4

I was gonna ask the same.

AvramD

They are studdable, and T-rated (118 mph).

I would love to have an excuse to buy these tires, but you really should only get them if well over 25% of their time is pent on snow. It's the highest speed-rated studable tire on the market, and it's supposed to be a bitch of a snow tire even w/out the studs.

Although I don't know where you're going to find them. etires is out, but you could give them a call.

And if I lived in alaska, I would get 17's instead of 18's. But keep in mind, higher profile tires adds sway, and lower speed rating adds sway. This is why I say 25%+ time on snow. Less, and the dry handling loss isn't worth it.

alaskossie

Yes, I'll 'fess up -- it's a Ford Escort with a twist: a 2800-lb., 2 door coupe with a picnic-table spoiler, assembled by Karmann in Germany, full-time 4X4, limited-slip diffs front, center, and rear, 5-speed transmission, 2-litre turbo engine bored and stroked to 2.2 litres by Eggenberger Motor Sport in Switzerland, stock 225 hp raised to 378 hp at 5500 rpm, torque is 435 ft./lb. at 3500 rpm; perhaps best described as somewhat of a vest-pocket hand-grenade, but not a daily driver.

It's great on snow with studded Nokian Hakkapelittas; but presently sidelined with a fuel-line leak.

I got it new through Sun International Racing in California, and drove it to Alaska in 1998. Sun imported about 15 of them, certified as the "Rally Sport" with most external Ford logos removed.

Take a look at: http://www.alaska.net/~meacham/cossies/index.html

Alaskossie

'04 S4 Avant
'95 Ford Escort RS Cosworth 4X4
'70 Volvo 122-S B-20, etc.

nirad

amazing. I didn't know anyone had them in the US. that's a beast.

04 Savant

OOPs: I meant 225/40/18

Inphidel

<center><img src="http://www.e-tyres.co.uk/images/wintrac_03.gif"></center><p>
I purchased vredestein wintracs and I am extremely pleased with them. I have tried dunlop wintersports in the past, and the Vredestein's are much better. I am not sure about the nokian's, but I hear those are very high quality as well. I personally liked the look of the vredesteins better. They have a sweet tread that looks mean on the car. The tires are quiet, handle great wet, dry, or ice. And they have a killer hazard and tread warranty. I purchased mine from a guy in New Jersey. Don't go to americantire, they want over a $100 more a tire than the guy in NJ.

Jim Breault Tires (201) 997-0400
825 Harrison Avenue Kearny, NJ 07032<ul><li><a href="http://www.e-tyres.co.uk/wintrac.htm">Clicky for more info</a></li></ul>

alaskossie

Moose guards might not be a bad idea -- a fellow from a town north of here was killed yesterday when a moose crossed the road in front of his Subaru Legacy, and the animal crashed through the windshield. In our area, there have been more than 300 moose-car collisions already this winter; almost always fatal to the moose, sometimes fatal also to the car's occupants, unfortunately.

Alaskossie

E-Ticket

I was jesting - but do know that it is a serious problem up there. Be safe, eh!

AvramD

I had a really stealthy install of them too, I didn't get a single "shotgun-rack" comment from anyone.

What I did was cut a single horizontal section out of the lower grill on each side, and stick them in the oversized rectangle that was created. I set them in a little to, so they barely stuck out. Most people didn't even notice them.

It's hard to say whether they really worked or not; the package said they aren't supposed to make deer run away, but rather, make a sound that causes them "concern," so they stop and look around to figure out what it is. The point being that they stop, so that they either a) don't jump out in front of you in the first place, or b) if they are already in front of you, you can go around them.

I should do this in my B6, totally forgot about it.