Trying Firestone 'Winterforce' This Year

[Mr_Joe]

I'm somewhat a Blizzack fanboy, but see these Firestones can be had for a fair bit lest $$. The reviews trend a little better with the Blizzacks, but the Winterforce are not far behind.

I got a set from a big eBay seller. They look great with fast shipping, plan to get them mounted on wheels today.

 

[seanf]

I've had a few sets of winterforce, I love them, a lot more road noise then some other tires but the price vs performance the noise doesn't bother me, after 2 or 3 winters the treadwear is good too, at the most 2/32 worn off.

 

[bullwinkle]

They're even better studded, if your state allows it. I have a similar pair of BFG Traction A/T 10 plys, they've been on several winters on several vans & trucks, other than losing a few studs they look almost new.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Blizzaks and Winterforces are two different types of bad weather tires. Blizzaks are soft and are generally designed for slush/slop/ice. Winterforces are a bit firmer, studable, and are primarily for snow. You can't really compare them directly.

 

[Bgallagher]

they have a nice tread pattern. I would imagine they grip like a mountain goat.

 

[SumpChump]

Is it damaging for spanking new snow tires such as the Blizzak WinterFirce or General Artimax to run the at 42-48degrees or must one wait till below that 40F mark when the tread is so new tall and squirmy?

 

[dlayman]

Originally Posted By: SumpChump
Is it damaging for spanking new snow tires such as the Blizzak WinterFirce or General Artimax to run the at 42-48degrees or must one wait till below that 40F mark when the tread is so new tall and squirmy?


No I don't think it's damaging. They will wear a bit quicker and I would advise driving more conservatively as dry cornering and braking won't be great. I left my new studless winter tires on all last winter and we had almost no snow and it was over 50 a good bit, and they were fine. They didn't even wear very much. I think studless winter tires have come a long way in the last few years, not as squirmy and better wear.

 

[dlayman]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Blizzaks and Winterforces are two different types of bad weather tires. Blizzaks are soft and are generally designed for slush/slop/ice. Winterforces are a bit firmer, studable, and are primarily for snow. You can't really compare them directly.


Very true. I've never been that satisfied with the old fashioned type snow tires like the Winterforce. They do quite well if your plowing through deep snow, but I've never found them very good in slush or icy conditions, which I encounter far more often. Most roads are generally plowed and salted, leaving you with an inch or two of slippery slush. I think the studless designs work better in these conditions. Studding the Winterforce probably turns it into a beast, but not worth all the negatives to me. I had them briefly on a Civic and was slipping and sliding all over the place going up hills is slushy conditions. I changed them out for Blizzaks after three bad drives when they were still like new. My wife has them on her Baja and they do great on that car but that's likely more due to the AWD.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

I would put the ideal temperature for Winter-compound tires at about 48F or less. So, no, it's not a big deal to run them above 40F. Plus I'm assuming you are referring to the daytime high temperature, which is only going to be the air temperature for a few hours to half a day.

Winter compound tires wear faster at warm ambient temperatures, but remember that highway driving, even below freezing, means the tire temperature is well above ambient. Yet the tires still live.

Don't worry about it, unless you are running them in July.

 

[IndyIan]

In my experience with goodyear nordic studdable winter tires, is that they don't care too much about warm temperatures, even full time summer running once they have some wear. I did the same thing with some old Xice tires and they did wear quite fast in the summer. Still worked fine, never hot to the touch.
Anyways a few days of warmer running isn't going to hurt any winter tires too much. Capriracer could tell us for sure, but I'd assume the load rating testing of winter tires happens in the same 20C conditions every other tire is tested at.

 

[SubLGT]

CR has tested them multiple times. A very good tire in the snow acceleration test. Very good hydroplaning resistance. Ancient tread design. Even when studded, mediocre on ice compared to the competition. Years ago Tirerack tested the studded Winterforce against some studless winters on ice, and it came in last place on the ice traction tests.

 

[The_Jeff]

The first couple hundred miles driving on new tires gets the preservative wax off them so it's good actually IMO that you're cruising around before the first flakes drop.

I had some winterforces that were a few years old with great tread that came with my car and I found them awful, but they could have hardened up since new.

 

[Mr_Joe]

They are mounted on wheels and look pretty good. I'll wait to put them on the car until snow is approaching.

The reviews seems to point to good tread life, for a Winter tire. Our Winters are slightly watered down anyway in S WI, compared to some other areas.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Bgallagher
they have a nice tread pattern. I would imagine they grip like a mountain goat.

That depends on compound!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Having used them, I found their snow performance spectacular. They were, unsurprisingly, very loud.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Having used them, I found their snow performance spectacular. They were, unsurprisingly, very loud.

"Spectacular" compare to what?
How is dry performance? "slushing?" Hydroplaning? Handling in wet?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Having used them, I found their snow performance spectacular. They were, unsurprisingly, very loud.

"Spectacular" compare to what?
How is dry performance? "slushing?" Hydroplaning? Handling in wet?


They are good in deep snow. But there's a definite tradeoff in slush, ice, road manners. And the noise ... WOW ... louder than any mud tire I've run on my Jeep!

But, any snow tire is better than an all season. If you can get them for a good price, they aren't bad tires.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: edyvw
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Having used them, I found their snow performance spectacular. They were, unsurprisingly, very loud.

"Spectacular" compare to what?
How is dry performance? "slushing?" Hydroplaning? Handling in wet?


They are good in deep snow. But there's a definite tradeoff in slush, ice, road manners. And the noise ... WOW ... louder than any mud tire I've run on my Jeep!

But, any snow tire is better than an all season. If you can get them for a good price, they aren't bad tires.

Well of course, although I would call today's tires winter not snow. They should be OK in all disciplines.
For example here in front range, it is tricky. You drive 95% of time in dry, sometimes in 60+ degrees during winter. Then few storms hit and they dump anywhere from 1 inch to 2ft. If you ski, you might enjoy 50f weather leaving house, entering blizzard conditions in the Summit county, and temperature of 10f. You finish skiing, go down I70 or HWY 24, 10 degrees, you hit Denver after an hour and it is 60.
So you really have to have winter tire that is good in all type of weather.

 

[supton]

I agree, and would trade deep snow traction for ice traction, any day of the week.

But in some areas, once it gets cold, it stays cold, and snow traction is all that is really needed. Especially if one isn't driving hundreds of miles away from home (and see other climates). Or otherwise just driving short distances, around town, avoiding highways, etc.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: supton
I agree, and would trade deep snow traction for ice traction, any day of the week.

But in some areas, once it gets cold, it stays cold, and snow traction is all that is really needed. Especially if one isn't driving hundreds of miles away from home (and see other climates). Or otherwise just driving short distances, around town, avoiding highways, etc.

Yeah I agree, for some areas it is that that matters, but not sure how many areas have climate like that.
For example here at local ski resorts where hardcore skiers come and ski in blizzards (for example Arapahoe Basin) 8 out of 10 cars will have Blizzak tires, 1 will have Michelin X-ice and 1 some other tire, from Good Year to Firestone.
I drove on Blizzak's so far in the U.S. (interestingly in Europe, Bridgestone is not even average winter tire) and went through blizzard on passes 11,000-12,000ft, not being able to see 5-6ft in front, driving only using sticks on a side as an orientation and road memory, and they performed great, even LM-60 which is performance winter tire on my VW CC. I am not so sure WInterforce would do any better, especially since tread of that tire is harder then typical Blizzak.
But again, any winter tire (even those Champiro or whatever) is better then best all season tire in snow.