Winter Is Coming

BlondeFish

Any advice from those who switch to winter tires? I've never bothered with switching to winter tires, but I remember white-knuckle driving through a blizzard from K-W after a game at Bristol and doing a 365 degree spin on my way to Casino Rama years ago.

If I'm going to continue playing live poker this winter - such as the LONG drives to WSOP-C Lac-Leamy, WPT Montreal, Casino Rama, grinding the Fallsview Poker Classic high-rake crapshoot satellites, :-\ and possibly grinding the Great Blue Heron tournaments starting in January - then I'm wondering if I should pay for storage of my old tires and switch to winter tires.

DrTyore

I recommend TireCo

That's the one near my place in KW.... pricing seem average, but they'll swap on / off your winters / summer for no cost. Also, I blew out a tire, and they gave me a discount based on wear on the tire (i.e. only 10% of the tire was worn away, so replacement cost 10% of the normal tire).

Storage? Up to you.. my tires don't take up much space so I put them in my utility closet lol.

Mark

Edit: This is for tires on separate rims.

trigs

i suggest dragon transport! (Winter is coming!)

wildbill7145

After moving from Vancouver to this little town in Ontario that has hellish/angry winters I will never go without winter tires again.

If you are a semi handy fellow, buy new tires and new rims. You could store them yourself and put them on yourself. Otherwise, the tire shops are taking them off the rims every time you change them which does reduce the lifespan of the tires.

Most dedicated tire shops (around here anyways) will store the tires you aren't using at no charge. They will charge you for pulling them and putting the other ones on when the season changes. As well as balancing and installing on the rims if required. Much lower price if you don't have to do that.

I think I pay around $80 as I don't have an extra set of rims. My wife pays slightly less than half of that as she got an extra set of rims for free from someone she worked with. You'll recover the cost in a few years depending on what rims you get.

We're supposed to have a hellish winter this year with lots of snow if you believe those people who come up with that kind of bs.

wildbill7145

Even if they're on separate rims, that's a pretty good deal. I guess if they're not storing them it's worth it for them, but they still have to throw your car up on a hoist. Rarely will you meet a mechanic that will even do that alone for free.

DrTyore;362210 wrotebut they'll swap on / off your winters / summer for no cost

Edit: This is for tires on separate rims.

BlondeFish

Source please?
Thanks for the replies so far.

wildbill7145;362214 wroteAfter moving from Vancouver to this little town in Ontario that has hellish/We're supposed to have a hellish winter this year with lots of snow if you believe those people who come up with that kind of bs.

wildbill7145

BlondeFish;362218 wroteSource please?
Thanks for the replies so far.

Ha, local farmers, guy waiting to pour concrete at a job I'm supposed to work on this winter, contractor friend who was a farmer growing up.

They're all saying trees are "heavy" with whatever trees get "heavy" with at this time of year (I didn't ask), squirrels are incredibly active right now, didn't get much snow last two years.

jontm

Blizaks are well priced at Costco, best deal I've found on them and a great ice tire. We live in a hilly neighborhood and often have been only ones with traction to climb in this roller coaster Calgary weather. Course they were on my last van, so I too am shopping...

JimmyHo

I will store them in my garage for $50 this winter...just think of it as an extra form of rake to play live poker...we know how you love rake :)

800OVER

Blizzaks or Michelin x-ice....both have rebates from the manufacturer right now.

BlondeFish

wildbill7145;362214 wroteIf you are a semi handy fellow, buy new tires and new rims. You could store them yourself and put them on yourself.

As my better half found out the hard way, I'm basically a huge :fish: when it comes to being a "handy man." I can figure out how to charge a dead car battery or change a flat tire, but I would much rather pay an auto service to do everything for me. :-[

My family mechanic has neglected to give me a price quote, so my better half wants me to get raked at Canadian Tire and use our CT Money. I phoned CT and the quote I got was $695, including:

- Four General Altimax Arctic 185/65R14 86Q ALTARC new tires for $375; it has high ratings for Wet (9.8/10), Snow (9.3) & Ice (9.1).
- Alignment for $100
- Balancing for $68
- "Replacement Advantage" insurance for $32, which seems to be the auto equivalent of the useless "extended warranties" by electronic stores.
- The remaining $120 is for nitrogen, TSF, shop supplies, & HST.

So is ~$700 a reasonable "rake" to pay for switching to four new winter tires? CT doesn't store tires, so I may have to hire pokerJAH to pick up my 4 old all-season tires & store it in his garage.

pokerJAH;362234 wroteI will store them in my garage for $50 this winter...

800OVER

buy rims for sure.....ROI is two years. Do not just buy tires. what kind of car do you have?

BlondeFish

Mazda Protege 4-door sedan from the previous millenium. :-[ CT's "Multi Fit Application Steel Wheels" will add another $160.
So pokerJAH will have to store all my old tires and rims together, then I`ll have to play him Heads-Up For Rollz?

800OVER;362842 wrotebuy rims for sure.....ROI is two years. Do not just buy tires. what kind of car do you have?

800OVER

Forget the nitrogen and the alignment and you should be good.

800OVER

was just on Kijiji.....you can score some used rims for cheap....or rims and tires. Check it out. just search for 14" and you'll find what you need especially in T.O.

Milo

Yeah screw the nitrogen. Most manufacturers, unless they specify that their tires are rated with nitrogen, will not warranty their tires if you use it. Not my word, but the word from the Garage I go to when I asked about it when I bought new tires this spring.

kwsteve

I got four alloy rims and tires in my garage. They were on my step son's Mazda. 5 bolt pattern. Not winter tires though.

BlondeFish

I got a quote of $300 final total from UsedCarDepot.ca for "takeoff" winter tires such as Goodyear Ultra Grip or Kumho I-Zen Wis (no storage of old tires). Our family mechanic gave us a quote of $480 (+ taxes) for new General Tire Altimax Arctic (or GT Radial), plus $50/season for storage, telling us not to bother buying new rims. Since my family may be riding with me this winter as far as Quebec, I think I'll take this option. A forumer who drove to Playground before mentioned the bad roads near Montreal.

BTW, the 14-day forecast shows that it will continue to be well above zero degrees with no snow.

800OVER;362962 wrotewas just on Kijiji.....you can score some used rims for cheap....or rims and tires. Check it out. just search for 14" and you'll find what you need especially in T.O.

Milo

Aahh . . . but as the Snow tire proponents will tell you, they start working better than all-seasons at temps of 7c or lower.

Really hope the government does not mandate them.

Big Mike

A note on snow tires - this is something you can get serious savings on south of the border.
Last year about this time I blew a tire on my way to a Cleveland Browns game. I stopped in Erie, PA and the only shop open on Sunday morning that I could find only had a snow tire in stock that fit my van. On it went, for $90 (no sales tax in PA).
Once I got back I decided to just get 3 more snow tires to match it - first time I'd ever gotten snow tires, same situation as the OP - and they were $160 each plus tax.

Might not be the most practical tip every for you guys who aren't right at the border like me, but someone might benefit. Winter is coming.