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well today my area got hit with the first real snowfall of the year and since i bought my first car (02 civic) in july, it was first time for me experiencing snow in my own car (drove last winter in my parents car). so of course bad things are going to follow so this is my story.

i was on my way home from my girlfriends house driving on an unplowed road with some unknown brand like guardsmith tires the dealer put on when i bought the car. as i approach an intersection to turn left, i slow down to about 5-10 mph as i come to a redlight. just before i start turning into the left turning lane i start to break and almost immediately i feel my brakes lock (i was told later it was my abs) but i was still sliding...right towards another car waiting to turn. i try steering as much as i can to the left into a snowbank, and ram into the curb of the median, into a pile of snow. i put it in reverse and proceed through the intersection and realize somethin is wrong as i have to keep my wheel turned to go straight. since ive never driving on a flat before i didn't realize i blew my tire so i continued to crawl down the road (bad idea i know) after i hear some knocking noise coming from the front, i pull over to find myself driving on a flat and cracked hub. worst part is that i had to jack up the car and put on the donut with 30-40 mph gusts and blowing snow and 15 degrees w/o wind chill...to find out later my parents have AAA. fml

since my tire is too damaged to be fixed im gunna need at least 2 new tires. anyone have recommendations on types of tires or where to buy them? this is my last winter before moving to florida so idk if i want to get snow tires or not.
thanks for any input
-Matt

 
Rep Power: 257

if you want a chep set of snow tires try your locale car yard they mite have the studded ones.

 
Rep Power: 812

check tirerack.com and yeah snow driving sucks. no matter how careful you are, theres just no traction when the tire is completely covered in snow and there is no tread left. even with the best tires you will still be sliding around.

 
Rep Power: 314

Aye, get yourself a good set of all seasons. Especially if you plan to move. What gearbox says is right though. Once the tires get snow covered.. your kind of toast. Also, check the suspension out to make sure nothing is broken. If your buying new tires after hitting a curb, it's also a good idea to get an alignment done to make sure everything is okay. Otherwise, you could be buying new tires again in a few months.

 
Rep Power: 812

the only thing that would really save you are studded snow tires or chains. since studded tires youre pretty much stuck with all winter even with no snow (which are very dangerous, loud, and bumpy to drive with), chains that you can slip on and off are prolly the best bet but just keep your speed down not to ruin the tires.

 
Rep Power: 314

I thought chains were illegal pretty much everywhere but the arctic.

 
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what about blizzak ws60 tires? theres not studs but ive heard many good things about it. i can get them at tirerack for $76 a piece and about $10 for road hazard warrenty and $15 to balance/mount each. also should i just get 2 front tires or replace all four? money is somewhat an issue so if i can help it id rather just get two but will it hurt me later?

 
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Studs are only truly useful on ice anyways. Just get a good set of winter tires and keep the speed down, unless you are in a empty parking lot

 
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I would go with all four. I've done winters with only the fronts and I found a difference with only the two on the front. I get the point that our cars are FWD but the rear tires need decent grip too.

I've heard good about the blizzaks as well. Just read some reviews and make your decision but I would go for all four corners.

 
Rep Power: 257

i have heard good things about blizzak tires but onley in snow the tred is extremely soft so if you drive on pavement most of the time they won't last very long studded tires are your best bet for safety purposes and you dont need all four tires but it does make a big difference.

 
Rep Power: 812

you cant even get on the freeways in NV and CA if its snowing alot and you dont have chains (snow tires wont work). maybe its only illegal in canada? i see chains everywhere in the winter, even the garbage trucks, mailman, and buses have them.

 
Rep Power: 812

and yeah blizzak is great if theres snow on the ground most of the time. dont bother if you only get a few storms a month and its mostly dry roads. not worth the $$ just for snow tires. and you have to slow down on dry road too because its like driving on marshmallows.

 
Rep Power: 231

we just got our first real snowfall last week and it has been snowing since. the snowdrifts were so bad that it took me 3 hours to shovel the driveway. the lowest part was past my knees and the highest part was up to my waist. there were some neighbourhoods that had snow almost up to the roof of some vehicles. yea its been that bad here. luckily, the snow has slowed right down but hasnt stopped yet.

anyway, dont bother getting winter tires because they will be a complete waste of money if youre moving to florida. winter tires are made of softer rubber to grip better, but softer rubber also wears down way faster if you are not on a road covered in complete snow or ice. thats the reason people have a set for winter and a set for summer where i live. blizzaks are great but they are for snow and ice and not something you want to drive on in florida. you might as well change all 4 at once, it will save you money later, and you can also do proper tire rotations so your tires all wear out together over time. you need a set of good all season tires. i would recommend either the goodyear assurance comforttread, or michelin harmonys. tirerack also carries those both.

 
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thanks for all your answers. the reason im still leaning toward the blizzaks is cause i big on snowboarding and will be driving often through the snowbelt between buffalo and ellicottville NY which is always getting pounded with snow. Even though im moving, im still goin to be coming back every winter and during breaks so ill still use them in the future. along with all that, i plan on getting me some 17s in the spring to finally ditch the hubs.

so anyway, should i go with good winter tires and wait to get all season ones with my 17s? or still go with good all season tires?

 
Rep Power: 314

buy summer tires for the 17's, but winter tires for your steelies.

 
Rep Power: 812

yeah its much easier to have two sets of rims, that way you dont even need a shop to swap them, just your garage (or parking lot) and a jack with jackstands plus tools. its still snowing like crazy here and i have work to do on the car still lol.

 
Rep Power: 231

exactly. if you know you are going to get 17s in the summer with performance tires, just get strictly winter tires on your steelies (like blizzaks). dont even bother with all seasons. the only reason people generally go with all season is because they dont change between winter/summer tires like youll be doing.

 
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you all need to find an empty parking lot and practice sliding and correcting. learning what it feels like when you loose traction and using the e-brake to keep from plowing. i love driving in the snow and my coupe has done amazing. better than most of the 4wd trucks. have my summer tires and rims and my stock rims and M+S tire. i do just fine without studs. good luck...

 
Rep Power: 254

Yea honestly Andrew is right. Go to a huge parking lot and purposely lose traction you will then learn how to correct yourself. Its not a sure way to avoid an accient, but practice makes perfect.

 
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slowing down helps the most. and if you do lose control, the damage is less severe.

 
Rep Power: 314

We got hit by a big storm here in Ontario today and I was coming home from a night shift. Even in Canada people don't learn. On my 80km drive home I saw about 10 cars in the ditch!!! The roads were bad, but that is ridiculous.

 
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lol, thats usually how it is most places. ppl drive like its clear roads, then wonder what happened and why their car is sliding off the road.

 
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Just make sure you know where the meridians are if there's alot of snow. I watched my buddy get himself high centered and a new muffler "drifting" around wal-mart.... haha dumbass

 
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^ LOL... My friend did that. In a minivan, he climbed over the meridian with the two front wheels and couldn't get himself out. Took a while and ended up having to get another car to help push him back over it. Lucky he didn't destroy the oil pan.