[MichSVT]

If you're unsure whether or not snow tires really are worth the $$$, take a looksie. Here in southeast michigan we have been dumped with snow and cold air (1deg. right now) over the past 3 days, but I've never been stuck! or spun out (unless the James Bond theme song came up)

for some retarded city-slickers, this amount of snow overnight is catastrophic

A foci that didn't go far lol...

Yes, I did try to get stuck. Basically, I plowed the focus into snow as deep as the first pic (in a street), where she pulled clear out after about 8 seconds of a little hemming-and-hawing with the wheel and reverse...yeehaw! No, I don't have traction control! Bridgestone Blizzaks LM-25

 

[jholso]

I need to get some. I still got the no season stock tires and they are no good especially because like you we have had an ice storm and roughly more than two feet in just over a day.
Hmm how much they run?

 

[pinot noir]

Do you have them on just the front wheels, or on all four? Tire Rack is always pushing for 4. So far I've done OK with the Pirelli's that came with the car, but I do have traction control

 

[StealthGray]

Please, please... put all four snow tires on a front wheel drive! If you only do the fronts you will go great. In a straight line. And when you try to turn I do not want to be the car coming the other way!

 

[illinipo]

I too have tried to get stuck on my Winterforce tires.... never works...

 

[ford kid]

best thing to do is garage it and buy a beater

 

[trailbikerider]

I got some Blizzak Ws-50's (I think that's what they're called). Pretty damn good snow tires. Oh by the way, take those gorgeous SVT rims off and get some real winter rims lol.

 

[bringler26]

Haha I have no season tires on the back and snow tires in the front. The only time I have trouble is if I say hey lets test the e-brake or something like that on purpose .

 

[wsigo]

You say you haven't spun out yet...so what does himming and hawing mean? Sounds like spinning to me. Also, if you guys haven't gotten stuck in a tiny car such as the Focus yet, you haven't TRIED. Drive through an UNPLOWED back road, with dips, and drifts, and tell me you don't get stuck. Snow tires or not, it's still a Focus.

 

[MichSVT]

I have them on all 4 wheels. got them off tirerack for $140(?)
"hemming-and-hawing" = "sawing" the wheel, or turning it from left to right left right (or vice-versa, repeat) quickly.
And hell no I'm not goign down any roads where the snow is so deep it will also crack my front bumper...

 

[alex62390]

what do you guys think is the best snow tire ?

 

[FocusInAlaska]

I know this will sound crazy, but I pull the fuse for my traction control/abs every winter. I can't make it up my steep driveway without wheel spin. The traction control kill all my momentum, and I literally can't make the hill. I've done this since 2004. Unless you live north of Anchorage, you probably don't do as much winter driving as I do, so don't disregard this as a newbie move. My traction control consists of my right and left foot.

I don't know what the best snow tires are, but the Blizzaks are great.

Until you have to do a panic stop on a hard corner, you might think that snow tires only on the front are good enough...

 

[bluefront]

^^^^^Heh....a panic stop on a curve with snow on the pavement would greatly benefit from a working ABS system, probably as much as having four snow tires.

Traction control is another matter. I don't have it on my 'O6, but I've driven other cars that do. The traction control I am familiar with is very simple...when the system detects one wheel spinning faster than the other, it shuts off one cylinder, effectively turning your car into a three-cylinder, and thus not spinning the wheel(s) so easily.

Of course this reduces power quite a bit, and may prevent you from going up a steep hill or driveway.

If the Focus traction control works differently from this, I'd like to hear it explained. FWIW....I don't care for either ABS or traction control for a number of reasons. But I don't live in snow-country either. Both systems are rather useless on icy roads, which is what makes driving hazardous where I live.

 

[SVT_BMXer]

Last winter we got like 18 inches or so. I didn't drive during the storm as I was in Canada so when I got back I found my car absolutely buried and no one had cleared our lot, without even so much as slip I made my way out while my friends had to dig their cars for hours. I have Dunlop Winter Sport 3d which are more of a winter tire than a serious snow tire and even those are a night and day difference. For comparison, imagine driving on a track with crappy all seasons vs. driving with proper performance tires, that's about the difference it is with snow tires.

 

[RobZX3_2006]

what do you guys think is the best snow tire ?

Like any tire question, its personal preference. Blizzaks are a popular choice and I hear the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R is a great tire, although pretty pricey. I have been pretty impressed with my Blizzak WS-50s but being half worn, their performance is noticably worse than last winter. I will probably get the General Altimax Arctic (as reviewed by the user 'Chaney' here.. http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179170) as my next set of winter tires.

 

[focus racing group]

i'm on my 2nd set of winter force tires as i leave them on year round...the only thing these tires don't like are the grooved roads they're starting to put in in upstate ny, otherwise, tires have outperformed both michelin's and dunlop snow i had in the past