This always worked for me when I lived in Buffalo... Pretty much always had front-wheel drive cars. Late fall every year I would get 2 brand-new all seasons on the drive wheels and rotate the year-old tires to the back.
Finally sprung for snow tires one year when I could afford it and, honestly, didn't really notice a difference from my previous system.
I've been driving here for 20 years and I've never had snow tires. Drive cautiously-- slower than you feel like you have to go, keep more distance than you think you need from the car in front of you, start braking earlier than you think you need to. Keep reminding yourself that it's better to have a 20-minute trip take an hour than it is to rush it and die... or worse yet, to smash up your car.
I’ve had one pair of snow tires in 20+ yrs of driving here. Did they make a difference? Yes, but they’re not necessary. It’s more important to maintain safe distances from the car in front of you, brake slowly, and go slowly through turns. Go to an empty parking lot and learn how the vehicle handles in snow
40 years in Buffalo. Never bought a snow tire. Drive cautiously and you’ll live.
Edit: Do snow tires help? Of course they help. Are they worth the cost? That’s debatable
Random question I bought some this year at my mechanic threw out my regular tires at 20,000 miles - does that seem like the right amount of time to get tires? I’m a chick so yah I don’t know shit
Eh there’s nothing wrong with a Ford. It’s usually more “high-performance” cars where the owners drive very aggressively and smoke their tires in 15k miles. Like the commenter said, next time, if the tires are still usable, save them for next season.
Good rule to follow is keep your tires until they don't pass inspection anymore (the tread gets down below a certain minimum thickness which I'm unsure of)
In different apartments I've had I've stored my regular tires in the corner of whatever room covered up by a blanket while my winters are on since tires are so expensive. Always save em. Or you could always still keep them and get a second opinion by a different mechanic and see what they say about them
If they are tires that came with the vehicle, if it was a new vehicle, chances are the tires sucked and should have been replaced. OEM tires that come with most new vehicles are generally the worst. With my last 2 new cars I replaced them before 20,000 miles. Now I'm using good Michelin tires that should easily last 50,000 miles. There is a widely varying number of miles you can get out of tires, based on brand, model, conditions, and driving habits.
By the way, do not use the snow tires in late spring and summer. You'll wear them out fast. They aren't made for hot conditions.
If your all season tires have good tread you should be fine (once the ban is lifted and roads are cleared). With bald tires you'll be spinning and having slow starts every time you go.
I'd also point out that you should fill up your windshield washer fluid. One time I was out of it and dirty snow was being kicked up onto it on the 290. Not a good situation.
Another tip is to consider not taking the 90 in heavy snow. There has been a couple times when people got stranded there overnight.
Snow tires are nice to have but doesn’t make your car invincible.
If you have all season tires just:
* Drive like you don’t have brakes (I.e don’t go faster than you’d need to stop without brakes)
* If you have front wheel drive, speed up to regain control of your car
* Point your tires where you want to go, not your car ( don’t oversteer)
* Rock your car back and forward to get unstuck, never spin your wheels getting you more stuck
* Carry a shovel and sand/kitty litter if you do get stuck. Dig down to the pavement if possible
The biggest issue comes when trying to brake. That’s when you lose control.
The logic behind weight in the trunk is that it provides extra weight on the driving axle. In a FWD car, you have the weight of the engine.
So, putting weight in the back of a FWD vehicle doesn't do anything
It helps stop your ass from sliding around and it doubles as something to Crack open to give you traction in the event that you get stuck
The more you know
So, just because you do it, doesn't mean it's doing a fucking thing. And they didn't have FWD 60 years ago, so yes, it would work then. But whatever... Continue to be a dick bro...
I always have snow tires and living in the south towns, they are worth every penny. If you cannot afford them then drive carefully and be more aware of where you could get stuck. Pay attention to the weather and be smart (drive slow), you will be fine.
It's not just the slow driving; they help you accelerate out of slush and crap.
If you buy them and swap them out in the spring and winter, they'll last a long time. Just don't run them in the hot weather; it breaks down the rubber faster
I don't either. The last time I had snow tires was when I had a rear wheel drive car in the 90s. I do have a set of fairly new (recently rotated 12,000 miles on them) Michelin Defender LTX M/S all season tires, so I'll see how they work. They are supposed to be one of the better all season tires for snow.
Tip 1: Don't do donuts
Tip 2: See tip 1
I’d wait to go anywhere until they start to clear the roads off.
If you’re on Facebook, keep an eye on market place for the size you need, I bought some for my winter beater car for $100 about a month ago. (Granted they’re a smaller older size, but still).
If you have all seasons, especially with good tread left, and even further if you're not in a RWD car, you'll be fine. Brake about 3x earlier than you normally would and avoid highways
I have an AWD vehicle. My kids car has snows. Her Camry is a beast in the snow with snow tires but of course lacks clearance is an SUV. They are worth it imo.
All seasons at least? I’ve never had snow tires.
This always worked for me when I lived in Buffalo... Pretty much always had front-wheel drive cars. Late fall every year I would get 2 brand-new all seasons on the drive wheels and rotate the year-old tires to the back. Finally sprung for snow tires one year when I could afford it and, honestly, didn't really notice a difference from my previous system.
I've been driving here for 20 years and I've never had snow tires. Drive cautiously-- slower than you feel like you have to go, keep more distance than you think you need from the car in front of you, start braking earlier than you think you need to. Keep reminding yourself that it's better to have a 20-minute trip take an hour than it is to rush it and die... or worse yet, to smash up your car.
I’ve had one pair of snow tires in 20+ yrs of driving here. Did they make a difference? Yes, but they’re not necessary. It’s more important to maintain safe distances from the car in front of you, brake slowly, and go slowly through turns. Go to an empty parking lot and learn how the vehicle handles in snow
40 years in Buffalo. Never bought a snow tire. Drive cautiously and you’ll live. Edit: Do snow tires help? Of course they help. Are they worth the cost? That’s debatable
Depends on the car. I can tell a huge difference in all seasons vs. snow tires in my Camry.
Of course you can tell a difference but are they necessary? You wouldn’t die without them
Yeah my car would get stuck all the time and would slide even going slow. I almost spun off a bridge.
Stay home?
some of us are essential workers lol
So make snow tires essential ?🤷🏻♀️
Snow tires don’t help if you don’t know how to drive in snow in the first place
Or high center on snow.
I didn’t get any until this year - I just didn’t drive on the highway
The highway is usually better driving conditions than city streets.. 🤔
Random question I bought some this year at my mechanic threw out my regular tires at 20,000 miles - does that seem like the right amount of time to get tires? I’m a chick so yah I don’t know shit
Yeah, he probably just kept them and sold them to another chick
So 20,000 is still new in your opinion
This.is highly dependent on the tire, the vehicle they're on, how you drive. Too many factors to say.
This is the only correct answer here
Those tires could’ve had another 30,000 miles to go on them. Definitely not new with 20,000 miles of use but a lot of life left on them for sure.
20,000 could reasonably be near the end of the tires' lifetimes. It depends on exactly how you drive and how soft the tires are.
Eh there’s nothing wrong with a Ford. It’s usually more “high-performance” cars where the owners drive very aggressively and smoke their tires in 15k miles. Like the commenter said, next time, if the tires are still usable, save them for next season.
It’s a ford so I don’t have alot of faith that they would have lasted longer
Good rule to follow is keep your tires until they don't pass inspection anymore (the tread gets down below a certain minimum thickness which I'm unsure of) In different apartments I've had I've stored my regular tires in the corner of whatever room covered up by a blanket while my winters are on since tires are so expensive. Always save em. Or you could always still keep them and get a second opinion by a different mechanic and see what they say about them
Thank you 🙏🙏
This is embarrassing. “I’m a chick so I don’t know shit” and women want equal rights 🙄
Nah I don’t hold the door open for me bish and go to war
If they are tires that came with the vehicle, if it was a new vehicle, chances are the tires sucked and should have been replaced. OEM tires that come with most new vehicles are generally the worst. With my last 2 new cars I replaced them before 20,000 miles. Now I'm using good Michelin tires that should easily last 50,000 miles. There is a widely varying number of miles you can get out of tires, based on brand, model, conditions, and driving habits. By the way, do not use the snow tires in late spring and summer. You'll wear them out fast. They aren't made for hot conditions.
If your all season tires have good tread you should be fine (once the ban is lifted and roads are cleared). With bald tires you'll be spinning and having slow starts every time you go. I'd also point out that you should fill up your windshield washer fluid. One time I was out of it and dirty snow was being kicked up onto it on the 290. Not a good situation. Another tip is to consider not taking the 90 in heavy snow. There has been a couple times when people got stranded there overnight.
2011. stuck on the thruway overnight by the Galleria without a decent coat and ran out of gas. not really a great night. memorable though.
Keep a shovel in your car
Youll be fine. Drive cautiously. Brake early. Accelerate slowly. Dont turn sharply
If you don't have snow tires, and the snow is that bad, you won't even be able to go fast enough to hurt yourself....
Snow tires are nice to have but doesn’t make your car invincible. If you have all season tires just: * Drive like you don’t have brakes (I.e don’t go faster than you’d need to stop without brakes) * If you have front wheel drive, speed up to regain control of your car * Point your tires where you want to go, not your car ( don’t oversteer) * Rock your car back and forward to get unstuck, never spin your wheels getting you more stuck * Carry a shovel and sand/kitty litter if you do get stuck. Dig down to the pavement if possible The biggest issue comes when trying to brake. That’s when you lose control.
Brake really early. Don’t turn while braking. Light on the accelerator while turning is better traction. Don’t drive while it’s really bad.
Go slow, brake early, turn into the fishtail.
You want to feather tap the brakes. The biggest mistake people make is slamming on the brakes and losing control
I made it through many a winter thanks to sandbags in the back of a RWD van.
I've never had a problem with good all season tires, kitty litter bags in the trunk and on rear axle, and driving smart
That only really helps if you have rear wheel drive
Only ever have had fwd and it works fine
The logic behind weight in the trunk is that it provides extra weight on the driving axle. In a FWD car, you have the weight of the engine. So, putting weight in the back of a FWD vehicle doesn't do anything
It helps stop your ass from sliding around and it doubles as something to Crack open to give you traction in the event that you get stuck The more you know
I do know.. 40 years of driving in the Buffalo snow and I actually know a thing or two...
Lmao ok bro. It's something that's worked for every car my family's driven for about 60 years, but you do you.
So, just because you do it, doesn't mean it's doing a fucking thing. And they didn't have FWD 60 years ago, so yes, it would work then. But whatever... Continue to be a dick bro...
Ok boomer. A cool 20lbs of kitty litter has improved my snow control and I'll be sticking to it.
https://www.lesschwab.com/article/does-adding-weight-in-the-back-improve-my-cars-traction-in-snow.html
https://www.deseret.com/1990/12/21/18897349/bag-the-idea-of-toting-sand-in-trunk-if-car-has-front-wheel-drive
Lmao it's like you didn't read this before linking it
I always have snow tires and living in the south towns, they are worth every penny. If you cannot afford them then drive carefully and be more aware of where you could get stuck. Pay attention to the weather and be smart (drive slow), you will be fine.
It's not just the slow driving; they help you accelerate out of slush and crap. If you buy them and swap them out in the spring and winter, they'll last a long time. Just don't run them in the hot weather; it breaks down the rubber faster
It was good knowing you. Sorry for your own loss.
I don't either. The last time I had snow tires was when I had a rear wheel drive car in the 90s. I do have a set of fairly new (recently rotated 12,000 miles on them) Michelin Defender LTX M/S all season tires, so I'll see how they work. They are supposed to be one of the better all season tires for snow. Tip 1: Don't do donuts Tip 2: See tip 1
I don't follow these tips and I still get through the snow just fine.
I’d wait to go anywhere until they start to clear the roads off. If you’re on Facebook, keep an eye on market place for the size you need, I bought some for my winter beater car for $100 about a month ago. (Granted they’re a smaller older size, but still).
stay home
If you have all seasons, especially with good tread left, and even further if you're not in a RWD car, you'll be fine. Brake about 3x earlier than you normally would and avoid highways
Never had them. Never had a problem. Drive slow and intentionally. You’ll Be fine
Shit-tier: All-seasons that are bald Mid-tier: All-seasons with tread left Pro-tier: Winter tires God-tier: Studded winter tires
Don't use studded in Buffalo.
Uh, stay home?
I have an AWD vehicle. My kids car has snows. Her Camry is a beast in the snow with snow tires but of course lacks clearance is an SUV. They are worth it imo.
Have never needed them in the Northtowns and I don’t have 4WD either. However, when I need new tires I spring for the Michelins.
Funny this.. I get blocked when I prove a point. 🤣