Driving on New Winter Tires...Squishy

[freshprince1]

So I just had my new Uniroyal Tiger-Paw Ice & Snow II tires mounted yesterday, 205/50 R17. This is the first time I've gone with separate Winter and Summer tires. Got them stalled at Shaw, and proceeded to drive home to Okotoks thinking that the wind was really strong because my car was wondering all over the place.

I finally realized that it was probably the much softer Winter tires providing this new-found driving experience.

So is it pretty normal that new Winter tires, with the nice tall soft treads, make your car wander a little? i.e. "squishy"? Or could it be the one's that I bought?

Looking forward to seeing how they perfom in the cold though, I've only ever just used all-seasons.

[nissanK]

Yeah they feel that way because we are still pretty warm which softens the rubber. They will stiffen up once we start dipping below 0 more regularly.

I am experiencing the same with mine even though they are a much stiffer sidewall than most winters.

[ekguy]

Mine aren't doing that. Well they are a tiny bit but not really. Maybe I'm jut used to winter tires being from the Atlantic coast.

[Tomaz]

Yes, that is exactly what your experiencing. Plus the likelihood of having a softer sidewall. The warm weather right now is not helping the cause. Try and keep out of the throttle until temps are blow zero, no need to burn up those new tires before the season starts. :thumbsup:

Like NissanK said; once the temps drop, you will notice it less.

[freshprince1]

Originally posted by Tomaz
Yes, that is exactly what your experiencing. Plus the likelihood of having a softer sidewall. The warm weather right now is not helping the cause. Try and keep out of the throttle until temps are blow zero, no need to burn up those new tires before the season starts. :thumbsup:

Like NissanK said; once the temps drop, you will notice it less.

Yah, that was another concern...how fast are they going to wear down while it is still warm? I'm not too worried as I figure it should at least get cold enough to stiffen them up within a few weeks.

I guess the difference is the previous owner had some really high-end Yokohama winters on and were totally bald. So they would have had stiffer sidewalls and shorter tread. I left them on from last season because they wouldn't have been useable in the winter again, and so, saved a season on my Summer tires.

[kvg]

I find the same thing every year when I change tires. Do you use the same size wheel for winter?

[Cos]

Well if it hits 16 on Friday like they are saying on I would be a little concerned about them overheating. I dont know how much they warm up though. Wouldnt want to fill in all those sypes

[freshprince1]

Originally posted by kvg
I find the same thing every year when I change tires. Do you use the same size wheel for winter?

Yah, both rims are 17's, so i go 205/50/R17's for both winter and summer (i.e. factory 17" Mazda 3 GT rims for summer and aftermarket 17's for summer).

These are the aftermarket rims:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/littledevil606/Mazda3_2.jpg

These are the stock rims:
http://www.finishlinewheels.com/prodimg/ALY64861U.jpg


The outgoing yokohama's were 205/50/r17 and I liked their fit, so I stuck with it. I had considered some taller, less expensive options...but for only saving a hundred bucks or so I just stayed with the same.

[max_boost]

Ya that's the trade off from a traditional soft winter tire to a performance winter tire. But hey, when it does snow, you'll be talking about how amazing they grip to the roads. :D

[SOAB]

your problem is that you bought a Uni-Wobble. the Tigerpaws are notorious for being wobbly.

i got some Kuhmo winters from Bob and they don't wobble or shake at all.

[GQBalla]

find my car is wobbly too, but not to bad, :D