[mrleadfoot]

I'm sure someone out there has ran the LS tire in snow.
Just how good or bad are these tires in winter.
My job requires I be there no matter how bad the weather is.
Normally I'd buy a complete set of wheels and tires just for winter
but that my be a problem too. 235/65-18's are rare birds.

 

[ekaxel]

As has been said by many before, use 17s for your snows - much easier to get.
I wouldn't trust the LS in snow, particularly when it gets some miles on it.

 

[Stoker]

GDY Ls in snow

Living in the snow belt where I do a lot of skiing in the Mtns, I have had no problem driving in the snow or ice as I drive as the conditions dictate. My jobsite is 35 Kms west of Calgary and my Mo has had no problem plowing through the snow to get to work. I have to say that I always find it amusing the number of 4x4's that end up in the ditch as they think they can drive at Hwy speeds in 4 wheel drive in bad weather.

My OEM tires just past 60000 Kms mark and still have over 50% tred left on the tire. You can have tires that claim to stickto the road like crazy glue but if you do not drive as conditions dictate you to will also be in the ditch waiting for a tow to get you out.

:2: :2:

 

[gargoyle]

I've been thru my second winter on the stock tires. This was a record year for snow here in Ann Arbor (82") and I never had any problem at all getting around.

Like Stoker said, you have to drive for the conditions. Doing that, you'll have no problems.

 

[nissanlove]

hey stoker, how is the murano doing with all that rain while we're sitting on the northern flank of that ugly rain storm you guys have. they keep forcasting rain here but it just ain't commin.

 

[Tyler_Canada]

I thought the LS's where quite good in the snow, but I was extra careful not to exceed the speed for the conditions, as that was how I ended up in a Murano.

 

[Stoker]

hey stoker, how is the murano doing with all that rain while we're sitting on the northern flank of that ugly rain storm you guys have. they keep forcasting rain here but it just ain't commin.

The Mo did just fine especially yesterday when we got 80 mm in 24 hrs, it wa raining quite heavly. I was lucky as my wife allowed me to drive the Mo out to the plant. I drove out at 90 Km/h and had no problems with the Hwy.

The rain has stop today so maybe the clouds have dried out before they go east towards you. A weather report this morning indicated that for the month of June we typically get 89 mm of rain we got 160 mm so far this month. On a yearly basis we get 300 mm and to date we have got 202 mm. Time to change to install the marine drive gear on the Mo

 

[nissanlove]

just watched global news at noon and there's no rain in the forcast for the edmonton area. were sitting bone dry here right smack dab in the middle of the high and low pressure area. man alberta has it all today: forest fires in the north and flooding in the south. looks like it's gonna be an extreme weather summer. but back to the topic of snow tires.

i honestly hate the LS'. to me they are an unsafe tire to drive in the winter. hopefully when the new mo comes in we'll get a set of smaller wheel and dedicated winter tires for those nasty alberta winters. i think there are 2 important safety factors on your car, your tires and your brakes. don't mess around with either, and if there is something designed spefically to benifit your, go for it. so i recommend winters tires for sure.

 

[ekaxel]

Unfortunately, we haven't all been driving in snow all our lives, and some just don't get driving in adverse conditions. For all of those, a traction tire is still a very good idea. It only has to save you once to pay for itself.

 

[MO in TO]

Go for Snows!

mrleadfoot, judging by your handle I would suggest you invest in snows if you plan to keep your MO for any reasonable length of time. As has been suggested, pick up some 17" nissan rims on Ebay, and some good winter rubber in a 235/65/17. Your overall diameter will be less than 1 inch smaller, and will not affect anything other than your odometer very slightly. Running winter rims means your summer tires will last that much longer, so over the long term all you are really paying for is the extra rims, but gaining peace of mind. I bought Continental
4 x 4 WinterContact Tires. They are by far not the most aggressive, but worked really well this past winter, providing great grip and performance. As I am still waiting for my back-ordered summer tires, these still offer enough quiet and handling that I could even run them year round! 18" rims are also available on Ebay, especially cheap at this time of year. Don't wait until next winter, because the prices will go up.

 

[ekaxel]

I would strongly recommend the Dean Wintercat or Cooper Discoverer (Same tire slightly different tread pattern). Both available in 235/65-17. I have the Dean - got them at Les Schwab (Pacific NW)

 

[sctb1]

I really like my Dunlop Grandtrek SJ5s. They are the exact same size as the Eagle LS, pretty cheap, and perform very well. I thought the LS's were OK until I put on the winter's - huge difference.

 

[mrleadfoot]

LS's in snow

Thanks to everyone who replied to my question.
I just purchased a 04 SE,silver over black cloth/sirius.
My wife has a 05 LS with leather and sunroof.
Nissan's Certified Pre Owned program is excellent.After we bought
hers I had mine a week later.I traded a Ford Explorer Sport Trac in
on it,so you can amagine what I'm feeling.If the steering wheel
telescoped it would be a absolutely perfect car.It too smooth and refinded to called an SUV.

 

[tahoe_MO]

No real new information, but just to confirm what others have said...

I found the stock LS to be adequate in all kinds of snow conditions in mountain driving, when they had few miles on them. Adequate is a carefully chosen word, definitely not good. My biggest concern was stopping ability -- the MO is a fairly heavy beast, and you never know about the other drivers you encouter in a ski town.

After about 20k miles the tread was worn enough that I felt the risk was too great for another winter season on the OEMs. I went to 17" wheels and Pirelli Scorpion ice & snow, 235/65-17, for the winter season -- a tremendous improvement in snow, and IMHO, better performance on dry pavement too.

Summer's back and the OEMs are back on my MO, hopefully they'll make it until the winter set goes back on.