Tires to Run in Durham, NC

[SilverDust]

Hey Guys!

So I've lived in the deep south my entire life, and never really had winters where it went below freezing for any length of time. As such, I've always run summer tires year round, and I've just been sure to take it easy if we get a random day or two below freezing.

I'm moving up to Durham, NC to go back to school and I am wondering for what type of setup I need to budget? Does it get cold enough to necessitate running a separate set of dedicated winter tires? Would all seasons suffice in winter? Or could I continue my current setup of running summer tires year round?

[CognitiveDistortion]

I am in Atlanta and the M is my DD, been running A/S 3's. They are a little pricier then others but so far they've been solid in all conditions and grip like a mofo.

I've heard good things about ExtremeContact too.

[Rajmun340]

I am in NC and you won't be able to run summer tires continuously from Dec to March as temperatures drop around freezing on some days. Temperatures swing unpredictably fast from day-to-day in the winter. You will still be able to use summer tires most of times in the winter but there will be days when you won't (or you will be asking for trouble). Stock tires will give marginal grip when approaching freezing temp, it does not matter how you drive. I have a second car which i use for those days, and still drive the M3 in the winter for the rest of the time. if this is your only car you'll need a set of winter tires. It will feel like a waste of money because there won't be that many such days, but temperature changes constantly in NC, it will be random days not grouped and it will get you if you're not prepared for it.

[fitzbane]

Originally Posted by JoeM3SSII

I am in NC and you won't be able to run summer tires continuously from Dec to March as temperatures drop around freezing on some days. Temperatures swing unpredictably fast from day-to-day in the winter. You will still be able to use summer tires most of times in the winter but there will be days when you won't (or you will be asking for trouble). Stock tires will give marginal grip when approaching freezing temp, it does not matter how you drive. I have a second car which i use for those days, and still drive the M3 in the winter for the rest of the time. if this is your only car you'll need a set of winter tires. It will feel like a waste of money because there won't be that many such days, but temperature changes constantly in NC, it will be random days not grouped and it will get you if you're not prepared for it.

The temp swings are real!

I honestly just ran low tread PSS through the entire winter this year and had 0 issues with them, except I didn't drive during the ice storm. I just drive like its a camry when the temps are below freezing

[SilverDust]

Originally Posted by CognitiveDistortion

I am in Atlanta and the M is my DD, been running A/S 3's. They are a little pricier then others but so far they've been solid in all conditions and grip like a mofo.

I've heard good things about ExtremeContact too.

Nice! I was beginning to lean towards the A/S 3s.. hows the treadlife and road noise on those?

[SilverDust]

Thanks for the replies guys!

So what i'm gathering is summers will suck for about 3 months out of the year (and possibly get dangerous). If I'm looking for a single set for year round, all-seasons are the only way to go, and even then, it could get hairy on some colder days.

I may go a/s... I'm going to be living pretty close to campus so if worse comes to worse I could walk or bike to campus on the super cold days - that'd just be a miserable journey.

[fitzbane]

Originally Posted by SilverDust

Thanks for the replies guys!

So what i'm gathering is summers will suck for about 3 months out of the year (and possibly get dangerous). If I'm looking for a single set for year round, all-seasons are the only way to go, and even then, it could get hairy on some colder days.

I may go a/s... I'm going to be living pretty close to campus so if worse comes to worse I could walk or bike to campus on the super cold days - that'd just be a miserable journey.

You going to Duke? I work about 15min from campus. Once you're here we should grab coffee or something one day I want to see the frozen silver!

[SilverDust]

Originally Posted by fitzbane

You going to Duke? I work about 15min from campus. Once you're here we should grab coffee or something one day I want to see the frozen silver!

YUP! I decided I was over the whole work thing and it was time for an mba. I'll let you know when I get to town and we will definitely meet up!

[CognitiveDistortion]

I had some Toyos before and compared to those road noise is much better, car feels a bit more stable at high speeds. I also had the shop check my alignment, turns out last shop had jacked it up so they corrected that as well. I was getting some vibration in the wheel at high speeds which is now gone after the corrected alignment - quiet happy overall.

[SilverDust]

Just to update you guys..

Ended up going with the Michelin A/S 3s in 255/35/19 and 285/30/19. Love the setup! They really do grip like summer tires (although some of that may be because of the width I added). In the dry, I struggle to break the backend loose, but understeer hasn't been an issue either. Feels much more balanced but with a much greater amount of grip. I am yet to really find the limit of grip as there's just so much there (trust me, I've tried). Also, with the rain in Houston we've had, they've performed incredibly well (have found the grip limit in the wet). AND, no rub on my stock suspension - so that's awesome.

Anyways, I appreciate you guys providing your input! Looking forward to the move and to see how these do in the NC winter