Snow Report - 08 LGT - 35k on re92s

Hey all,

 

We've gotten about 8-10 inches so far and it's still coming down. My first time driving in some serious fresh snow around here, and I wanted to get a chance to try out the now-worn re92s (still plenty of tread left, but lets face it....at 35k miles, these things aren't at peak).

 

The Subie is simply amazing for traction when giving it any sort of gas. I was going up very steep inclines that earlier I had been slipping on walking up slowly on foot with light hiking boots on. I wasn't even slipping, just climbed right up at a steady pace. I went up a hill that a brand new toyota venza literally could not climb. The guy spent 15 minutes spinning until finally he was throwing up a serious cloud of smoke and made it. I went up it without an issue (so did a BMW X5, to be fair).

 

Braking with these tires is scary, as is lateral traction. The car will just spin effortlessly (note: I have Cobb sways). My wife and I went to a local parking lot and did some drifting, donuts, etc....she told me to do a figure 8 and then said "What's wrong with you? Can't you make it drift a star pattern?"

 

Seriously though, these tires should not be trusted far at this point. I basically jabbed 1st gear (in sport, not sport sharp) and would drift sideways for 6-7 seconds at 5-10mph. Should give you an idea of how long it took for the tires to grab again.

 

Every time though I just gave it some juice and the car went where I pointed. Especially impressive was a slightly aggressive exit from a 24/7-mart parking lot. Snow was literally flying up around all 4 corners, the car was sliding sideways a bit, but she just picked speed up

 

Anyway....if I go back out tomorrow morning, I'll bring the camera for some quality video. The wife wants to learn how to do donuts this time, without hurting the clutch.

 

Joe

 

P.s. Made me fall back in love with this car. It was an absolute tank.

Pretty good review of the stock RE92's. I have about 2.2k miles on mine and they act just like you said. Braking in snow is horrible but the are decent enough if your traveling at a slow and steady space. Driving in fresh unplowed snow that was about 8 inches tonight was no problem, just easy out the clutch and the car gripped pretty good. I didn't get stuck once even on the steepest hills and all the unplowed streets around me.

the tires are crap. mine have 41k miles on them. i spun out and need bumper and fender work.

They are what they are....before next winter (i.e. between 50-60k) I'll replace them with some good all-seasons.

 

Random comparison: On my 2006 Civic SI, I replaced the tires at 23k, 41k, and then 63k. All were UHPAS tires, excpept the stock michelin pilot mxm4s.

 

For all the discussion on the LGT having questionable stock tuning, pistons/ringlands, tob, clutch, oil lines, and turbo...well, I spent about $1500 on tires by 60k on my low-cost car and I'll have only spent about $500 on the LGT

I bought my 08 LGT 2 years ago this coming Monday. Before I even picked the car up, I had a set of Sport Edition wheels mounted with Dunlop Graspic ice snows waiting in the garage. I've done this for many cars. When the car goes, if the wheels don't fit the next car, they get sold. I can't understand why everyone doesn't run snows if they live where it snows.

^^^ agreed for sure. We don't get a ton of snow in Portland but with drives up to the mountain every weekend having an extra set of rims with snow specific tires is just a good idea. This way you can run a hyper aggressive summer tire and a hyper aggressive specific snow/rain tire and be good to go all year round. IMHO, "all seasons" or even "performance all seasons" = too many compromises in a high horsepower car. I also bought a set of Sport Editions for my winter tires and they have been great. I think they are the D5's, actually love the look of these rims, wish they had 17x8's in this style, I'd buy a set for my track only set up as well. They look pretty close to my Prodrive Pff7's, (summer set up). Oh, and the RE-92? Absolutely DEATHLY if you push the car much harder than just spirited driving. These tires are dog crap and should be outlawed...

just put blizzak lm22 snow tires on my 08 spec b today, look forward to finding out what it will do on mt hood. haven't had any snow/ice experience yet on the road tires. Would have loved to do the separate rims like on previous cars, but the TPMS system is in the rim- have to buy set of sensors AND pay for resetting each wheel swap (ive heard 75$/change, 150/yr). I guess its just that extra 1/2 hr to swap tires each time...

Joe, you're a local to me. Any idea which specific tires will go on your car? I yhink you said you had good luck with Pilot Exalto's, correct?

Got Goodyear Eagle GTs installed today. As long as you keep in mind they are an all-season tire, you'll be fine. You're not gonna stop on a dime and you have to slow down for turns. I took the back roads home and made it just fine.

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo102/jagcars26/re9220poster.jpg

 

That is all.

have to buy set of sensors AND pay for resetting each wheel swap (ive heard 75$/change, 150/yr). I guess its just that extra 1/2 hr to swap tires each time...

 

This was my solution to avoid having the dealer reprogram the TPMS computer with each swap:

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108338

 

You could try doing a search to see if there's a new tool that can do the reprogram to make things even easier. Nothing existed at the time for me.

Seriously though, these tires should not be trusted far at this point. I basically jabbed 1st gear (in sport, not sport sharp) and would drift sideways for 6-7 seconds at 5-10mph. Should give you an idea of how long it took for the tires to grab again.

.

 

Exactly why I hated RE92s, even when they were brand new, i could get the car sideways way too easly, and the car would just keep on sliding sideways slowly.

 

Now I got new WS60 blizzaks, with perrin 22mm front and back sways set to the stiffest setting, and I have a hard time making the car slide sideways even with much more power that Im making now.

 

I had a hard time doing dougnuts in the parking lot this winter, the car just goes where I point as long as Im on the gas, and doesnt rotate like it used to with RE92s

the tires are crap. mine have 41k miles on them. i spun out and need bumper and fender work.

 

You were obviously driving too fast for the conditions then

Bolksey - Likely to put on 225/45/17 michelin pilot exalto a/s or pilot sport a/s plus. My Civic SI, which is 2850 pounds and is now riding on 225/45/17 pilot exalto a/s with 15k on them, literally was able to pull itself through about 8" of unplowed snow it was parked on. It felt as good pulling out as the Subie did with the re92s and an extra 600 pounds.

 

....

 

Did alot more doughnuts today. ALOT more. All I can say is like others have said....the re92s just do not create any sort of lateral friction. I don't know if it's the sidewalls rolling under the edge and creating a slick rubber surface or what. It was like Clark Griswold's sled....it just kept spinning with no additional input from me.

 

They are still perfectly suitable for careful driving in slick conditions. They are what they are....low performance, slow-wearing, well balanced all season tires that do not suit the character of the car at all.

 

This car with well broken in re92s and a set of cobb sways is an absolute blast in open slick parking lot.

 

Joe

Wear your crap stock tires down to 1/32 and they will be scary in the snow. This isnt a new concept.

I'd guess, without measuring, that my re92s at 35k miles have about 6/32 to 7/32 left in them. At a quick glance, you might look at them and think they are almost new.

 

They are scary in the snow when at 10/32

I can't understand why everyone doesn't run snows if they live where it snows.

Well, I run Contiextremes for my winter set up. The reason(s) I run an A/S for winter? For one, the Contiextremes are very good in the snow. Second, Chicagoland driving includes lots of driving on dry pavement that would seriously wear out true snows. Third, those not unusual days in fall and spring when the temps can get go 70+F which would bake the hell out of true snows on dry pavement. Fourth, one's steep 20 foot driveway could necessitate true snow regardless of the aforementioned reasons but my driveway is level. Fifth, a quick jaunt to southern climes with snows would wreck them. The Contiextremes are a very good set up for my winter driving conditions.

I'll add that, for myself, in PA, we have some winters where we get maybe 3-4" of snow all winter. Plenty of ice, not alot of snow. Other times, like this year, we just got over 12" in a single snowing.

 

I primarily drive on dry pavement in 25-40 degree weather for "winter". As far as I know, a good UHPAS tire still performs better in braking and emergency manuevers than all but the most performance oriented of winter tires.

 

One day, I'd like to get a set of Nokian Hakkapelita WRs and rotate them on and off. Until then, I like a good all-season for year round use and to drive carefully aside from that.

I am on the stock re92's for 16k now and what I have learned from them is you gotta plan your braking and turns. As long as you can do that, you will be fine. Who doesn't like getting the car sideways once in a while?

 

With that, come spring time the re92's are gone in case of something better.