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A bit too stretched for my liking, but I'm more concerned with rim damage and it's pretty tough to protect any low profile setup from rim damage if you so much as lightly touch a curb.
Curious who is running and your opinion. I had mine installed yesterday, they seem pretty nice, but a little floaty? Does anyone else feel that way. I haven't expierenced them in the snow yet, we have a storm coming on Sunday.
Last year I ran the Blizzak LM-32, and I feel like they weren't as floaty, especially on dry pavement. I was running those on a different car though. Do you get the floaty sensation, is it more because I am now running a smaller tire on all 4 corners (225/40/18)?
Do you get the floaty sensation, is it more because I am now running a smaller tire on all 4 corners (225/40/18)?
I run this setup of Hakka 8 and feel no floating or another unpleasant sensations. The rubber of winter tyres is much softer than compounds of summer ones, sidewalls are softer too and grip is obviously different. It's just winter tyres )
I'm running the Hakka's R2 in 235/40/18. They were floaty the first week when it was pretty warm (45+). Temperatures in Chicago has dropped quite a bit since then and they are not floaty any more or at least not as much.
I ran Michelin Ice-X on my WRX and they were just as floaty.
There is a major difference between the LM-32 you ran and the R2. The Blizzaks were winter performance. They are designed for cold, wet, dry and lights snow. They are performance oriented tire. The Hakkas are Snow and Ice. They are designed for deep snow and ice. Softer side walls are key to traction in the snow. Cornering is secondary. They are not going to be as precise but they will be much better in deep snow. The LM-32 will most likely become all season tires after 2 seasons. They are just not a dedicated snow tire meant for extreme conditions.
I am running R2s in 225/45 R17 on my 350 and like them a lot. I ran them last winter and was pleased with the grip and quietness. My all seasons are the Turenzas on factory 18s staggered. I used to run Toyo Garit KX which are probably the most sporty winters around, but I like the Nokians far better.
I also have the hakkas on my car. 225\45-17. Have used these on four different cars the last years.
They are softer than alls season tires or summer tires, but the grip they give you on snow is amazing.
When it is hotter outside, they become soft, and are not really ment to be used over 8 degrees celcius. But when it is minus 10 celcius, they are amazing.
Used the first hakkapelitas on an 2011 diesel impreza on a ice track. When we timed laps on the track, I had the second fastet lap time with these tires. Beating about 15 other wrx og STi imprezas, with normal winter studded tires. (in a freaking diesel!) About 15cm of snow on the track that day, so not really an ice track.
If you get a lot of snow and temperatures between minus 10 and pluss 5 celcius, these tyres are superb. On pure ice, studded tires are a lot better.
But these are real winter tires, made for snow and ice. Not some all season or preformance wither tire. They don't drive well on wet asphalt, they preform excelent on snow.
They are comfortable, but if you push their limits on asphalt, they will preform very poor.
This may in an extreme example but that means if you drive on wet asphalt and the car in front of you slams his brakes, and he has all season or better tires, you can wind up rear ending him if you drive to close, simply because the tires on your car are not made for wet and dry asphalt in hotter weather.
On the other hand, if it is snow and ice outside, and it is cold, you will outpreform pretty much every single car on the road when it comes to cornering and braking.
This may in an extreme example but that means if you drive on wet asphalt and the car in front of you slams his brakes, and he has all season or better tires, you can wind up rear ending him if you drive to close, simply because the tires on your car are not made for wet and dry asphalt in hotter weather.
This is an extreme example. You should not be driving on winter tires unless the temperature outside is below 45F (7C). That does not qualify as "hot".
I mean you can't possibly say that they are not good tires when they are used in conditions they are not meant for. Kind of like using summer tires in the winter...they will perform poor.
Yes, it's a floaty tyre, like most nordic "extreme" winter tyres. Soft carcass helps to maximize grip on ice, as thread contact area is as large as possible in all conditions.
This is an extreme example. You should not be driving on winter tires unless the temperature outside is below 45F (7C). That does not qualify as "hot".
I mean you can't possibly say that they are not good tires when they are used in conditions they are not meant for. Kind of like using summer tires in the winter...they will perform poor.
Many people use these studless winter tires in both spring, autumn and mild winters.
Therefor i felt the need to point out that they prefrom pretty poor in wrong conditions. When it comes to summer tires on snow, it is obvious that it is dangerous.
It is not that obvious that soft winter tires are dangerous on asphalt in temperatures over 7-8C (45F)
I've never said they were not good. In fact I stated that they were superb in the right conditons.
I just pointed out that they were poor in wrong conditons, as all snow tires are.
But many people do not know this, and drives on them for way to long into the spring time. Also, some places may get hotter winters with snow now and then, and people drive on these winter tires all winter. Even tho it may be above 7-8C in the winter time.
Because of this I made a point oout of the fact that they preform poor in wrong conditions.
On dry asphalt, also between 1-7C, a stock summer tire will outpreform these winter tires. So the point about the possibility of rear ending someone on summer tires was ment as a warning. I was not in any was trying to make this tire look bad.
As I also stated I've driven these tires on several cars, and it is my favorite winter tire.
I appreciate all the insight. I am still waiting for the snow to see the other side of these bad boys. I do understand the LM was more performance oriented and that is obviously why I see a difference in handling. For those from Colorado you know the issue that I am dealing with. Of course it snows in Colorado, but 80% of the time in winter you have 35-50 degree weather and sunny. The amount of time we spend driving in heavy snow is significantly less then we spend driving on warm dry pavement. Guess there are always pro's and con's to the setup you pic. Hopefully the pro in the snow will offset the handling con's I feel right now.
That's exactly what I was looking for. Now if only someone could post a pic of their 235/40's !
11-21-14, 12:20 PM
nokian hakkapeliitta r2
