Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimair.ZL1
Hello all,
I have a 2023 ZL1. I currently live in Wyoming and will be here for the remainder of the year. I know that the factory tires crack when under a certain temperature. What in your opinion is the best all around tire or snow tire? I plan to drive the car mostly on weekends. For reference the temps here are still in the 30s with them being in the high 20s in the morning
|
The best snow tires in The World are generally acknowledged to be the various models made by Nokian, a tire manufacturer in Finland (where snow is of course a daily winter reality). Their Hakkapoleda model is probably THE best. I have used those a number of times over the past 30 years, and they are awesome, on snow AND ice.
Currently, I live in The Province of Alberta in Canada, where studded tires are legal for winter use. IF you live or are staying in, a jurisdiction that allows studded tires, they can be bought on a number of the Nokian tire models. I have the studs on my Hakkapoleda tires on my Ford Maverick pickup truck, and I have NEVER lost traction, no matter the road conditions.
However, all that being said, you might have trouble getting any Nokian tire right now, particularly so in Camaro ZL1-appropriate sizes, as Nokian used warehouses in Russia until Russia invaded Ukraine, and Russia has prevented Nokian from pulling their tires out of Russia. So, there is currently an acute shortage.
I have had good results though also with Michelin X-Ice tires, and with Brdigestone Blizzak tires. Those tires are of course more generally available, and are as good as you can get other than Nokian.
One thing to remember when buying winter tires: Narrow is apparently better than wide. The narrow tires penetrate snow to reach a tractive surface, while wider tires tend to "hydroplane" on snow.
Cold, snowy, and icy road surfaces require a good combination of cold weather rubber that resists hardening and even cracking in the cold, and a tread pattern that will work on BOTH deep snow AND glare ice. That is a tough combination to optimize when the temperatures, snow, and ice conditions vary from day to day, particularly in a high elevation, northern location like Wyoming. Try to find a true tire PRO familiar with tire theory AND local conditions versus just a salesman when searching for the best tires for your specific location.
Note that some non-winter tires MUST not be used in cold weather. My Nitto NT555R2 tires are one example. Nitto warns buyers that operating them, or even just moving the car a short distance, in temperatures of minus 9 C = 16F or lower, can cause them to crack and thus become unsafe and unusuable.
But, with my Magnuson suprcharger, and the narrower wheels on my 2022 LT1, the 555R2 tires are a necessity. Without them, the car breaks traction all the way from 0 to at least 85 mph (that's the fastest a wise driver dares to go on our policed roads to avoid draconian results). So, I don't drive the Camaro in really cold weather nor in rain, snow, or ice at all. But if I needed to drive it "daily", I would buy the best winter tires I could for it, just as i HAVE done for my Ford Maverick pickup truck.
Jim G