I second the compromise aspect of snow vs. winter/ice performance.  It
seems to me that the mud/snow/deep tread tires work great on packed
powder (or snow you can pack into powder yourself with your tire) but
as Dennis points out failing on ice. Just experienced the former last
night in Boston!

-Jim Akiba

On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 9:32 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
> With the alloy wheels (not a standard option until 87) you can go with a
> 225/70-14 tire. This will be slightly taller and 40mm wider than stock. The
> standard load index for this size is 98 or 99 which is a small step above
> the 97 the factory205/70-14XL tires had from the factory. There a number of
> tire choices still available in this size including a Nokian.
>
> Do note that the term "Snow" tires is fading and now the move is towards
> "winter" performance. Part of this is that tires that have really deep
> grooves and stuff to go through deep snow then fail on icy roads or even
> slush.  It's all about compromise and which characteristics are real
> important. "Winter" tires should also be used on all 4 wheels. Nokian also
> has some good options for all-season tires that also work very well in
> Winter.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Dake Collins
> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 8:09 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: snow tires
>
> Wu-Wei, my '84 Westy with standard 14" alloy rims, has informed me with
> great enthusiasm and a sense of urgency that she needs new snow tires for
> Christmas. I've looked around the Belfast Maine area and I get conflicting
> opinions of little or no value so I'm turning to my trusted sources on "the
> List" - What are your recommendations for snow tires?
>
>
> Thanks & Happy Holidays,
>
> Dake 'Ian' Collins
> Wu-Wei '84 Westy