Got my Dunlop M3s on - they rock!

[Sensai]

I finally got around to having the Dunlop M3s put on my car, and man, what a difference! Night and day is an understatement!

First test - the intersection that I had to hit my brakes for 3/4 of the block beforehand to stop for (thank you city for not plowing/salting the side street so they become packed snow/ice after a couple days). Not anymore - hit the brakes and ended up stopping well before the 1/2 point of the block.

Second test - the intersection right by my house that a enjoy doing a 360 on every day. That works well with either tire. However with the stock all seasons it would take me a good minute to actually get enough traction to get out of the intersection. With the M3s on, it just shot right out.

Third test - the unplowed part of the Shopko parking lot. With the all seasons, had to rock the car to get it out. Tried various methods with and without TC engaged and it was a pain to get going every time I stopped. With the M3s, just hit the gas and the car was on its way.

In conclusion - if your going to drive in snow, definitely get some sort of snow tires, the difference is amazing...

[Ozzie Goat]

What ya' pay including mounting and balancing.

How'd ya' get the stockers home?

[Sensai]

What ya' pay including mounting and balancing.

How'd ya' get the stockers home?

Around $80 bucks at a local tire shop (Kenosha Tire). Note, I am using the stock rims so that did include removing the old ones and balacing/mounting the new ones.

As far as getting them there and the old ones back home - I brought a big tarp to cover my back seats and stuffed all 4 of them back them...

[ronrosa]

Around $80 bucks at a local tire shop (Kenosha Tire). Note, I am using the stock rims so that did include removing the old ones and balacing/mounting the new ones.

As far as getting them there and the old ones back home - I brought a big tarp to cover my back seats and stuffed all 4 of them back them...

$80 ? Did you forgot a zero ?

[Sensai]

$80 ? Did you forgot a zero ?

Well technically no, I was just thinking he was asking about the mounting/balancing piece. The tires themselves were around 600 for the 4 off of tirerack - but I got 50 back on a rebate they were running at the time.

[Violat0rX]

would it be sufficient to get just 2 of those tires for the rear?

[Sensai]

would it be sufficient to get just 2 of those tires for the rear?

Definitely not, you want the added grip on all 4 tires as you need the front tires to steer you still.

[AdMuny]

I'll second this testimony....second season with the same tires.....same experience. But I paid $500 for them mounted and balanced from a the tire shop on Woodward with half a car sticking out of the building (I can't remember their name) and it cost's me around $60 every time I have to switch back and forth between summers and winters.

[AdMuny]

Oh, and get all four tires replaced......two just doesn't cut it IMO

[6spdgoat]

I have not been able to test my M3s out yet here in Cincy, but we are getting snow tomorrow. On dry pavement my TC kicks in all of the time since I put on the M3s, they don't hook like the stockers.

I bought mine from tire rack too with the $50 rebate and paid $80 to have them mounted and balanced.

[Slappy3243]

I am putting mine on this saturday :cool:

[jbls1gto]

I just ordered my set of Dunlop M3s!

[MOPAR Refugee]

After mounting M3s a couple of weeks ago, I finally had some snow to commute on the last couple of days. They really turn the goat into useable winter transportation, nothing like my attempt in the past to daily drive a 440 Cuda!

Like 6spdgoat I find dry pavement traction has gone away, but then again I can just imagine my summer 275/40s on ice..

[BlueStreak]

I just got a set of M3's today. roads were dry here so don't know how well they will do in snow, but I'm cautiously optimistic due to the great survey numbers these tires have up on tirerack.com. I compared a lot of snow/winter performance tires with 245 tread width (I know narrower tires work better in snow, but can't stand how they look) and the M3's are at the top if you want both good snow performance and all-around winter performance (as best as can be had anyway, on soft-compound winter tires). I had my stock OEM's siped - it didn't seem to help much in the first couple Detroit snowstorms of this year, despite the fact my car is nearly brand new (3500 miles) and the OEM tires in fact have only about 1000 miles on them (I also have a set of 18" wheels and summer tires (yes, I now have THREE sets of wheels and tires :drink: ) ).

I do have a comment about dry traction. My OEM 245's don't have all that great traction in cold weather either, due to the hard compound of the tread. I was getting a lot of wheelspin in low gears, under hard throttle, especially on cold salty roads. There isn't a heck of a lot of difference now, with the M3's, on cold dry roads. I suspect this is due to the notion that what the M3 gives up in traction it gets back due to the softer tread compound.

would it be sufficient to get just 2 of those tires for the rear?

I've been told it's a major no-no to mix tires, such as having the OEM's on the front and the M3's on the back. But the guy at my tire store (Discount Tire) said it's not as much of an issue on an RWD car as long as you have a good snow tire on the rear. Nonetheless I'm concerned about braking, understeer in corners, and recovering quickly from skids so I got four M3's.

[BlueStreak]

Found a snowy road this AM. The M3's are VERY nice on snow. :burnout:

[jbls1gto]

Wow..ordered mine yesterday at 1pm and they should be at my place this afternoon. With some luck I can get them mounted and balanced today as well.

[BlueStreak]

That will be just in time, if it happens. I'm hearing we will get 4-6" of snow tonight in Detroit :shiner: :-off the

[malcum]

This summer i replaced the OEM's with goodyear F1 eagle GS-D3's. I didnt plan to drive much in the goat this winter anyway. I replaced my S-10 with a great looking '02 Grand Prix GT coupe i found with 10,000 miles on it at my pontiac dealer. Took the goat out last night for a short drive just to keep everything loose and the POS delco charged. The roads were dry but very cold out [10*] I couldnt even drive it without the TC on. It felt like a bucking bronco even on slightly aggressive shifts with it on. Turned it off to see how much traction i had and almost did a 360. Great summer tire-probably the best right now all around-and their driveability ratings for winter designated N/A-they weren't kidding. So i'm with you guys above-must be the rubber compound being too hard in the cold for some tires.

[jbls1gto]

That will be just in time, if it happens. I'm hearing we will get 4-6" of snow tonight in Detroit :shiner: :-off the

Yeah, I heard that too....it's way too early for our first major snowstorm of the year!

[jbls1gto]

I got mine installed this afternoon at Discount Tire...only about 24 hours after I ordered them from Tire Rack. I may be able to test them out tonight on the way home from the gym.

[BlueStreak]

jb - You might have just made it under the wire. I looked just now on tirerack.com ... they are "sold out for the season" on the 245/45/17 (99V) (they still have 95H like I got).

[GMMillwright]

We're getting hammered with the white stuff here in Fort Wayne. They are saying 8-10 inches by tomorrow night. I've got M3s on my Vibe. They are good snow tires, but they aren't miracle workers, either. I'd rather have an AWD Vue....

[jbls1gto]

jb - You might have just made it under the wire. I looked just now on tirerack.com ... they are "sold out for the season" on the 245/45/17 (99V) (they still have 95H like I got).

I got the H rated ones...the V rated were already sold out.

[BlueStreak]

I've got M3s on my Vibe. They are good snow tires, but they aren't miracle workers, either.
Well I agree with that, especially on a FWD like the Vibe. But I can attest, they are miracle workers on my GTO. We're getting heavy snow right now in Detroit, and just for grins I went out in it tonight with my M3's. Quite simply amazing, the difference between the OEM 17's (mine are even siped) and the Dunlops. Where my OEMs would be fishtailing and trying to send the car sideways in snow, the M3's just dig in and go. Where the front brakes used to go right into heavy ABS cycling in snow, now they stop a lot more confidently (I can still get the ABS going by stomping hard on the brakes of course). I know this is not an AWD car. But wow, it really transforms the winter characteristics - to the point I can say it's at least on a par with the 97 and 98 GTP's I had (FWD, OEM Eagle RSA's). Plenty good enough for me :thumbs: