winterforces all the way. Blizzaks are good to though. Not sure if they make the winterforce in the z rim size though.

http://img.shopping.com/images1/di/3...41-140x119.jpg


Those babies grab.... I do 10 sets of winterforces to 1 set of blizzaks

 

The stock potenzas suck in the snow regardless of weight in the back. Once I put my Dunlop S5000's all season tires I had much better traction in both summer and winter weather.

 

I drove my Z through the big storm out here... there comes a point when the Z does not have enough ground clearance, and well... 37 inches of snow definately finds it... but as long as you have the clearance the Z does just fine in the snow... and keeping your speed up in the snow is a good idea, incase you do need to "plow" your way thruogh something you would normally get stuck in (i'm not talking about a snow drift, but a patch of snow that is too deep for the car, if you keep your speed up you can get through it).

The worst thing is hills... trying to start up a hill in a RWD car is nasty... if you keep your speed up, and keep your speed constant up the hill you will be just fine... but traffic in a stop and go pace, prevents this... grr... stupid people... if everyone would keep their speed up on the hills everything would be fine...

 

Weight of One Gallon (U.S.) of Water, Gasoline, and Ethanol
1 gallon of water equals 8.33 lbs.
1 gallon of gasoline equals 5.8 to 6.5 lbs.
1 gallon of ethanol equals 6.59 lbs.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy. Fuel From Farms: a Guide to Small Scale Ethanol Production. May 1980

 

I've driven my Z in the snow and after switching to just all season tires in the back (which are rated higher in all conditions, including summer-than the Potenzas) and they are 4 billion times better.

 

I just put Blizzaks on and the ride feels A LOT safer. I did it a week before we got our first snow storm and I am extremely glad that I did. With the stock tires, if it's a little cold and wet I feel my car going all over the place. With these tires, I've been driving on snow this past week and it's all good.

 

Notice how this thread becomes active over and over again when a winter storm hits. We just had a hit, and it happened in areas that normally don't get much ice and snow. So... "Tread begets Thread."

Blizzaks rock. Buying a second set of wheels (17" is a better pick for winter driving) and mounting your snow/ice tires on these is probably the way to go. If you have 18" wheels, and don't want to buy another set of wheels (maybe you have tire pressure monitors and don't want to re-buy these), you can now get Blizzaks in an 18" size.

In addition to moving forward on snow and ice, you also need to stop. That's why you buy 4 snow tires. The rear snows get you moving, and mounting 4 snow tires helps turning (tracking), keeping you going straight, and stopping on slippery roads.

A tip that another Forum member pointed out to me: In slippery conditions, it may be wise to turn TCS/VDC off. Why? TCS detects wheel spin and kills power in this event. You need to get the wheel spin on ice to activate the Z's VLSD (Viscous Limited Slip Differential) which keeps the car going in slippery conditions. --Spike

 

I used to occasionally drive my Z on the stock tires when there was a minimal amount of snow on the ground (1-3 inches). If you're intelligent, it's doable (I can't count the number of SUVs I see mashed up after a good snow), but I think the best bet is to get a second cheap car if you can afford it and have a place to keep it, if only to save the wear and tear on your Z.