Originally Posted by Towncrier
Not to worry. My car is sitting idle again this winter (probably for the last time) and I'm not desperate for tires. Yet. My only concern with the DWS tires is just how long it will take for the "S" to wear off. If I can find them and get them installed this spring, will there be enough "S" left by next November to make a difference. I owned a set of Blizzack's that I ran on my previous car for eight or nine winters, but I'm certain that the special "extra sticky" rubber was worn off after the first couple of years. I wonder if the DWS tires will turn into DW's too quickly.
I have stock suspension and wonder whether or not there is any advantage to my going to 225/40/18 tires on the front as opposed to the 235/40/18's that are recommended by Tire Rack.
^^ A valid concern. I can say with certainty that my rears are "DW" only at this point, while the fronts still have a faint "S" showing, indicating enough traction for the slick stuff.
Putting them on before the fall Dragon meet didn't help, nor did three straight months of 90°+ temperatures mixed with high-speed daily commutes to work.
Ignoring the maniacal driving I did on the dragon, the temps, and high-speed runs, I can say it would take your AVERAGE Crossfire 15K miles to wear off the S, thus rendering it a DS tire.
It only took me 10K miles, for what it's worth.
If your car is a daily, you'll be cutting it close. But if you drive it every so often, you should have more than enough healthy tread left when next fall arrives.