Wheel/Snow tire combo for 07 spec.B?

[whiskywizard]

I went through the "What to expect in the snow?" thread and didn't see much info on the spec.B wrt winter tires.

What are you spec.B drivers doing for snow tires? I want to go to a minus 1 configuration (drop down to 17" wheels from the OEM 18 inchers, go up to 55 series profile).

Any good suggestions on wheels or snow tires? I'm thinking I want a real M&S, not an All Season.

thanks

[Vimy101]

There aren't many snow tire picks in the 18" size.

If you go down to 17'' like you plan to, there are many more options. 215/50/17 is the size I settled on. I wanted to keep the long contact patch from the OEM spec., keep the speedo relatively well calibrated, and get a little extra sidewall for pot hole cushioning. Should you choose to go to a 225 the grip is going to be less in snow so more traction is needed.

It depends on the snow conditions, temperature and road type as to what tire type you should consider in a temperate climate. Got lots of snow that doesn't get cleared fast? Get some true snows. See some snow but run in actual cold conditons (-10C and below) consistantly? Winter performance might be good. Live in an urban area seeing some snow but more likely slop and temps that rarely get below -20C and can easily be in the 10Cs? Maybe an aggressive A/S with some cold weather capability might be best.

Those are just some of the factors and permutations I pondered until I got absolutely sick of it. Then there is brand, availability, price, service....

[edkwon]

not to nitpick, but i dont see why winter wheel/tire combos would only apply to the spec B, would all the suggestions apply to the regular legacy GTs as well?

Ed

[bendite]

If you have the money, Nokian is hard to beat for high end tires.

Unstudded
http://www.nokiantyres.com/passengercars_product_en?product=610499&name=NOKIAN+HAKKAPELIITTA+RSi

Studded
http://www.nokiantyres.com/passengercars_product_en?product=1520997&name=NOKIAN+HAKKAPELIITTA+5

If you are looking for a great tire for less money than the Nokian.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Winterforce&tireModel=M%2BS

As for what to mount them on, I bought some WRX wheels on ebay and painted them black.

[ANDYJ]

You can go to The Tire Rack website and see what options they offer. I went with 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels with 215/50 Dunlop Wiinter Sport M3 tires. No snow yet in Chicago but I'm looking forward to snow!

[trigeek]

Well I can tell you for (almost) a fact that wheel selection does matter for the Spec.B. I'm in Canada and so worked a deal with the dealer to get some 17" rims and a set of Blizzak LM-25 (after a lot of research this is what I settled on). But when I went to pick up my new baby yesterday there was an awful grinding sound coming from the rear end when cornering or hitting small bumps.

The lead tech figures the rims aren't working quite right with the suspension, even though they have these rims installed on several 2006 LGTs. I'm not sure of the make and model of the rims, but I'll try to find out.

After looking around I did decide on dedicated performance winter tires and then keep the standards tires (and rims) that come with the car for summer fun. The trade off for a set of all seasons (based on my research) simply wasn't worth it.

Hope this helps, and if anyone out there has successfully installed 17" rims on their '07 Spec.B I'd sure like to hear which ones worked for you. Maybe even anyone who's installed them on an '06, as I can't imagine there is any difference.

Edit: I just re-read your post AndyJ thanks for sharing which wheels you used, I checked them out on TireRack and they look sweet, nice choice.

[looneycanuk]

Kazera KZ-U works for me. 17".

I have pics on here...somewhere.

[trigeek]

Not to bump the thread, but here is what I just found out from my dealer:

The wheels are Kazera KZ-V 17" and the tires are 245/45R17 Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 tires.

And there is definitely some kind of problem with them from the sounds of it. At least a problem that doesn't exist on the stock configuration. Metal on metal grinding sound coming from a car is never good.

[trigeek]

Good choice looneycanuk, the KZ-U were the ones I wanted, but they put on the KZ-V. Are you running Blizzaks? If so which ones? I can't imagine there is a serious difference between the V and the U, so I wonder what the problem is on my car.

[looneycanuk]

Good choice looneycanuk, the KZ-U were the ones I wanted, but they put on the KZ-V. Are you running Blizzaks? If so which ones? I can't imagine there is a serious difference between the V and the U, so I wonder what the problem is on my car.

I have the Dunlop Sport M3's. Originally, I wanted the ASA JH3's but Nigel at the Tirerack talked me out of them due to the offset not being ideal.

Hopefully your car is parked at the dealer while they solve the problem and fix any damage! Dealer STI as a loaner would be appropriate if they installed crap parts on your car.

[trigeek]

Actually I haven't even signed the papers to take ownership of the car yet, they need to get it working properly before I'll do that. But I have to say the KZ-V are growing on me, but I'll happily go to the KZ-U if that's the issue.

As for the loaner, ever since I put on a deposit on the car (about 6 weeks ago) I've been driving around an '06 Legacy 2.5i. Nothing special, but they gave it to me with no hassle whatsoever. I've been really impressed with them so far (Subaru of Calgary, Calgary Alberta).

Hopefully they'll figure out whatever the hell is scraping and I can get my new baby.

Thanks for all the help looneycanuk. Maybe some of this info will help the original poster.

[looneycanuk]

Actually I haven't even signed the papers to take ownership of the car yet, they need to get it working properly before I'll do that. But I have to say the KZ-V are growing on me, but I'll happily go to the KZ-U if that's the issue.

As for the loaner, ever since I put on a deposit on the car (about 6 weeks ago) I've been driving around an '06 Legacy 2.5i. Nothing special, but they gave it to me with no hassle whatsoever. I've been really impressed with them so far (Subaru of Calgary, Calgary Alberta).

Hopefully they'll figure out whatever the hell is scraping and I can get my new baby.

Thanks for all the help looneycanuk. Maybe some of this info will help the original poster.

Glad to be of service!

Keep us posted on your scraping issues.

[whiskywizard]

This is great info. Thanks all. I'll recheck tirerack with your suggestions. (BTW, the local dealer here is C&C Motors in Whitby. Excellent dealer, in part due to a top notch service manager. )

I'm just east of TO where we get a few days a month of good snow but mostly cold bare roads. My problem is that I routinely run up to Bruce County where snow is an issue. So I'm tossed up between performance winter and full-on snows.

If you don't mind me asking, what did the dealer charge for the Kazeras with Blizzaks?

[whiskywizard]

Looneycanuck - your profile says you don't have the itre pressure monitoring system. I 'think' I also do not have it - no dash icon on start up. How else can I tell if it's there or not?
Tirerack.com carries the TPSM and will install before they mount and balance. I don't want to spend that extra money if I don't need to!

Thanks

[douglas751]

I bought a set of wheels from a stock Legacy GT used online. Then I bought a set of 4 Nokian RSI's. I drove with the Nokians for about 2 weeks and then freaked out and took them off. They may be great in the snow and ice, but they absolutely suck on wet or dry pavement. The same thing happened a few years ago when I tried the soft Blizzaks. I replaced the tires with Dunlop Wintersport M3's and now the car drive great again. They will not be as good in the snow and ice, I know that, but that is the tradeoff.

So, ask yourself; do I need awsome snow tires and am I willing to put up with the crap handelling, noise and nausea inducing vibration for 6 months? Or, can I get pretty good ice and snow tires and enjoy my car?

[looneycanuk]

Looneycanuck - your profile says you don't have the itre pressure monitoring system. I 'think' I also do not have it - no dash icon on start up. How else can I tell if it's there or not?
Tirerack.com carries the TPSM and will install before they mount and balance. I don't want to spend that extra money if I don't need to!

Thanks

Canadian 07 Spec B's do not have TPMS. The only way to tell is to mount a wheel that does not have the sensor and drive around for a day or few. The lack of the TPMS dash light is also a good clue.

[trigeek]

I'm just east of TO where we get a few days a month of good snow but mostly cold bare roads. My problem is that I routinely run up to Bruce County where snow is an issue. So I'm tossed up between performance winter and full-on snows.

If you don't mind me asking, what did the dealer charge for the Kazeras with Blizzaks?

Hey Whiskywizard, I'm in Calgary so we get snow, then chinooks and if they don't last long enough it turns into ice, but there can be long periods of dry pavement in the winter too. That's why I went with the Blizzak LM25s, they're a good winter performance tire.

As for the charge, I have no idea. When I negotiated on the car I told them I would pay MSRP (this always puts a dealer in a good mood) and then told them what I wanted with it. The wheels and tires were included in there amongst several other things. Although tirerack has the Blizzak LM25 245/45 HR17 listed at $146 each and the Kazera KZ-V at $239 each.

Hope this helps.

[trigeek]

Hey folks,

Two previous posts in this thread said they went with 215/50 on their 17" rims for winter tires. When the dealer called me up they said they put 245/45 on mine. Think that makes any serious difference?

Looneycanuk, what size do you have on your wheels?

[looneycanuk]

Hey folks,

Two previous posts in this thread said they went with 215/50 on their 17" rims for winter tires. When the dealer called me up they said they put 245/45 on mine. Think that makes any serious difference?

Looneycanuk, what size do you have on your wheels?

245/45 17 isn't the best -- bit too wide for snow but shouldn't hurt otherwise; I have 225/45 on my summer kit.

I have 215/45 17's for my winter footwear.

[whiskywizard]

Hey folks,

Two previous posts in this thread said they went with 215/50 on their 17" rims for winter tires. When the dealer called me up they said they put 245/45 on mine. Think that makes any serious difference?

Looneycanuk, what size do you have on your wheels?

I agree with looneycanuck above, and suggest you try to stick with a minus 1 configuration. if you're dropping rim diameter by an inch, you need to increase the tire's outer rolling diameter by an inch. This helps maintain final drive ratio and speedometer accuracy. the 07 spec.b does allow you to adjust the speedo, but I still want to have my winter wheels w tires match my summer wheels w tires for overall diameter.

edit - added detail. ideally, I want 205 to 225/ 55R17 tires on 7" or up to 7.5" wheels.

[whiskywizard]

Canadian 07 Spec B's do not have TPMS. The only way to tell is to mount a wheel that does not have the sensor and drive around for a day or few. The lack of the TPMS dash light is also a good clue.

Thanks for that info. I suspected as much but it's always hard to say a feature doesn't exist just because the owner's manual or web site is silent on that topic. Appreciate your help!

[slissner]

From Tire Rack, I recently bought four Pirelli SottoZero 215/45VR18 tires. My last two sets of winter tires were Nokian WR, which performed well in my region where ice, but not much snow, and cold bare roads are typical. This time I chose a new tire which seems to be optimized for shallow snow and better performance on bare roads. I'll have the tires mounted about December 1 and will report on their performance.

[Fantastipotamus]

If I got a set of the 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels from Tirerack ($93 apiece? c'mon!) do I need to worry about anything with the TPMS? Do I need to install those little sensors? Or will the light just be on until I get my summers back on in May? I haven't even picked up my '07 Spec B yet, but I'll have it this afternoon, and the wheels are due in this week (I already have the tires from my STi). Thoughts?

[ridgeback]

From Tire Rack, I recently bought four Pirelli SottoZero 215/45VR18 tires. My last two sets of winter tires were Nokian WR, which performed well in my region where ice, but not much snow, and cold bare roads are typical. This time I chose a new tire which seems to be optimized for shallow snow and better performance on bare roads. I'll have the tires mounted about December 1 and will report on their performance.

I recently bought the same tires and should have them on in a couple of days.I do live in Toronto though, so we shall see how they perform in the conditions here. Problem is there are 2 winter tires that I have found that are 215/45 18, blizzak lm-25 and the pirelli's, the latter being much cheaper.

Still way too expensive for my liking but thats the price you pay for wanting nice aftermarket summer wheels bad enough to drive on 18's in the winter I guess.

[ridgeback]

If I got a set of the 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels from Tirerack ($93 apiece? c'mon!) do I need to worry about anything with the TPMS? Do I need to install those little sensors? Or will the light just be on until I get my summers back on in May? I haven't even picked up my '07 Spec B yet, but I'll have it this afternoon, and the wheels are due in this week (I already have the tires from my STi). Thoughts?

According to downtown subaru in Toronto, the light should go off automatically when your OE's go back on or until you install the sensors.

I don't know what to believe at this point because I have heard on this forum that Canadian spec b's don't even have tpms.

[looneycanuk]

According to downtown subaru in Toronto, the light should go off automatically when your OE's go back on or until you install the sensors.

I don't know what to believe at this point because I have heard on this forum that Canadian spec b's don't even have tpms.

Tell downtown Subaru to show the TPMS on your invoice or window sticker. If they can, then you might be unlucky and perhaps SoC has added it...which I doubt. If they can't, and they try to bill you for any TPMS issues, tell them that you'll take them to court for fraud.

I've been running two different sets of aftermarket rims since I picked up my LSB in October and haven't had any TPMS lights, let alone sensors installed.

[ridgeback]

nice, My car must have the same equip as yours looneycanuck as I picked my car up in October as well.

[looneycanuk]

nice, My car must have the same equip as yours looneycanuck as I picked my car up in October as well.

I am guessing that the CDN LSBs will not have TPMS; we have some silly laws but I can't say that I've heard about a TPMS law up here like the one in the States. :icon_conf

Maybe next year?

BTW, the Tribeca has TPMS.

[trigeek]

I just heard back from my dealer regarding the grinding noise in the back, and they say it is the tires, they are too big (245/45 17"). They are going to put on 205/55 17" (edit: OK...I just heard back from the dealer again, and now they are saying 235/45 17"). So hopefully that fixes the problem.

My question to everyone out there is, would having too big of tires on the rims sound like grinding metal when they rub? Because the sound I heard coming from the rear end of the car was closer to grinding metal than rubbing rubber.

Any thoughts? My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, and this site in general.

[looneycanuk]

I just heard back from my dealer regarding the grinding noise in the back, and they say it is the tires, they are too big (245/45 17"). They are going to put on 205/55 17" (edit: OK...I just heard back from the dealer again, and now they are saying 235/45 17"). So hopefully that fixes the problem.

My question to everyone out there is, would having too big of tires on the rims sound like grinding metal when they rub? Because the sound I heard coming from the rear end of the car was closer to grinding metal than rubbing rubber.

Any thoughts? My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, and this site in general.

Unless the tires were rubbing against the fender/suspension, I can't see what else would be grinding. Maybe the wheels weights catching on the fender/suspension?

Have them put on 215/45 for the winter -- thinner is better in this case.

[ilh]

235 and 245 sound awfully wide for winter tires on an LGT. That sounds like a recipe for "hydro"planing on slush. 205 or 215 make a lot more sense if you are in real winter country.

[whiskywizard]

I just heard back from my dealer regarding the grinding noise in the back, and they say it is the tires, they are too big (245/45 17"). They are going to put on 205/55 17" (edit: OK...I just heard back from the dealer again, and now they are saying 235/45 17"). So hopefully that fixes the problem.

My question to everyone out there is, would having too big of tires on the rims sound like grinding metal when they rub? Because the sound I heard coming from the rear end of the car was closer to grinding metal than rubbing rubber.

Any thoughts? My thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, and this site in general.

I talked to a guy at tirerack today. He said they recommend 215/45-17 but can just fit a 215/50-17. They bring in each car model and try the various combinations in real life. The nice thing about tirerack is they have the overall rolling diameter listed for each wheel/tire combo. based on this, I'd say you heard tire in the fenderwell.

[Vimy101]

The OEM set up for the Spec.B is 215/45/18 which almost the same circumference as 215/50/17(very slightly shorter) which is the size I'm currently running for winter. The 50s will easily fit.

[Fantastipotamus]

So, I got a call back from the tirerack guy who was the sales rep assigned to my order.

He said the 17x7.5 ASA JH3's, because of the combination of width and offset, would likely require some form of fender work to keep them working properly.

So, while they're a fantastic deal at $92 apiece, be careful to anyone who gets them. I ended up upping my cost and going with Kazera KZ-C's. Unfortunately, the delay in them getting back to me means two day shipping won't get them here in time for my trip this weekend, so I get to pay $130 for fedex overnight shipping on TOP of $30 more per tire.

Argh! :(

[whiskywizard]

So, I got a call back from the tirerack guy who was the sales rep assigned to my order.

He said the 17x7.5 ASA JH3's, because of the combination of width and offset, would likely require some form of fender work to keep them working properly.

So, while they're a fantastic deal at $92 apiece, be careful to anyone who gets them. I ended up upping my cost and going with Kazera KZ-C's. Unfortunately, the delay in them getting back to me means two day shipping won't get them here in time for my trip this weekend, so I get to pay $130 for fedex overnight shipping on TOP of $30 more per tire.

Argh! :(

That would be very frustrating! When I talked to tirerack (Chad) he said all the rims listed had been tried on the car. If what he says is true, the ASA JH3 should have fit just fine. I wonder where the issue is? He stated emphatically that they would take back anything that didn't fit properly, and they'd pay the return shipping too. Still- it's a pain in the a$$ to go through that.

[Gamble]

My new 07 LSB also needs its winters, so I've been corresponding with one of the reps at TireRack on this question as well. He warned me that the ASA JH3 would only fit if the fenders are modded. The two wheels that he did recommend were:

17X7 5-100/114 ET48 ASA JS5
17X7.5 5-100 ET48 KAZERA KZ-C

[trigeek]

Well I finally got my baby home. Turns out the grinding noise was the tires, they were too big. They put 235/45 17s on and she drives beautifully. I know alot of you guys suggested getting skinnier tires (and I appreciate all the opinions and input) but I'm hoping these will work well for me. Frankly I'm just happy to have her home.

I have a question around breaking the engine in that I've posted here:

Please check it out, as there seems to be a number of very knowledgeable people reading this thread.

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=874155#post874155

[EL PAALO]

I still don't get why they'd go wider than stock for snow tires ........ goofy.

[whiskywizard]

I still don't get why they'd go wider than stock for snow tires ........ goofy.

As many of you alreadyhave said, the right tire for snow is narrower, not wider, than the summer equivalent. That sounds typical for a dealer. They want to sell you what they have, not what you need. In this case, they got caught making a silly mistake and now can't back down.

[whiskywizard]

You can go to The Tire Rack website and see what options they offer. I went with 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels with 215/50 Dunlop Wiinter Sport M3 tires. No snow yet in Chicago but I'm looking forward to snow!

ANDYJ, I'm still trying to sort out my tire issues. You said you have Dunlop 215/50R17 Wiinter Sport M3 tires. That seems to be the perfect size but Tire Rack doesn't list that size for the Dunlops. Maybe yours are an older model? Are you pretty certain that size is right? Don't mean to question you - just trying to get it right so I don't get into a lot of extra back and forth shipping with Tire Rack. Thanks in advance

[Fantastipotamus]

ANDYJ, I'm still trying to sort out my tire issues. You said you have Dunlop 215/50R17 Wiinter Sport M3 tires. That seems to be the perfect size but Tire Rack doesn't list that size for the Dunlops. Maybe yours are an older model? Are you pretty certain that size is right? Don't mean to question you - just trying to get it right so I don't get into a lot of extra back and forth shipping with Tire Rack. Thanks in advance
215/50's seem like kind of a weird/rare size. I think he meant 55 series, which they do have the Winter Sport M3's in.

I'll throw a vote in for a similarly priced tire, the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2s, which I used for a pair of seasons on my STi and still have a lot of tread left for my new car (probably at least another 2 seasons or so on them). The dry handling is okay (you can feel them roll over a bit under aggresive cornering), but the snow traction is quite good.

Also, I'm eager to see how the Legacy's longer platform works with AWD over the shorter Impreza one. I expect good things. :)

[Boxer2Blower]

215/50's seem like kind of a weird/rare size. I think he meant 55 series, which they do have the Winter Sport M3's in.

I'll throw a vote in for a similarly priced tire, the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2s, which I used for a pair of seasons on my STi and still have a lot of tread left for my new car (probably at least another 2 seasons or so on them). The dry handling is okay (you can feel them roll over a bit under aggresive cornering), but the snow traction is quite good.

Also, I'm eager to see how the Legacy's longer platform works with AWD over the shorter Impreza one. I expect good things. :)

I don't think that is a weird size. For example, I almost positive that is the OEM size of say an Infiniti G35 Sedan.

[Vimy101]

^ I'm running 215/50/17 which is the closest circumference match to the Spec.B OEM 215/45/18s.

[Fantastipotamus]

Yeah, upon closer inspection, it may just be tirerack.

They have 3 winter tires in 215/50R17, for some reason I thought there were 10-12 in 215/55R17, but there are actually only 6 or so. So yeah, my bad.

[ANDYJ]

ANDYJ, I'm still trying to sort out my tire issues. You said you have Dunlop 215/50R17 Wiinter Sport M3 tires. That seems to be the perfect size but Tire Rack doesn't list that size for the Dunlops. Maybe yours are an older model? Are you pretty certain that size is right? Don't mean to question you - just trying to get it right so I don't get into a lot of extra back and forth shipping with Tire Rack. Thanks in advance


I double-checked and I do have 215/50/17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires on 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels. I ordered this wheel/tire combo pre-mounted from Tire Rack ~2 months ago. At that time, this combo was one of the many offered on the website for an 06' Legacy GT Spec-B. I find it hard to believe that with Tire Rack's reputation and experience that they would offer a wheel/tire combo that doesn't fit. I've had these on my car for ~2 months now and they fit perfectly. The wheels would need a huge positive or negative offset to even come close to rubbing on anything. The wheel offset looks pretty small to me. Maybe the Tire Rack just wants to sell people some more expensive wheels/tires??????

[Jair]

Just installed the 18" Blizzaks on the stock rims last night, big difference over the stock Spec B tires for sure.

I spent a month debating to go down to 17's and get rims for snow tires, winter season here in Alaska is a long one, but after spending a few weeks slidding around on the stock tires just called up tirerack and ordered the 18's. Think with shipping paid about $870, which isn't to bad a deal.


Evan

[whiskywizard]

I double-checked and I do have 215/50/17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires on 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels. I ordered this wheel/tire combo pre-mounted from Tire Rack ~2 months ago. At that time, this combo was one of the many offered on the website for an 06' Legacy GT Spec-B. I find it hard to believe that with Tire Rack's reputation and experience that they would offer a wheel/tire combo that doesn't fit. I've had these on my car for ~2 months now and they fit perfectly. The wheels would need a huge positive or negative offset to even come close to rubbing on anything. The wheel offset looks pretty small to me. Maybe the Tire Rack just wants to sell people some more expensive wheels/tires??????

Thanks AndyJ. That's what i suspected.

[whiskywizard]

I wanted to say thanks for the advice from everyone. I especially appreciated the discussion on sizes and what rubbed vs what cleared.

I ended up going with the Pirelli Sottozero 215/45-17 on a 7"x17 wheel sold by Subaru of Canada for winter tires on STis. The dealer will get them in and mounted this week.

Here's a rough photo of the wheel - not sure what the vehicle is; STi I guess?...

http://i16.tinypic.com/2z74nrk.jpg

[whiskywizard]

I thought I'd show you the others that the dealer suggested as "perfect fit" choices. There was no way I could go with chrome on winter wheels. All were $215 each.

http://i16.tinypic.com/401ivbr.jpg

http://i10.tinypic.com/2rr9jdd.jpg

http://i11.tinypic.com/2v3olk7.jpg

[coredump4]

I double-checked and I do have 215/50/17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires on 17x7.5 ASA JH3 wheels. I ordered this wheel/tire combo pre-mounted from Tire Rack ~2 months ago. At that time, this combo was one of the many offered on the website for an 06' Legacy GT Spec-B. I find it hard to believe that with Tire Rack's reputation and experience that they would offer a wheel/tire combo that doesn't fit. I've had these on my car for ~2 months now and they fit perfectly. The wheels would need a huge positive or negative offset to even come close to rubbing on anything. The wheel offset looks pretty small to me. Maybe the Tire Rack just wants to sell people some more expensive wheels/tires??????

I'm about to buy winter wheels & tires for my '06 Spec B as well. However, I live in the Wash. DC area, and you definitely don't need snow tires here. What winter footware are Mid-Atlantic folks buying these days? I like the ASA JH3's, but I was thinking of getting a really good all-season tire instead of snow tires.

[coredump4]

I'm about to buy winter wheels & tires for my '06 Spec B as well. However, I live in the Wash. DC area, and you definitely don't need snow tires here. What winter footware are Mid-Atlantic folks buying these days? I like the ASA JH3's, but I was thinking of getting a really good all-season tire instead of snow tires.
OK, I'm impatient. I ordered the ASA JH3 (silver) wheels with Kumho ECSTA ASX 215/50-17 tires. Very reasonably priced. I really have no idea how the JH3's will look with the Spec B's TSM color, but it should be OK.

[rallysquirrel]

try my post of all all winter tires available in the US that will fit OE diameter.
http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39936

[07spec]

I went with all seasons for the winter, instead of dedicated Winter tires, as I am in North Carolina, and it only snows a couple of times.
I did the ASA JH3's in 17"X 7.5" with Kumho Ectsa ASX in 215/50/17 from the Tire Rack.
I am very impressed with the Kumho's so far....very impressed...i'll post more after some snow...

[whiskywizard]

I wanted to say thanks for the advice from everyone. I especially appreciated the discussion on sizes and what rubbed vs what cleared.

I ended up going with the Pirelli Sottozero 215/45-17 on a 7"x17 wheel sold by Subaru of Canada for winter tires on STis. The dealer will get them in and mounted this week.

Here's a rough photo of the wheel - not sure what the vehicle is; STi I guess?...

http://i16.tinypic.com/2z74nrk.jpg
Well, these did not work! It turns out they are for an STi and have way more offset. They stuck out past the fenders and would have rubbed with 4 people in the car, or a good bump. Dealer has recognized the problem and ordered in the right offset. Grrrr.

[hybridandy]

I just installed a set of 215/50/17 Dunlop Wintersport M3's on a set of Mille Miglia HT3 wheels I found used of naisoc's 4sale forum. So far they've been fine in the dry weather (of course after I get them installed it's freaking 55-60 degrees!), actually they're a lot better than the Blizzak WS-50's I've used in the past on other cars.

Tirerack does sell a 215/50/17 Dunlop but they are sold out until after the new year (according to one of their sales reps) that's why it's not on their website. I found my tires from Mavis Tires off a google search.

http://www.mavistire.com/ProductCart/pc/_default.asp

I paid $133 a tire (which is around what tire rack would probably have them for based on similiar sized tires from them) and about $40 to ship FedEx from the NY/NJ area. I would have had them in 2 days except 2 of them came from NY to Pittsburgh via St. Louis but that's FedEx's fault, not Mavis's. Mavis actually responded to my email inquiries and helped me track the missing tires down so I would definately recommend them.

[coredump4]

OK, I'm impatient. I ordered the ASA JH3 (silver) wheels with Kumho ECSTA ASX 215/50-17 tires. Very reasonably priced. I really have no idea how the JH3's will look with the Spec B's TSM color, but it should be OK.
Well this has been a bust so far. :(
Turns out the '06 Spec. B factory wheels are offset 55, but TireRack had the vehicle listed as needing 45's. I tell you what, they stuck out more than 10mm though! It looked like a frickin ghetto low-rider. So I returned them.
Problem is, the biggest offset they have for the JH3 is 50mm, which isn't going to be enough, I don't think.
Other people have said they got JH3's; does anyone have 17" JH3s on a Spec. B? Has anyone found any aftermarket wheel that won't stick out of the fenderwell of a Spec. B? They are using a different hub, and regular LGT wheels have the wrong offset.
The Kumho Ecsta ASXes looked good though... I'm eager to see how those things do in bad weather. :icon_bigg

[coredump4]

Well, these did not work! It turns out they are for an STi and have way more offset. They stuck out past the fenders and would have rubbed with 4 people in the car, or a good bump. Dealer has recognized the problem and ordered in the right offset. Grrrr.
Don't it frustrate you when even the dealer doesn't know what's compatible with what!! :icon_mad:

[Vimy101]

Well this has been a bust so far. :(
Turns out the '06 Spec. B factory wheels are offset 55, but TireRack had the vehicle listed as needing 45's. I tell you what, they stuck out more than 10mm though! It looked like a frickin ghetto low-rider. So I returned them.
Problem is, the biggest offset they have for the JH3 is 50mm, which isn't going to be enough, I don't think.
Other people have said they got JH3's; does anyone have 17" JH3s on a Spec. B? Has anyone found any aftermarket wheel that won't stick out of the fenderwell of a Spec. B? They are using a different hub, and regular LGT wheels have the wrong offset.
The Kumho Ecsta ASXes looked good though... I'm eager to see how those things do in bad weather. :icon_bigg

The Spec.B has larger tires and the rim size is taken into account.

As I've posted before, I went to 17s with 215-50-17 ContiExtremes (an aggressive A/S) and I'm very glad I did.

The temps around Chicagoland have been in the 40s-50s and the roads have been dry. The snow that I've encountered so far (6-8") has been of no consequence for the Extremes. The heavy rain we got in the fall was very nicely delt with as well.

A winter performance and snow tires would be litterally wasted 'round these parts with the April" weather we've been having. So far.

Let's hear it for global warming. :icon_neut

[2006Specb122]

I agree with looneycanuck above, and suggest you try to stick with a minus 1 configuration. if you're dropping rim diameter by an inch, you need to increase the tire's outer rolling diameter by an inch. This helps maintain final drive ratio and speedometer accuracy. the 07 spec.b does allow you to adjust the speedo, but I still want to have my winter wheels w tires match my summer wheels w tires for overall diameter.

edit - added detail. ideally, I want 205 to 225/ 55R17 tires on 7" or up to 7.5" wheels.


Can you tell me how to adjust the speedo on a 2007 Spec b?

thanks

[ANDYJ]

Well this has been a bust so far. :(
Turns out the '06 Spec. B factory wheels are offset 55, but TireRack had the vehicle listed as needing 45's. I tell you what, they stuck out more than 10mm though! It looked like a frickin ghetto low-rider. So I returned them.
Problem is, the biggest offset they have for the JH3 is 50mm, which isn't going to be enough, I don't think.
Other people have said they got JH3's; does anyone have 17" JH3s on a Spec. B? Has anyone found any aftermarket wheel that won't stick out of the fenderwell of a Spec. B? They are using a different hub, and regular LGT wheels have the wrong offset.
The Kumho Ecsta ASXes looked good though... I'm eager to see how those things do in bad weather. :icon_bigg

[rallysquirrel]

Can you tell me how to adjust the speedo on a 2007 Spec b?

thanks

I think it's through NAV. There's an option to recalibrate it after changing tires/wheels. That's what I did since the NAV was at first a "little off" after changing to smaller overall diameter winter setup.

[coredump4]

ANDYJ,
Please provide the specs of your JH3s and tires, if you don't mind.
Do you have a shot of your tires looking down the fenderwell? How far do they stick out?

thanks!!

[2006Specb122]

Oem Wheels Ftw!

[Gator GT]

Rims: 2005 LGT 5spoke 17"
Tires: Nokian Hakka RSi 205/50-R17

No issues. RSi's are nice....no snow to try them out yet...argh!! Yes, the TPMS system light flashes...but only after driving around for 20 minutes. ???

No way I was going 18 for snows and I found that I could go narrower & get a more optimal footprint for traction in snow.

Having only driven the RSi in the dry (in anticipation of the white stuff!!!) I think its fine...sure it feels like butter COMPARED to my RE090's...but thats to be expected. Its a snow tire...I'm not looking to outhandle people in between snow storms when the ground is bare.

That tire size pretty much landed me in the middle of 2005 LGT 17" OEM height and my 07 B 18" OEM height.

[ANDYJ]

ANDYJ,
Please provide the specs of your JH3s and tires, if you don't mind.
Do you have a shot of your tires looking down the fenderwell? How far do they stick out?

thanks!!

Sorry for my previous small pic with no explaining text. I'm still somewhat new to this site. My wheels are ASA JH3 17x7.5 but I don't know the offset. My tires are 215/50/17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3. I've had no rubbing issues at all. I'll post some pics looking down the fenderwell soon.

[coredump4]

Rims: 2005 LGT 5spoke 17"
Tires: Nokian Hakka RSi 205/50-R17

No issues. RSi's are nice....no snow to try them out yet...argh!! Yes, the TPMS system light flashes...but only after driving around for 20 minutes. ???

No way I was going 18 for snows and I found that I could go narrower & get a more optimal footprint for traction in snow.

Having only driven the RSi in the dry (in anticipation of the white stuff!!!) I think its fine...sure it feels like butter COMPARED to my RE090's...but thats to be expected. Its a snow tire...I'm not looking to outhandle people in between snow storms when the ground is bare.

That tire size pretty much landed me in the middle of 2005 LGT 17" OEM height and my 07 B 18" OEM height.
What is the offset of the '05 17" OEMs you have? From what I've seen/read at this point, I don't believe those wheels fit the '06 SpecB without sticking out of the wells.

[coredump4]

Sorry for my previous small pic with no explaining text. I'm still somewhat new to this site. My wheels are ASA JH3 17x7.5 but I don't know the offset. My tires are 215/50/17 Dunlop Winter Sport M3. I've had no rubbing issues at all. I'll post some pics looking down the fenderwell soon.
Thanks, looking forward to your pix.
The offset you got is on your packing list, as well as stamped into the inside of the wheels; it should say "ETxx", where xx is the offset in millimeters.

[ANDYJ]

ANDYJ,
Please provide the specs of your JH3s and tires, if you don't mind.
Do you have a shot of your tires looking down the fenderwell? How far do they stick out?

thanks!!

[coredump4]

ANDYJ,
Not bad. It looks like they stick out slightly in front, but nothing major.
Just for comparison, here's how ET45 JH3's fit (just holding them up against the hub). It's pretty bad, IMHO.
Post your offset when you get a chance...

[ANDYJ]

ANDYJ,
Not bad. It looks like they stick out slightly in front, but nothing major.
Just for comparison, here's how ET45 JH3's fit (just holding them up against the hub). It's pretty bad, IMHO.
Post your offset when you get a chance...


My Tire Rack Invoice says the following:

Part# JH3752S
Description: 17X7.5 5-100 ET48 SUB ASA JH3 JH37521 SILVER (CB 56)

So the paperwork says my offset is 48mm but I'm not sure what my wheels actually are. From the pictures it looks like my offset is more than 3mm different than yours. Something still doesn't seem right here. I'll take a wheel off my car sometime this weekend and repost my actual offset.

Hope this helps......

[coredump4]

My Tire Rack Invoice says the following:

Part# JH3752S
Description: 17X7.5 5-100 ET48 SUB ASA JH3 JH37521 SILVER (CB 56)

So the paperwork says my offset is 48mm but I'm not sure what my wheels actually are. From the pictures it looks like my offset is more than 3mm different than yours. Something still doesn't seem right here. I'll take a wheel off my car sometime this weekend and repost my actual offset.

Hope this helps......
Yeah, that does help. I believe I had 17x7's, though. And do your factory 18's say "offset 55" on the inside like mine?

[ANDYJ]

Yeah, that does help. I believe I had 17x7's, though. And do your factory 18's say "offset 55" on the inside like mine?

Yes, my stock 18" Spec-B wheels say "Offset 55".

Good Luck!