Winter Wheels - Help me decide

Alright, so long story short; I own a 2.5i wagon now. So my LGT sedan will be stored for the winter. The wagon is a Special Edition, so it came with 17's.

 

I'm trying to decide which wheels I'm gonna be using on the wagon this winter.

 

1. Stock (GT/Special Edition) 17's that are on it now (17x7???)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/ACCORDing2R/sideshot.jpg

 

OR

 

2. My CSA Mullins 17's that I used to use on my sedan (17x7)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/ACCORDing2R/Winter1-1.jpg

 

 

STOCK VS. CSA

 

- One stock wheel is easier to replace than an aftermarket wheel if anything happens or if it gets damaged +1

 

- Mullins wheels are "bare" right now, so I won't have to dismount tires prior to mounting winters +1

 

- I weighed the CSA wheel at 22.2lbs. Research shows that stock Legacy 17's weight 20.5lbs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but heavier wheels are better for winter applications. +1

 

What do you guys think?

 

PS. Pretend that cost is not an issue, which winter tires would you get that are good in the snow, but don't suck on dry pavement? (Car is mostly driven in the city, with weekly (ski) trips up north).

 

Cheers! :wave:

Also, can anyone do a quick Photshop of the CSA wheels on the wagon?

Heavier wheels are never better. -1

 

personally i like nokian's for purely winter tires. with blizzaks in a trailing 2nd.

 

thinner width (1st number) is better for snow.

Are your OEM wheels your summer wheels as well or do you have something else for the summer?

If so.. I might suggest option 3. Sell your CSA rims, pick up a set of 16" steelies to put winter rubber on. (unless you've upgraded brakes and cannot clear with them.. but doesn't look the part)

 

or if oems are your summer wheels as well, I'd lean and say keep them as is and put winter tires on the other set. Cheaper in the long run with two full sets (especially if you can jack and change your own tires) - my oems are summers, my winter (Nokian Hakka 5) are on steelies (16")

^ +1

the two wheels looks essentially the same...LOL

My winter wheels look just like my summer wheels because I have two sets of OEM wheels for both cars.

 

I loved the Michelin Pilot Alpins PA2's I think they were back in the day, but hated the price. They felt as good as my summer only's.

 

I got Blazzacks LM25's in July for $114 off tirerack.com This will be their 3rd winter coming up.

 

I get snows in the stock size. I don't go one size down.

What's the stock size for the GT wheels? 215/45/17 ? That's what I have on right now.

But... That sticker on the inside of the door says 205/50/17

 

Plus, I think that 17x7 wheels are wide enough to run 225/45/17. But a lot of people preach against wider tires for the winter.

What's the stock size for the GT wheels? 215/45/17 ? That's what I have on right now.

But... That sticker on the inside of the door says 205/50/17

 

Plus, I think that 17x7 wheels are wide enough to run 225/45/17. But a lot of people preach against wider tires for the winter.

 

Correct in all accounts,

 

GT rolled out with 215/45/17

2.5i rolled out with 205/50/17

 

and you need not run a wider winter tire for better traction. In this case, less is more.

I figured I drive more on dry roads in the winter then on snow covered roads, that's why I don't down size the tires.

 

It's a trade off, but that's my choice. In my feeble little mind, it's worth it.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2nyw0.gif

Thinking you broke some of the encoding for the .gif Drift Motion ... maybe it is just me, but doesn't cycle through and barely stays at the beginning with the photoshop.

I think i forgot to put it on repeat...lol

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/6hj3fp.gif

Awesome! Thanks Drift Motion

...and you need not run a wider winter tire for better traction. In this case, less is more.

 

^^^

I agree with this, but I don't quite understand the physics behind it. Someone care to elaborate how skinny tires are better in the snow?

 

From first-hand experience; I once ran 235 wide tires in the winter. The car felt "shifty" in deep snow, since the tires no longer "cut" through the snow nor fit in the grooves already made by other vehicles. So it wasn't stable at highway speeds, it was kind of wobbly (which is no big deal for most people who know how to drive, but I can see how this would scare the average commuter).

 

However, as far as traction goes; doesn't more surface area tire contact with the road = more traction?

It is a trade off.

 

Skinny tires mean more weight per square inch on the snow. Fatter tires will tend to float on snow while skinny tires sink. Same concept with mud tires in the jeeping world. Either you try to run a wide tire to float over the mud or run a super skinny one and sink down in to find solid ground.

 

Basically you are focusing the weight of the car onto a smaller foot print. Similar to adding weight to the car for traction, but you actually arent adding weight. It might be seen as reducing traction, but depending on the type of snow, you are adding traction.

 

I'd suspect a hard packed snow would warrant wider tires. The loose stuff is when you wanna run skinnies.

Good explination there "mill" that has been the greneral rule forever.

 

The only thing I may not agree with is the last comment. Isn't hard packed snow close to the point of ice, I think studs would be needed for hard pack snow.

 

 

 

"old guy story", I can remember running thinner snows back in the day on my 1970 340 Duster with a built motor. I'd go through a set of snow tires every winter. Something about having to much HP for the tires to possibly hold on dry pavement. Anything close to WOT in first gear and tires would go up in smoke until I backed out it.

 

.

So I guess the key is to find that perfect balance between surface area to road contact vs. weight/square inch.

 

Perhaps 215/45/17 will be my winter tire size choice this season.

I agree.

 

For only those that care about the the most traction in snow then get the 205/45-17.

Good explination there "mill" that has been the greneral rule forever.

 

The only thing I may not agree with is the last comment. Isn't hard packed snow close to the point of ice, I think studs would be needed for hard pack snow.

 

 

 

"old guy story", I can remember running thinner snows back in the day on my 1970 340 Duster with a built motor. I'd go through a set of snow tires every winter. Something about having to much HP for the tires to possibly hold on dry pavement. Anything close to WOT in first gear and tires would go up in smoke until I backed out it.

 

.

 

 

Yeah, Ideally studs would be the best choice for that situation. But I assume most of us run studless.

Yeah, Ideally studs would be the best choice for that situation. But I assume most of us run studless.

 

Studded tires are illegal where I live. At least in the city and the surrounding area. There are exceptions for the wild north and the boonies.

 

Where I used to live, studs were legal in the city, but you had to display a triangular sign with the studs symbol to warn other drivers that they might have a stud flying at their windshield if they drive behind you.

I run Michelin Xi2 in the winter on my stockers in oem size because that's what was in stock then. This will be my 4th winter on them. Expensive but they last forever. Only place I ran into trouble with them was I once find myself on a impromptu ice rink conditions slid for about 150 ft with no control. Slickest conditions I've ever been in. Glad I didn't have to get out of the car cause I would've fallen.

 

Cheers,

Mike

the two wheels looks essentially the same...lol

+1