The Winter's Coming Winter Tires Thread

[photon]

Any thoughts on putting a tire that's normally on a 8.5" rim on a 9" wide rim (235/50R18)?

Just getting some prices at KalTire and the guy said that that was an option if I wanted to get Nokians on my car without getting a different set of rims.

He said there was some risk of uneven wear but that's mitigated by the fact I could rotate my tires.

[burn_this_city]

What size tire? The wheel width for a specific tire size is usually a range.

[Hockeyguy15]

Hmmm would getting steel rims for a year be a better option?

[photon]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

What size tire? The wheel width for a specific tire size is usually a range.

Sorry edited after I posted, figured that'd be relevant.

235/50R18, they're currently on 8.5" wide rims. With that tall a sidewall it seems like a 0.5 stretch is mild.

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Hmmm would getting steel rims for a year be a better option?

Apparently they won't fit over my brakes I've been told by a number of different sources.

[burn_this_city]

235 is minimum so it should be fine. Stance nation tire stretch yo!

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Nufy

Doesn't lower air pressure allow more surface contact which aids traction ?

It does when going off road...

I've never heard of this, but I don't think that's true.

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...nd-performance

An under-inflated tire will “flex” more when cornering and stopping. Under-inflated tires don't respond as quickly as they would if they were properly inflated, so you lose some of the performance and safety benefits built into the tire by the manufacturer.

What you're mentioning:

Off-roading
When traveling over rough terrain, mud, or deep sand, many off-roaders will “air down” (decrease tire pressure) to keep more of the tire’s footprint gripping the ground. They also decrease their speeds, since their tires will now be less responsive when it comes to steering and stopping.

I could maybe see the an under inflated tire grips loose ground better than hard ground, but I don't think and under inflated tire is a good idea on asphalt or winter conditions.

[burn_this_city]

Racing slicks aired down operate in the same way, but I think it's to gain sidewall flex aiding in traction.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Meelapo

Can anyone recommend a mobile tire swapping service? Tires are already mounted on rims so the swap should be straightforward. I don't want to take my car out on the road with the summer tires in these conditions.

I think any of the mobile shops (google yo) should fit the bill. They should all be in the 100 range for a swap on rims. But if they're already mounted, why not swap yourself? Generally if mounted, should take less than an hour to swap.

Normally not a big deal, but imagine after the dump yesterday they'll be booked solid for another month at least.

[White Out 403]

Pulled the trigger on a set of 4 matte black winter rims for my car. I feel good about that decision, having my summer and winters on their own rims.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Racing slicks aired down operate in the same way, but I think it's to gain sidewall flex aiding in traction.

Depends on the type of car, but this is generally correct. Another, and equally important part of it is the spring rate provided by the tire/sidewall.

The biggest difference is radial tires don't react to lower pressure in the same way a bias ply race tire does. As an example, race teams would use different tire pressures on the left and right side to manage stagger to help the car turn.

[Lubicon]

First real test for the new tires this morning since we ended up missing out on getting to drive in the snow last week. Wife gives them two thumbs up and a big improvement over the all seasons that came with the vehicle.

[MoneyGuy]

Does using winter tires above 7C damage them? I was just told this. I know they’re recommended under 7C but I didn’t think they’re damaged above that,

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Depends. Drive on them all summer and it’s bad. Not only will they wear much, much quicker but they won’t perform well in the heat.

Drive on them during a few nice days during the fall or during chinooks and it isn’t likely to have any noticeable negative effect on tire life or safety.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Does using winter tires above 7C damage them? I was just told this. I know they’re recommended under 7C but I didn’t think they’re damaged above that,

Not really. I have driven winter tires year round throughout the summer and the extra wear was negligible. Still got 3 years out of them.

HOWEVER, if you have a really soft ice tire (such as a Blizzak), those will wear a bit more, and also risk heat soaking the rubber (getting it so hot that the rubber permanently hardens). That starts at over 20C though.

[Northendzone]

getting my winter dancing shoes (blizzaks) installed tomorrow. makes me sad that i am taking off my summer rims though.

i hope the temp wamrs up enough over the next few days so that i can give them a through cleaning before i put them away.

i store my tires outside, along one side of my house. and yesterday, i bought a tire storage cover for $20 from princess auto. this replaces the old mattress bag that i have used for the past 5 or so years. will be interesting to see how long this cover lasts.

[Table 5]

Anyone have any direct experience with the Hakkapellita 9's or Michelin X Ice? Trying to decide between the two studded tires. Hakka's are only available at Kal Tire, and are 2 weeks away from being able to install (while Michelin is a week at UrbanX), so trying to decide if they are worth it.

[Scorch]

I don’t have any experience with the Hakka, but I’ve used the Michelin X ice and didn’t think they were that good. I ended up upgrading to toyo garit kx and felt a noticeable difference on the road

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Anyone have any direct experience with the Hakkapellita 9's or Michelin X Ice?

I bought X Ice for my wife's Civic, and I'll be replacing them. They are terrible in the snow, and not as good as I expected on ice. Comparing them to the Goodyear Nordic that I had on my Grand Am, and the Hankook iPikes that I had on my Acadia. Now that I have a new vehicle (Equinox), I will be putting iPikes on that later on this fall. (RW11)

The best way to describe the X ice is they feel "floaty." Like you are always just about to lose control. I haven't actually gotten into a skid with them; so there is that. But the other winter tires I've driven on give you a feeling of confidence.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Not really. I have driven winter tires year round throughout the summer and the extra wear was negligible. Still got 3 years out of them.

HOWEVER, if you have a really soft ice tire (such as a Blizzak), those will wear a bit more, and also risk heat soaking the rubber (getting it so hot that the rubber permanently hardens). That starts at over 20C though.

3 years seems short to me. How often did you guys have to change your tires due to wear?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The best way to describe the X ice is they feel "floaty." Like you are always just about to lose control. I haven't actually gotten into a skid with them; so there is that. But the other winter tires I've driven on give you a feeling of confidence.

Yeah, I only have 2 days of snow driving on them but those were my first impressions as well. Hopefully I'll get more used to them and where the limits are. With my blizzaks, the 2-3 times I lost traction in five years it was a genuine surprise. These feel like they're about to slip quite frequently. As you say, though, they haven't, it's just a feeling.