Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwhoo
OK, let me preface this by saying that, if I don't plan to do the wheel and tire swap out, then I am going to garage this car (if I ever receive it - stuck in limbo) when it snows / sleets / freezing rains. With that aside, how necessary are the winter wheels and / or tires in the DC metro area? Is the temperature range low enough and harsh enough on the rubber to warrant a swap out?
And if so, what are most folks doing? New tires onto existing OEM wheels or all new wheel and tire combos?
This is also my DD btw, so no chance it can be garaged all winter.
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Well, its 50/50. You will need winter tires or all seasons. YOU WILL NOT, be able to drive it on snow/ice with summer tires. There is NO traction. When its cold, the tire material gets super hard and as the temp drops the tire actually isn't sticky. The winter tire is the opposite as it gets colder the traction gets better.
All Season will work, however if your going to do the swap in the summer to the factory summer tires. Just go get winters, because they perform so much better when it gets cold and the roads get slick.
You can find winter tires that fit the stock rims. I would check tire-rack, they do have some in stock for the 19s. Unsure of the 18s, but I am sure they can work something out.
I myself have only had RWD cars and just do winter/summer tires and haven't had any issues. An will do OEM rims with winter tires staggered.
Now you can get all technical and do other rims sizes, square setup vs staggered. But, it can get complicated.
Yeah its goanna cost 1500 bucks for tires, but its better than A) Getting it totaled or B) being that guy in the sports car in the snow stuck and no is stopping, because your a dump ass.
An once you get a set of winters, you realize what you have been missing in the cold.