Winter Tire Help!

RatBastard · Sep 30, 2003

I have no idea where to begin here...

I live in Michigan and the roads suck year round, but in the winter they are far worse... Ice and snow like crazy. I have a 330i with the Performance package(18" wheels) and WILL NOT use those tires in the snow. That is certain death.

Questions are as follows and any help is GREATLY appreciated:

1) Do I have to match the same sizes that I have now? (225/40x18 on Front, 255/35x18 on rear) with these snow tires? Can I step down to 17" wheels all of the 225 size range?

2) Anything I need to know, or any tips, on what rims(wheels) to get? I just need a cheap winter pair.

3) Any kind that you folks recommend for the nasty winter?

4) Any approximate price range?

5) Anything else?

Thank you al for any and all help!

PuShAkOv · Sep 30, 2003

I am also looking for snow tires. I know one thing.. you would need new rims too. 18" with any tire is just not good for winter, plus you wouldn't want to ruin quality rims.

I am thinking of buying 16" rims with winter-only on them. I am just not too sure if there is a tim spec I should be aware of.

RatBastard · Sep 30, 2003

PuShAkOv said:

Yup.. Knew that.. not sure how much all this will cost and whather or not there needs to be a special variety for the suspension. or just that they all have to match in size, etc...

Never bought winter tires before, but after almost dying last year(sport tires on snowy roads are NOT good.. almost slid into a busy intersection), I think it will be money well spent.

Thanks though...

PuShAkOv · Sep 30, 2003

yeah. I bought my car last winter and drove through 1/2 snow on my 17" sports,.. it was not fun. I remember the hard times I had going up my driveway.. while my previous INFINITI went up in a sec. With pure winter tires and small rimes and DSC... BMW will be more stable than ever!

Reason why large rims are bad is that they create wire tire contact... you want tires to slice through the snow.

MrElussive · Sep 30, 2003

For your car, I would go with 205/50-17" tires. The thicker sidewall will give you an easier time in deeper snow. The thinner tires will distribute more of the weight on the tires...more pressure = more traction. They also say that thinner tires "cut through the snow", but I think that's just bologna. As for purchasing the wheels and tires, check out TireRack.com and see what they have to offer.
I, and others on this board, recommend the Michelin Arctic Aplin's, Pirelli Winter Sport's, or Dunlop Winter Sport's. These three different snow tires offer great snow traction, while still providing confident dry- and wet-road performance. Bridgestone Blizzaks are the "stickiest" snow tires out there, but they are hard to recommend as they have a rather short tread life and they do not perform so well when the roads are dry. But one member here (frolf) uses Blizzaks in the winter and he absolutely loves them.
If I were you, I would purchase a set of 17" BMW replica wheels from http://www.aaarims.com/ and purchase a set of 205/50-17" snow tires from http://www.tirerack.com/, and then have them mounted and balanced at a local shop. Or if you want everything done from one place (and have them mount and balance the rims and tires for you), then get your tires from TireRack and choose a set of compatible wheels from what they have to offer.

Big Daddy · Oct 1, 2003

No it is not bologna, the narrower the tire the better the traction (and I say that after spending 3 years in Alaska and the last 25 in Idaho). I would scale down my rim and tire size for snows and I have used and still own Michelin Artic Alpins, the best snow tire on the market. They can be purchased at TireRack, Costco or Discount tire. I found discount to have the best price on them.

PuShAkOv · Oct 1, 2003

Yeah... 17" for winter just doesn't make sense and is imprectical. I would downgrade to 16" rim and leave more room for a large "hard" tire to blade through OHIO snows. [:D]

xmas63 · Oct 1, 2003

I was just speaking with Gary at TireRack yesterday afternoon about this. He said that since I wanted to get both rims and tires, they have a 16" rim that will fit over the larger calipers of the 330i, and this will provide the best snow traction since I can get a tire even narrower than a 205/50-17. This would also be less expensive than a 17" rim/tire combination.

The rims are the AT Itaia 5 ($139 each), and he suggested either the Blizzak WS-50 or the Dunlop Wintersport M3. The Blizzak ($103) would provide best snow traction, but the Dunlop ($92) would provide better dry handling. Personally, I think I'm going to go with the Dunlops. I don't want to have sucky handling all winter, and I've never heard anyone complain about the Dunlops. Including shipping to CT, the entire package will run $984.

Again, note that this is the ONLY 16" rim that they know of that will fit over the 330i caliper.

RatBastard · Oct 1, 2003

Excellent!

Thanks for the info folks, it is greatly appreciated!

PuShAkOv · Oct 1, 2003

Yes. Just make sure this thread does not get deleted for a month or so.

kpytoi9 · Oct 1, 2003

i use ws-50 bridgestone tires on 16 inch rims. that is the only way that i can get through snow. With those tires, i feel like i am driving an SUV. also, if you want cheap tires, try ebay...excellent deals.

RatBastard · Oct 1, 2003

I have the performance pkg(2003 330i).. Does this make any difference when shopping for tire and wheel sizes?

Will any size fit on the car? Is there any issue with the brake discs or wheel well?

Thanks.

PuShAkOv · Oct 1, 2003

kpytoi9 said:

\I would.. but I am afraid of shipping charges... they never discolse them.

MrElussive · Oct 1, 2003

RatBastard said:

You should probably consult with someone at TireRack about that, they would give you the best answer. I think you need 17" wheels to clear your calipers...as xmas63 said, though, the AT Atalia 5's are 16" (and the only ones) that will clear 330i calipers.

jwingwing · Oct 3, 2003

for the 330i ... i think the min is the 17" ... 16 will not fit .....

PuShAkOv · Oct 3, 2003

jwingwing said:

What about 330Ci?

If you don't select a sport package... don;'t they stick 16" on you?

xmas63 · Oct 3, 2003

PuShAkOv said:

No, I believe that both the 330i and the 330Ci come with 17's if you don't get the sport package. I believe 16's come stock only on a 325.

jwingwing said:

Not necessarily true. Please see my first post in this thread...

estrauss · Oct 3, 2003

My friend has an IS300 with Blizzak's on the stock Lexus 17" wheels and he swears by them in the snow. As far as dry traction goes, they cut 0.3 sec off of his 0-60 time, verified with a VBOX. I could notice a faster tire wear, but he's going into the 3rd winter and there is still plenty of tread left. Who cares though really, if you are only using them for 4 months (Indiana).

00e46 · Oct 3, 2003

I got through last winter with outstanding traction on 17" rims and 225/45's - outfitted with the DUNLOP WINTER SPORT MX tires. Not only did my car still look great, but it really held the road even under the worst possible conditions. They did however make for a rougher ride but that's to be expected with such a busy tread.

PuShAkOv · Oct 3, 2003

I think I will go with Blizzak snow tires..

Now... do you guys think it is best to buy new rims or use the ones I have on? I would prefer having seperate pairs of wheels but the cheapest rims they have for rough winter driving is about $160/wheel..... for that price I would rather keep stock as winter and get something for summer...

WHAT SHOULD I DO.. ?

Winter Tire Help!

Member

2000 Post Club

Member

2000 Post Club

2

Senior Member

2000 Post Club

Member

Member

2000 Post Club

Member

Member

2000 Post Club

2

New Member

2000 Post Club

Member

New Member

New Member

2000 Post Club