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Ideas on winter tire set for 2014 wrx

23K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  577group 
#1 ·
Hey so have a bunch of questions... Some may be dumb so flame away. I picked up a set of 2004 wrx rims to use as a winter tire set. I plan on plasti dipping them gold (I have the stock tires on right now plasti dipped black).
I live in the great Northwet... I was looking at Michelin Alpin A4 or something similar. I want to know if its possible and what size if it can be calculated to get a tire that would give me a little better ground clearance than the stock tires even though the winter set is on 16s vs the stock 17s?
Also what do most people do with the winter set for TPMS. Should I just have TPMS installed in each or is there a different/better way than just looking at the low pressure sensor in my dash all day?
Any help would be awesome if anyone has any experience with those tires or can suggest something better suited.
Thanks for looking and any help would be great :) :beatentod
 
#2 ·
Here is a tire calculator. I believe it is self explanatory on how to use it:

Tire size calculator

I have 16" steelies with 215/55R-16 Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 that I used last winter and had no issues and they turned the car into a tank in the snow. I really liked the blizzak, which is a snow not all season of course.

I did not do anything with my TPMS. I left them in the stock wheels and had my pressure light on all winter. I figured that I am intelleginet enough to check my tires and fill them when necessary, fol. It's not worth the extra money to get an extra set of TPMS IMO. I just have a pretty little yellow light on. when you start the car, the light blinks for a few minutes then just stays on all the time. You can order new TPMS if you want though and have them installed and calibrated with your system which personally doesn't seem worth the money they're going to charge you.
 
#3 ·
Andy has recommended the best option IMO for 16" snows OP. I wouldn't recommend going with a 60 series for more height as you don't really need more clearance and it's only going to add even more body roll to the Rex.

And IMO, stay away from grade A manufacturers/price tags with snows. Dunlop, Hankook, and Firestone are just a few that make quality snows and could save you $40+ a tire. Snow tires take many years to wear out so paying for grade A compounding offers no real added value or return on investment. Any grade B tire will offer just as much traction and stopping power.


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#6 ·
Hey guys thanks for all the info and fast responses! I'm a little torn on what I need I guess I will describe weather and what I will be doing. Where we are at we really only get the threat of snowy conditions for a week or two a year. I usually go up to the mountain a few times a year but I also have a dodge dakota or wifes impreza that I can take up. My wife and I both have jobs that we must make it to rain, snow ice or whatever may have you.
We do get a ton of rain though. I'm wondering if I would be better off getting a snow tire and using it only when temps are low and/or snowy conditions or getting a good performance winter/rain tire if that exists. I guess I'm concerned about sacrificing too much performance for just snow tires.
What does everyone think?
Thanks
 
#11 ·
So just giving an update. A family friend of ours girlfriend had Michelin X-Ice 3 for sale that were only used for a season for a good price but were 17s. So I figured I could sell the 16s that I had picked up and pick up some new rims.
So I ordered some rims through a local tire shop Konig Illusion
I was on my way to go pick up the tires the other day and got a phone call from the family friend saying that she is going to keep them because she figured out they would fit on her new car... needless to say I was a little angry...
I called the tire shop back and they said that they could refund $40 out of my $100 that I put down for deposit.
I decided to just keep the ones I ordered because I have never bought new rims and I like the ones I ordered.
I also talked to them about tires. I was going to order the LM 60 but the tech said that they have had complaints about them and that they are very stiff. So he told me about the Hankook I*cept evo and said that he has had many people come back and tell him how much they love them. The added bonus is that it saves me 30 or so a tire.
Now I just need to figure out if I want to put my winters on my new rims or put the winters on the stock rims.
 
#15 ·
yes, and only on the passenger side... :D


gotta say, i'm psyched to see what she can do in the snow. never had AWD... have never driven AWD in the snow except my gf's 2000 Blazer 4 x 4. got the cross bar base kit and ski / board attachment coming in next week. we better get some goddamn snow this year.
 
#18 ·
ROFL c'mon gimme some credit.

not sure why so many folks opt for 2nd set of rims for the winter... does the salt really eat through them that bad if you keep em fairly clean?

i think i'll prefer to keep stock rims and if winter yucks em up that bad... just use them as the winter rims and get something new for the summer... something...sexy...

maybe something damn sexy...

MOTEGI RACING® MR117 Wheels - Matte Black with Red Stripe Rims
 
#33 ·
So as not to create a new topic; based on the previous posts I was going to pick up a set of 16" steelies with a set of tires. Living in the Northeast, more specifically NYC Metro area, I don't get a lot of heavy snow typically, but I board so I head up into Vermont every year for a week in addition to day trips. The girlfriend's parents also live in the Binghamton area which can get a fair bit of snow.

Is there enough of a difference between a performance snow and a snow during normal winter conditions (cold, dry) to make me want one over the other? I would normally get snows for my old Outback, wasn't sure it was worth getting a performance snow for an additional $30/tire.

I guess it comes down to: is there noticeably less road noise from a performance snow? Does it handle that much better under normal conditions? Will I lose handling in mountain conditions to the point where they are not very helpful?

Thanks for any help.

EDIT: The other condition that I'd likely run into more often is that awful slush. Will the performance snows handle that well?
 
#34 ·
Performance winters are FAR FAR better on a dry road than all out snow tires. It's not even close. I would urge anyone who has a sports car in a climate that sees freezing temperatures to get performance winters. Snows have far less rubber in contact with the road. That's not just for handling! Dry stopping distances will be far better in the performance winters. It's a season, not just a yearly blizzard.

Why snows? They're designed for penetrating deep snow. Slush isn't generally that deep once you put >500 lbs of car on top of it. Snow will not push away from the tire though with weight, it just compacts itself. That's where a pure snow tire is unbeatable.

Basically, I would say that a performance winter beats a snow tire in everything besides unplowed roads.
 
#35 ·
Thanks for the explanation.

That pushes me towards a pure snow tire rather than a performance snow. The gf's parents' house is an old farm house with a dirt road. The entire town is one street that doesn't get plowed. In addition the house I rent up in Vermont is the same deal and Vermont doesn't salt the roads, they throw sand on them for traction.

Guess it's annoying that the snows will cut down the handling, but if the performance snows won't get me to the gf's parents or the ski house then they aren't doing their job.
 
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