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tire question, 09 wrx

5K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  allvolwrx 
#1 ·
just a quickie, stock tires are 225/45/17, will a 235/55/17 rub? getting winter tires since the stock ones SUCK! would rather go bigger then get a 215/45/17
 
#3 ·
You can get winter tires in 225/45/17... that's what I got... No reason to get the 215's anyways. You might be hardpressed now though since most tire brands only make a set number every season and then when they're gone they're gone. I got mine in October just to make sure I had them..

From what I hear though, 235/45/17 is about as wide/tall as you can go.
 
#4 ·
I don't know much about driving in snow, but...

From what I have heard it is better to get a narrower tire for the winter (b/c it is less chance to skid I believe). So it would probably safer/cheaper to go with a 215/45/17. (FYI: 235/55s would be way too tall and in that size you would have to go 40 or 45).
 
#5 ·
A narrower tire will give you less contact area with the snow, so you'll have less float on the snow. Yes that is good as you'll be closer to the road surface and can get more traction. The way I see that as bad is your tires will dig in deeper, making it easier to get stuck.
 
#8 ·
Your stock tires are SUMMER tires. They are not intended for freezing temperatures let alone any kind of snow or ice. Seriously. If you get in a wreck with those tires on and it's below freezing, your insurance may not even cover you!

I recommend 225/45/17 WINTER tires (not snow tires) for your application during the winter months. Generally, people use two sets of wheels to avoid unmounting tires seasonally.
 
#9 ·
+1 on the WINTER tires. Snow/Ice tires will wear out in one season if you're not actually driving on snow/ice the whole time.

I use a performance All-Season b/c they clear the roads so fast here in Chicago that I'm hardly ever on snow/ice. Also, when there is snow/ice on the roads here, you're only going 10MPH anyway.

I don't change my tires between seasons.
 
#12 ·
I just wanted to throw it out there as far as traction is concerned:

Wider tires=bad in snow and icy conditions. Wider tires act like a sled. It's the same principle when you go skiing/snowboarding and use a wider set/board. You float more over the top of the snow like you're hydroplaning on it all the time. You'll stay on top of the snow, and not sink down to the asphalt, therefore get no traction. Honestly if a wider tire did better in the snow then why wouldn't you use slicks to increase your contact patch.

Now, this is of course different if we're talking freezing temperatures on dry roads. This only applies to snowy/icy roads.

As for having winter tires/summer tires, +1 for having a separate set of wheels/tires (or at least tires, although you'll pay for mount/balance each time). Discount Tire will rotate your wheels over for you for free, whether you bought them there or not. It makes it really easy to swap them each year, plus you get so much more mileage out of each set of tires. Be prepared for your winter tires to feel mushy compared to your summer tires too.
 
#13 ·
Wider tires = bad is only applicable for deep snow and only when you're talking about a very wide tire. 225 is not that wide a choice and especially if you're getting a "performance" winter and not a "snow tire", it's a good compromise. Most of the time, you'll be on relatively dry roads and thus the added width is helpful.

There is no absolute best width for any tire choice. Everything's a compromise. You can't say 225 is too wide unless you also specify the exact road, temperature, surface conditions, humidity, etc etc etc.

225/45/17 is a very common size, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a winter tire in that size. 215/45/17 will also work fine and provides slightly shorter gearing which most WRX guys appreciate.
 
#14 ·
Not really sure how this relates or helps but here's my contribution.

Having the right car dosent mean your ready for snow or Ice duty. Even all-season tires capable of light snow duty wont come close to cutting it. Most tires advertised as all-season are made as a compromise of dry,wet,and very light snow performance. Rubber reaches a critical crossover point below 45 degrees f. All-season compounds made to be soft and pliable in a wide range of temperatures can become brittle and lose compliance below 45 degrees. In near freezing conditions, the compound is already unable to provide adhesion-even if it has the appropriate tread design.

Put a car on ice and the story changes even more. Ice and snow traction are worlds apart, requiring completely different tires.For most rally stages that involve mud,dirt,water,slush, and snow, tires depend on compound and tread design to generate mechanical and adhesive grip. Tires with lots of sipes for biting edges in water will generate wet grip. Larger tread blocks and grooves give the biting edges needed for mud and water evacuation. Additional sipes give snow traction as it allows snow to pack in and provide the snow-to-snow interface, since snow sticks best to snow.

On ice adhesion goes out the window. While compounds have to remain soft in freezing temperatures, sipes,treadblocks, and compound friction do little to get a car moving. The only way to do this is studs and the mechanical grip from every time a stud punctures the ice. Treadblocks only provide somewhere for loose surface snow to be displaced into. Even on monster powered,flyweight, open-class ice machines, the tires are skinny, like gravel stage tires. Narrower tires are better for cutting through ice,water, and snow, and increase the pressure on each contact patch to let the studs dig deeper.
 
#15 ·
well i looked at reviews and came up with these

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D Blackwall

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 Blackwall

Michelin X-Ice Xi2 Blackwall

after more review i like the Michelins the best, they have a few 17" but with the calculator the closest i can get with out going over 25" is 215/45/17 which is .04 under. the 235/45/17 is .03 over. with everyone talking about traction with the bigger 235 and its more money ill go 215/45/17
 
#16 ·
+1 on the Dunlop Wintersport 3D. That's what I use, and once it's stayed around freezing every day or below, I'm surprised by how well they do, even in the dry. They are complete garbage when it's warmer than about 50 degrees, though. When I bought them it hadn't snowed yet, so I was very dissatisfied, but now that's it really cold out, I'm sold all over again.
 
#19 ·
Not sure on this but, I thought they still carried both. I thought they were just different classifications.
Bridgestone blizzak lm-60 (performance winter/snow)
Bridgestone blizzak ws60 (studless ice & snow)

I run continental extreme contact in the summer, and plan on getting Continental extreme winter contact for winter seasons.
 
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