Winter Tires

My" local" dealer -only an hour away-recently mailed me a flyer advertising 4 Nokian tires with steel wheels for my '03 Baja.I really like the tires but are steel wheels really that expensive?

Reply to
tanman
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How much are they advertising the tires for? The wheels?

June

"tanman charter.net>" My" local" dealer -only an hour away-recently mailed me a flyer

Reply to
Diva

Hi, Here, it's around 40.00 CAD a piece. Nokian is GOOD winter tire. Tony

tanman

Reply to
Tony Hwang

LOL!How about a price!$869.00 for 4 nokian hak2 with steel wheels(215/60r16) "tanman charter.net>" My" local" dealer -only an hour away-recently mailed me a flyer

Reply to
tanman

For comparison purposes, I recently bought 4 rims, plus 4 winter tires for CDN$670 from Canadian Tire. The Subaru dealer offered their set at CDN$1020. Definitely a better quality rim and tire, but economy has to play a part! I would suggest that the dealer is not the cheapest alternative, but they do have other qualities. It's up to you to decide if you are willing to pay the extra. Cheers, Tim "tanman charter.net>" My" local" dealer -only an hour away-recently mailed me a flyer

Reply to
Tim Reeve

Which Nokians are good for winter roads where perhaps salt hasn't been = put down yet when I drive off in the morning and are all slick from = driving snow, and which are slushy later on in the day when I drive = home? I keep hearing about Hakka Q's but aren't those for ice? I don't = think I want ice tires.=20

June

tanman

Reply to
Diva

Hi, I put Michelin Arctic Alpin on my kids' Impreza. Son drives RS manual, daughter drives TS auto. Going into 3rd season and it's doing OK. I just put them on last week in preparation for snow. We already had one snowfall. Daughter used to go up to Whistler mountain ski resort. She used to drive Mustang with chain on rear tires. Scared hell out of her once skidding out on the winding road. Since Subaru, no more trouble. She worked there as a volunteer instructor for kids. Now she is back home(Calgary) going to medical school. She will be driving out to Rockies(Banff, Panorama, Nakiska) for skiing on week ends. Tony

Diva wrote:

down yet when I drive off in the morning and are all slick from driving snow, and which are slushy later on in the day when I drive home? I keep hearing about Hakka Q's but aren't those for ice? I don't think I want ice tires.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Reply to
Tony Hwang

that price is outrageous

we are using the subaru mag for winter with snows and bought nicer mags for summer you can get 15" UNDER $ 200. each CDN and ad nicer summer rubber as well and ends up about the same as the dealer's steel wheels and snows

you can also up size for summer if you like, we went to 17 inch wheels for summer and the handling is great and not much difference in price.

snipped-for-privacy@canada.com

Reply to
330xi

Thanks, Tony. I'm in Michigan in a very flat great lake area. I keep = hearing about these and also Nokian. I'll probably go with the Michelins = since they are probably easier to find.

June

snowfall. Daughter used to go up to Whistler mountain ski resort. She=20 used to drive Mustang with chain on rear tires. Scared hell out of her once skidding out on the winding road. Since Subaru, no more trouble. She worked there as a volunteer instructor for kids. Now she is back=20 home(Calgary) going to medical school. She will be driving out to Rockies(Banff, Panorama, Nakiska) for skiing on week ends. Tony

Diva wrote:

put down yet when I drive off in the morning and are all slick from = driving snow, and which are slushy later on in the day when I drive = home? I keep hearing about Hakka Q's but aren't those for ice? I don't = think I want ice tires.=20

Reply to
Diva

Be careful of too good to be true deals. Steel wheels from Canadian Tire and other similar stores (Cosco, Walmart,...) are kind of one size fits all. What I mean is the obvious measurement will fit such as the size of the rim (i.e. 15" or 16") and the number of bolts and the bolt pattern size BUT other very important specs are neglected. For example, in order to fit as many kinds of cars as possible, the center hole of the wheel is likely larger than the hub of your Subaru, that is the wheel will not fit exactly around the hub but will be resting on the five bolts instead. The wheel is only properly centered once all five lugs are torqued in. Notice that your factory rims/wheels fit perfectly around the wheel hub, that is the rims/wheels do not rest on the bolts, the wheel is centered even without lugs. This is very important especially if you drive your car on rough roads. It will have the same affect of not having balanced tires on your wheel. The other thing is the wheel offset may not be exactly what is needed for you car and depending on the kind of tire you have mounted on them, the tire may rub against the suspension or wheel well.

Trust me, I learned this the hard and expensive way. Anyway, I am not putting down Canadian Tire but sometimes a little more money up front saves you a lot in the end. After buying four sets of wheels and snow tires in the past four years, I stumbled onto this internet store from Montreal that another newsgroup recommended,

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They sell steel wheels that match the exact factory specs (often they are the factory wheel). They will courier you the tires mounted and balanced onto the wheels (with nice details such as steel valve caps) to you door for not much more than a place like Canadian tire (if you are not in Quebec, they don't charge you PST).

Bao

T> Hi,

Reply to
blh

Hi, In extreme cold little ding on the rim can cause a major damage. Steel rim for winter! For the price of 4 nice mags, you can buy 4 winter tires on 4 steel rims. Tony

330xi wrote:

Reply to
Tony Hwang

i have driven mas in winter for over a dozen years on subaru and bmw and never damaged a wheel

we get many cold minus high twenties and low thirty days over the coarse of a winter

snipped-for-privacy@canada.com

Reply to
330xi

Hi, You call that cold? Put a - sign in front of your numbers. When you see slush forming inside your battery, that is cold! Tony

330xi wrote:
Reply to
Tony Hwang

Thanks for the link, Bao, I wish I had seen it before. They are offering the same tires that the Subaru dealer is pushing at $225 per tire for only $130! Definitely worth knowing about. My only concern would be after sales support from a remote location, but that is true of many things today. Cheers, Tim

Reply to
Tim Reeve

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Diva wrote:

about these and also Nokian. I'll probably go with the Michelins since they are probably easier to find.

June, I have experience with both. I had a '98 GT sedan. I had the Hakka Q's on 15" alloy rims for that car. NOT an ice tire. Maybe better on ice than some comparable snows, but definitely NOT lacking in the snow department. My '98 was an auto tranny, with no LSD in rear. Last winter we had a huge snow storm christmas night in the northeast (NH). I had been trying to sell the car and wanted to take for one last spin in the snow. My neighborhood was unplowed and we had 12"+ on the ground. Once i got down the diveway (plowed) and got in the street i didn't want to stop for fear i wouldn't get going again. I was plowing snow with the front bumper. It was being pushed aside and up on the winshield as well. I did a loop ~2 miles before returning home. What a hoot. Great snow tires. My wife's FWD Accord and our A6 quattro wagon have the Michelin Arctic Alpins. I think the Nokians are better in the snow. However, I found the Michelins to be quiter and handle better on dry roads and they are plenty capable in the snow for a sane person. We drove the Audi packed to the gills up to the white Mtns in the same storm, later that night. 6-8" on the highway, often with no tracks to follow. No traction problems, though the Audi is a much heavier car. I found the Nokians a little "squishy" in the corners on dry roads. As for wear, the Nokians and the Michelins have been through 2 winters and all have plenty of tread left. I had to call around town to find people that carried or could order the Hakka's but i found them to be $10-$15/tire cheaper than the michelins. Hope this helps.

Stu

Reply to
Stu Hedith

Anyway, whatever rims or tires, DO use winter tires during winter. It's like day and night!

A couple of things:

- the cheapest winter tires are better than any four season, security wise.

- a set of winter tires means no compromise on summer tires.

- Canadian Tire Wintertraks or Icetraks are cheap, they do the job, but they handle like crap. (still better than any four-season)

- once the rim is properly centered, the pressure made by the bolts secure the rim to the disc, and the center hole does not matter in making the assembly more solid. So a careful nut tightening technique makes up for any center hole misnatch.

- keep your winter tires properly inflated, even a little bit more. It will avoid scrapping both the tire and the rim on potholes.

- I love the Pirelli Snowsports. They're not the best in tests, but they handle like good summer tires. Better than my Michelin Harmonys.

Reply to
Felix Crashalot

I was able to get 4 of the Subaru 5 or 6 spoke (I don't remember) 15" alloys from local junkyards for $235 total for all 4. That's not much more than steels at that point.

Stu

T> Hi,

Reply to
Stu Hedith

I really appreciate all of this information, Stu. I read your post with = great interest and am saving it for future reference. I am going to = start looking around for my snows and steel rims in the coming week.

June

hearing about these and also Nokian. I'll probably go with the Michelins = since they are probably easier to find.

June, I have experience with both. I had a '98 GT sedan. I had the=20 Hakka Q's on 15" alloy rims for that car. NOT an ice tire. Maybe=20 better on ice than some comparable snows, but definitely NOT lacking in=20 the snow department. My '98 was an auto tranny, with no LSD in rear.=20 Last winter we had a huge snow storm christmas night in the northeast=20 (NH). I had been trying to sell the car and wanted to take for one last =

spin in the snow. My neighborhood was unplowed and we had 12"+ on the=20 ground. Once i got down the diveway (plowed) and got in the street i=20 didn't want to stop for fear i wouldn't get going again. I was plowing=20 snow with the front bumper. It was being pushed aside and up on the=20 winshield as well. I did a loop ~2 miles before returning home. What a =

hoot. Great snow tires. My wife's FWD Accord and our A6 quattro wagon=20 have the Michelin Arctic Alpins. I think the Nokians are better in the=20 snow. However, I found the Michelins to be quiter and handle better on=20 dry roads and they are plenty capable in the snow for a sane person. We =

drove the Audi packed to the gills up to the white Mtns in the same=20 storm, later that night. 6-8" on the highway, often with no tracks to=20 follow. No traction problems, though the Audi is a much heavier car. I =

found the Nokians a little "squishy" in the corners on dry roads. As=20 for wear, the Nokians and the Michelins have been through 2 winters and=20 all have plenty of tread left. I had to call around town to find people =

that carried or could order the Hakka's but i found them to be=20 $10-$15/tire cheaper than the michelins. Hope this helps.

Stu

Reply to
Diva

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