I am looking ot buy a snowtire/wheel package - stock wheels on my 02 Forester S is 215 r60-16 In speaking with Tirerack.com, they recommended a 15" tire 205 r70-15 so that I can run a narrower tire in winter Would this be okay?
The circumference of the tire is what is important, so that your speedo stays accurate. The 215 r60-16 tires have a circumference of about 2086 mm, the 205 r70-15
2097 mm, a difference of about 1/2%, which is negligeable. The narrower tires do bite better in snow, the wider stock size tends to float in snow, especially all seasons. Ed B
205-70-15 is the stock size on the base Forester (Forester "L" ?). We put a set of Kumho I-Zen tires on my wifes Forester last fall. 4 tires, in 205-70-15, studded, mounted and balanced on new steel rims, and shipped were well under the $500 mark from Tirerack. Hard to beat that deal. The tires work well; they have nice manners on the highway, are reasonably quiet for studded tires, grip well on ice, and work OK in snow. Hope this helps.
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101
the tire rack folks are usually more astute about these things than the local Tires-R-Us.
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