Winter Wheels for 20th Anny...

[Deuce]

Hey Guys,

Since winter will be soon upon us... I've begun to worry about getting a set of winter wheels. Word on the street is that you need at least a set of 16 x 6.5's to fit the 20th Anniversary's. My questions are as follows:

Has anyone already suited up their car for winter and if so, what wheels/tires did you go with?

Also, where did you go to get your winter gear? I'm looking for the best bang for my dollar. Got a quote for $900 before taxes and shipping from Vancouver (Beetle steelies with all-season no-name tires)... can anyone out there recommend a better deal?

If anyone could help out, it would be much appreciated! Thanks.

[1.8Trip]

Lol. Its 30 degrees outside!

Seriously, I'll probably be lookin' in October or November too so it'll be interesting to see what response you get.

You're the squirrel, I'm the rabbit.

[R_Ethug]

you do need 16s to clear your brakes.. but seriously how much do some cheap ass crappy tire steelies cost?? like maybe 30/rim (just guessing please correct me if i'm wrong).. stupid tires cost more than anything.. go to www.tirerack.com and read the ratings on tires plus reviews.. very informative

[Ryan S]

I can't offer advise on wheels, but I can save you loads of grief on tires.

Get some Nokian NRWs. These are by far the best tires I have ever owned, winter or otherwise. I've put two Calgary winters on my set (Nov 1st-ish to Apr 15th-ish) and I've still got at least three seasons left. I drive over 30,000kms per year.

This is why they rule: They're the only all-season tire that has the severe snow rating (like all winter tires). Or, conversely, they're the only winter tire that can be safely driven on all year round. Why is that cool? Because Calgary has just as much warmer days with dry roads during winter as we do snowy and wet/icy ones. It's the dry, warm pavement and gravel that will chew up regular winters really quick.

They were designed in Finland, which has very similar winter conditions to southern Alberta. They also carry a 100,000kms tread-life guarantee, are available with an H-speed rating (not very common for a winter tire), and actually handle and perform reasonably well. They're also not really noisy. The price is a tad over average, but NRWs should outlast most, if not all other winter tires out there (when driven on in Calgary). I will definitely buy these again, when I finally do have to replace mine.

http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/index.html

EDIT:
Whoa, just checked the site, looks like they have a new version, the WR. Good news, your sizes are available in a V speed rating too.

http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/t...size=205/55R16

http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/t...size=225/45R17

[bart]

nah, blizzaks are the best winter tire.

[Fluidic Digital]

Bart man... have you "driven" Simon's car in the winter? His Nokians kick ass... hell ask Bill -- he's got them too!

Yes Blizzaks are good... but not AS good!

Peter

[Deuce]

Hmm.... will definitely have to check out those Nokian's... they sound pretty sweet. Back to the wheel issue though... has anyone just went to Crappy Tire and bought a set of Steelie's? Just wondering if they would fit the 20th Anny. Gonna go check out the website myself but if anyone has any personal experiences to share... well... i'm listening.

Oh yeah... one more thing...
Is the bolt pattern on the 20th 5x100 or 5x112?

Cheers...

[Khyron]

It's got to be 5x100 (I don't KNOW for sure, but I'm pretty sure 25th have swapped wheels with normal mk4s.)

Khyron

[R_Ethug]

5x100 et 35 (pretty sure on the offset but could be wrong)

[Mr. Burns]

blizzaks are defnitely the best, but michelin alpin's come pretty close

[ryder_23]

pirelli makes some good winter tires. Friend has em on his 328, just grips the snow.

[R_Ethug]

this will be my first winter with real snow tires and a FWD car with traction and stability control should be fun.. all i ever drove before was RWD with crappy tire all seasons never ditched it or smashed up once in snow so with real traction it should be cool

[Chris]

I ran Michelin Pilot Alpins the last two winters and had no problems whatsoever. I've still got lots of treadlife left on them so I'm going to be re-using them this winter....just gotta get a set of 17" wheels to go along with them.

I am planning on getting some OZ Cronos, but those buggers are damned expensive. I might end up getting some Monte Carlo knock-offs or S4 replicas from tiretrends.ca.

At any rate, I want my car to be pimping even during the winter months! :mrpimp:

[R_Ethug]

cool thanks for the link chris.. they have some decent prices and they sell some of the Axis wheels i fancy like the supermesh and it seems everyone now has the OZ sl's in racesilver which is another awesome wheel

[1.8Trip]

Are the stock all-seasons (the ones on the long beaches) really that bad in winter?