2014-2015 Winter Tire & Wheel Discussion

[Mikeez]

I am staying on the OEM Wheels and 215/45/17 XIce3

[nick_318is]

I'm going stock wheels with blizzak ws80s tomorrow.

[ray7792]

Anyone know if there is any kind of long term harm done to the tires if I were to use summers below 40 degrees? Obviously I won't be getting in the car and seeing how much grip I have first thing in the morning, but say after driving for a mile would the tires be warm enough that I can drive normally and can expect similar grip levels in dry or wet.

Would the tread wear quicker and expect to see pieces of compound dangling off like I see on trucks? I assume it would be stupid to try and quickly heat up the tires with a burnout, that quick expansion due to heat can't be all that good for the life of the tire.

Just asking because it isn't consistently below 40 here yet. However, this week has been pretty cold, but the next week will be above 40 again. So, I don't feel like changing into my Dunlop Winter Maxxs yet.

[Poodles]

Originally Posted by ray7792

Anyone know if there is any kind of long term harm done to the tires if I were to use summers below 40 degrees? Obviously I won't be getting in the car and seeing how much grip I have first thing in the morning, but say after driving for a mile would the tires be warm enough that I can drive normally and can expect similar grip levels in dry or wet.

Would the tread wear quicker and expect to see pieces of compound dangling off like I see on trucks? I assume it would be stupid to try and quickly heat up the tires with a burnout, that quick expansion due to heat can't be all that good for the life of the tire.

Just asking because it isn't consistently below 40 here yet. However, this week has been pretty cold, but the next week will be above 40 again. So, I don't feel like changing into my Dunlop Winter Maxxs yet.

Summer tires just get hard and don't grip worth a flip in the cold. If anything, wear would be reduced because they're so hard at those temps.


Just drive more carefully during this time of year.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by ray7792

Anyone know if there is any kind of long term harm done to the tires if I were to use summers below 40 degrees? Obviously I won't be getting in the car and seeing how much grip I have first thing in the morning, but say after driving for a mile would the tires be warm enough that I can drive normally and can expect similar grip levels in dry or wet.

Would the tread wear quicker and expect to see pieces of compound dangling off like I see on trucks? I assume it would be stupid to try and quickly heat up the tires with a burnout, that quick expansion due to heat can't be all that good for the life of the tire.

Just asking because it isn't consistently below 40 here yet. However, this week has been pretty cold, but the next week will be above 40 again. So, I don't feel like changing into my Dunlop Winter Maxxs yet.

Do yourself a favor and change over to your winters ASAP. The general rule of thumb, at least here in Ohio, is winters go on after Halloween and come off after St. Patrick's Day (though I have gone into April before).

As has been said already, your summers will just get harder below 40 and it will be like driving on hockey pucks. They won't wear any more quickly, but you will be more likely to lose traction in wet conditions. Given the temperature rating of your Conti's, a burnout wouldn't do anything other than wear tread off your tires.

I'm guessing you are worried about your winter tires wearing out too quickly above 40. A few days driving around (assuming you aren't hooning) in warmer temps won't wreck your winters long-term. You'll be thankful once the cold and snow hits that you aren't stuck somewhere and have to fishtail all the way home.

TL;DR--Put your winter tires on, its safer and the other drivers will thank you.

[Kwaziekeller]

Here in Arkansas (South of Little Rock), I've never had the need for a true winter tire, but as I take a trip home to NW Ohio every winter for Christmas, I've wanted something better than summer tires. In the past I've made the trip home on Toyo Proxes 4, and Continental DWS tires on my Charger SRT8 (with ProCharger), as well as spent most of a winter on the OE Goodyear Eagle RS-A's between AR/OH/MN. I never had "a problem" persay, but the Charger was nearly the weight of 2 FRS/BRZ's lol.

Regardless, I made the choice to use Continental DWS this winter, and for the next few years as my "Winter tire", and in the spring I'll purchase a max or extreme performance summer tire to replace the worn out stock Primacy HP's (Eyeing the MPSS, and maybe aftermarket wheels after 2.5 years of stockers already).

Only problems I've ever encountered were both on the Toyo P4's. One time I got into an unplowed 1" snow/slush fast lane at 75mph and wiggled and squirmed down to controllable speed before rejoining the cleared lanes (outside of Fort Wayne, IN). The other, I got stuck on a slight incline of packed snow. Wound up having to alter my route slightly (leaving a parking lot in Whitehouse, OH). Not a problem, but I did shatter my ring gear when it caught 2nd on a wet road with falling snow while on the Conti DWS (Probably due to the 60k+ miles and neglect of the differential fluid, as well as it being below operating temp, which happened outside of Scottsburgh, IN). Of course...I don't have to drive in snow 75% of the winter like in some climates, so an All-Season tire works best for me in "winter".

[Mikeez]

Originally Posted by nick_318is

I'm going stock wheels with blizzak ws80s tomorrow.

Do you have some snow to test those tires? Let me know... I am getting either this or the XICE3

[nick_318is]

We've had a little snow the last couple days but not a ton, maybe 2-3 inches, the car has been fine. I only hear good things about the x-ice so I don't think you can go wrong with either.

[LucidMomentum]

As someone who lives in the valley in California, the concept of summer / winter tires never really reached me.

It does get close to freezing in December mornings though. Should I be concerned if I'm on the stock tires? I plan to get Super Sports eventually, and keep the stock tires as the "winter" set.

[MadeInSweden]

Staying OEM 17" and getting a set of Nokian Hakka R, 205/50-17

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by LucidMomentum

As someone who lives in the valley in California, the concept of summer / winter tires never really reached me.

It does get close to freezing in December mornings though. Should I be concerned if I'm on the stock tires? I plan to get Super Sports eventually, and keep the stock tires as the "winter" set.

No. Actually, yes. You shouldn't get to have fun with your car while those of us in the frozen north have to garage our cars or drive carefully

[Shark_Bait88]

Picked up a 2nd set of OEMs w/ TPMS and a set of Blizzak WS80s. Had them put on last Saturday, and it was perfect timing because a few hours after getting the Blizzaks on I came out to this...



I promptly jumped in my car and went to a nearby empty lot to make some "snow angels."

[Mikeez]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

Picked up a 2nd set of OEMs w/ TPMS and a set of Blizzak WS80s. Had them put on last Saturday, and it was perfect timing because a few hours after getting the Blizzaks on I came out to this...



I promptly jumped in my car and went to a nearby empty lot to make some "snow angels."

Why'd you get second pairs lol?

[Shark_Bait88]

Originally Posted by Mikeez

Why'd you get second pairs lol?

Because I got wheels w/ tires and TPMS for a good deal, and they are going to serve as both winter and track wheels.