sighs...

notice
1) BUTT ugly curbed to hell used wheels with HUGE sidewall 195/55-16 winters
2) took the Lip off, now just looks outright plain
3) look at that wheelgap!

not that i can complain

come on april!

 

Just mounted them earlier today (wet, foggy, rainy) since snow is forecast on Wed night for us. 15" R93 Rockets with custom (ahem, Duplicolor Wheel Paint) paint job.

 

You mention Winter Mode...

I've seen many talk about getting new tires during the snowy seasons... what else should I consider?

(just got my 06 cooper last April...)

 

I just got my cooper at the end of Sept. It came with all-seasons, not the performance tires i originally wanted, but it was on the lot and I got a deal. Anyway, think the all-seasons are good enough for the winter?

We just had our first snow here in CT and I took it pretty easy this morning. It was pretty slippery but I didn't have much of a problem. Of course, there wasn't too much on the ground either.

 

I am in winter mode. MINI in the garage, all winterized. Time to start driving the truck and working on winter projects. My car will only be driven on sunny warm days till March.

 

Yep, put my winters on Nov. 1st. will keep them on till Mar. 31st.
Wheels really make the car and when you have to go back to OEM's it sucks

 

How much snow do you get per year? I thought CT pretty much gets hammered every year? If that's the case, you won't be sorry if you get a set of winter snows...

I bought a set of Blizzaks last year and mounted them on my S-lites. Nice heavy wheels and great snow tires. We have a few decent snow storms last year (>8 inches), and I made it through everything.

Personally, I don't think all seasons are all that great unless you max out on 3-4 inches of snow. Even then, the minute you lose some tread they don't do well.

Back on thread... I just mounted my snows last weekend. Glad I did; snow is in the forecast!

-Ed

 

I thought that until the first "real" snow. I was everywhere on the road. Put on a set of Blizzaks and never looked back. Then again, I'm in the Snow-Belt of Northeast Ohio.

I would advise that if you're going to get snows do it sooner than later. I used tirerack.com and they actually ran out of 15 inch steel wheels when I was looking. I ended up with 16's which work fine, but run about $10/rim and $20/tire more expensive.

I've been lazy to date and haven't mounted the winters yet.

 

My snows went on last Saturday. We don't get as much snow as you Thom, but I like being able to go where I please regardless of weather.

I have a friend who is looking for Blizzaks for his Audi. Seems as though the size he needs is sold out.

 

For winter:

snow tires
rubber floor mats
winter windshield wipers (old school "booted" or new school one piece - like the Bosch Icon)
bottle of windshield washer fluid in the car
snow brush / ice scraper
possibly lock de-icer if your car is a 2002-2003

And, depending upon how much snow your area gets:
shovel, space blanket, extra pair of gloves, flares / warning triangle, tow chain and tow hook (the hook should already be in the car's toolkit from the factory, but know how to use it).

 

I am putting my stock all-season run flats on this afternoon. As St. Louis is famous for, it is 70 degrees out right now, with light snow predicted for this evening. We have already had a few cold mornings in which my summer rubber was a little slick, so it is time to put them away.

 

The plan for Thanksgiving Day is as follows:

1. Sleep in
2. Hang out in the kitchen long enough to get kicked out, thus avoiding getting put to work until turkey carving time
3. Consume mass quantities
4. Let the football game on the telly and the tryptophan lull me into some nappy time
5. Swap out my performance combo with new Hankook iPikes (no studs) mounted on my stock 15" holies
6. Go for a wee test drive, return and re-torque
7. Start pulling Xmas decoration boxes down in prep for the next day annual ritual

Glad I was able to hold out until now to put the snows on. Now I have to start thinking how long I want to leave them on next Spring...

 

Thanks!

Sorry that I posted "off-thread"...

 

I went one winter with my run flats with really no problem in WI the DSC works really well. This year I picked up a set of winters on black steel wheels with my car being BRG and black top- I like the look!

 

Just broke out the Winter Truck!

3 inches of snow here and my morning commute was 70 minutes. Normally 50 so not too bad. Now to see how long the evening commute is. UGH...i'm leaving early!

 

What's snow?

For that matter, what's winter?

jk

I have an extra set of 17" bullets (just like my primary wheels) waiting for a set of Kumho ASX all seasons - that's all we need down here in the south... I'd leave the summer tires on - but I drive a fair amount between DC and Atlanta and the NC mountains, and sometimes see a little snow and ice (but almost never "inches"... got a little scary one time last winter when I was in Atlanta (on my summer tires) 6 hours from home, and woke up to snow/sleet on the ground... so taking no chances this winter.

 

Let's see, I think I'm ready for winter as I got my light jacket cleaned and ready to go. High 60s and overcast in central Ga. today.

 

My winter wheels and tires are stacked up in the living room and inflated
to proper psi (+ and extra 4 psi for the temp difference between inside
and outside) waiting to be swapped tommorow, if there's a half hour or
so without rain.
Usually it's the arrival of cold mornings (stiffens up the summer tire tread)
rather than a forcast of snow that prompts me to swap to winter wheels.

 

Kyriian: Our cars look so much better than anything else on the road in winter that the addition of snow tires is immaterial. Also, your picture is CLEAN. IMagine that with a layer of salt and grungy slush!





+1.5! Add "attendance at the February PittStopMini "Wintry Driving Refresher (think about driving "slideways" - and being encouraged to do so!). My kit includes a tow STRAP, regular blanket, flashlight, towel (for traction if I need it, and to wipe off excess schmutz), matches/candle, and a couple of Powerbars.

I actually LIKE when I put the 16's on (Dunlop M3s, 195/55/16) they drive SO much better than euphori@s, and are quiet.. The above pics were last year, this year it's early 16" 5 spokers...

Summer tires have all the direction-changing ability of hockey pucks in winter...

 

Yesterday evening, I went over to Randy Webb's for a new 15% s/c pulley and thoroughly enjoyed it for the 35 miles or so that it took me to get home. All I can say is wow, what a difference! I had on my nice Goodyear F1 GS-D3 215/40WR16 tires that, at times, when pushed, couldn't quite handle the extra power.

This morning I woke up to a few inches of very slippery wet snow and discovered that those fine summer tires are less than worthless on the white stuff. Alas, it's time to put on the 15 inchers with the skinney snow tires. It looks like I'll have to wait till spring to really work the new s/c pulley. Snif sniff.

 

Me too... I used to look forward to swapping my wheels since my All-Seasons are on a set of X-lites I bought used (my old stock wheels were boring S-lites), but my new car has the cool Web Spokes under the performance run-flats.

 

i got my 16" steelies with blizzaks sitting in the garage. I can't put them on yet due to tearing my ACl last weekend (I don't move to quick and can't lift anything). :(. My mini basically sleeps all day and dreams of carving up soem ohio country road.

 

Yep, It's winter mode. Have to roll up the windows

 

Question: Where do you guys get Steelies? I would possibly like to pick up some 15 or 16" Steelies and some Dunlop Winter Sport M3's or Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50's. Anyone have recommendations?

I live in Ohio, and the winters can be a little harsh at some times, and I remember last year slipping around a bit on the stock Pirelli run craps.

-Cody

 

just remember not all steelies will fit, my first winter setup in 15s, i brought from my tech, and they ended up grinding at the balljoints