This is my first winter with my S and we just got hit with 10" of snow. Any suggestions for winter tires and wheels. I have on the 17" with the run flats and need some traction. I've seen the Tire Rack's winter pkg. and perhaps will look around for the same pkg locally, ( Pittsburgh area) and save the shipping costs. Any suggestions?
Thanks Bobdawg :smile:

 

alex@tirerack.com. his winter packages looks like a big bargain.

 

Blizzaks WS-50.
If ya want to use your current rims buy 215/45-17's.
As previously stated call.....Alex @tirerack
Peace,
D

 

>>This is my first winter with my S and we just got hit with 10" of snow. Any suggestions for winter tires and wheels. I have on the 17" with the run flats and need some traction. I've seen the Tire Rack's winter pkg. and perhaps will look around for the same pkg locally, ( Pittsburgh area) and save the shipping costs. Any suggestions?
>> Thanks Bobdawg :smile:

If you want to use your rims and want run-flats so you want have to haul around a Cooper spare, tirerack has Pirelli SnowSport 210/240s. I'm going through this exact thing right now, as well.

 

Those would be 205/45 17s, like your existing tires. I'm not sure what the reasoning behind recommending 215/45 17s as replacement tires is.

 

I could be mistaken but I think the model Blizzak (WS50) I have....
only come in 215/45-17 and are not available in 205/45-17

Please check tirerack for exact model # and sizes


Peace,
D

 

I had the self same 17S lites with run flat Pirellis. I picked up Blizzack 50's from "THE RACK", mounted on steelies so as to avoid the need to remount and balance each season.

Got my S in April and just changed over this last week. The ride is much less jarring on the non runflats. I will have to drive less aggresively but I will appreciate the return to the grip and performance of the Pirellis next spring.

I'll polish off the Pirellis next summer and then shoe up with rgular sidewalls the following year.

Alex was 1st class and the tires arrived within two days.

Check the tire forum for more info. Happy Motoring

 

Great, did ya go with the 15"s or 16"s steel wheels?
Bobdawg

 

i went with the speededition wheels. the TK5 as shown on my sig.
actually, these wheels are real nice. very good powdercoat, attractive,
and for the streets, light enough (19lbs?). they look good on the
car as it's spokes are wide, flat, but slightly rounded to give the
new-age cooper look. :smile:

 

oops

 

I didn't think the blizzaks come in 17" but I have been wrong before...

I just posted my review of the Blizzaks but in summary, they are very nice.
-Chris

 

>>I could be mistaken but I think the model Blizzak (WS50) I have....
>>only come in 215/45-17 and are not available in 205/45-17
>>
>>Please check tirerack for exact model # and sizes
>>
>>
>>Peace,
>>D

You are correct. That's why I suggested the Pirelli SnowSports for sticking to the stock tire size. Also, some might prefer run-flats in the winter as opposed to having to get a Cooper spare. I have no idea which tire is actually better in the snow. The Blizzak is cheaper.

 

Tirerack rates the tires as follows:

The Blizzak looks more like a conventional snow tire to me.

 

Can anyone tell me how the stock runflat "All Season" tires perform on snow? I will be driving into snow country this winter several times and here in dallas a fellow MCS owner is selling his stock set with only 11 miles. I know they are an improvement over my TOYOS but how much?

 

I have the Pirelli all season run flats and drove home in the snow Friday night here in Connecticut. I thought the tires were really awful as I slid backwards down a hill, spinning until I was facing a 10 foot drop into a creek. I was able to back out and slide down the rest of the hill and park at a neighbors. A lot of cars were having trouble, and even 4 wheel drives were sliding. However, I am ordering some Blizzaks because I did not like the all season grip at all. There was none!

Hope this helps.

PS - Snow tires may not help in Dallas as I believe you guys get more ice than snow. Oh well, they can't be worse than the all season Pirellis.

 

>>I have the Pirelli all season run flats and drove home in the snow Friday night here in Connecticut. I thought the tires were really awful as I slid backwards down a hill, spinning until I was facing a 10 foot drop into a creek. I was able to back out and slide down the rest of the hill and park at a neighbors. A lot of cars were having trouble, and even 4 wheel drives were sliding. However, I am ordering some Blizzaks because I did not like the all season grip at all. There was none!
>>
>>Hope this helps.
>>
>>PS - Snow tires may not help in Dallas as I believe you guys get more ice than snow. Oh well, they can't be worse than the all season Pirellis.

What model of tire are your Pirelli all seasons? I have the Euphori@s, which are supposed to be perfomance tires as opposed to all season tires, making them terrible in the snow. It was my understanding that the all season tires provided at the factory for the US market were Goodyear Eagle RSAs. Anyway, I'm getting either the Pirelli SnowSports or Blizzaks.

 

I am running the Continental ContiExtreme Contact all seasons in 215/40/17. They are ZR rated. I live in a rather hilly area and got home fine on Friday during our little storm in NJ. This morning, with icy / slush patches, they were fine as well. Last year I had problems with the OE runflats (they were NOT all seasons, for one thing) I feel more confident with this setup now. I didn't go with a dedicated snow tire for a couple of reasons, and I know what I am sacrificing by going with an "all-season" These are quiet tires - especially compared to my Yoko Parada Spec2's I had previously.

I am not sure if anyone else is running these tires on this board....

 

I'm running Pirelli 210 SnowSports in the 205 / 50 HR 16 configiration. Only had rain and some light snow flurries so far. Compared to the performance runflats I've used in good weather, these are a much softer ride, also handling is (let me use the technical term "squishy&quot when compared to real performance tires, but noise, mpg figures, and all around drivability (when not pushed) are very acceptable. I think these winter tires are definately keepers, and for the kind of winters in my locale (more slush than snow plus much dry and cold), these are just about perfect.

_________________
BLUBELLE - 2003 MCS IB /W Premium, Sport, Cold pkgs, Lapis blue interior, Magnecor wires, Alta Pulley, Moss Skid Plate, Chrome Trim Interior

 

>>I'm running Pirelli 210 SnowSports in the 205 / 50 HR 16 configiration. Only had rain and some light snow flurries so far. Compared to the performance runflats I've used in good weather, these are a much softer ride, also handling is (let me use the technical term "squishy&quot when compared to real performance tires, but noise, mpg figures, and all around drivability (when not pushed) are very acceptable. I think these winter tires are definately keepers, and for the kind of winters in my locale (more slush than snow plus much dry and cold), these are just about perfect.
>>
>>_________________
>>BLUBELLE - 2003 MCS IB /W Premium, Sport, Cold pkgs, Lapis blue interior, Magnecor wires, Alta Pulley, Moss Skid Plate, Chrome Trim Interior

Curious. Why would the 210's, which are run-flats, offer a smoother ride than performance run-flats?

 

Those Dunlop RF's that come on our MINIS should be outlawed in the snow! Like putting plastic sneakers on to negotiate packed snow and ice! I too am looking for a good solution... Huuuummmm.. whats a good all season tire to refit my 16" rims or just bite the bullet and make a little more room in the barn for a whole extra set of wheels/rims??? Any suggestions for good all season tires for the 16"?

 

16" Dunlop RFs that were part of my MINIS birthday suit are like plastic shoes on ice! Virtually useless in the snow/ice! Help Alex!

 

>>
>>Curious. Why would the 210's, which are run-flats, offer a smoother ride than performance run-flats?

The Pirelli 210 SnowSports are NOT run-flats. You may be confused with a Dunlop Wintersport which I believe does come in runflat. Also added a can of fix-a-flat to my in trunk carry-all.

 

>>
>>>>
>>>>Curious. Why would the 210's, which are run-flats, offer a smoother ride than performance run-flats?
>>
>>The Pirelli 210 SnowSports are NOT run-flats. You may be confused with a Dunlop Wintersport which I believe does come in runflat. Also added a can of fix-a-flat to my in trunk carry-all.

Is that the diff between the 210s and 240s? I got my info from tirerack, which appears to have the wrong graphic for the 210 but lists the 210s and 240s as run-flats. I have not looked at the Dunlop.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...p;x=16&y=7

 

I'm currently running Vredestein Wintrac V-XL 205/50-17 on the stock R85 "S-Heavies."

These are V-speed rated, and the siping and rubber compound are uniform for the entire depth of the tread. They are supposed to have better wet/dry traction than the Blizzaks, at the expense of some grip in snow and ice. This seemed to be a better balance for the driving conditions here in middle/western MD than the Blizzaks, since we get typically get lots of above freezing stretches here, punctuated by an occasional winter storm. That said, the last winter or two were not typical, and we had lots of ice and snow that thawed and refroze repeatedly. I bought a snow thrower at the end of this summer to try to guarantee us a milder winter this time around.

Two days into driving on them, and they feel very good. I still have not tried them on any serious ice or wet stuff, since the roads here had pretty much thawed and dried by the time I got them mounted. They are a bit taller than the Pirelli Euforias that came off the wheels, but so far I have seen no signs of rubbing.

Is anyone else running these?


_________________
Midnight- '03 indi blue MCS, learning all the bad habits of a proper British car from Rusty- '75 MGB

 

>>This is my first winter with my S and we just got hit with 10" of snow. Any suggestions for winter tires and wheels. I have on the 17" with the run flats and need some traction. I've seen the Tire Rack's winter pkg. and perhaps will look around for the same pkg locally, ( Pittsburgh area) and save the shipping costs. Any suggestions?
>> Thanks Bobdawg :smile:

My MCS has 16" Monza wheels from Randy with Dunlop Winter M3 run-flat tires in 195/55. They seem to work very well. After 12' of snow here in Connecticut this weekend, the Mini went up my driveway with no problem where the Suburban required 4WD to get out of its own way. Save the 17" wheels and 45-series tires for the Spring.