I'm looking for advice to help choose a set of winter tires/rims. I'm trying to decide which size of rim to buy for winter. I like the looks of my 17" rims and I that they weigh 16-17lbs each. Am I crazy to run a similar weight rim through the winter? I'm considering something more affordable like Motegi SP10. Another option is to downsize the rim. Achieving this weight goal is simple this way since there are lots of options my price range. I plan to drive quite spirited in the winter since we have a lot of dry days. What would you do?

 

Depending on the roads where you live, the dryness of the road doesn't matter.... It's covered in grit of some sort (all the time)

Your rubber is also not going to preform like summer rubber will, forgetting about the grit, the rubber won't stick as well either.

If you don't have grip, there's no point in running light weight wheels. Don't get me wrong, I love my summers....

But with the greater possibility of wheel damage due to cold, ice/snow curbing, the lack of grip, and the general preference for thinner taller winter rubber (to cut vs plane) having awesome lightweight winter rims is just not necessary.

The reduced unsprung weight will just lead to more wheel spin


I love my R53's in the winter, they're tonnes of fun... But the OEM clunkers perform plenty fine

 

"I plan to drive quite spirited in the winter since we have a lot of dry days. What would you do?"

I'd recognize that no winter tire is going to stand up to the abuse or deliver quality results when driven spiritedly on anything but ice or snow. If you proceed with winter tires get one from the performance category rather than the ice and snow category.

If you don't have heavy or frequent snow then one of the better all-seasons might work for you.

It would seem that you have a lot of decisions to make before becoming concerned with weight. Start with what tire is required to cope with your winter conditions. Try TireRack.com for great information on tires.

 

I guess I can add that I've narrowed my tires down to one of the following:
Continental DSW 06 if I go all season, or
Pirelli Sottozero if I go winter. This one is in the performance winter category. I've enjoyed Pirelli winters in the past.

Not sure if this generates any additional thoughts. Appreciate the advice.

 

You're in roughly the same area as me, winter is almost over !

Was just thinking about when I could go back to the summer tires, probably one more month on the snow tires.

+1 to what james said. I lightly hit a curb this morning going through the snow, and having a 16 inch tire will be cheaper too.

Good time too find some rims, and maybe good tires on Craigslist too, with everyone taking theres off in about a month

 

Think I'll take your advice and save some money on rims. I was planning for next winter and thinking of taking advantage of Costco sale. I'll look for some local OEMs this summer.

 

I run OEM 16's with nokian hakkapelita R2's and they're awesome. great in snow and decent grip on dry pavement. If you can find some oem or steel 15's, that's even better I think (more sidewall)

 

I run OEM 15's, R93 5 spoke, with Bridgestone Blizzaks. Combo has served me well over the last 3 winters, and I have a long commute to work. I bought the rims for $249 shipped, and the tires cost about $340 (after rebate). Picture is just to show what the rims look like. I bought these because they are the same design as the original rims on my MINI.

 

This thread really belongs in the "Tires, Wheels, & Brakes" section, but with that said, I have a set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2s on an 2nd set of 16" wheels that I mount on my R53 m/c/s only if there is snow/ice on the roads. Obviously, this limited exposure to dry roads preserves the life of the snow tires exponentially. It also helps to have a garage to be able to do these tire swaps efficiently. When there isn't snow on the roads, my all-season Conti DWS06's are put back on. It makes no sense to me to have the snows on the road all winter, if for the most part the roads are clear of snow. The soft rubber compounds used on snow tires wear very quickly if run on dry roads. I live in New England where we get a fair amount of snow, and for the most part after a snowstorm, you'll have maybe three days at most with snow on the roads before the plow trucks get to everything with blades/salt. As to "spirited driving" on winter tires, don't bother. They're not really constructed to be run as such. They have deep tread siping and very soft rubber which results in a "squishy" feel -- not conducive to driving in a spirited fashion. In regard to running the Conti DWS06's in ice/snow, they are not an ideal tire for that environment. They don't grip particularly well, and you'll slide some. It can be done in a pinch, but make no mistake - it's a night and day difference between them and a proper snow tire such as the Hak R2s, which are flawless in the snow and ice.