Wide snow tires

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Installed.


Okay, can I borrow your car now? We did get hit.

Actually, though, I exaggerate. The roads are excellent. Everywhere the snow got to pile up, though, is a mess.

As for winter tires, that's the eventual plan with the F-150 - relegate it to mostly winter use.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Installed.


Okay, can I borrow your car now? We did get hit.

Actually, though, I exaggerate. The roads are excellent. Everywhere the snow got to pile up, though, is a mess.

As for winter tires, that's the eventual plan with the F-150 - relegate it to mostly winter use.


Hehe, it's still +5 here.

 

[AstroTurf]

72 Degrees in Richmond, VA today!!!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

It was pretty warm in CNY today (for November).

I made my Jeep 2 wheel drive ...

 

[rslifkin]

Pretty warm here in Rochester too. I'm kinda waiting for snow now, considering I've done all my snow prep on the Jeep (flood the inside of the rockers and frame rails with PB blaster and the lower inside of the doors / hatch / hood with WD-40 until they start dripping a little). All exposed metal on the underbody has been cleaned and painted, same with the exhaust, so she's ready to rock.

However, it looks like I won't get to test out the new suspension setup and tires in the snow until sometime after I get back up here from Thanksgiving break (unless it snows in CT while I'm home).

 

[Colt45ws]

Haha, when I was driving to pick up my friend so we could go get my sunroof replaced, it was snowing. Pretty decently. Ive seen it harder but not much. It didnt stick though. I was sad. I wanted to play.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Hehe, it's still +5 here.


Possibly down the -23 C tonight. Why do I keep delaying putting my distributor in the F-150? Well, the G has good heat, mind you.

Have you been able to test the winter tires yet in the snow?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Hehe, it's still +5 here.


Possibly down the -23 C tonight. Why do I keep delaying putting my distributor in the F-150? Well, the G has good heat, mind you.

Have you been able to test the winter tires yet in the snow?


No, not with this weather, LOL

 

[hattaresguy]

Nah it will do OK, its German and built to drive in the snow.

 

[Bladecutter]

OVERK1LL,

The best thing to do, for future knowledge, with Germa cars with staggered wheel setups, is to buy a second set of front wheels, and run the same size front tires on the rear.

That gets you the same rolling diameter as the car intends, plus have better traction in the slick stuff.

This is what Porsche and MB recommends in the owners manuals.
I'm actually surprised that you don't find this note in your BMW's owners manuals, honestly.

Might have cost you less to buy a full set (4) of cheapo front sized wheels and snow tires from Discount tire, or Tire Rack than what you paid for the stock size snow tires.

BC.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
OVERK1LL,

The best thing to do, for future knowledge, with Germa cars with staggered wheel setups, is to buy a second set of front wheels, and run the same size front tires on the rear.

That gets you the same rolling diameter as the car intends, plus have better traction in the slick stuff.

This is what Porsche and MB recommends in the owners manuals.
I'm actually surprised that you don't find this note in your BMW's owners manuals, honestly.

Might have cost you less to buy a full set (4) of cheapo front sized wheels and snow tires from Discount tire, or Tire Rack than what you paid for the stock size snow tires.

BC.


Yeah, would have been around $80/tire for the same ones I put on the front.

No idea on the cost of the rims though........

 

[D189379]

I don't foresee much trouble. If you drive on deep, unpacked snow you might get into some. But I'm guessing you'll spend more time on packed or shallow snow and ice, in which case your tires will be fine.

Unless you live in the countryside, then you might regret it.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: D189379
I don't foresee much trouble. If you drive on deep, unpacked snow you might get into some. But I'm guessing you'll spend more time on packed or shallow snow and ice, in which case your tires will be fine.

Unless you live in the countryside, then you might regret it.


No, I live in town. Any significant out of town adventuring will have me driving the Expedition.

 

[vtdave]

Since your wife tends to crash into things on ice/snow, thereby costing you money, you might consider putting her in something easier to handle than the Expedition.

My guess is the next time she hits ice, she'll be in RWD mode, with a high center of gravity, a long wheel base, and very little weight over the drive wheels. How is that going to work out? [Not well.] You might as well go flip the Expedition on its roof now just to save her the trouble in January.

My vote is YOU drive the Expedition, and you get her a 2005 Subaru Forester (or a midsize FWD car) "winter beater" with winter tires. As a bonus, the M5 gets spared winter's rusty wrath.

 

[OVERKILL]

Well, apparently I misspoke earlier in the thread, I snapped a pic of the placard (as I was going from memory) and here it is:

1. They lump Canada in with the USA
2. They list one pressure setting (denoted by the triangle and circle) for the USA/Canada: 44 front, 48 rear
3. Europe has the same spec fully loaded as the US but with additional "4 occupants" option of 34 front/38 rear (what I was running in the summer)
4. The M+S tires (235/45/17's) fitted would spec 39 front, 46 rear (unless I'm in Europe, in which case the same 4 occupants pressures apply), which is the same pressure Bridgestone (and others) spec for snow tires in the stock staggered sizes????

 

[OVERKILL]

The front feels great at 39, but the rear is SCARY at 46, like any moderate acceleration in 3rd gear engages the DSC scary....

 

[HTSS_TR]

I think 46 PSI for the rear is too high with the car lightly loaded, fully loaded may be okay. I would try 38-40 PSI.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I think 46 PSI for the rear is too high with the car lightly loaded, fully loaded may be okay. I would try 38-40 PSI.


I tend to agree. I didn't have this issue with it at 34/38, though it tramlined, which it doesn't do with the fronts at 39.....

 

[rslifkin]

I'd just play with it a bit until it feels right, and call it good. As long as the pressures are high enough to keep the tires happy, you've got nothing to worry about.

Heck, my current set of tires in the Jeep has ended up liking a much bigger pressure stagger than my prior sets, despite the Jeep having a 56/44 weight balance. The stock size (225/70R16) ones it had when I bought it liked to be around 42 front / 40 rear (spec is 36/36). The 245/70R16 A/Ts I had on it previously were quite happy around 38/36, and the 255/65R16 A/Ts that are on it now behave and feel best at 39 front / 31-32 rear (any more in the rear and they spin effortlessly on dry pavement, any less in the front and they start to wear to the outside and feel squishy).

 

[OVERKILL]

Well I dropped the rears to 42 and left the front alone and it is a lot better. Rear is no longer sketchy. May drop the front to 38 just to keep the spread the same.