Yay! Winter Tires

[kkreit01]

DTD had a pretty good deal going on wheels/tires last month. I bought a set of 15" MB Wheels alloys + General Altimax Artic mounted/balanced for < $437 shipped to my door (after rebates). I went with 205/60/15 because it's nearly identical height to my stock size (215/45/17). We have some rain + low 30s on the way this weekend, so I took this Holiday to put them on.

Here's what I started with:

OEM combo weighs:

Winter combo weighs:

1 on:

Rear drums = Booo. Free hub-centric rings = yay:

Rear: one of each:

Afters:

I bought tuner lugs from AAP (with 40% discount code). DTD wants $45 for theirs. I paid < half. I drove all afternoon on them. They ride better than OEM. They don't tramline at all (the KH16s are the worst tramlining tires I've ridden on). They have a low humm to them at speeds up to ~45 mph -- about what agressive AT tires sounds like. They are louder than the Silent Armors on my SUV. Take-off traction doesn't appear to be as good in the rain as OEM KH16s, but it may just spin easier because they are lighter.

Here's the weird part! We drove all afternoon: lots of 10-25 minute trips, and the TPMS light/chime didn't appear once. There are no sensors in the new set. The old set is in the garage, so it may reset once I drive in? I'm sure the light will come on one of these days. I'm not so much of a believer in TMPS anymore.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Wow my 08 Focus TPMS system has went off twice in the two years I have owned the car. Both times it was the first cold spell of the year. Inflated tires to 32 psi. Good to go. That's a nice neighborhood you live in kkreit.

 

[-Clayton-]

They look good.

 

[pbm]

I agree that you live in a nice looking neighborhood.

I like the look of the 15" tires better than the 17 inchers. I don't like that all the car makers are putting on low profile OE tires. They are more money to replace and are easier to damage.

 

[Hollow]

Looks good. Please let us know how the General's and your Focus perform in winter conditions.

Also, I think the car looks better with a little sidewall on the tire, but that is just me.

 

[Nick R]

Nice! Let me know how they work... I'm seriously considering setting aside some money for some General Altimax HPs to put on in the spring. Figure some good All-seasons are more cost effective in the long run. I'd rather have one good set for year round use than one good winter set and one ok summer set.

 

[5sfe91]

Very nice, they remind me of the Hancook IPike W409

 

[kkreit01]

The TMPS light/fault finally went off on my way to work this AM. I know it works, because it went off early this Fall (the first cold day) -- when 2 tires were around 28 psi. Apparently when you remove all sensors, it confuses the system, and takes quite awhile (50 - 100 mi) to figure it out. Quite lame if you ask me. One would think it would be an instant fault. I reset the "Tire Pressure System Fault" message on my display, and the light remained solid (lit). It will be interesting if the fault will go away when I pull into the garage (where the OEM tires are stacked).

We had some hard rain this AM, and the winter tires aren't that great in the rain. I don't know if all the little sipes are trying to soak up the water -- rather than dispersing it? It wasn't terrible -- I just noticed they were ready to hydroplane sooner than the OEM tires. This is my first set of dedicated snows. I'm ready for the white stuff.

 

[Samilcar]

It's not an instant fault because the car hasn't received a low pressure "distress" signal from the tire sensors. It just hasn't received the intermittent "all-clear, just checking in" signal from any of the sensors.

In our van the "distress" signal causes the TPMS light on the dash to light immediately and solidly. The absence of an "all-clear" signal in a set time period causes the TPMS light to flash on and off for a minute before it stays on solidly.

 

[kkreit01]

Yes -- that's what mine did (distress signal). IMO, the "set time period" is too long. If it's that big of a safety issue, it should be expecting something (heartbeat/keep-alive signal, etc.) every 30 secs or so. I really don't care -- as I knew I would have to drive all winter with a light on.

TPMS has saved me from potential flats (beside the road) 3 times within the past 5 years.

 

[Drew99GT]

I'm concerned about your experience with rain. From what I've read, snow tires can cause problems in rain and heavy slush at higher speeds. I have a set of studded Altimaxs! I'm thinking maybe it's because the center tread block is there without a water channel. The Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 has the center water channel and reviews show it's better in rain and slush then most snow tires.

 

[Scienceman]

Looks nice!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Nice! My General Altimax Arctics are sitting in the corner of my basement, waiting to be mounted again... probably in another 2 weeks or so.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

Originally Posted By: Nick R
Nice! Let me know how they work... I'm seriously considering setting aside some money for some General Altimax HPs to put on in the spring. Figure some good All-seasons are more cost effective in the long run. I'd rather have one good set for year round use than one good winter set and one ok summer set.


I've got the Altimax HP's on my 08 Focus and after 3000 miles and I can already tell you they are night and day versus the OEM Hankooks. Handling prowess and wet traction is much improved. I'll let you know how they hold up.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
It wasn't terrible -- I just noticed they were ready to hydroplane sooner than the OEM tires. This is my first set of dedicated snows. I'm ready for the white stuff.


I'm very surprised to hear that. The identical Gislaved Nord Frost 3 tied with the Nokian Hakka4 for best hydroplane resistance in a 2003 winter tire test. I would have expected your winter tires to hydroplane far less than your summers.

If you were feeling hydroplaning as a pull in the steering wheel, it may be due to a change in wheel offset. How much did these wheels increase outset compared to the OEM wheels? With more outset, any uneven loads between the two front tires will be felt through the steering much more. You will feel the steering wheel pull when hitting puddles if you move the wheel center-line away from the ball joint center, even if it isn't hydroplaning much.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
We had some hard rain this AM, and the winter tires aren't that great in the rain. I don't know if all the little sipes are trying to soak up the water -- rather than dispersing it? It wasn't terrible -- I just noticed they were ready to hydroplane sooner than the OEM tires.

How many miles do you have on them now? Keep in mind that for the first couple of hundred miles, new tires release/wear off some of the greases applied during the manufacturing process and this may make them appear somewhat more slippery, less grippy.

Personally, I haven't really noticed any hydroplaning issues with them. With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't as good when it comes to hydroplaning as some high performance all-season or summer tires out there.

Mine are in size 215/60/16.

 

[kkreit01]

The offset does set the wheels out a little further, but the tires are 10 mm narrower than stock. Don't be too alarmed about my experience in the rain. It didn't feel loose or dangerous. They just fealt "heavy" in the rain compared to the KH16s. Otherwise, they ride better down the road vs OEM. They fealt fine on the way home in the rain. I had brief speeds of 75 or more, and they fealt secure. I just had to get used to the feel early this morning (6:00 am, dark, and raining medium-hard).