snow options: 235/50/17

[eljefino]

Seems like very few & far between; two pirellis at $180+ on tire rack.

This is for my mother in law's Buick Lacrosse hybrid. Her first winter on the low friction OE Michelins: surprise, they're awful.

Looking for a common downsize. 215/55/17 shows a little promise.

Brakes are tiny on this thing, I'm plugging to go down to a 16" rim, though a 15 would probably fit. She likes unmounting from the stock rims 2x a year though.

 

[Quattro Pete]

TireRack shows 225/55/17 as an alternate size for winter - quite a few snow tires available in this size.

They're not showing any 16" or 15" alternatives, but if you can make it work, that'd probably be even better.

 

[eljefino]

Yeah those firestones at $105 ea look promising in 225/55/17.

Treaddepot is worse.

Mechanic says there's a national backorder in the original size.

 

[JimPghPA]

Snow tires on only 2 is a bad idea. Snow tires on only 2 when the driver is an elderly lady is an even worse idea.

If you can find a good deal on snow tires, Wall-Mart is a good place to take the vehicle to for getting those tires mounted and balanced, if the rims are rims that are easy to mount tires on.

Some people say Wall-Mart damages fancy rims so you might want a shop with better equipment and better labor than a Wall-Mart if that is the case.

 

[eljefino]

Who said 2? She's getting 4. She'll be changing them 2x a year. There are two different model pirellis on Tire Rack and that's it.

 

[andyd]

get a set of 15" steel wheels and get 215 75 15s High and narrow for winter. If she is a Mainer, she should be used to snow.

 

[eljefino]

I'm angling towards steelies. But this car has the freakish 5x120 bolt pattern. They decided at some point in the mid oughty-oughts to make all their new cars insane like this.

 

[leeharvey418]

I find it very curious that you say the brakes are tiny, and yet Tire Rack doesn't show anything smaller than a 17" option for the car. Is there something else besides the brakes that precludes a smaller wheel? Weirdly shaped steering kingpin or something?

 

[Papa Bear]

El, what about a 225/60/17 tire ?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
El, what about a 225/60/17 tire ?

225/60/17 is more than 5% larger in diameter than his OEM size - it could rub. Plus once you go over certain margin, traction control system may start complaining.

Besides, winter tire selection in this size is no better than in 225/55/17 which is closer to OEM diameter, so I'm not sure why he'd want to run 225/60/17.

 

[kkreit01]

I highly doubt 15" would fit. I'd pick the smallest steel wheel, tallest/thinnest tire, and have them mounted up. That's much easier/cheaper to swap the wheel/tire combo, vs. swap/balance tires 2x year. Check DTD and tirerack. DTD should have some good rebates now.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'm angling towards steelies. But this car has the freakish 5x120 bolt pattern.

Many BMWs use this bolt pattern, but I'm not sure about other specs such as offset and center bore. Plus, finding steelies for a BMW isn't easy either.

I couldn't find any when I was shopping for winter wheels for mine.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
I highly doubt 15" would fit. I'd pick the smallest steel wheel, tallest/thinnest tire, and have them mounted up. That's much easier/cheaper to swap the wheel/tire combo, vs. swap/balance tires 2x year. Check DTD and tirerack. DTD should have some good rebates now.


Preaching to the choir. As I look for skinnier alternate sizes I have no idea what's popular... it kinda stinks scrolling through webpage after webpage typing in slightly different sizes over and over.

Hence, this thread. 225/55/17 seems more universal.

 

[Garandman]

Nokian makes the R2 in 215/55R17.
http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=195114&group=1.01&name=Nokian+Hakkapeliitta+R2

WRG3 as well.
http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=195115&group=1.01&name=Nokian WRG3

 

[Rand]

225/55r17 is stock size for a number of cars.. including 2011 foresters

 

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
TireRack shows 225/55/17 as an alternate size for winter - quite a few snow tires available in this size.

They're not showing any 16" or 15" alternatives, but if you can make it work, that'd probably be even better.


215/55r17 is a better match in the rolling circumference than 225/55r17

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Is it able to fit 16s? If you are buying wheels and tires it's probably going to be much cheaper to go with 215/60-16 or 215/60-16.

Back when I had a car with that size, it was pretty rare. Now it's ultra common.

 

[leeharvey418]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Is it able to fit 16s?


Tire Rack says no.

 

[UG_Passat]

SOmetimes TireRack is wrong.

Case in point...

a 2010+ VW Golf TDI, according to TireRack, there is no 15" wheel option.

however, a 2010 Golf 2.5, has 15" wheel options.

TireRack is wrong on the Golf TDI because the Golf TDI and Golf 2.5 share the exact same brakes, thus 15" wheels with 195/65r15 tires will work.

The LaCrosse has 12.4" front rotors, depending on the caliper, 16" wheel may clear. My Passat has 12.3" rotors... and 16" does clear (in fact my full size spare steel wheel is 16", and the standard alloy wheel for my car is 16")....