shopping winter tires and rims

300dweeb · Post by **300dweeb** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:47 pm

Hey all,this may be a stupid question, but I'm stumped:I'm looking for rims to suit snow tires for my wifes car. I found a set of kosei 16x7 rims and some blizzak revos with about 3/16 tread left on them.do we think the 16x7 rim will work on an 05 vibe (I think they're kosei sports rims with 5x100 lug spacing) and is 3/16 a seasons worth of good 'micro pore' tread on blizzak revos?thanks much for any input.

keithvibe · Post by **keithvibe** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:37 pm

Quote, originally posted by 300dweeb Â»Hey all,this may be a stupid question, but I'm stumped:I'm looking for rims to suit snow tires for my wifes car. I found a set of kosei 16x7 rims and some blizzak revos with about 3/16 tread left on them.do we think the 16x7 rim will work on an 05 vibe (I think they're kosei sports rims with 5x100 lug spacing) and is 3/16 a seasons worth of good 'micro pore' tread on blizzak revos?thanks much for any input.yes they will fit as long as they are 5x100 not sure about the tread life.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:01 pm

Tires are usually measured in 32nds or mm. With 3/16" (6/32") of tread the tires are more than half done. The "micro pore" part of the tread is gone somewhere around this point in the treadwear. You should just make it through the winter. My winters are at about the same point or a little less and I'm considering replacing them early in the winter.

300dweeb · Post by **300dweeb** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:25 pm

Thanks ya'll, after some quick research I think I may not be getting 'the deal' as these rims are from a mercedes slk 280 (with what appears to be a 5x112 lug pattern) though they are aftermarket, I think the pattern is off.rats. thanks for your time guys.

Sublimewind · Post by **Sublimewind** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:14 am

Blizzaks are nice, even after the micro-pore part is warn away... they just don't stop as well at that point... I've owned a set or 2 of them.. Keep the wife safe, suck it up and buy new.. (you don't need Blizzaks, I did decently on Winterforce this past year, did get stuck twice though)

300dweeb · Post by **300dweeb** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:10 am

I've got the option of getting blizzak revo 1s' with 3/16 tread, or a pair of goodyear ultragrip ices at deep discount, and then have to buy the other pair retail. Plus I'm either getting hosed for multiple mounts and balance, or for rims.Anybody got a set of steel wheels for cheap?

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:34 am

craigslist is your friend!

bikeman1 · Post by **bikeman1** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:23 am

new winter tire to add to the Genvibe list, and yet another scalp for the Winter Tire Guy, Sublimewind......General Altimax Arctic. General is a brand of Continentals...according to the Tirerack site, the country of origin is Deutschland (??? that is puzzling). Only been out since 2007 so not a lot of feedback but most reviews are very good. The price is right. This would be a new "add" to the Genvibe winter tire list. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...rcticAnd they are available locally. TireRack.com has them for $70 plus shipping in a 205/60/16, but my local neighborhood gas station (who I much prefer to do business with) can install them with disposal for $102 which is competitive with that. We'll see how they perform. Next spring I'll worry about summer tires and rims. This is for a 2009 so I'll leave the TPMS on the winter rims. We only inspect once a year here so I'll make sure that gets done with these on.

northvibe · Post by **northvibe** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:45 am

for last winter I bought Goodyear ultragrip GW3's. They were top #1 rated winter performance tire from consumer reports. They were fantastic on my MS3. During a blizzard going up a hill while others were stuck I scooted around them and a subie was next to me and couldnt pull on me hahah.. I mean some has to do with how well you know how to drive as well but I would buy them again...

Sublimewind · Post by **Sublimewind** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:43 pm

Quote, originally posted by bikeman1 Â» and yet another scalp for the Winter Tire Guy, Sublimewind......YYeeeeesssssss............ score...

Nihilator · Post by **Nihilator** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:36 am

Worth saying again: Snow tires worn down to 6/32nds are no longer snow tires. Snow tires are generally only good in the snow for half of their standard tread life...that is, from 10/32nds down to 6/32nds. This is for two reasons...first, the compound that makes winter tires good in cold temperatures is only on the first 4/32nds or so of tread...after that, the tread is just a base tread without the magic that makes snow tires perform well in cold, wet conditions. Second, below 6/32nds, snow doesn't compact well in the grooves, and you end up compacting snow under the treads, which just makes ice.--Chris

300dweeb · Post by **300dweeb** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:21 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.it looks like I've landed a full set of new GY ultragrip ices and a full set of steelies for under $600. I'm geeked, I'm cheap.So, my question now is:I've heard that vibes tend to "cup" rear tires frequently. I just tried to rotate my wifes tires (we bought this used at 80,000 with good looking cooper dominators on it.so it passed 90,000 and I went to rotate the tires, only to find a horrible whirring and vibration from the rears being moved to the front.So: how frequently should I be rotating the tires on this car to keep it from destroying rear tires?

shopping winter tires and rims

shopping winter tires and rims

Re: shopping winter tires and rims (300dweeb)

Re: shopping winter tires and rims (300dweeb)

new winter tires

Re: new winter tires (bikeman1)