Winter Setup (with pictures!! ...and stance?)

[EastSideRide]

So guys, the Winter season arrived early with much sadness. I have had the pleasure of not changing my tires and having a bad alignment for a while lol. So the old tires were winter ones that I only kept on for the times I went drag racing and auto-crossing, they ended up down to the cords from bad toe wear.

So I went out and purchased some winter tires from my friend, which are 215/60/R16. Stock is 205/60/R16, so they are a tad wider, but for $120 mounted and balanced on steelies I swooped them from him.

Well I bolted them up to the car and then sat her down and wow! They seem significantly wider! I have that "fitment" that stance people like but totally unpractical for winter. And they love to rub the fenders on turns or any kind of lean that lowers the fender to the wheel. I removed the well liner on one side after destroying it with a cone in auto-x and so I removed the other last night after test riding the car to find that it was rubbing it like crazy and the clips that attach the liner to the fender.

Anyways, my thoughts are to go to stock width (205) and maybe rub less. OR go to 205/55 (stock width and -5 height) on all 4. This is only for winter by the way.

Waddaya guys n gals think?

 

[CokeZero]

55 series.

Play it safe.

 

[Sil2DrV6]

Tires being narrower it gets, the safer on snow/ice. Thickness (aspect ratios) doesn't really matter in terms of safety on those weather conditions. It's just that narrower tires dig down the surface more effectively than wider tires. Thus, it prevents from spins and slips.

I'd go with 205's, rather than 215's. Safer & less rubbing on your fenders during winter.

 

[Aman]

My winter tires are 195/65/15s. It's lowered about 2.25" front, and 2 inches in the rear. I haven't had any problems at all with rubbing.

What's your suspension setup like?

 

[xci.ed6]

175/70-16
They should cut through any snow, they are ~stock diameter, I woulda gone narrower.

Kinda depends on on what part of they tire is hitting, tread surface or sidewall.

But why are you going snow tires in pittsburgh? I got around fine this winter on OEM standard tires back in Iowa, on gravel roads & pavement. (sorta, doors froze shut one morning @-20*F!!! getting in was harder than going!!!)

 

[briansan]

But why are you going snow tires in pittsburgh? I got around fine this winter on OEM standard tires back in Iowa, on gravel roads & pavement. (sorta, doors froze shut one morning @-20*F!!! getting in was harder than going!!!)

-20F? is that for real?

 

[xci.ed6]

Yes, check forecast for ~ Dec 20, 2013 in Des Moines, IA

 

[EastSideRide]

-20F? is that for real?

He ain't lying lol. It was like that in many places. A lot of my family in Canada had ice over 5 inches thick to some placed getting over 10 inches. It was so bad trees, power lines and light posts were falling because of the weight.

But why are you going snow tires in pittsburgh?

I only want snows so that way I can have one less thing to worry about. I actually ended up buying a set of 205/55/16 snow tires with great tread for cheap. Work great so far lol

What's your suspension setup like?

I'm lowered on springs. Probably 2-2.5 in the front and 1.5 in the rear. I can't remember exactly though.

 

[xci.ed6]

well, the stance looks nice....

Keep in mind

205/50/16...
205 = width in mm
16 = rim in inches
50...the height of the tire sidewall, as a % of width, so in this case 102.5mm

whole tire...102.5mm-16"-102.5mm...so 611.4mm or 24.07 inches...

Whatever that is...I hate this 'new' 'system' Give me the old 'style' eg...'a 38' or 38 inches in diameter, in metric, with a metric rim (ala BMW)

like 200/600-400

200mm wide, 600mm tall, 400mm wheel

I -highly- doubt my awesome idea will amount to squat though.

 

[briansan]

Yeah, how silly is it that metric and imperial systems are mixed in the measurement of tire sizes...


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