Please help with snow tires (No knowledge woman here)
12-01-1999, 03:43 PM
#1
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Please help with snow tires (No knowledge woman here)
I have 17" wheels on my car, and I went to the tire store for snow tires today, and the salesman tried to sell me $150 Michelen Artic Pilots. Should I buy these even though they have a really small sidewall? I thought narrow foot pattern and big sidewall were what you wanted for a snow tire? Please help!?!
12-01-1999, 05:21 PM
#2
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Yes, that is true...but, unless you want to buy new wheels too (more)
you may need to stay with the stock tire size. What kind of car do you have? Sounds like either an S4 or a TT. I just put the Michelin PILOT Alpins on today and they seem to handle very well (on the dry road, of course). I am hoping with Quattro and not too much heavy (deep) snow, the 17" setup will be fine.
12-01-1999, 05:22 PM
#3
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Here's help (long)
Debra:
The size snow tire you buy is dictated by the size of your wheel. Since you have 17" wheels, I'd bet the salesman was showing you a set of 225/45-17 tires. That's about the only 17" snow tire that would have the same diameter as the stock wheels from your car, which I assume is some variation of the A4.
Ideally, you'd want a smaller wheel - higher profile, narrower tire combination to optimize your performance in snow. The typical alternative sizes would be 205/55-16 tire on 16" wheel, or even a 195/65-15 tire on 15" wheel. Each step down, to a progressively narrower tire, will improve your performance in snow and *decrease* your performance on a dry road. The reason for these particular sizes is that just about any other size will adversely affect your speedometer and odometer readings.
If you went to a higher profile tire on your 17" wheels, it would reduce the clearance in your wheel wells, and would throw off your speedometer and odometer, and I'm sure you don't want that.
So, bottom line, you're stuck with the tire size you were shown unless you decide to buy a new set of wheels as well as tires. That's more $$, but it works out to less than you'd expect, especially if you look at the long term.
A lot of us use steel wheels for the winter. They typically cost about $45 each for 15" wheels, and they permit the use of a much better tire (for snow performance). The much smaller snow tire is also quite a bit less expensive. The second set of wheels means you don't have to pay to have tires mounted and balanced at the start or finish of winter, and that operation can easily cost $50 each time. So you could buy a set of wheels with what you'd save in the course of 2 years, and that's not even counting the savings on the tires themselves.
Plus, you'd have a better performing set of tires in the winter. You'd then put your "summer" tires back on the car and enjoy their performance in the non snow months.
Now all of this is not to say that the car won't work with the 17" snow tires you were shown. It will. But snow performance won't be as good as it would be if you downsize. You didn't say where you live, or what local conditions will be. If you live someplace where you only get infrequent snow, that's one thing. OR, maybe you live somewhere that gets 400" a year of the white stuff. Those are important factors to take into account.
Hope that helped. Feel free to e-mail me if you want (or can stand) any more detail.
DMoore
'00 S4
The size snow tire you buy is dictated by the size of your wheel. Since you have 17" wheels, I'd bet the salesman was showing you a set of 225/45-17 tires. That's about the only 17" snow tire that would have the same diameter as the stock wheels from your car, which I assume is some variation of the A4.
Ideally, you'd want a smaller wheel - higher profile, narrower tire combination to optimize your performance in snow. The typical alternative sizes would be 205/55-16 tire on 16" wheel, or even a 195/65-15 tire on 15" wheel. Each step down, to a progressively narrower tire, will improve your performance in snow and *decrease* your performance on a dry road. The reason for these particular sizes is that just about any other size will adversely affect your speedometer and odometer readings.
If you went to a higher profile tire on your 17" wheels, it would reduce the clearance in your wheel wells, and would throw off your speedometer and odometer, and I'm sure you don't want that.
So, bottom line, you're stuck with the tire size you were shown unless you decide to buy a new set of wheels as well as tires. That's more $$, but it works out to less than you'd expect, especially if you look at the long term.
A lot of us use steel wheels for the winter. They typically cost about $45 each for 15" wheels, and they permit the use of a much better tire (for snow performance). The much smaller snow tire is also quite a bit less expensive. The second set of wheels means you don't have to pay to have tires mounted and balanced at the start or finish of winter, and that operation can easily cost $50 each time. So you could buy a set of wheels with what you'd save in the course of 2 years, and that's not even counting the savings on the tires themselves.
Plus, you'd have a better performing set of tires in the winter. You'd then put your "summer" tires back on the car and enjoy their performance in the non snow months.
Now all of this is not to say that the car won't work with the 17" snow tires you were shown. It will. But snow performance won't be as good as it would be if you downsize. You didn't say where you live, or what local conditions will be. If you live someplace where you only get infrequent snow, that's one thing. OR, maybe you live somewhere that gets 400" a year of the white stuff. Those are important factors to take into account.
Hope that helped. Feel free to e-mail me if you want (or can stand) any more detail.
DMoore
'00 S4
12-02-1999, 07:25 AM
#4
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Depends on what you want and where you live, but I have some 15"'s FS cheap
I don't recomend 17" snows, 16 is good if you live in an area without much snow, 15 is best if you want best snow perf.
I also don't recomend wide wheels (such as most aftermarket), as the ride will be firmer and
the wheel more likely to get damaged. Another advantage to oem wheels is you can always find another cheap used if you bend one, with aftermarket I always buy at least 5 incase I bend one.
FS (all 5x112 will fit all new audis except TT, and the big brakes on the S4/A6TT)
One set OEM audi 15x6 ET45 alloys from a '89 200tq, good condition, $150+sh (that is often the price of _1_ aftermarket wheel)
one set 15x6 ET45 steel wheels, excellent condition, 3 yrs old, $60+sh
All in boxes, ready to go.
Erik
I also don't recomend wide wheels (such as most aftermarket), as the ride will be firmer and
the wheel more likely to get damaged. Another advantage to oem wheels is you can always find another cheap used if you bend one, with aftermarket I always buy at least 5 incase I bend one.
FS (all 5x112 will fit all new audis except TT, and the big brakes on the S4/A6TT)
One set OEM audi 15x6 ET45 alloys from a '89 200tq, good condition, $150+sh (that is often the price of _1_ aftermarket wheel)
one set 15x6 ET45 steel wheels, excellent condition, 3 yrs old, $60+sh
All in boxes, ready to go.
Erik
12-02-1999, 02:29 PM
#5
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Debra - please spend some time reviewing all that is said here on the forum
Lot of good info. With 17" rims - Do you have a S4? If yes - some 16 and 15 rims will not fit.
DMooore had a good summary - Please do buy seperate rims for the tires - Don't try to swap every season. It's not good for the tires or the wheels
Regards,
Reggie Short
98.5 2.8QMs
DMooore had a good summary - Please do buy seperate rims for the tires - Don't try to swap every season. It's not good for the tires or the wheels
Regards,
Reggie Short
98.5 2.8QMs
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