panda327

iTrader: (3)

i was wondering if our winter tires a for an 2IS need to be staggered


and would steelies fit our cars?

i have 18 inch OEM rims on mine ... is it smart to get snow tires and fit it on the 18 inch ? or am i better off with a smaller set of rims ??

thanks!!

acefalcon2

iTrader: (20)

i survived winter with our staggered winter tires

bwesley

iTrader: (3)

My winter set is staggered and works great. I drive a IS350, so there's the issue with the huge front brake calipers. Since you're driving a IS250, you can go either way. As for steelies, I'm not sure. But unless you like the plain jane look of stamped steel in the winter (I used to roll a set of black steelies on my Mini Cooper S), you can usually find a great on an inexpensive set of 18" wheels for winter use.

dappy

iTrader: (13)

To get better traction and comfort, I would recommend going with non-staggered 17" rims for winter roads. You'll get a thicker sidewall to bite into the snow. My winter tire configuration is 225/45/R17. You could possibly go with 215 tires. The thinner the tires, the better it is for snowy conditions. Another benefit going non-staggered is that you can rotate all 4 tires and it's cheaper than purchasing 18".

Feb30th

I'm planning to get the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 staggered and put them on stock 18" wheels for my new 2009 IS350... I won't have any issues in terms of fitting... right?

bwesley

iTrader: (3)

No fitment issues as long as your Blizzaks are within spec. My winter setup consists of Bridgestone Blizzaks on 225/40/18 front and 255/40/18 rear. If you're considering a larger sidewall (50, etc.) you may not have enough room in the wheel housing.

As for narrower tires, the advantage is minimal at best. I don't how much snow you get there, but it gets pretty snowy here in Minnesota. And if you're driving on primary and secondary roads with some level of local snow removal, then you'll be fine. Now if you're consistently driving in 10 inches of unplowed snow, then tire width means nothing... you're driving the wrong car. That said, if you can save a lot of money on smaller and thinner wheels, go for it.

panda327

iTrader: (3)

is the advantage going from 18 inch to 17 inch or even 16inch rims for winter tries huge?
or just recommended?
if its really smaller the better then i rather go to 16 inch instead of 17inch since it'll be cheaper

bwesley

iTrader: (3)

Others can probably speak to this better than I and in more detail. But it's been my experience that for daily winter driving on marginally maintained roads, there is very little difference between 16" 17" or 18" wheels. Your most noticeable difference comes from your selection of tire. I chose Bridgestone Blizzaks and I'm very satisified, but there are numerous brands that provide excellent winter traction and grip. Keep in mind that the smaller wheel size will most likely have a larger sidewall height, so the actual wheel/tire will be about the same height no matter what you choose. Deeper sidewalls (ie: 55 vs 40) will make for a slightly softer ride, but if you're driving in snow it doesn't matter. Now if we were discussing summer performance, then yes, smaller wheels tend to mean less unsprung weight, hence a faster car. But this is winter driving, so that doesn't apply. And since the IS was designed to perform with 17" or 18" wheels, I wouldn't recommend using 16 inch wheels. Again, you can find some really good deals on winter setups.

panda327

iTrader: (3)

thanks everyone and especially bwesley!!!

i have a few more questions ..
is mounting and remounting tires bad for the the tires?
and what are the disadvantages for going non staggered for winter tires?
i found these set of rims
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bn...378020783.html
would these fit on my IS250"??
thanksss!!

panda327

iTrader: (3)

bumpity bump

Shahryar

These tires and this setup is what I'm considering too.

wow, this is the only post I've seen where someone is getting winter tires put on with the exact same specs as the tires that come with it. Usually people are either doing smaller rims and/or or getting the same size all around.

We have pretty mild winters here in the Baltimore/DC area - don't get snow too often, get winter weather a little more. Nothing too serious.

If I stay with my current staggered setup, the only options I get on tirerack.com are the 225/40R18 & 255/40R18 Blizzam LM-60, Blizzak LM-60 RFT, and the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D.

I'm going to take my summer Bridgestone ER33 tires off and mount the winter ones on the original rim. Next Spring I'll put the ER33s back and and probably finish them off. The car's currently at 17k miles and the orig stock ER33 tires are at 5/32 in the rear and 6/32 in the front.

Maybe next year I'll get some winter wheels to make everything easier, but I do like mounting and remounting on stock rims because a) I really like the way they look, b) I like that I have the ability to work a balance in during the mount and c) move the tires to different sides when they're put back on.

I called a place near me called Radial tires in Silver Spring, MD and he brought up the Hankook tires too. He said that one is stiffer and handles better when it's dry. Price was similar to the pricing on tirerack.com of the other tires, but I didn't see the hankook tires pop up when I put in my car.