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Questions about winter driving tires

4K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  d geek 
#1 ·
New to the forum so please go easy on me.

Lookig to buy 135i Coupe w/ M Sport package. Since it has sport tires & I want to drive this car in the winter. I would rather not have 2 sets of rims & tires ( yes tires & rims take the same space ) Would there be any harm in removing sport tires in fall & replacing with all seasons. in winter. Wanted to go with all seasons when the sport tires a gone.

Thanks & happy motoring
 
#5 ·
One time I had Nokian WR tires (10 years ago) and did not like them.
They were bad in snow and had no traction on dry roads.

Last 4 years I use Dunlop Winter Sport 3D and they are great.
Snow grip is amazing and you almost forgetting that they are winter tires on clean roads.
 
#6 ·
It all boils down to cost.

If you get a new set of rims and tires, you can change the tires yourself. If you keep the same set of rims, then you will be changing these twice a year and will pay installation twice a year. So you might not end up saving too much.

Also, I have read that frequent mounting/un-mounting of tires is no good for both your rims and tires.
 
#7 · (Edited)
It all boils down to cost.

If you get a new set of rims and tires, you can change the tires yourself. If you keep the same set of rims, then you will be changing these twice a year and will pay installation twice a year. So you might not end up saving too much.

Also, I have read that frequent mounting/un-mounting of tires is no good for both your rims and tires.
jatbeni;

Yes your correct about the cost on the cost of the tire changes.

I'll be looking for some 17" rims for the winter.

Thanks to all for the input.

For the recored Bought a 135i Coupe yesterday White / Red With M sport package.

could any one tell me what size 17" wheels I'll need, width & off sets.
 
#8 ·
Personally, I bought a used set from an e46 3 series and they fit fine. You could look for a set - or if I sell my 128i later this summer (I have half a mind to do so), you can see if you want my set of winter tires (these are Michelin X-Ice with about 6-7K miles on them).

Think the offset is around 50...
 
#10 · (Edited)
I thought I'd add my 2 cents here...

I have a 128i (non-sport), which came with OEM "all season" Goodyear RFTs. They are USELESS in snow. And I'm talking about 1-2" of light snow in Maryland.
Please do yourself a favor and get proper snow tires mounted to separate wheels. If you shop around, you can find some pretty great deals online.
Mounting/dismounting tires to the same wheels twice a year gets expensive, and you're wearing out your beautiful OEM wheels 2x as fast and subjecting them to road salt and sand.
As an added bonus, if something catastrophic happens (and you're close to home), you have 4 "spare" tires already mounted and ready to go if ever you hit a curb or get a flat.

I bought a barely-used (1 month old) set of 17" 7-spoke sport wheels with RFT Blizzaks (same size as OEM), complete with BMW center caps, TPMS sensors and nylon bags on e-bay for $650 (new: $1600). I mounted them myself and drove my car up to Winnipeg, Canada this past Christmas and they were amazing. I was passing trucks in snow/ice on the highways of North Dakota and had no issues. And they look like they belong on the car (despite being cheap-o ASA wheels, or whatever).

You will never win with so-called "all-season" tires.
Proper snow tires have a super soft (pliable) rubber compound, and a better tread pattern to handle snow and ice. There isn't a single "all season" tire that can come close in terms of performance and safety.
 
#11 ·
The thing about the Nokian WRG2 is that it is an all-weather (not all-season) tire.
It earned the snowflake symbol to designate it as appropriate for true winter conditions. The biggest problem in winter in most states is the ever changing road conditions. In southern Michigan we had dry, slush, snow, and ice on the same road surface in 24hrs. Sometimes it would be weeks between snowfall. The WRG2 is built for dry roads as well. I highly recommend it.
 
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