Wheels for winter tyres?

Anan1 · 08-01-2010 3:24pm #1

I'm ordering a set of winter tyres for my Forester and I need to get a set of rims for them. The car's currently on 215/55 R17, i'll be getting the winters in 215/60 R16. So far, i've found a set of CMS C4 http://tyremen.myshopify.com/products/16-cms-c4-subaru for £338 +£35p&p. Standard Subaru 16" steel wheels are going to cost almost €500, but I prefer the look of them. I want them to be as unassuming, as light, as strong, and as cheap as possible. It'd be nice to get them here. Anyone any ideas?

v300 · 08-01-2010 3:42pm

Get some semi-decent (maybe scratched) second hand ones
off the Scooby forums, from any model that fits your chassis.

I bet you can get a full semi-decent set with medium or worn tyres
for €100 if you go hunting the dedicated forums.

zilog_jones · 08-01-2010 3:53pm

Couldn't you just get some steel wheels?

Anan1 · 08-01-2010 3:56pm

I quite possibly could, if I had time.;) So far the best i've been offered is a set of 16" alloys from an 03 Forester turbo for €400. The problem is, I need to get these on the car asap.

pburns · 08-01-2010 4:06pm

Is this not all a bit expensive and OTT for a weather event that will pass - at worst - in a couple of weeks? I mean by the time you source this stuff, buy it and await delivery the ice will have melted (surely!

:eek:)

Anan1 · 08-01-2010 4:13pm

pburns wrote: »

Is this not all a bit expensive and OTT for a weather event that will pass - at worst - in a couple of weeks? I mean by the time you source this stuff, buy it and await delivery the ice will have melted (surely!:eek:)

For me, definitely. Thing is, my mother absolutely needs to stay mobile so the plan is that i'll get winter tyres and she'll take my car when conditions demand it. I'll then work from home, looking out the window at her car. The things we do, eh?:)

Anan1 · 08-01-2010 6:33pm

One more question, the correct offset for my wheels is 48, but several websites are telling me that wheels with an offset of 42 are fine - is this true? And what is offset - I assume it's a measure of how far in the wheel sits over the hub or some such thing? And while i'm asking, why don't any websites appear to quote wheel weight?

martblue · 10-01-2010 2:30am

I would think that with the awd you can prob make do with a good set of winter tyres on the front and half decent tyres on the back..So if you get your hands on 2 spare wheels and get 2 tyres will work out a lot cheaper plus less hassle swapping over etc.. just seems a lot of trouble to get you over this bad spell of weather, I have a subaru legacy and the standard tyres doing fine, back ones need changed right enough on the limit..:) but still getting me up the hills without so much of a spin..I live out in the sticks and have to climb a few steeps hills to get there..and no the gritters never come near the place..
Its all about keeping a smooth momentum and with good tyres on the front will help steering in the slippy stuff...Awd is great if used right just dont get to confident..

Marlow · 10-01-2010 2:49am

Anan1 wrote: »

One more question, the correct offset for my wheels is 48, but several websites are telling me that wheels with an offset of 42 are fine - is this true? And what is offset - I assume it's a measure of how far in the wheel sits over the hub or some such thing? And while i'm asking, why don't any websites appear to quote wheel weight?

The offset has to do with how far in the wheel sits over the hub and within the wheelarch. So if you get the offset wrong, you will end up having the tyres rubbing in the wheelarch when you turn. NCT would fail that. If the common sense is, that 42 is fine for your car, I'd gladly believe that. Your car will take a variation of offsets, also depending on the width of the tyre.

As for websites not quoting the weight that the rims can handle, the manufacturer of the alloy most likely will. When I bought rim's for my Caravelle (which is 2.8 ton max weight) I needed to make sure, the alloys were capable for those weights and bought accordingly.

So if you know the brand of the alloy and the model, check the manufacturer up and you might find values for the weight, they can handle.

/M

cormie · 10-01-2010 9:32am

I'm the same, looking for a 2nd set of rims for when I get winter tyres.

I rang up the main dealer where my van is originally from and was told the original wheels are 4 bolt, 5 1/2 j x 14". Will any 14" rim do I wonder as long as it's 4 bolt? What's the 5.5 J about

Anan, why don't you just get the same size winter tyres as are on the car currently? Is there a good reason to get smaller ones?

10-01-2010 11:01am

cormie wrote: »

I'm the same, looking for a 2nd set of rims for when I get winter tyres.

I rang up the main dealer where my van is originally from and was told the original wheels are 4 bolt, 5 1/2 j x 14". Will any 14" rim do I wonder as long as it's 4 bolt? What's the 5.5 J about

Anan, why don't you just get the same size winter tyres as are on the car currently? Is there a good reason to get smaller ones?

5.5J is the wheel width in inches. You also need to know the PCD (wheel nut hole spacing) and offset (how much the wheel is dished or sticks out from the rim).

Anan1 · 10-01-2010 2:20pm

Thanks to all for the advice so far. Is the offset adjustable with spacers, or should the wheel originally be manufactured with the correct offset? By wheel weight, I meant the actual weight of the rim rather than the load capacity. I can get a set of Momo Corse 16" for £359 delivered - i've heard they're light & strong. Opinions?

@cormie - the 16" alloys and tyres are a lot cheaper than 17", and the non-turbo car came with 16", so I thought 16" would be fine. 215/60 16" seems to give almost the same overall diameter as the current 215/55 17". It should make the car a little bit squidgier, but sure it's winter.

@martblue - apparently it's critical to the drivetrain that all four wheels have as close as possible to the same overall diameter, to the point where Subaru recommend swapping the wheels front to rear regularly to maintain even wear.

Marlow · 10-01-2010 2:25pm

Anan1 wrote: »

Thanks to all for the advice so far. Is the offset adjustable with spacers, or should the wheel originally be manufactured with the correct offset? By wheel weight, I meant the actual weight of the rim rather than the load capacity.

You can use spacers alright, but I wouldn't recommend it. Just my personal 2c.

Anan1 wrote: »

apparently it's critical to the drivetrain that all four wheels have as close as possible to the same overall diameter, to the point where Subaru recommend swapping the wheels front to rear regularly to maintain even wear.

You are 100% correct there. And not only that: if you car isn't set up for different overall diameter wheels front to back, then this also has the effect, that your ABS can get confused.

/M

Muckie · 10-01-2010 4:06pm

Maybe try www.isdc.ie some local Subaru lad might be able
to help you out, there's even traders on there that would sell you
a set of tyres fairly cheap.

martblue · 10-01-2010 7:47pm

Anan1 wrote: »

Thanks to all for the advice so far. Is the offset adjustable with spacers, or should the wheel originally be manufactured with the correct offset? By wheel weight, I meant the actual weight of the rim rather than the load capacity. I can get a set of Momo Corse 16" for £359 delivered - i've heard they're light & strong. Opinions?

@cormie - the 16" alloys and tyres are a lot cheaper than 17", and the non-turbo car came with 16", so I thought 16" would be fine. 215/60 16" seems to give almost the same overall diameter as the current 215/55 17". It should make the car a little bit squidgier, but sure it's winter.

@martblue - apparently it's critical to the drivetrain that all four wheels have as close as possible to the same overall diameter, to the point where Subaru recommend swapping the wheels front to rear regularly to maintain even wear.

In the short term its not going to make a whole lot of difference, plus you will have winter tyres with different tread on front to give bit more grip, as long as your back ones are not slicks..;) there is not going to be a big difference...as you said as close as possible, it is more of a recommendation for smooth running, fuel consumption..etc.. The Drivetrain is not that sensitive .we are not chatting formula one here..:D..
Anyway its starting to thaw:) hopefully...

maidhc · 10-01-2010 9:46pm

martblue wrote: »

In the short term its not going to make a whole lot of difference, plus you will have winter tyres with different tread on front to give bit more grip, as long as your back ones are not slicks..;) there is not going to be a big difference...as you said as close as possible, it is more of a recommendation for smooth running, fuel consumption..etc.. The Drivetrain is not that sensitive .we are not chatting formula one here..:D..
Anyway its starting to thaw:) hopefully...

Id be very worried about having any discrepancy in size of tyres with a 4wd system. Would it not put a lot of strain on the various couplings and whatever the equivalent subaru have of a transfer box?

martblue · 10-01-2010 10:27pm

maidhc wrote: »

Id be very worried about having any discrepancy in size of tyres with a 4wd system. Would it not put a lot of strain on the various couplings and whatever the equivalent subaru have of a transfer box?

well I was chatting more in the line of tyre wear and not different size of tyres....:rolleyes:
A little common sense goes a long way...Its not rocket science ffs...

maidhc · 10-01-2010 11:39pm

martblue wrote: »

well I was chatting more in the line of tyre wear and not different size of tyres....:rolleyes:
A little common sense goes a long way...Its not rocket science ffs...

Indeed, however I understood from your post that you were advocating 16" on one axle and 17" on the other... thus potentially having both front and rear drive shaft meeting at different speeds at the transfer box which could lead to interesting results.

martblue · 11-01-2010 12:14am

maidhc wrote: »

Indeed, however I understood from your post that you were advocating 16" on one axle and 17" on the other... thus potentially having both front and rear drive shaft meeting at different speeds at the transfer box which could lead to interesting results.

No definetly not...cross wires on that one then...I was chatting more in respect of the tyre choice etc...never mentioned wheel size..

Marlow · 11-01-2010 12:17am

martblue wrote: »

No definetly not...cross wires on that one then...I was chatting more in respect of the tyre choice etc...never mentioned wheel size..

The problem is, with his current wheels, it'll be very hard and if at all possible expensive to get wintertyres, that would match. He might as well get 4 16" rims and get 4 wintertyres so. The the idea of just changing 2 was pointless.

/M

Anan1 · 11-01-2010 1:40am

maidhc wrote: »

Id be very worried about having any discrepancy in size of tyres with a 4wd system. Would it not put a lot of strain on the various couplings and whatever the equivalent subaru have of a transfer box?

Exactly, even using the same wheels/tyres, more wear on the front set than on the rear will mean that the two axles will be running at different speeds, which will overheat the centre diff.

cormie · 11-01-2010 1:50am

Was it mentioned that you were thinking of just getting 2? I saw a video saying winter tyres are only half as effective if you just have 2, taking extra distance of 1 1/2 car lengths to stop than with 4 winters compared with 2 car lengths with summer tyres.

Haven't really got a clue about the offset and that myself. Is a set of 14" rims likely to be different than what I'm after for my Astra G I wonder? It would probably be dodgy to buy from a scrap yard/buyandsell/donedeal/adverts so. Where would be the best place to buy a set of used rims where they'd be the definite right fit I wonder?

Marlow · 11-01-2010 3:07am

cormie wrote: »

I saw a video saying winter tyres are only half as effective if you just have 2, taking extra distance of 1 1/2 car lengths to stop than with 4 winters compared with 2 car lengths with summer tyres.

That makes perfectly sense, because grip isn't only needed to accellerate. It's also needed to brake.

/M

Anan1 · 11-01-2010 5:21pm

Right, I think I finally have this sorted. Ordered a set of Continental WinterContact TS 830P in 215/60 R16H from eiretyres at €143.20ea, found a guy on www.isdc.ie (thanks Muckie & v300!) with a set of 16" Forester wheels for €150. Including fitting the new tyres it's costing me around €800 all-in.

Marlow · 11-01-2010 6:18pm

Anan1 wrote: »

Including fitting the new tyres it's costing me around €800 all-in.

That sounds very reasonable and honestly is a good investment. Sliding into some wall because of no grip on summertyres is more expensive

/M

Wheels for winter tyres?

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