Winter Setup Inquiry/Thoughts

[NoVAphotog]

I know many of us live in different parts of the world, but I wanted to get input on my thought process for when I FINALLY decide to remove the Bridgestone run-flats...which are horrible. Still have tread left on them, but the car just feels so heavy compared to other ZHP's I've driven recently! And I'm not even going to mention the noise...

I've pretty much come to three options, ordered by conservative monetary expenditure:

1. Buy all-seasons (Continental DWS, A/S 3's, etc) for the 135's, go about my daily driving, work from home on the days we get a lot of snow and maybe take the car to a parking lot and do some donuts, have my friends with a Jeep and STi drive on ski trips and not worry about it. $741

2. Find and purchase a SQUARE set of used Style 44/68 OEM BMW wheels and mount snow tires. I see pictures of our Northern friends driving in the snow and get inspired. Mount Summer tires on 135's in the Spring. $250-400/wheels +/-$900 tires/mounting, +/-$900 Summer tires/mounting = +/-$2000

3. Purchase a Tirerack package. Sport Edition A7/A8's, 225/45/17 Blizzak LM-32's, brand new mounted and balanced. +/-$1000. Purchase Summer tires for 135's in the Spring. +/-$1000. = +/-$2000

4. Mount SNOW tires on the staggered 135's (or purchase two fronts for a square setup). Buy new set of VMR's, APEX, etc next Spring, mount PSS's.

+/-$900/tires, mounted. +/-$2000/wheels+tires = +/-$3000

I'd like to know what others do for the winter? Is it worth getting the smaller wheels or would the 135's be fine with the snow tires?

How have those with the DWS's and other all-seasons liked them as far as general driving/light snow handling/enjoyment of the car is concerned?

Input/advice/recommendations are much appreciated, I feel like I've been reading way too much into this so it was time to post and get some outside opinions. Hopefully this can help others down the road as well.

[ELCID86]

I think the DWSs do pretty well with our weather. I've had them on two cars. I sent you a text about another possible option too.

[slater]

the problem with all-season tires is that they are never going to be good enough for snow use on these cars; perhaps dry cold-weather use. a full-on snow tire is required for proper snow driving.

i would recommend NOT getting blizzaks. awful tires. i am buying a set of michelin xice3's this fall for some 17x8 winter wheels i have.

peter

[NoVAphotog]

the problem with all-season tires is that they are never going to be good enough for snow use on these cars; perhaps dry cold-weather use. a full-on snow tire is required for proper snow driving.

i would recommend NOT getting blizzaks. awful tires. i am buying a set of michelin xice3's this fall for some 17x8 winter wheels i have.

peter

This would be my first go around having two sets so what characteristics make them awful? And I've looked at the Xice3's as well, so I'm open to that recommendation.

[ELCID86]

^ consider the source

[NoVAphotog]

I sent you a text about another possible option too.

Sounds good, Shawn, keep me posted.

[Vas]

Think of it this way.

All season tires will never be as good as a true summer tire or as good as a true winter tire. If you are okay with sacrificing some performance, then all season tires will do the job.

Personally I would run a set of tires for the winter and a set for the summer. Last winter I drove on Conti DWS and they were okay in light snow/mush but anything more then that you could tell that they were not meant for true snow duty.

[cakM3]

the problem with all-season tires is that they are never going to be good enough for snow use on these cars; perhaps dry cold-weather use. a full-on snow tire is required for proper snow driving.

I have to agree with what you said here Peter

i would recommend NOT getting blizzaks. awful tires. i am buying a set of michelin xice3's this fall for some 17x8 winter wheels i have.

peter

I have to disagree with you on this statement regarding blizzaks...I got the LM60's for last season's winter and have been completely happy with my set. We did get some snow and my front lip is proof to the abuse I put my ZHP through just to drive in the fluffy white stuff with my new blizzaks LM60s....I had a lot of fun driving my ZHP and not once did I have any traction issues with these tires. Now I realize I probably don't get as much white stuff as you guys in Canada do so whether or not a type of tire is good or bad is purely subjective as both your statement and mine shows.

... and my winter sets are staggered with 225/245's on 17" Style 68 wheels...

[Vas]

I have to agree with what you said here Peter



I have to disagree with you on this statement regarding blizzaks...I got the LM60's for last season's winter and have been completely happy with my set. We did get some snow and my front lip is proof to the abuse I put my ZHP through just to drive in the fluffy white stuff with my new blizzaks LM60s....I had a lot of fun driving my ZHP and not once did I have any traction issues with these tires. Now I realize I probably don't get as much white stuff as you guys in Canada do so whether or not a type of tire is good or bad is purely subjective as both your statement and mine shows.

... and my winter sets are staggered with 225/245's on 17" Style 68 wheels...

Was the lsd installed last winter for you?

[NoVAphotog]

Was the lsd installed last winter for you?

That's another question I wanted to ask concerning the general dynamics of the car in the snow...I'm assuming based on youtube videos and other sources that snow tires play a big role regardless of the open diff.