# What rims to get for winter tires?



## Jim H (Feb 9, 2004)

Gabe said:


> There are lots of good threads on this board regarding jacks, the proper way to jack up our cars, etc.
> 
> I personally think you can't beat the bang for the buck you get with one of the Harbor Freight aluminum jacks. Many other members will beg to differ though:
> 
> http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78130


I agree about the jack. I have a 2.5 ton hydraulic that I've had for a while. Probably not as nice as those Harbor Freight jacks, but still way better than the one in the trunk. Either way, I would only use the one in the trunk for a flat out on the road somewhere.


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

avalys said:


> Okay, I just ordered 225/45R17 Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2's (the Blizzaks were all out of stock), mounted on these rims.
> 
> I've never installed wheels on a car before, other than just changing flats. Is there anything special I will need to do, other than buy a torque wrench, tighten the bolts in a star pattern, and retorque them again after 100 miles?


I have the 225/45/17 PA2's The handle great in the dry for a snow tire, however the snow traction could be better. The braking power is awsome, but the spin alot when accelerating. I find I do better at accerlating with the DSC off. The width also makes them float on deep snow all little. Overall, a great smooth riding snow tire with all season or better dry traction and feel. I would recommend them for areas that do not get deep snow on a regualar basis.

Steve

Here is a pic.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

NH-SHICKS said:


> I have the 225/45/17 PA2's The handle great in the dry for a snow tire, however the snow traction could be better. The braking power is awsome, but the spin alot when accelerating. I find I do better at accerlating with the DSC off. The width also makes them float on deep snow all little. Overall, a great smooth riding snow tire with all season or better dry traction and feel. I would recommend them for areas that do not get deep snow on a regualar basis.
> 
> Steve
> 
> Here is a pic.


I have the pilot alpins in the 215 version and agree, great dry traction for a snow tire. I used the old alpins on my Eclipse, where they made the car noticeably floaty at the limit. However, I deliberately went for these over the Blizzaks because of how well they worked on that car, even in deeper snow, and because they seemed to promise better tread life than the "dual compound" (or whatever you want to call it) nature of the blizzaks.

With these new version alpins, a BMW, and a bit of initial break in, they're actually fun to drive on - no floaty scariness at the limit. :dunno: So victory on all fronts...


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

Oh and the torque specs are 88 ft/lbs for the wheel bolts. Don't over tighten.

Steve


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

norihaga said:


> I have the pilot alpins in the 215 version and agree, great dry traction for a snow tire. I used the old alpins on my Eclipse, where they made the car noticeably floaty at the limit. However, I deliberately went for these over the Blizzaks because of how well they worked on that car, even in deeper snow, and because they seemed to promise better tread life than the "dual compound" (or whatever you want to call it) nature of the blizzaks.
> 
> With these new version alpins, a BMW, and a bit of initial break in, they're actually fun to drive on - no floaty scariness at the limit. :dunno: So victory on all fronts...


Yes, they are still fun to drive on in the dry, and a blast in the snow with the DSC off.

Steve


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## avalys (Oct 14, 2003)

Thanks a lot for the help, all. My tires arrived mounted from Tirerack yesterday, and I swapped them out this evening. No significant hitches, although the fronts were a real bitch to get off. The bolts were over-torqued by whoever put them on last, and there was no anti-seize on the hubs.

I had to literally stand on the wrench to get them off, and even with the bolts off the rims required a lot of tugging, twisting and wriggling. I accidentally hit the rotors with the inside of the rims a few times, though very gently. The rears were comparatively uneventful. I stupidly didn't buy the LeatherZ wheel pins - they would've made things a lot easier. Next time, I guess. I also got brake dust all over my hands - next time I'm cleaning the wheels first.

I'm a little worried that I didn't torque the wheels completely accurately, as the socket on my torque wrench wasn't quite long enough to give me a perfect 90 degree angle against the bolts without rubbing on the wheels and fenders. I'll have to buy an extension tomorrow, and use it at the 100-mile retorque.

On the other hand, I'm very happy with the rims I got from Tirerack. For $150 each, I think they look pretty good - I usually hate aftermarket rims.

I took the car out for a quick spin when I had finished (conveniently, it's snowing like mad at the moment), and it performs incredibly. Of course, anything would probably be better than the summer tires I had on there before, but I was really amazed at how controllable the car was (even with DSC off, in 2-3 inches of snow).

Tomorrow I'm going to clean the old rims and stack them up in a corner. I guess I'll also find out on the highway commute how well Tirerack does balancing, and whether I managed to avoid damaging anything. 

Oh yes, can't forget the pictures.


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