Is it best to get winter tyres or used smaller alloys?

M

mark my words

Member
Hi
I have the usual 108's with good condition 18 runflats on and im getting organised for the inevitable snow fall later this year and wondered if im best getting Vredstein winter tyres or buying a smaller set of rims, whats the general consensus please??
 
I've found it cheaper to buy a Winter shed than replace tyres/wheels etc. Whatever you put on the Z, it still won't be as good as a front wheel drive Micra/Cinquecento with skinny front tyres.

Just my 2p
 
Im currently looking for a cheap Suzuki SJ, should be able to get one with enough MOT to last the winter for less than the price of a set of winter tires and wheels
 
mark my words, get a smaller set of alloys with winter tyres - if you can get 16" wheels (ie not the 3.0Si brakes) then you should be able to get a set cheap on eBay + the tyres will be cheaper. You also have the advantage that you save the cost of the smaller wheels quite quickly against the cost of getting the winter / summer tyres swapped twice a year. Also, you'll save exposing the delicate 108s to the snow / salt / potholes of winter driving.

p4cks, don't agree with that at all. It costs you the set of smaller wheels which you don't have to tax, MOT and insure - the tyres, you have two sets but you only use one at a time. Also, a Z4 on winter tyres is so much better than a FWD car on skinny standard tyres, I passed enough of them last winter, they weren't this good...

[youtube]9LAbV3nQw2g[/youtube]

IMO, if you have the space a set of winter wheels FTW... even if I used a second car I'd want winters on them - so much safer.
 
PawnSacrifice said:
mark my words, get a smaller set of alloys with winter tyres - if you can get 16" wheels (ie not the 3.0Si brakes) then you should be able to get a set cheap on eBay + the tyres will be cheaper. You also have the advantage that you save the cost of the smaller wheels quite quickly against the cost of getting the winter / summer tyres swapped twice a year. Also, you'll save exposing the delicate 108s to the snow / salt / potholes of winter driving.

p4cks, don't agree with that at all. It costs you the set of smaller wheels which you don't have to tax, MOT and insure - the tyres, you have two sets but you only use one at a time. Also, a Z4 on winter tyres is so much better than a FWD car on skinny standard tyres, I passed enough of them last winter, they weren't this good...

[youtube]9LAbV3nQw2g[/youtube]

IMO, if you have the space a set of winter wheels FTW... even if I used a second car I'd want winters on them - so much safer.
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I totally agree.
 
Maybe I'm missing some thing , but what is all the fuss about winter wheels / tyres , I don't get it ...

What's wrong with alpina rims and vreds rubber all year round
 
I'm getting a set of 17"s and vred winters for the E92, Z4 will be off until the sun comes back out.

I can't see how getting a cheap car with skinny wheels works out cheaper than getting a set of winter rims and boots. As stated earlier you've got to insure it etc. the boots you buy once, you might get 3 years out of them and there's no ongoing annual costs.

Winter rims 4TW :driving: I refuse to have another winter like last winter. We were reduced to walking everywhere and the bus :thumbsdown:
 
I have a set of 16" TSW Spa wheels (imaculate) for a Z4 going spare, if anyone is interested.
P.S. Without tyres.
 
JOE90 said:
Maybe I'm missing some thing , but what is all the fuss about winter wheels / tyres , I don't get it ...

What's wrong with alpina rims and vreds rubber all year round
Click to expand...

Is your's a daily?

Mine was useless in the snow on the OEM M3 contis. Winter tyres and it went everywhere. The winter tyres were WAY better even when it was just cold or damp. Massive increase in traction. I didn't believe any of the hype till I bought them, but I'm fitting them to the wife's Rover as well.

I know people say 'What's the point?' and you can make do without. But I could drive without traction control, ABS, airbags and drum brakes all round. But they make a better car.

If they offered an optional extra from the factory for less than £500 that massively increased the grip you had for half a year then everyone would take it, but because you have to spend your own hard earned and it's a pain to swap, people don't bother.
 
Depends where in the UK you live, but for me winter tyres are a complete no-brainer given the average temps for Nov-Mar and the chance of serious snowfall.

To summarise without going into massive detail:
- winter tyres are a different rubber compound that works better than "summer" tyres below 7degC
- smaller wheels, i.e. bigger sidewalls, is great when the roads become more pothole than tarmac - less risk of cracking/damaging a bigger alloy
- bigger sidewalls means more protection if you DO slide and clip a kerb (for example)
- having older/crappy winter wheels means you don't have to worry as much about possible salt damage/corrosion

A RWD car with winter tyres will out-perform a 4WD car with summer tyres, let along a FWD. evo magazine had an awesome video on their website of a Jag XFR on winter rubber vs a Mitsubishi Evo X on summer rubber, around Bedford. The Jag annailated the evo...

Lap times:
Jag XFR normal tyres = 2m35s
Jag XFR winter tyres = 2m04s
Evo X normal tyres = 2m35s

Braking 60-0mph (and this is the scariest bit):
Jag XFR normal tyres = 239m in 18.5s
Jag XFR winter tyres = 101m in 7.8s

http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/248524/winter_tyres_tested.html (vid's gone but the article's still there)
 
a11y, nice article that one, like you say, the braking is the scary stat! It's a shame there isn't a test at low temperatures, sure there would be a decent difference there too.

It is odd, given the lambasting that some get when they mention running different tyres front and rear, which the manufacturers will accept, that winter tyres is met with indifference by many. The other thing to remember, even without the snow on the ground the winters are a lot better than standard tyres. Also, while people will argue they wouldn't go out in the snow does that mean they'd abandon their pride and joy when the flakes fall? The only downside to winter tyres, IMO, is people that don't have them.

The other advantage to add to A11y's list, gives me a chance to get a couple of my summer wheels refurbed :oops:
 
Just picked up some spare steel wheels for the wife's Rover to fit some winter to. Four wheels with three summer tyres fitted at the mo. £26 collected.

Wish things for the M were so cheap. lol
 
p4cks said:
I've found it cheaper to buy a Winter shed than replace tyres/wheels etc. Whatever you put on the Z, it still won't be as good as a front wheel drive Micra/Cinquecento with skinny front tyres.

Just my 2p
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I'd disagree to be honest, my Z4 was one of the only cars not to need a push just to get moving in our works car park last year, Micras, Fiestas, Clios, all of them stuck fast.

By the time you've bought a £500 car, insured it, and taxed it you're really well out of pocket compared to winter wheels for the Z4, and it STILL won't move as effectively as a car on winters.

I will probably have a set of 103s with Vred winters on for sale soon :)
 
I'm looking to buy some spare alloys for my Coupe. Toying with the idea of sticking with 18s as the cost of winter 18s with tyres is not a lot more expensive than equivalent 17s and I think the 18s look much better on the car than the standard 17s I've seen on the SE model.
Main question is what would be the best alloy size for a 225/40 tyre. Would it be a 18x8 or 18x8.5 or are they fine on both sizes.
The reason I ask is that the 255/35 tyres are bloody expensive so will probably stick to 225/40 all around.
Cheers
 
As everyone here has said, it's a no-brainer, get Winter tyres. Those who advise otherwise have never tried them.
Never mind lap times etc., with my 3 series it made a real difference the last 2 years of being able to get out of my estate to work and back, up and down 2 pretty gentle inclines which made a mockery of anything RWD. I sold my 16" Vredesteins for £200 after defecting to Audi (FWD) for my daily drive (Boo, hiss! I hear) so got most of my money back as the price of winter tyres by then had shot up alarmingly.

It's not just ice and snow, even in the wet they grip and stop way better than summer rubber, the only downside is a "floaty" sensation and a more comfortable ride :o -you can't throw the car around on these or you'll be in trouble, handling is more pedestrian. Not sure if you can get RFT versions, but someone on here will know?

Also the benefit as already said of saving mileage/damage on your summer tyres/wheels, even if you're unlucky enough to slide into a kerb the higher aspect ratio might just let you off lightly.
 
I'm not recognising the floaty sensation or being unable to throw the car around that Gremlin500 is talking about. With 19" Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme's on my car I find the handling and traction to be very good until the temperatures start rising again approaching spring when they become a bit skittish. Equally if you put them on too early in the year you'll find them a bit lacking until the temperatures drop sufficiently.

They aren't ultimately as good as summer tyres when the road conditions and temperatures in the winter are good but they aren't at all bad. My car's been thrown about quite a bit over the last couple of winters and has handled it impressively with these tyres on. Also don't get hung up on the winter tyre size recommendations in the handbook, if winters in 265/30/19 and 235/35/19 work in the conditions we had here last year then so will other combinations in standard tyre sizes.

To answer the original question, there's no competition between winter tyres and smaller alloys/tyres. The same applies to small cars with thin tyres and anyone who thinks otherwise hasn't used winters.
 
Been looking into buying a set of 17's to put winter tyres on as it seems to make a lot of sense! My 3.0 is on eibachs and I find it really low with my standard 18's -anybody know if going with 225 50 17's will do any harm rather than the standard size of 225 45 17's as I think ground clearance is going to be an issue in snow?

Cheers
 
Ok im up for winter tyres, my current rears have 255 35 18 RFt - when i Look for new does it matter if they are still 35 or can i get any number/size?
 
oli445 said:
Been looking into buying a set of 17's to put winter tyres on as it seems to make a lot of sense! My 3.0 is on eibachs and I find it really low with my standard 18's -anybody know if going with 225 50 17's will do any harm rather than the standard size of 225 45 17's as I think ground clearance is going to be an issue in snow?

Cheers
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Ground clearance in snow is an issue in the Z4 regardless of wheel size. 225/45/17 is almost exactly the same diameter as 225/40/18 or 255/35/18, so changing to 225/45/17 won't change the ride height.

I'm on Eibachs too and run 225/40/18 & 255/35/18 in summer, but my winters are 225/50/16 which is approx 3mm smaller diameter overall, so I'm fractionally closer to the ground during winter (but not enough to worry about - just think what happens when your tread wears down).
 
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