Winter Tire issues

[chufa]

Hello. This follows up on my previous thread "Tire size question: 225/45-17 work?".

Summarizing, I purchased a new MS3 here in Iowa, and I need to add winter tires, since it comes with summer tires, and it snows here quite a bit sometimes. My previous car's set of winter tires won't fit. So, what to do? Here are my choices and issues:

1-Purchase a set of 18" wheel/tire combo. They will be easy/inexpensive to swap, but costly: $1500 or more!

2-Purchase a set of 18" winter tires only. Cheaper option, but more expensive to swap (twice a year mounted/balanced/calibrated; can't do myself)

3-Purchase a set of 17" tire or wheel-tire combo: cheaper and more reasonable than the 18", but my dealer's mechanic says this will mess up the tire pressure monitoring system. How big of a deal is this?

4-Try to survive with the stock tires, having driven AWD with winter tires for the last 7 years :X

Appreciate your advice again. Thanks!

 

[fourthmeal]

The typical choice is to run 16" or 17" steelies or inexpensive alloys with quality tires (like the ones you already have.)

Then, you need to decided if you want to install the TPMS sensors on these wheels, or just leave them off (and deal with the tire pressure warning light being on all the time on your dash...not a super big deal.)

Wheels are typically $100 or less for 17" alloys, which would be very cheap given your tires you already have. Or, you could go with 16" steelies (a few people have done it on here already,...its a tight fit but it works.

My suggestion is to search around briefly for snow tire and wheel combos, there are a lot of threads alive with answers for you. If I were you, I'd call tirerack and ask them to send you the cheapest alloys they know will fit in 17", and slap those tires you have on them. Done!

 

[WildChild]

5. Purchase 17 inch aluminum ford fusion wheels on ebay. I bought a set of these last year for about $500, including new all season michelins.

 

[Sacrilicious]

if you want your 17 inch wheels to get the TPMS, you can just buy a set for them for 250ish. tire rack carries them, so you can save yourself the trouble and just get the full package from them because they mount, balance, and put in TPMS for free! ;o

 

[redspeed3tk]

buy winter tires and put them on the stock wheels then buy nice wheels to go on the stock tires come summer

 

[Twisted]

I'm posting this on all Snow tire threads. I have a set of (4) NEW, NEVER MOUNTED Michelin X-ICE 215/45 R18's for sale. Tirerack is sold out. I bought a Rubicon and just don't need these tires since I sold the Speed3.

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123689035

 

[f50spyder]

Can you tell me how the ford fusion wheels cleared the calipers? Whats the offset on these wheels? I'm curious which design you have and images possible.? Thanks.

 

[Nliiitend1]

I have Fusion wheels as well, with 215/50R117 Dunlop Wintersport M3s. The wheels are 17x7 and have an offset of +44mm. I have stock suspension and they aren't even close to rubbing.

 

[Falconx84]

back from the dead..... stupid zombie threads (gets shotgun)

 

[Vixen]

Do shotguns really kill zombies or do they just stun them? Can you really kill a zombie?

 

[Falconx84]

destroy the head.... only way I've found. Explosives are best, but I don't have any handy

 

[Nliiitend1]

Yeah yeah, so I bumped a 2 month old thread...sue me!



It just so happens that I got my setup put on yesterday, after driving around on the stock hockey pucks in freezing temps for 3 weeks (I bought the car the last weekend in December) and was a bit excited about it.

Shoot me if you must, but can I get a last meal (of brains) before you do it?

(naughty)(freak)

 

[Falconx84]

I suppose I can let you have one last meal.... just stay away from the honda and srt forums or you might starve. But then I'm coming to get you! (evil) (dark)