sdwndr

Is there any advantage in getting 235/55-17 snow tires, instead of getting tires to replace my current 235/50-18s?

Consumer Reports recently rated the Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip GW3s the best of the snow tires, but they don't make them big enough to fit my 18" wheels.

CR rated the Dunlop M3s much lower, but I have read quite a few positive reviews about them on the internet, plus I could keep my bigger wheels on with them.

Any thoughts?

callahan

Can you find a $500.00 beater car for winter? Do this if possible and spare your baby the salt.

ral8667

I'm looking at the Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires for my 18 wheels. After some research, it seems the only good choices for the 18" wheel are these Dunlops or the Michelin X-Ice which won't be available until late November or December.

Whatever I get, I'll let you know how they handle in snow and ice. I live in the Denver Colorado area.

Ron

sdwndr

I probably could get a winter beater, but I hate to think the safety and reliability issues I might have with a $500 car on my long commute, so I am sticking with snow tires.

My main dilemna is the 18" tires I am finding have the same overall tire diameter and tread width as the 17" tires, which makes me think it will have the same contact area with the ground (I know the less area, the better it will move in snow, hence skinner tires are better), so I am wondering if I might as well get 18"...

classj

I stayed with the 18" tires. I didnt want to live with 17" tires in the winter and I might throw on some bigger front brakes so I need the extra clearance the 18" wheels provide.

I actually just got the tires/wheels today from tire rack. I got the 18x8.5" silver painted ford racing bullitt wheels (same as the polished bullitts but painted with a machined lip) with blizzak LM-22, 235-50-18. Same size as stock. They look really nice. They have a rim protector bead on them too which sometimes helps I guess.

They ended up costing $1670 shipped to the door mounted and ballanced with pony caps and lugs (which they forgot and have to ship out to me). And then I have a $50 dollar rebate to send in for them. They had a special that expired last week on a set of 4 blizzaks.

Best price I found on the wheels was at CJ pony parts for 625 to the door. So with the tires from tire rack it would have been about a hundred bucks cheaper if I bought them separatly. But by the time I had them mounted and ballanced. And spent the time lugging them around, it was worth the money. And, they managed to mount them without a single scratch. Which is great because no matter who I seem to use locally, or how much I pay to specialty places, they scratch them to hell.