What wheels for winter tyres

bungleaio · 08-08-2013, 04:28 PM

I'm looking at getting a winter wheel and tyre setup but I'm not sure what wheels to get.

I've got 19 inch wheels at the moment but winter tyres are limited in choice and very expensive so I'm going to go for 18 inch wheels.

The question is would a squared set be noticeably better over a staggered set?

chris_s1 · 08-08-2013, 06:14 PM

This has been debated numerous times on here there are various opinions on this.

I run a staggered set of 18's on my winters, they are 189 style BMW wheels that I bought very cheaply in poor condition and had refurbished in gloss black. Total outlay on the wheels was about £400.

There is an argument that thinner tyres are better in the snow and thus 225s all round is a better setup.
For me, I would never run 225s on the rear of my 335d. Whilst they may be slightly better in the snow, my winters are on for 3-4 months and they might see snow 2 or 3 days out of that if we're lucky. So there's no way I'd want to drive around for the other 3-4 months on skinny rear tyres. The car is plenty squirmy enough on 255 winter rears as it is.

SO8 · 08-09-2013, 04:15 AM

I have BMW's 17" set for my 330d with 225 wide tyres on them. They look OK on my E92 which surprised me as I normally have 19" 313M's on it !

I was worried 18's would be too hard - and as BMW recommend 17" for my car went with that.

Sheepy · 08-09-2013, 05:49 AM

Depends where you live & how much driving you do. I have 19" wheels on mine all year & just sourced another pair of thinner 19" fronts to put some winter tyres on, as the weather rarely gets really bad where I live I only intend to whack them on the rear for better traction when the forecast is really bad. Personally I don't think you really need winter tyres on all winter in most areas in this country.

chris_s1 · 08-09-2013, 07:18 AM

The other point I didn't mention in my original post is that I've found the wider rears on winter tyres to be fantastic in the snow, I've never wanted for more traction - I was the only car that made it out of our estate in the 'big snow' we had a couple of years ago. Even my neighbours' Freelander on standard tyres didn't make it.

So I don't see what the benefit of thinner rears really is anyway.. its the winter tyres themselves that make all the difference.

Icekube · 08-09-2013, 07:29 AM

ive just bought myself some Style286 wheels to be used as winters

i already have 4 225x45/r17 winter tyres left over from my S4, so im just going to mount them to use, for me it would be a waste of cash to go out and buy 255 tyres.

bungleaio · 08-09-2013, 07:31 AM

Cheers guys, I'm going to go for a staggered set of 18's.

This is my 1st rear wheel drive car and having previously been driving an impreza the extra grip the winter tyres will give will be useful. It will also help prolong the life of my 19 inch tyres.

pjs · 08-09-2013, 09:24 AM

I've a set of 18" staggered Dunlop Wintersport 3D's in my garage that I used last winter on my 330d. Will probably be putting them on ebay in a few weeks. Let me know if they would be of interest. Done about 4000 miles on them. Epic in the snow.

chris_s1 · 08-09-2013, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bungleaio

Cheers guys, I'm going to go for a staggered set of 18's.

This is my 1st rear wheel drive car and having previously been driving an impreza the extra grip the winter tyres will give will be useful. It will also help prolong the life of my 19 inch tyres.

No problem, its a completely different beast.
I'm an Impreza man as well - Classic shape import Type-R

smacg · 08-09-2013, 10:55 AM

I've got my winters on the oem MV3's and 19" CSL reps for summer. As the OEM set up is staggered and i've not tried slimmer wheels cant comment on the difference but up here in the north we can get the snow pretty bad and I took great pleasure in cruising past numerous people with looks of "wtf! i'm stuck and how's he doing that!"

Winter tyres are def worth it. and with mv3's the car looks stock.

Steve748 · 08-09-2013, 12:27 PM

I had 18" wheels and I found it was difficult to get tyres for it. In the end the choice was so limited I could only get Pirelli run-flats on the front and Kumho ordinary on the back.
I was buying in the winter and apparently the tyre companies make winters in the summer and summers in the winter!
If they have sold all the winters there are no more available.
I would buy 17" wheels and you will get a bigger choice and they will be cheaper too.

08-08-2013, 04:28 PM	#1
bungleaio First Lieutenant 38 Rep 353 Posts Drives: G42 230i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Leicester iTrader: (0)	What wheels for winter tyres I'm looking at getting a winter wheel and tyre setup but I'm not sure what wheels to get. I've got 19 inch wheels at the moment but winter tyres are limited in choice and very expensive so I'm going to go for 18 inch wheels. The question is would a squared set be noticeably better over a staggered set?
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08-08-2013, 06:14 PM	#2
chris_s1 Major 38 Rep 1,113 Posts Drives: M235i 6MT Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 E92 335d [8.66]	This has been debated numerous times on here there are various opinions on this. I run a staggered set of 18's on my winters, they are 189 style BMW wheels that I bought very cheaply in poor condition and had refurbished in gloss black. Total outlay on the wheels was about £400. There is an argument that thinner tyres are better in the snow and thus 225s all round is a better setup. For me, I would never run 225s on the rear of my 335d. Whilst they may be slightly better in the snow, my winters are on for 3-4 months and they might see snow 2 or 3 days out of that if we're lucky. So there's no way I'd want to drive around for the other 3-4 months on skinny rear tyres. The car is plenty squirmy enough on 255 winter rears as it is.
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08-09-2013, 04:15 AM	#3
SO8 Major 255 Rep 1,212 Posts Drives: BMW G30 545e xdrive Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	I have BMW's 17" set for my 330d with 225 wide tyres on them. They look OK on my E92 which surprised me as I normally have 19" 313M's on it ! I was worried 18's would be too hard - and as BMW recommend 17" for my car went with that.
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08-09-2013, 05:49 AM	#4
Sheepy First Lieutenant 188 Rep 381 Posts Drives: F82 M4 Competition Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: York iTrader: (0)	Depends where you live & how much driving you do. I have 19" wheels on mine all year & just sourced another pair of thinner 19" fronts to put some winter tyres on, as the weather rarely gets really bad where I live I only intend to whack them on the rear for better traction when the forecast is really bad. Personally I don't think you really need winter tyres on all winter in most areas in this country.
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08-09-2013, 07:18 AM	#5
chris_s1 Major 38 Rep 1,113 Posts Drives: M235i 6MT Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 E92 335d [8.66]	The other point I didn't mention in my original post is that I've found the wider rears on winter tyres to be fantastic in the snow, I've never wanted for more traction - I was the only car that made it out of our estate in the 'big snow' we had a couple of years ago. Even my neighbours' Freelander on standard tyres didn't make it. So I don't see what the benefit of thinner rears really is anyway.. its the winter tyres themselves that make all the difference.
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08-09-2013, 07:29 AM	#6
Icekube Captain 48 Rep 891 Posts Drives: E87 130i Join Date: May 2013 Location: Livingston iTrader: (3)	ive just bought myself some Style286 wheels to be used as winters i already have 4 225x45/r17 winter tyres left over from my S4, so im just going to mount them to use, for me it would be a waste of cash to go out and buy 255 tyres.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-09-2013, 07:31 AM	#7
bungleaio First Lieutenant 38 Rep 353 Posts Drives: G42 230i Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Leicester iTrader: (0)	Cheers guys, I'm going to go for a staggered set of 18's. This is my 1st rear wheel drive car and having previously been driving an impreza the extra grip the winter tyres will give will be useful. It will also help prolong the life of my 19 inch tyres.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-09-2013, 09:24 AM	#8
pjs Colonel 290 Rep 2,774 Posts Drives: i8 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NORTH iTrader: (1)	I've a set of 18" staggered Dunlop Wintersport 3D's in my garage that I used last winter on my 330d. Will probably be putting them on ebay in a few weeks. Let me know if they would be of interest. Done about 4000 miles on them. Epic in the snow.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-09-2013, 10:55 AM	#10
smacg Smacg 9 Rep 86 Posts Drives: 08 E92 320d Msport Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Aberdeen iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW 320d M Sport [0.00]	I've got my winters on the oem MV3's and 19" CSL reps for summer. As the OEM set up is staggered and i've not tried slimmer wheels cant comment on the difference but up here in the north we can get the snow pretty bad and I took great pleasure in cruising past numerous people with looks of "wtf! i'm stuck and how's he doing that!" Winter tyres are def worth it. and with mv3's the car looks stock.
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08-09-2013, 12:27 PM	#11
Steve748 Lieutenant 12 Rep 564 Posts Drives: Corvette & Jeep Commander Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North Yorks & Granite Hills CA iTrader: (0)	I had 18" wheels and I found it was difficult to get tyres for it. In the end the choice was so limited I could only get Pirelli run-flats on the front and Kumho ordinary on the back. I was buying in the winter and apparently the tyre companies make winters in the summer and summers in the winter! If they have sold all the winters there are no more available. I would buy 17" wheels and you will get a bigger choice and they will be cheaper too.
	Appreciate 0 Quote