Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Wheels & Tires Question about 18's and weather....

Ok I live in Ohio, and we get a desent amout of weather, Snow and rain. This year I asked my parents for 18" rims for Christmas. So they went to a tire dealer (I think they said Goodyear) and they said that 18's are very poor in everything but handeling, they said:
1. They cant be used for winter because they will slide all over the place
2. They will hydroplane a lot
3. The stopping distance on them is very poor I.E. the brakes aren't "big" enough to handel them.
Are these all true statements, or did they just blow it all out of perportion???
And are there "all season" tires for the 18's??
And can you driive on 18's safely in the winter time??

THANKS!!!

(sorry I didn't do a search, I didn't know what to serch for)

Well, I live here in So. Cal, so we rarely have to deal with that kind of weather, but those are valid points your parents are making. I get to run my 18's all year long!

If you are going to try to argue, Pirelli makes an all season tire in a 225/40-18, it's called the "Winter 240 Snowsport", it's $231/tire through Tirerack, as well as a Dunlop SP Winter Sport M2, also in the same size, for 194/tire. Just look at their current ads.

It's not the rim size, but the tire that makes the difference in how it handles the rain and snow. There are several all season 18" tires. Give a call to Luke @ the Tirerack and he'll surely narrow down the better all-seasons.

I response to you questions...
Luke at Tire Rack can give you great advice, but a general rule of thumb....
1) They will slide around in the winter due to an increased contact patch. Larger tires tend to push snow up in front of the tire rather than cut through it.
2) Hydroplaning - ??? only if you put a poor design tire on them.
3) Brakes aren't big enough for them
cough - Bull$****!!! cough
There are lots of people that drive around in the winter on 18 inch rims. They usually have all seasons on them, but I would recommend a true winter tire if you get really nasty weather. It is a compromise to run all seasons.
Why not use you stock rims for winters. The smaller the tire the better it will perform in the snow. Smaller tires cut through the snow and create more pressure on the contact patch for bite in snow and ice.

Just something to think about. If you do run the 18s in the winter, put a GOOD winter tire on them, and drive carefully. And WAX them rims good...don't want to ruin them in the salt.

HEHE they're balled. I'm going to get new tires for my stock rims if 18's are real bad for the winter. Here's my Christmas... $250 tires, or convince them $1500 18's are ok for winter.
Oh yeah, anyone notice a greater braking force to stop 18's, that's what point they're really pushing. I see Blue Streak says it's bull plop. Anyone else??

No chance! The difference is that a greater contact patch (with wider wheels and tyres) will give you more grip, at least on dry or damp roads. That means that the brakes can actually stop the car faster because they won't lock up so easily, providing they're good enough.

So basically you will never lose any braking performance using bigger tyres, it's just that if your brakes ain't that great you won't get any benefit. If your brakes are already good enough to lock up your current tyres in the dry, braking performance can only get better with more grip!

My Mondeo has 278mm front discs (same as SVT I think) with EBC Greenstuff pads, and I managed to lock the wheels once in the dry from 90MPH on a dual-carriageway. That's with good 215/45x17 tyres. So those brakes certainly aren't "overwhelmed" by my tyre size.

Of course, snow is a different matter - you will get poorer performance with wider tyres because they won't cut into the snow as blue streak says. I drive in the snow with my 17s on no problem, you just have to take things carefully and go slow! It's as much about your driving technique in the snow as your tyre size, use the gearbox wisely to control your speed rather than the brakes.

HTH, Paul.

Nope, you tires are bald. Get the 18's with good summer tires for christmas. Save up a couple hundred bucks yourself and buy some decent winter rubber to mount on your stock rims.

These guys are saying that you can find an 18's tire that will let you live through winer, but they fail to mention how poor their performance will be on dry pavement the rest of the year.

I'm telling ya, 18's w/ summer tires and stock wheels + winter tires is the only way to go if it snows and it's cold in your area...

Now a couple more things...
4. they said that the rims are weak and if you hit a pot hole you will damge them badly and have to replace them.
5. I don't know why they said this, giving that Paul M (kinda) disagreed with it allready, but they said that while your stopping a wheel could possibly lock up without warning. Have no clue why, on ABS system that would make sence, but not on standard 4 wheel disc brakes.
and 6. They said that the ride is very bad and is a major difference between regular 15" wheels. How bad is the ride of the car??? (especaly if I put a lowering kit on it, i.e. harder springs)

Thanks you guys you opinons have helped!

I'd heed the warnings carefully, since Ohio does have alot of bad weather.. I've got another car with some serious performance tires (225/45ZR-17s in front, 245/40ZR-17s in the rear), and the car can break loose in DRY weather, even with traction control. In rain, it's pretty scary. Granted, it's RWD, but a slide is a slide, I can just provoke it a bit easier

Hit a pot hole with any aluminum rim and you can do damage. Thats a fact...

Who the hell is this guy anyway??? sounds like he doesn't want your business, handing you all this crap...anyways, back on track..

Wheel lock will be slightly more difficult with a larger tire. But the stop will be better... and ABS works regarless of rim size, it takes the readings off the rotor, not the tire.
Stiffer ride----
A lower profile tire will need stiffer side walls to resist rollover, so yes the ride will get a tad harsh, but the tire choice will affect the ride to some extent, some are better than others for ride quality. Michelin for one, is vertically supple for ride quality, but laterally very stable for cornering. If you lower your car you can opt for slightly less aggressive spring rates and adjustable shocks for more control.
It sounds to me like this guy is used to selling to the typical North American driver that doesn't want to feel the road, just stay on it. LOL... a personal choice...