I'm currently running stock size 195/55/15 arctic alpins and it's time for a new set. Anyone running higher profile 195/60/15? They're almost $20 cheaper per tire and would give a little extra clearance since i'm slightly lowered (.5 inch). What do you guys think?

 

that's fine, some people do it, just remember you need to keep your driving in check with them balloons

 

Just remember when the speedo says 60, your actually going 64.

 

I would stick to the stock size.

Michelin Arctic Alpins are nice. Blizzaks WS-50 are nicer. I have used the WS-15 (older version) and the WS-50 as well as the Arctic Alpins.

I have a pair of used Michelin Arctic Alpins 195/55/15 with some tread life for sale shortly. IM me if interested.





Modified by KayOs at 12:47 PM 11/7/2005

 

195/60-15 will have LESS clearance than the stock size, not more. Get the stock size.

If you're looking to save money, you might consider getting a different tire (perhaps the Dunlops). There are a lot of excellent winter tires on the market, and many come in our stock size. They tend to break down into two groups:

a) tires that have the very best traction on snow and ice, but have so-so ride and handling on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, Dunlop Graspic DS-2, and Michelin X-Ice. The Tire Rack calls these tires "studless ice and snow tires".

b) tires that have good traction on snow and ice and in cold, although not quite as good as the previous group, but they also have very good ride and handling characteristics on days when it's not so cold; examples include the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 and the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2. The Tire Rack calls these tires "performance winter tires".

The choice between these two categories depends on the climate in your area, how much highway driving you do in the winter, how much you care about ultimate snow/ice grip versus ride comfort, whether you have another vehicle to use in the worst of winter, etc. Oh, and the tires in category (a) are usually significantly less expensive than category (b), which may be important. For example, I want the best snow/ice traction and I don't mind sacrificing some ride comfort and handling for those three months a year (mid-December to mid-March around here), and winter weather here in Chicago can be fairly nasty, so I have category (a) tires. But your priorities may be different, and you might (or might not) be better off getting the category (b) tires.

Once you decide on which category you want, you can look up tires in that category on the Tire Rack website and find one in your size. Here are winter tires in the stock 195/55-15 size:

<u>Category (a)</u>:
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 $88
Dunlop Graspic DS-2 $70
Michelin X-Ice $89

<u>Category (b)</u>:
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 $113
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 $106
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 $108
Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport $83

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KayOs &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Alpins are nice. Blizzaks are nicer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

As you can see from the list above, Michelin makes several different models of winter tires with the Alpin name, and the same is true of Bridgestone with the Blizzak name. These tires vary in performance characteristics, depending on what you're looking for. So be specific and include the model designation when you're referring to these tires.

I've used several winter tires on my Integras - the Bridgestone Blizzak MZ-02 (no longer available, comparable to the WS-50), the Michelin Arctic Alpin (no longer available, replaced by the X-Ice), and a Pirelli (maybe the Winter 210, I'm not certain). All have kicked butt in winter conditions.

 

I ment ground clearance, not body/car stuff clearance.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R134 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I ment ground clearance, not body/car stuff clearance.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh, okay, thanks.

I would still use the stock size. I don't think it's worth throwing off the speedometer and odometer by 3.3 percent, and making the car accelerate slower (same as changing to a 4.26 FD), just to gain less than 0.2 inch additional ground clearance and a slight price reduction. Just my O.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

As you can see from the list above, Michelin makes several different models of winter tires with the Alpin name, and the same is true of Bridgestone with the Blizzak name. These tires vary in performance characteristics, depending on what you're looking for. So be specific and include the model designation when you're referring to these tires.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

To be "specific", I have edited my response above. Note that the user has requested information on a possible change of tire size using the Arctic Alpin. He did not inquire about different models of winter tires available. I am just keeping with the topic of the thread

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R134 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm currently running stock size 195/55/15 arctic alpins and it's time for a new set. Anyone running higher profile 195/60/15? They're almost $20 cheaper per tire and would give a little extra clearance since i'm slightly lowered (.5 inch). What do you guys think?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

see sig

 

I've run 195/60/15's. I personally don't really care about acceleration during snow season, so it wasn't a big deal for me. I'd say get the cheaper tire and save the $$ for track season come next spring.

 

I have a set of Kumho I'Zen stud-ready snow tires on the Silver Bullet. I just leave them on year-round with no issues. They probably need replacing, but I've gotten a good 40k miles out of them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Splat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a set of Kumho I'Zen stud-ready snow tires on the Silver Bullet. I just leave them on year-round with no issues. They probably need replacing, but I've gotten a good 40k miles out of them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you really need snow tires in NC? I remember it used to snow maybe every other year (snow that actually stuck to the ground), and less than an inch on the ground at a time--which was usually gone in a day or two. But I remember an ice storm back in 98 or 99 when everything shut down for a week. I got the newspaper in the morning (don't know how they delivered it?) and had a hard time getting back up the driveway. (I had to crawl! )

 

Not usually. But I live in the boonies now, so if it *does* snow, we're not going to get clear roads for quite some time. So with my Scout in need of repairs before it's driveable, I went ahead and got snow tires. They were dirt cheap in the size I needed, cheap enough that I've just left them on all year. I'll probably replace them with nice, blocky all-seasons since Tirerack doesn't seem to carry them anymore.


[edit] We did get 22 inches in Raleigh a few years back. That was nuts. [/edit]

 

Thanks guys. I don't care about acceleration in the winter, except i may try a snow/ice autox this winter. I like blizzaks but arctic alpins or the now icex or x-ice.. whatever last quite a bit longer for me. Just wanted to make sure they didn't rub or cause problems.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Splat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Not usually. But I live in the boonies now, so if it *does* snow, we're not going to get clear roads for quite some time. So with my Scout in need of repairs before it's driveable, I went ahead and got snow tires. They were dirt cheap in the size I needed, cheap enough that I've just left them on all year. I'll probably replace them with nice, blocky all-seasons since Tirerack doesn't seem to carry them anymore.


[edit] We did get 22 inches in Raleigh a few years back. That was nuts. [/edit]</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think I remember that huge snow storm. My parents were snowed in for a few days.

Do you still have your Scout? My friend had a 78? with a 330ci V8, big swampers...that thing was a beast! We used to go out to Morrisville & surrounding areas and go crazy with that thing.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R134 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks guys. I don't care about acceleration in the winter, except i may try a snow/ice autox this winter. I like blizzaks but arctic alpins or the now icex or x-ice.. whatever last quite a bit longer for me. Just wanted to make sure they didn't rub or cause problems.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Unless you live waaay up north (Alaska, Canada), nothing too aggressive is needed. I'm sure you've got a pretty good snow removal system in your city, so I'd say 90% of the time, the roads are clear. I have studded tires that came with my car, but the guy was from Alaska, so it was a total overkill. It's a blast if it does snow, though. I used to pass Jeeps, big trucks left and right on the highway with 3-5 inches of snow!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P Nut &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you still have your Scout? My friend had a 78? with a 330ci V8, big swampers...that thing was a beast! We used to go out to Morrisville & surrounding areas and go crazy with that thing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep, but it's parked in the garage for now. Needs some rust repair before she's roadworthy again. Talk about a beast in the snow - I had a blast during that huge storm.

 

I have the Dunlop Graspic DS-2s and absoulutely love them. My second set. I've had no issues with a lack of traction when I needed it in snow and ice (other than the obvious). I live in the mountains and while we don't have much of a winter at all, we do get between 4-12 inches of snow at times during winter and these have been great.

and for $70 per tire in 195/55/15, I can't complain.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"><u>Category (a)</u>:
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 $88
Dunlop Graspic DS-2 $70
Michelin X-Ice $89</TD></TR></TABLE>

On the Tire Rack website (click here), you can read a side-by-side comparison test of these three tires. Overall, the Blizzak WS-50 and the X-Ice finished about even, with the Dunlop significantly lower (but it costs less).

 

wheels need a good cleaning.

lots of meat on the tires still yet, bought second handed, but never used. first owner used it for part of a winter season. (&lt;2000 miles)

see signature for price. PM with inquiries.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 255.255.255.255 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">see signature for price. PM with inquiries.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Awesome deal for anyone looking for winter tires and wheels.

 

Most of my friends in montreal run narrower and taller tires for the winter.
go with 195/60 or even 185/60... Winter tires are not made for handling, they're made for snow traction. Also as far as accelleration/final drive is concerned, Taller tires are better in snow, and give you better ground clearance which is quite usefull in integras. In order to avoid slipping tires in the snow, some people even start in second gear... Be safe when driving with reduced traction.

 

look at how narrow rally car tires are when they drive in the snow, they are like 155 width!! They do this because "floating" on top of the snow is bad and you'll get no traction, you want a narrow tire that'll "cut" though the snow and grip the pavement below.

 

I'm running 195/60 Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50's. They are cheaper and I do like the extra ground clearance. This is on stock suspension though, I'm not sure how they will do on a lowered car as they do fill out the wheel wells more and as NSXtasy said, they provide less clearance in the wheel wells.

Haven't gotten stuck yet





Modified by Larkin W. at 12:32 PM 11/8/2005

 

Some of the winter tires (like the X-Ice and the WS-50) also come in 185/60-15, which would also fit our cars and be a bit cheaper. Your choice.

I wouldn't want to increase the outer diameter of the tires, though (e.g. 185/65 or 195/60). Aside from throwing off the speedometer and odometer, that would mean less clearance all the way around the wheel wells, which isn't so great when you've got chunks of ice and stuff getting kicked up in that area. As for ground clearance, well... the 0.2 inch difference in tire diameters isn't going to make much difference. And if your car is slammed, it's even worse, and you're not going to get an inch or two of ride height back from your tires.

 

I still have tirerack steel set with pirelli snows 205-50-15 from 6 yrs ago sitting in my garage from previous 97 R.