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Thread: Winter wheels, buy alloy and replace current?

  1. #1
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    Winter wheels, buy alloy and replace current?

    Hello,

    I'm about to start shopping for winter tires and wheels, and I'd like people opinions on two different plans:

    1) Buy steel wheels and use them for winter

    2) Buy alloy wheels, put the current tires on them, and put the winter tires on the stock steel wheels.

    My reason for thinking #2 might be a good idea is that I have a (possible irrational) fear that I'll lose one of the hubcaps. If I was running them as winter rims instead I'd just take the hubcaps off.

    Thoughts?



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    Senior Member LilGeckos's Avatar
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    My car came with alloy rims and I wasn't going to use them in the snow. The stock tires on those rims were no good in snow anyway. 16" snow tires for the OEM rims were almost as much as 15" snow tires and steel rims here. So, I went out and bought steel rims at the Nissan dealer and winter tires from Canadian Tire to put on them. Steel Nissan rims were actually cheaper than Canadian Tire amazingly and they were actually available at the time. This is what I done.

    A nice set of alloy rims for summer use with tires is good if you have the money for them. Some people on here have real good looking alloy rims on their cars. I can't see how you could lose a hubcap unless you have very pot-holed roads where you are.

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    Hi Kman222,

    I'm going with option 2 myself, getting some winter tires on the stock steelies later this year and a nice set of alloys for next spring, just keeping a look out for some deals in the mean time.

  4. #4
    i removed my stock steelies with tires and stored them, un-used.
    installed alloy and all-season performance tires for spring-summer-fall, and am about to get steelies nd winter tires.

    between the summers ( 80,000km ) and winters (60,000km) and original oem ones (50,000km )
    I have plenty of tires. @ $80 a swap (if i paid) x 2 times a year x 10 (life of my current tires) thats $1600.00 in savings

    so basically my alloys and allseasons are paid for if i swap summer/winter rims (with tires already mounted) myself.

    shops can lso cut you break if they are just bolting rims on, instead of removing and re installing rubber.

    another thing to consider is... everytime a tire is removed and remounted there is stress on the tire.

    Ive got a bump in the side of one of my tire from a not to careful tire installer. obvly his opionion is that I hit a pot hole, but I know I didnt and he knows I didnt. but tht $150 out of his pocket, so its warrenty claim, so I have to buy another tire and send in my tire for "inspection" by falken to see if they will warrenty it.

    I assume that after I buy the 5th tire, ill never hear from them again and when I go to find out why it will be under new management again. im keeping my eye on these guys.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 7.7 L/100 km ... 36.8 mpg (Imp) ... 13.0 km/L ... 30.6 mpg (US) ...


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    Junior Member Clintownicus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kman222 View Post
    Hello,

    I'm about to start shopping for winter tires and wheels, and I'd like people opinions on two different plans:

    1) Buy steel wheels and use them for winter

    2) Buy alloy wheels, put the current tires on them, and put the winter tires on the stock steel wheels.

    My reason for thinking #2 might be a good idea is that I have a (possible irrational) fear that I'll lose one of the hubcaps. If I was running them as winter rims instead I'd just take the hubcaps off.

    Thoughts?
    My Micra came with steel, I'll be putting some winters on there and getting an alloy set for summer, hopefully in 17" since I've found a few that are already test fitted and would probably look really good. I figure hey, go big or go home lol.

  6. #6
    215/45R17 or 205/50R17 on a 17x7+35 rim

    Lowering offset moves the rim tire to close to the inside.
    Rim wider the 7" moves the tire too far in both directions.
    Wider tire/ higher profile changes the speed by more then 2%
    This can effect drivability and mileage.

    17" rims and tires cost more. And for 4x100 bolt pattern (60mm hub) , as the sizes go up the variety/selection goes down.

    Why does a supermini require 17"?
    They'd look like 20" on regular sized cars.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 7.7 L/100 km ... 36.8 mpg (Imp) ... 13.0 km/L ... 30.6 mpg (US) ...


  7. #7
    Junior Member Clintownicus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IMPUL View Post
    215/45R17 or 205/50R17 on a 17x7+35 rim

    Lowering offset moves the rim tire to close to the inside.
    Rim wider the 7" moves the tire too far in both directions.
    Wider tire/ higher profile changes the speed by more then 2%
    This can effect drivability and mileage.

    17" rims and tires cost more. And for 4x100 bolt pattern (60mm hub) , as the sizes go up the variety/selection goes down.

    Why does a supermini require 17"?
    They'd look like 20" on regular sized cars.
    Lowering offset actually pushes wheels out. The hub moves closer to the center line and can give the wheels a deeper lip and more concave shape.

    There's lots of 17x7 et42 wheels available.
    You can lower put a 40 profile on a 17" wheel and not effect your speedometer or transfer case at all.
    You can get 17" Fast Wheels Underground, Revolt, and Europa, all have already been test fitted will work with zero issues if you use the proper tire sizing. It's really not that drastic considering the SR has 16" on it.

    At the Montreal Demo they actually displayed a Micra with 18" OZ Racing wheels and I thought it looked cool so that's why I'm doing it.



    That's with a 35 which will obviously kill your ride, but I drove on 45s on my previous for years and never had a problem

  8. #8
    Yes, ma bad.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 7.7 L/100 km ... 36.8 mpg (Imp) ... 13.0 km/L ... 30.6 mpg (US) ...


  9. #9
    Administrator MetroMPG's Avatar
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    At the Montreal Demo they actually displayed a Micra with 18" OZ Racing wheels and I thought it looked cool so that's why I'm doing it.
    Fun fact: I'm pretty sure when I met Nissan's marketing manager at the Montreal launch event, he said he commuted in that red car (with those wheels) in Mississauga.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra S manual: 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.5 mpg (Imp) ... 20.0 km/L ... 47.0 mpg (US) ...


  10. #10
    Senior Member dani3d's Avatar
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    My car also came with alloy wheels and I bought rim at Nissan dealer in 15'' and put Nokkian tires on them. With the money I save each year because replacing wheels is cheaper than replacing tires twice a year (60$ instead of 120$) I save 60$ per year and that cover the cost of my rim.

    Plus by going with 15'' instead of my current 16'' I am saving on the cost of the winter tires as well. What ever you do, buy very good tires because that makes a huge difference with the Micra in the snow. The women in front of our building has a Micra with poor winter tires and she gets stuck everywhere wherea I go through huge amount of snow without any problem.


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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Micra SR automatic: 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp) ... 14.3 km/L ... 33.6 mpg (US) ...


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