Well this is my question.
I am going to get 18 inch rims. I am convinced and ready to go get ULTRA HIGh PErfomance ALL SEASON tires for the 18 inch rims. They would serve me all year round.

Should i go ahead with this logic, or get Summer Tires, like Kumho Ecsta's 712

and when winter comes(snow), put my stock 16 gle wheels back on.

So basically what would be better to do?

Oh yeah, i had another question how do summer tires do in the rain? Like the Kumho Ecsta's 712 or Nitto Extremes 555?

ROger
any info appreciated

 

If you end up sliding and hitting a curb-(and it can happen very easy)-
what would you rather damage-your 18's or the stock rims?

I would put the stock ones back one for the winter,with some decent snow tires.

V

 

All other things being equal, higher profile tires will work better in snow. The biggest difference is in breakaway characteristics - the very thing that makes low profile tires feel better in the dry works against you in the snow because you are at the limit of traction most of the time. Look at the tires on a 400hp pro-rally car on a snow stage - looks like Yugo tires, yet they can use anything they like.

Dave

 

In the snow, narrower tires will be better.

 

I concur. You want to "cut" through snow and not "PLOW" through it.

Narrower the tires the better. I have 16" summers and 15" winters.

 

depends on where you live and how much snow you get but, overall, the narrower tires of the stockers would be better in the snow. think of the 18" tires as toboggans sliding over the ice and snow

also, if you're gonna spend the money on 18" tires, why compromise summer performance when you've got a perfectly good set of stock steelies and tires to take winter's punishment

one more thing, in winter, if you're roads are heavily salted, you run the risk of pitting your 18" rims

 

I agree with everyone else. The 18's won't work as well as 16's in the snow. Also most all-season high performance tire-makers say that the ASHP tires are good for 'light' snow. If you live in a place like Buffalo, NY...then you'll be slip-sliding your way through the winter.

I think that most high performance tire handle great in the rain (that's the feedback I hear). I just installed a set of ECSTA 712's on my max on monday...it hasn't rained yet so I can't speak from experience...yet.

Here are some links for you...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/uhp.jsp

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/uhpas.jsp

Goodluck.