Alright I live in maryland, we do get snow around here. I got a 97 SE with the SE 5 spoked rims and I have Pep Boys tires on them. They are great in the dry, but they really suck in the mud and I can imagine how much more they suck in the snow. I'm thinking about getting a set of snow tires for my car. Should I get just new tires, or more rims and tires? Also what are good snow tires and good what size?

 

I have a 97 SE 5sp also. I used GuardEX 600 by Yokahama
on 15" steel wheel in the winter months. Keep the nice
5 spoke 16" factory wheels and tires in the basement.

I believe I paid around $520 including shipping back
in the winter of 98.

Tmeyers-Colorado

 

http://www.nokiantires.com

absolutely the best!

 

I couldn't agree more, I have Hakka 1's on my 90 GXE. I had to drive through two snowstorms to travel for my Thanksgiving break(From Bangor, ME to Burlington, VT and back~300miles) At one point in NH it was snowing so hard I was traveling at about 10mph, and right before I left Maine there was a stretch of slick road that had several cars in a ditch, I was amazed at how good the lateral grip was on these tires.

[Edited by Loudergood on 12-02-2000 at 10:22 AM]

 

the Bridgestone Blizzak's, Michelin Arctic Alpin and Pirelli A210s are all excellent tires.

I have ordered the Bridgestone tires from TireRack, and they will be arriving later this week.

The Nokian tires are supposed to be excellent, particularly if you really need to drive in snow. The ones listed above are preferable if you need better traction than all-season tires, but still will be doing most of your driving on streets that are plowed fairly regularly.

 

I just got the 205/65 Artic Alpins on 15" wheels for $500 delivered from TireRack. So far they're nice & quiet on dry roads. No snow testing yet.

Last set I had was the Blizzak WS15's. They were good in snow but wore out quickly on dry pavement.

Nuther vote for getting new rims. My new rims were $176 for the set. Consider you're cost of mounting, valving, balancing twice each year with only 1 set of rims. Not to mention the nice finish vs road salt.

 

Some of the newer tire compounds are a dual design.
I know the Yokohoma GuardEX and the Blizaks (some types)
are a very soft outer rubber compound and the underlayer
is a harder rubber compound. As you wear down the softer
compound the tires end up being all season tires.

For me out here in Colorado it's the ice I hate driving on.
The dual compound designs (softer rubber) are great. The
pitfall is tire wear...The dual compound tires will wear
much sooner....This is my 3rd winter using the GuardEX 600's
and I figure one maybe 2 more winters out of these tires.

But, I drive very slow on these tires (around corners and
take care of them).....Driving on snow is a breeze with
these tires but its on ICE where these really show there
traction capibilities.....These Yokohoma's have microscopic
nylon fibers that bite in ICE as well as the snipes cuts.

BTW..don't have them on the car ALL winter..put them on
when I need them.

My 2 cents
Tmeyers-Colorado
97 Maxima SE 5sp

 

My new set of wheels and tires arrived yesterday from TireRack. I probably won't put them on until late this month, although we did have a bit of snow and ice this a.m.

I would think that in Maryland any reputable set of snow tires should be fine. Having a second set of wheels makes the whole process much easier.

Ideally, you wheel for your snow tires should be steel wheels with hubcaps. This adds weight (which in this case is a benefit), and frequently offers better size combinations than are available with aftermarket wheels.

That being said, I purchased Borbet wheels, because I still wanted my Maxima to look good in the winter.

Finally, you should downsize your wheels to the smallest, narrowest available, which corresponds to a higher profile tire. This is both a cheaper combination than stock, but also improves grip on snow and ice...

 

I'm selling 15" steel wheels with hubcaps and tires. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Andy

 

How much do you want for the wheels and hubcaps?

Thanks MaxJoey

 

Got a bit of snow & ice last night. The Michellins seem to have good grip for braking and cornering. Still break em loose sometimes starting but it could be my torque or stick.

There seems to be a high pitched whine at 60mph+ on pavement though. Seems really noticeable under throttle which doesn't make sense.