Alright, so here is the deal. My Spec is getting new rims soon, and I have 2 issues that I am looking to settle. The first is whether to go with 2 sets of rims and tires- one for 3-season and one for winter, or whether to just find good all-season tires and run them year-round. The first thought is to run all-seasons, because it frees up a set of rims to run if I ever get the ***** (and the time) to auto-cross. I have summer-only tires (half tread remaining) on the Spec now, and I have the $ to buy all-season tires for the new rims, to this seems like a good way to go. My only concern is running my new rims in salt conditions in the winter. ALSO, my new job is at the top of a mountain, and I HAVE to be there. I do, however, have a 4x4 truck to drive if the weather is really nasty- it just costs me $17 a trip in gas…

My other thought is to run a set of all-season tires that I have in my basement, just for the winter. I have 3 (and could cheaply buy a 4th) and could run them on my stock rims, and then could run good 3-season tires on my custom rims for most of the year. This would not let me auto-X w/o another set of rims, unless I wanted to run on my daily-driving tires. Also, the size is a little taller than I want to run, but I could live with them, I suppose. They are a 215-50-17; I need/want a 215-45-17.

Most of me says buy good all-season tires and run them year-round on the custom rims and be happy. My wife also subscribes to this idea. My only fear is that all-season tires will not be enough to get me around in the snow this winter. The road to my work IS the first one in the area that is plowed, however, and I do still have the truck.

 

My vote...

put good summer tires on the nice rims.
put all-season or winter-only tires on the crap wheels.

Auto X doesn't eat up tires nearly as bad as you'd think as long as you don't slide it around on rough asphalt, so you'll be fine using the summer tires as dual-purpose. Pick up some Kumho MX or SPT or something for cheap aggressive summer tires and you'll be happy.

 

Use one of the A/S sets you have and use the $$$ for a good set of summer tires to auto-x.

 

It would leave a lot of $ to spend on other toys...

I have some 1/2 tread falken 512s in the wrong size that I can run for winter...I need to replace 1, but that is a lot cheaper than a full set of new A/S tires, plus I can use 2 of my current "summer" tires, since they are like new and currently installed on the rear...Good plan- now I just need to sell my wife on it...

Is running 1/2 tread 512s in the snow a bad idea? I can always keep my eyes peeled for true winter tires down the road...

 

IMHO....


3 sets of wheels/tires.

Your custom wheels for some nice 3-seasons... like the BFG KD (with the flame pattern tread... AWESOME 3/s tires)

one set of winter tires (blizzaks FTMFW) on some crap wheels, or even steelies

One set of autoX tires... hoosiers, kumho V710's, etc. on a set of stock wheels.