A smaller rim is usually better, if you choose you can run less air in the tire and it also makes it less likely to curb the wheel. Honestly though most people buy nice wheels and put their good tires on those and use the stockers for the winter tires but if you really like your stock wheels i'd get some cheap steel wheels for winter tires..

Make sure you can run smaller wheels (i'm sure you can but make sure what ever you plan on getting fits), on my legacy, nothing under a 17" will fit over the brakes.

1/3/2011 6:44:17 PM

Yes, that is what I'm trying to figure out. What kind of offset I need.

1/3/2011 7:41:15 PM

Definitely go with a 2nd set of steelies, and the smallest size that fits over your brakes the better. Hard to imagine a 16" wheel would be too small to fit over a base Lancer's brakes too.

1/3/2011 8:03:14 PM

^ that was my thought too, the outbacks and base legacies can fit 16s... hell 15s may even be possible on the base lancer.

1/3/2011 8:09:54 PM

Small = cheap, yes?

1/3/2011 9:15:52 PM

Cheap strong better yes.

1/3/2011 9:28:54 PM

^^and narrower the tire better on snow.

1/3/2011 9:30:31 PM

^ lol wut?

Quote :

"Ceramic, as opposed to?"

Metallic...

1/4/2011 8:21:16 AM

?


narrower tires are better on/in snow

1/4/2011 8:34:13 AM

^ actually, now that I think about the logic, yeah. I agree

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 9:30 AM. Reason : .]

1/4/2011 9:29:11 AM

A pic of my tire specs from a Goodrich manual in Sears.


It talks about Plus-sizing. Anyone have any idea how to minus-size? I've looked online, but I really value your opinion.

1/4/2011 1:40:12 PM

go to http://www.tirerack.com and mess around with the tire size tool. They usually list outside diameter (OD) for all the tires. So figure it out from that. Off the top of my head I'd start with a 205/55/16 and go from there.

1/4/2011 1:50:22 PM

Yeah, so I went to a local tire shop and they told me to go to tirerack for my wheels (sold out for season). Then she told me it would cost me $275 to mount and balance two tires. She said I don't need two for the rear since it's a Fwd.

But I would still need two tires for the rear because the stocks are 215/45/18.

1/4/2011 7:43:53 PM

most likely Tire Rack will list smaller sizes if you look at their Winter Tire packages. They list 16s for mine (stock 17s) at least.

Actually, here you go: http://www.tirerack.com/snow/WinterPackageMain.jsp?autoMake=Mitsubishi&autoModel=Lancer+Sportback&autoYear=2010&autoModClar=GTS

They have 16", 17", & 18" packages.

[Edited on January 4, 2011 at 7:51 PM. Reason : link]

1/4/2011 7:50:36 PM

Quote :

"go to tirerack for my wheels (sold out for season)"

allow wheels are available.

not steel, though.

I did find these. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/65843-R-16-08-2008-MITSUBISHI-LANCER-STEEL-WHEEL-RIM-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4cf420fc20QQitemZ330513316896QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_3291wt_921

I'm just trying to figure out if:
(1) an 08 Lancer wheel will fit on my 10 wheel and,
(2) $63 is a good price

but again, I'm left with buying to 16" wheels/tires for the front and keeping the 18s for the back?

1/4/2011 9:37:13 PM

Don't just get two snow tires for the front...unless you enjoy oversteer when braking in anything but a straight line or when lifting at all in a turn. The safest set up is having uniform tread on all four corners.

1/4/2011 11:05:23 PM

So do you think I should buy four winter tires and put them on my stock 18's (pictured on first page), or buy 16" tires and hope I can find four steel wheels?

1/5/2011 8:55:40 AM

The later in my opinion. Better to have 2 sets of wheels.

1/5/2011 11:00:12 AM

Okay. If I can't find any steel wheels, are alloy wheels bad, or just more expensive?

1/5/2011 11:26:08 AM

Alloys are better than steel. They just cost more.

1/5/2011 11:53:12 AM

are you sure you even need snows? I have no plans for them and i live in Boston w/ a FWD car on Pirelli performance all seasons. Do you live way out in the sticks or in the city/burbs? They plow efficiently and effectively up here.

1/5/2011 2:44:13 PM

I went to some local places today looking to see if any had steel wheels...none

One guy (at Tire Expert) told me it would cost me $900 to get some Blizzak LM-60s for my 18s (with mount/balance and free tire swap for the next 6 years).

Another (local, small town shop) told me it would be better just to get them online and put them on myself. He said he didn't have any in the 5 warehouses he checked.

I like the idea of getting separate wheels/tires for the snow, even if I don't use them much. And if I ever WANT to put non-snow tires on the smaller rims, I can do that.

1/5/2011 2:46:26 PM

I don't know if I will really need them. But it's a new car, and the wife will be driving it with the boys. She (nor I) are not used to driving in weather like this, and I want to be as safe as possible.

1/5/2011 2:48:36 PM

^its better to have a separate set for the snow tires. Your wheels get scratched and abused every time a new set of tires is put on. It's inevitable and almost impossible to avoid.

I wouldn't live in the northeast without a 2nd set of snow tires. Sure the cities usually plow well, but you never know when you'll encounter black ice (something snow tires are very good on as well). But you're not always in a city. Plus it's great to know that you're properly equipped to handle the elements without relying on the work of some union city employee with a plow. Not to mention the winters of late have been getting colder and with higher snow accumulation. And that trend looks to continue for the next half decade or more.

1/5/2011 2:53:42 PM

205/60R-16 General Altimax Arctic
on 16x7 MSW Type 22 Silver





Mounted and balanced from TireRack for $739.37. I don't have the tools, so I'll go to the local store and have them put on for $20.

Better than the Blizzaks, plus rims.

[Edited on January 5, 2011 at 9:08 PM. Reason : caps]

1/5/2011 9:03:48 PM

really? I thought Blizzaks were king. then again I don't shop for snow tires.

don't have the tools? You don't have a jack and lug nut wrench? I'd imagine your car comes with those tools...though those aren't the easiest things to use.

1/5/2011 9:33:56 PM

Dude, right now I have no idea what I have.

Blizzaks are king. But the guy at Tire Experts wanted to charge me $900 to put those tires on my 18s.

I'm going to be in CT for 7 months max, then its VA. Won't need them there.

And, yeah, maybe I could search the car for those things with which to mount the tires. But, the local shops were pretty helpful, and I can afford to throw some business their way.

1/5/2011 9:41:35 PM

Do you have TPS (Tire Pressure Monitoring system?) If so, getting new rims without it is going to illuminate a dashlight to warn you or low tire pressure, but won't harm your car. Just thought I'd throw that out there...

Quote :

"Your system includes: 315MHz Tire Pressure Sensor $200.00 for a quantity of 4 Total Price: $200.00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Information If you purchase a Tire & Wheel Package when you buy new sensors, the sensors will be installed on the wheels at no additional charge. Otherwise, you will have to arrange for installation by a trained technician after your new wheels are shipped to you. Tire Rack's Recommended Installers are available to help you with your installation needs and can be selected by ZIP Code in the shopping cart. Once installed, you will need to read your vehicle's owner's manual to review the proper procedure for allowing your vehicle to "recognize" the new sensors. "

btw, 18x7.5 is the smallest rim I see available on tirerack for a 2010 sportback GTS, with recommended tire size 215/45-18.

Unless you want another set of rims, i suggest you just get a set of snow chains for your tires, put them on the front, drive with some sense, and you'll be just fine while not sinking in more money than necessary.




[Edited on January 5, 2011 at 10:18 PM. Reason : .]

1/5/2011 10:06:06 PM

My car does have TPMS, but I didn't want to spend $200 extra dollars for tires that will be on the car for a max of three months.

1/6/2011 8:41:18 AM

^^chains are not a good idea b/c of the following scenario: Drive around unplowed neighborhoods on chains. Then get to main roads/highways and pull over to remove chains. Then when you go back home reverse the process.

no thanks!

1/6/2011 8:59:29 AM

Yeah they are also a bad idea when you put them on the front of a rwd car suchas in that picture.

I'm glad I don't have a tpms other than my craftsman tire gauge (which is awesome btw)

1/6/2011 9:42:30 AM

lol. I posted that picture on purpose

Damn postal workers drive with chains on all day, whether or not there's snow on the road.

1/6/2011 7:49:56 PM

Yeah I know I was trying to drive that home

1/6/2011 8:54:04 PM

you have to be careful with chains. in some states, like MA it is illegal to have them on the car.

there are ways to have them (snow storms for example), but read you state specific laws if you go that route

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 9:02 AM. Reason : f]

1/7/2011 9:00:13 AM

I think CT allows chains, but I won't be installing them.

On a related note, my tires/rims are Out for Delivery!

1/7/2011 10:43:53 AM

Quote :

"Then she told me it would cost me $275 to mount and balance two tires."

just to mount and balance 2 tires?

1/7/2011 11:33:33 AM

Sorry. Purchase mount balance and install.

1/7/2011 12:03:39 PM

Tires are here. Will post pics when installed. Much lighter than I thought.

1/7/2011 4:00:50 PM

Snow Tires:


Compared with All-Seasons from above.

I had to go to Midas and have them swap one of the wheels, because they had the wrong direction of rotation.

1/11/2011 9:19:04 PM

Sweet, let us know how they are after tonight's system dumps snow up there tonight/tomorrow.

1/11/2011 10:39:00 PM

Wait, you think I'm going outside tomorrow?

Actually, we just picked up the wife's Ody and its tires are almost as bald as Bruce Willis, and its blocking my car (parked in the garage).

1/12/2011 12:54:32 AM

Quote :

"Wait, you think I'm going outside tomorrow?"

dude, you just spent $texas on snow tires. go have fun with them and make the other SUV drivers feel jealous

1/12/2011 9:07:55 AM

^exactly.

1/12/2011 10:42:34 AM

Just bought 4 Hankook Optimo H727 235/65R16s for my Ody. Badly needed, and reviews say they do very well in snow and rain, as well as normal condition roads.

$473 from Tire Rack. Will have them mounted/balanced for about $100.

1/14/2011 2:14:14 PM

You have a minivan?

1/14/2011 4:11:52 PM

Indeed.

1/15/2011 9:54:02 AM