Winter tires/wheels advice

"smobgirl" (smobgirl) 11/02/2015 at 20:36 • Filed to: None

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My Abarth came (used) with Sparcos, which aren’t in fantastic shape. Some curb rash from before purchase and some from me trying to avoid an oblivious driver, some scrapes from having the current tires mounted, plus one of them isn’t as round as it ought to be any more (but apparently not enough that the shop thought it needed repaired or replaced). I’m debating what to do for snow tires. I can either:

Get snow tires for these 17in wheels and just swap tires back and forth, living with a crappy and increasingly damaged set of wheels for the foreseeable future,

Get snow tires for these and consider them beater wheels from now on, buying different ones for summer tires, or

Get a (hopefully used) set of probably 16in wheels and put snow tires on those and try to repair the ones I already have before summer.

Also part of the equation is that, from preliminary research, I have only one option for snow tires per size. So, 17in wheels can have Blizzaks, 16 would get Pirellis. There are probably other tire options that I haven’t looked into, but those are the suggested choices. What would you guys do?

bob and john > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 20:41

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for the 17s, look into marangonni snow tires. some of the best we have used.

also, for snows, avoid pirelli and michilen. they make great summer stuff, but their winters...ehhh.

smobgirl > bob and john 11/02/2015 at 20:46

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Funny, some of the Abarth forums swear by the Pirellis. But thanks for the info, I've never bothered with snow tires before.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 20:48

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Snow tires for the sparco wheels and then get new wheels and tires in the spring.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 20:53

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What part of town do you live? I know you're local to me, but not sure where. The reason I'm asking is I can recommend a few good tire shops

smobgirl > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 11/02/2015 at 21:01

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West of downtown, south of the Highlands. Work in Lakewood and Golden. And I appreciate the help, I've been to so many subpar shops in town over the last 6 or so years.

smobgirl > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 11/02/2015 at 21:03

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I'm leaning towards this, I really want the wheels the car came with (or should have come with) but $$ :(

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 21:08

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Are you in the oppo Facebook group? I'd love to talk about this more with you, but I'm on my phone at my school downtown and mobile kinja isn't the best platform for a Conversation, not that it's a good platform for anything really...

smobgirl > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 11/02/2015 at 21:28

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Not yet but I'll find it.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 21:30

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Someone will have to add you. The group is private and it'd called oppositetalk

smobgirl > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 11/02/2015 at 23:19

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You’re probably done with school, but someone added me! (Shocking because my facebook is pretty much car-free)

Agrajag > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 23:23

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If you can find Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 ’s in the size you need, go with them. I got mine along with a set of wheels through discounttiredirect.com . If you buy wheels through them as well they mount and balance them for free and shipping is always free on complete sets.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 23:43

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Did you comment on the sticky?

smobgirl > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 11/02/2015 at 23:52

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Just found it? Sorry, on an iPad, it's less obvious on the app.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 23:53

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Ya, it kinda is. I just sent you a friend request

spanfucker retire bitch > smobgirl 11/03/2015 at 07:25

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Pirelli snows suck and aren’t worth the cost. Blizzaks and X-ice tires are great, but pretty expensive if you buy know. Yokohama’s IceGuard’s are both well reviewed by others, and I myself absolutely love my set. They’re also a good deal cheaper than the two listed above.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > smobgirl 11/03/2015 at 11:24

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I did a super quick search on Tire Rack for a 500 Abarth and it looks like you’re right as far as tire choices go. They must be a strange size that there are such limited offerings. Of those two tire choices I would go with the Blizzaks for winter tires. We have Blizzak WS80’s on my wife’s 2013 Escape and they have been excellent tires for us. After three winters where we average over 200” of snow we have no complaints with the WS80’s.

As for your wheel dilemma, I would suggest using the existing wheels for winter tires and getting new ones for summer tires if you can swing it. Winter is hell on wheels, especially aluminum wheels. My truck wheels look like crap because I run them year round, but the wheels that came on my wife’s Escape look like new because we run steel wheels in the winter.

smobgirl > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 11/03/2015 at 22:03

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Appreciate the input. I’ve had a limited selection of all-seasons as well so who knows. Think this is the plan for now and I’ll hope I can find wheels I like for spring!