As some of you may know, I'm a transplant from Wisconsin (grew up in Minnesota, but have spent the last five years in Milwaukee, WI).

Come November in the Midwest, we'd usually take our performance tires/alloy wheels off and run the stockers or winter tires/wheels, mostly because of snow/salt.

Out here, where there isn't much snow and no salt, do you run your "good" wheels/tires all year, or do you swtich to a different combo? I'm currently running Yokohama AVS ES100s, which have been a great "summer-performance" tire, but would be terrible in the snow. However, they are great in the rain.

I have my stock Goodyears to run if I choose, but I'm not sure if it's necessary.

So what do you guys do?

 

Keep your tires on... cause you'll get 10-20 times more rain than snow... some go back to steelies for the winter, as they gravel, instead of salt, which tends to chip things, and is all horrible for the front end of the car as well.

 

I'm keeping the steelies on.. it is a lot colder than normal for this time of year I have noticed compared to last year...

 

last year after sliding on the day of snow i put my stealies on... no where near as harsh as wisconsin winters... but we do get our share of black ice and slippery roads.... figured its cheaper to repalce a steal rim than aftermarket...
plus the small added height of stock tires vs low profiles give me the warm fuzzies of not hurting my car....

 

I'm going to put the stealies back on because I have the Nittos. Since spend most of my time going up and down the huge hill I live on I'm probably going to get studded snow tires as things get a little icier and the light snows start in the foothills.

There's no real snow in Washington like where you're from...but there is black ice like a mother around end of Dec-beginning of Feb.

 

i used to live in the northwest for almost 4 years...about 2 hours north of seattle....it snowed like once or twice all winter...nothing like here and i wasn't complaing hehe

 

Will be changing over to steelies myself, heck, they are new, may as well use them in the winter, car doesn't get bathed as much if at all either.

 

steelies, old style beauty rings and blizzacks... only way to fly... Plus I appreciate the reduction in noise that the 15's give me.

We don't get that much snow here either, but we get more than our fair share of ice... sneaky stuff that ice. And to be honest... I kinda like that black wheel look..

 

I'd rather just use my steelies just for my own peace of mind. I still consider myself a noob to manual transmission, so any extra crutches will help during the winter. I was rolling HARD on my 15" black steelies last winter.

Maybe I should get some spinner hub caps.

 

I guess I'll put the steelies back on and get some trim rings or speed discs.

When do you guys switch over?

 

dunno.. last year i waited till after the first (and only) snow... i'd say unless weather gets bad.. november'ish is fine...
just dont be running studed tires till the last possible legal day just because... i hate hearing studded tires on the roads from feb-late march/april when its been clear and ice free since late jan

 

i keep my rims on. never had a problem with all-season tires in the rain/snow so i wont be switching to the steelies

 

im in spokane, it gets bad here sometimes, but then you get used to it...anyways, i dont have any other wheels/tires for my tc yet, and i was wondering if anyone knows if 14inch steelies will fit over the brakes on my tc

 

I put the steelies on because with all the rain in the winter you don't always see the potholes and I have ruined a couple of my nice wheels that way.

 

or you can just not buy fancy wheels and paint your hubcaps..then all you gotta do is snap them off and your set...when the rain/snow is over..slap those bad boys back on and BAM!

 

^^^lol

 

I have 15" steelies for my winter tires. Work okie-dokie.

 

hey someone want to hook me up with a job in the northwest???....i really want to get out of here!!!!

 

^aw common! rochester is so fun!

 

Keep an eye out on

http://portland.craigslist.org/

and

http://www.jobdango.com/