markbvt

Greetings from Vermont, where summer is over, it's 62 degrees outside, the first leaves will start changing color within the next week or two, and I have about two months to decide what to do about snow tires, order them, and mount them.

I already know what brand of tire I intend to buy -- Nokian Hakkapeliitta. What I'm not sure of yet is what size to buy. They don't come in 215/45R17. And I'd like to buy a set of inexpensive rims to put them on anyway, so the size can vary. I was thinking of going with 15" rims for the snow tires -- better to have a taller-profile snow tire and run a slightly lower pressure for improved traction in the slippery stuff.

Anyone have suggestions for cheap rims that will fit on the tC, and an accompanying tire size that will give me the same (or very close) overall tire circumference?

Anyone else here use snow tires on their tC in the winter? If so, what did you choose?

--mark

sciontc_mich

i would like to know where to get the nokian snow tires.. i've never been able to find them. i have heard good things about bridgestone blizzaks but that name bridgestone scares me, after having so many bad tires from them i didn't want to go back..

so let me know where you can get the nokian's.. and to answer your other question i believe you can google for a tire calculator (for diameters).. someone on here knows where one is.. but try google..

lowrightor

I got Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s mounted on steel wheels for my Civic last winter because tirerack.com had a bunch of data on it as opposed to just reviews available on the Nokians. From what I read though, the Nokians you're looking at are amazing. Last winter I lived in Cleveland and I grew up in the Boston area (frequenting NH) so I know what driving in the snow is all about despite my Chapel Hill NC address now. I wonder why I moved down here?

The confidence I had driving my 2000 Civic in the snow was a huge improvement over the all-season tires that most people use. Handling sucked but that is to be expected. I drove 75 on the highway and I did not feel unsafe. I looked forward to the snow because with high quality snow tires, driving in it is fun. Braking, accelerating, turning is all much better and you no longer feel nervous. I was passing cars with AWD and 4WD because they had all seasons.

Go to tirerack.com to figure out what size wheel/tire you should have on 15 inch wheels. If you order the WS-50s (which are great tires BTW) and steel wheels from them, they are mounted and balanced for free. Just an idea.

dgHotLava

moved...

markbvt

I should have mentioned, I've been running Hakkas on my Honda Civic since I moved to Vermont in 1997. Terrific tires -- they really do make driving in the snow fun. My Civic would just tractor through, as long as the snow wasn't past the bumper.

sciontc_mich -- I'm not sure where online to get Hakkas (try googling for "nokian snow tires"). Around here all the tire dealers carry them because that's what nearly everyone in Vermont uses. As for the Blizzaks, I've heard they're decent, but nowhere near as good as Hakkas or Gislaved NordFrosts. (For whatever it's worth, Bridgestone's not all bad -- they make some really good motorcycle tires...)

--mark

lowrightor

195/60/15 is the size you're looking for. Steel wheels may be ugly, but they sure are cheap.

Maybe the Blizzaks are better than the Hakka's or NordFrosts when snow isn't covering the road?

RogerTTR

Please visit our site at http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=DJ1&...nter/index.jsp for more information on the Blizzak's and the other Winter tires we offer. For personal service, please feel free to give me a call. If ordering on line, please enter my name in the "Previous Contacts" area towards the end of the order and I will be glad to watch over it for you!

markbvt

Roger, you guys should carry Hakkas. Awesome tires.

--mark