Wattage Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Has anyone found 17 inch steel wheels for the winter tires or some other inexpensive alternative. Just checking for an alternative to the stocks for the winter. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, I called good year for the Dunlops since I had the same question about the email reply from customer service but they confirmed - no rebate on the M3's. Brings the price in line with the Nokian RSI's installed in the Rochester area. 660 for the M3's, 750 for the Nokians. Is the group buy mentioned earlier for the RSI's or for the WR's. Just checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Has anyone found 17 inch steel wheels for the winter tires or some other inexpensive alternative. Just checking for an alternative to the stocks for the winter. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, I called good year for the Dunlops since I had the same question about the email reply from customer service but they confirmed - no rebate on the M3's. Brings the price in line with the Nokian RSI's installed in the Rochester area. 660 for the M3's, 750 for the Nokians. Is the group buy mentioned earlier for the RSI's or for the WR's. Just checking. There are no 17 inch steel wheels. For inexpensive alternatives check discounttiredirect.com or tirerack.com. The wheels will run you between 100 and 125 or so for least expensive unless you happen to run into some special or buy a set of stockers from someone here. Groupbuy in the members classified area is more of a hook-up for the Nokian line than anything else. So, yeah, you should be able to buy RSIs as well as any other Nokian tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highwaydrifter Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 Has anyone found 17 inch steel wheels for the winter tires or some other inexpensive alternative. Just checking for an alternative to the stocks for the winter. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, I called good year for the Dunlops since I had the same question about the email reply from customer service but they confirmed - no rebate on the M3's. Brings the price in line with the Nokian RSI's installed in the Rochester area. 660 for the M3's, 750 for the Nokians. Is the group buy mentioned earlier for the RSI's or for the WR's. Just checking. not really a groupbuy.. more of a killer deal... basicly wholesale pricing.. so give tom a call up and ask about the RSI's several people on NASIOC have gotten them for killer prices.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hateitorloveit Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I misspelled it. Should be http://www.waukegantire.com lol, thats a trip, I live less than a mile away from this place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hateitorloveit Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 just called Larry at tirerack and they said the Dunlop M3s were covered under the rebate. Called Dunlop as well at (877)777-9937 and they said they were covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 lol, thats a trip, I live less than a mile away from this place Well, then, are you buying Nokian tires from these guys? Seems like the best choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team23jordan Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 So I'm about to order the Hankook w300's for the Legacy (Thanks for the reviews guys!! -$460 shipped from tires.com!) Only they seem to only have 225 width instead of the stock 215 for my rim size. http://www.rmcb5.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif I know "snows" ideally should be same width or thinner for best snow performance. But are there any technical problems I should be concerned about with upping the width to 225 in this case? I'll be going from 215/45 17 (stock) to 225/45 17 (snow) on a 7 inch wide rim As always, thanks in advance... i'm gonna order 205/50 pretty soon from tires.com as well how do you like yours? Perrin BIG maf intake Perrin Turbo Inlet HKS SSQV BOV Megan Racing header with UP (ceramic coated) HKS DP (WRX) DMH E-cutout Custom 3" catback UTEC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hateitorloveit Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Well, then, are you buying Nokian tires from these guys? Seems like the best choice. dunno, because I would have to pay 7% tax on a $600 sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus51 Posted November 1, 2005 Share Posted November 1, 2005 You want tires, have I got a set for you. My G/F bought a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Turbo last year. And when winter time came around she asked her Subaru Salesman, to recommend a good tire for winter use. Well, the salesman told her to get a set of these: NOKIAN HAKKAPELIITTA RSi She got a set of four and loves them. My G/F says these are the best tires she has ever used for winter driving. She goes everywhere, and I mean it. Trips up to Maine, Vermont, Cape Cod. The "SNOW" never bothers her in the least. She leaves other AWD vehicles behind with these tires. She liked them so much she bought a set of (4) for her daughter's car. Trust me these are awesome tires. I will second that motion. Haven't tried them on a Subaru, but on my Infiniti I30, I thought they handled better on dry pavement than my OEM all-seasons. Excellent on snow and ice, too. And they are made with canola oil! I'm not kidding: http://www.nokiantyres.com/passengercars_product_en?product=610499&name=NOKIAN+HAKKAPELIITTA+RSi Thanks! Marc Sindell Twin City Subaru Sales Montpelier, Vermont Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfool Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 i drive 5 hours to Mammoth to go skiing in Northern Cali several times a winter. since i live in So Cal, buying a fulltime winter set doesn't seem worth it...especially since it'll get killed driving the 500 mile roundtrip just to the mountain itself at prolonged freeway speed. but if the stock re92's are as bad as everyone says, am i gonna have to consider putting chains on an AWD car? i'd feel stupid buying AWD over RWD if I still had to do that....at least if I had a nice FWD mustang, i could find some ladies to help me prep for the icy roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortlid Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 i drive 5 hours to Mammoth to go skiing in Northern Cali several times a winter. since i live in So Cal, buying a fulltime winter set doesn't seem worth it...especially since it'll get killed driving the 500 mile roundtrip just to the mountain itself at prolonged freeway speed. but if the stock re92's are as bad as everyone says, am i gonna have to consider putting chains on an AWD car? i'd feel stupid buying AWD over RWD if I still had to do that....at least if I had a nice FWD mustang, i could find some ladies to help me prep for the icy roads. Why not just get a set of Nokian WR (True all-season) or BFG Traction T/A's (Big block tread All-season)when the RE92's wear out. They are the WORST when about done, OK when they have pleanty of terad left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I had decided to go back to Nokian RSi's after using them on my other car last winter and finding them to be about the best snow tire I'd ever driven. But the tire dealer tells me they don't recommend the Nokian RSi for AWD - he says the sidewalls aren't strong enough. Instead, he's telling me I should install Nokian WR Plus. Has anyone else heard the same thing? Frankly, I put real snow tires on each of our vehicles each winter and run real summer tires in the summer. The thought of wearing the "all season" WR worries me a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wattage Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I've talked with 3 dealers so far on the RSI's and no one has said "don't put them on an AWD". That said, the WR's are a very highly rated tire plus you get the treadwear warranty that you don't get on the RSI. The RSI does not come in the stock size either - 205/50 or 225/45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I had decided to go back to Nokian RSi's after using them on my other car last winter and finding them to be about the best snow tire I'd ever driven. But the tire dealer tells me they don't recommend the Nokian RSi for AWD - he says the sidewalls aren't strong enough. Instead, he's telling me I should install Nokian WR Plus. Has anyone else heard the same thing? Frankly, I put real snow tires on each of our vehicles each winter and run real summer tires in the summer. The thought of wearing the "all season" WR worries me a bit. That's pure and utter nonsense. Both the 205/50-17 RSIs and the WRs have a load index of 93. So, the WRs offer zero increased capacity over the RSIs - the dealer is trying to push the WRs, that's all. The only difference is the RSIs have an "R" speed rating (106mph I believe), and the WRs are "V" rated (up to 149mph). How fast do you really need to go for sustained periods of time? What's important is the tires load factor, and since they're identical, if you're just going to use these for winter, definitely go with the RSIs over the WRs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red beast Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 i have 18" bf goodrich gforce t/a kdws all season. can't wait to try them in the snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfd425 Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 I had decided to go back to Nokian RSi's after using them on my other car last winter and finding them to be about the best snow tire I'd ever driven. But the tire dealer tells me they don't recommend the Nokian RSi for AWD - he says the sidewalls aren't strong enough. Instead, he's telling me I should install Nokian WR Plus. Has anyone else heard the same thing? Frankly, I put real snow tires on each of our vehicles each winter and run real summer tires in the summer. The thought of wearing the "all season" WR worries me a bit. If you want a real snow tire (and I feel the same way), consider the Nokian Hakkapeliittaa 2. I believe it's more of a performance-oriented tire than the RSi. I ran Hakkapeliittaa 1's on my Audi A4 Quattro, and I liked them better than the Hakk Q's we had for my wife's car. The Hakk 2's replaced the Hakk 1's, and the RSi's replaced the Hakk Q's. I'll be getting Hakk 2's for my LGT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 ...The RSI does not come in the stock size either - 205/50 or 225/45. The dealer here in Montreal claims he can get me 215/45-17's in the RSi's and the WR's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 ARRRGGHH!!! Great way to jinx myself: the dealer just informed me that all Nokian snow tires and all-weather tires in 215/45-17 have been sold out in the area. It seems that Nokian does not produce a lot of tires and if you want the right size, you have to buy early in the season. Even the 205/50-17 has sold out. It must be all the new LGT owners in the area buying their first snow tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 The dealer here in Montreal claims he can get me 215/45-17's in the RSi's and the WR's. Ovcoursit...is this the same dealer that won't recommend the RSi for Subarus? :laugh: There's no 215/45R17 presently available. Here's every size Nokian offers in the 17" RSi: 215/55R17 98 R XL (11/2005) 225/55R17 101 R XL 205/50R17 93 R XL 225/50R17 98 T 225/45R17 94 R XL* 225/45R17 91 R Run Flat 235/45R17 97 R XL 245/45R17 99 R XL (11/2005) The correct size for '05-'06 Legacy GTs with 17" wheels is highlighted. You always want to go one size narrower for snows. There must be other Nokian dealers in Greater Montreal. Have you tried searching?: http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/dealer_output.cfm?location=Quebec Looks like 27 pages of dealers. You should still be able to find these someplace closeby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfd425 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 There must be other Nokian dealers in Greater Montreal. Have you tried searching?: http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/dealer_output.cfm?location=Quebec Looks like 27 pages of dealers. You should still be able to find these someplace closeby. And if no one has them close by, someone should be able to order them. The dealer I buy tires from doesn't stock them; they just order them on demand. It takes a couple of days to get them -- no big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 You always want to go one size narrower for snows. Interestingly enough, RSi in 205/50/17 and WR in 215/45/17 have the same overall width of 8.4 inches so they are essentially equivalent in terms of width. WR in 205/50/17 is narrower with 8 inches of overall width. For comparison, stock RE92 has 8.6 inches of overall width. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammydog Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 RFD425- What dealer are you going thru for the Nokians? I haven't found one around here (Mpls) that seems to know or carry anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 Interestingly enough, RSi in 205/50/17 and WR in 215/45/17 have the same overall width of 8.4 inches so they are essentially equivalent in terms of width. WR in 205/50/17 is narrower with 8 inches of overall width. For comparison, stock RE92 has 8.6 inches of overall width. That is interesting. I've never looked at the actual section width figures for these tires. I'm generally more concerned with overall diameter. I'm aware that actual width can vary considerably compared to what's listed on the sidewall. However, I don't believe the 8" figure for the 205 WR. I checked on http://www.nokiantyres.com/files/nkr/tekniset_tiedot_en/WR.pdf for the WRs and on http://www.nokiantyres.com/files/nkr/tekniset_tiedot_en/RSi.pdf for the RSIs and sure enough, their "math" for the 205 size WRs is suspect. For RSI in 205/50-17 they show width as 8.4" or 214mm (I agree with that math), however for the WRs in the same size they show width as 8" or 214mm. Something def wrong there - pretty sure this is just a typo, as I would tend to believe the 214mm figure. Also, they list overall diameter for both the RSi and WR in size 205/50-17 as 638mm. They correctly list the width in inches as 8.4 for the 215/45-17 WRs or 213mm - which rounds up to 8.4 to the nearest tenth of an inch. It would be interesting to see what actual footprint width of these various tires/sizes is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 ARRRGGHH!!! Great way to jinx myself: the dealer just informed me that all Nokian snow tires and all-weather tires in 215/45-17 have been sold out in the area. It seems that Nokian does not produce a lot of tires and if you want the right size, you have to buy early in the season. Even the 205/50-17 has sold out. It must be all the new LGT owners in the area buying their first snow tires. Hey Ovsoursit...have you checkd out this thread? It looks like that thread could use a bump. I'd post your interest and PM the person who started it. http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20606 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfd425 Posted November 3, 2005 Share Posted November 3, 2005 RFD425- What dealer are you going thru for the Nokians? I haven't found one around here (Mpls) that seems to know or carry anything. Anderson Motorsport in Chanhassen (952-937-8639). They are an independent Audi service and performance shop, but they are also a wholesaler for Tirerack and Nokian. They are happy to sell tires to anyone, not just Audi owners, and their prices are very good. I know them personally from the Quattro Club and from years of having to get my Audi repaired, and they are good guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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