Winter Tire Selection

luigib · 4 October 2012

Ok guys,

So I've used that search bar at the top right of Prime and I've looked on most major tire distributors websites, but I can't seem to find a winter tire for my NSX that I can use. I'm looking for help with finding a tire. Winter is coming pretty quick, so anyone's suggestions on a tire that I can use are much appreciated!

My stipulations:
Fits either my stock 15/16 rims or aftermarket 17/18 rims (not sure on width but probably 7/9)
Cannot throw off TCS warning
No rubbing (or extremely minimal)
Superb grip in snowy/icy conditions
Reputable brand

Again, thanks to anyone and everyone who can help! I need any and all advise!

Thanks!
Luigi

goldNSX · 4 October 2012

luigib said:
Fits either my stock 15/16 rims or aftermarket 17/18 rims (not sure on width but probably 7/9)

I'd not mount them on 17/18, on ice and snow you loose grip with wide tires (see rally cars). 15/16 would be much better. There should be plenty of options in stock size.

luigib · 4 October 2012

goldNSX said:
I'd not mount them on 17/18, on ice and snow you loose grip with wide tires (see rally cars). 15/16 would be much better. There should be plenty of options in stock size.

I agree with the width, but I couldn't find any tires that would fit the rims that I was confident wouldn't throw TCS.

goldNSX · 4 October 2012

Hankook W310 has a 205/50/15 and a 225/50/16.

chussey · 4 October 2012

I ran studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta on the back in a 215/55/16, and studded General Altimax Arctic (Hakkapeliitta clone) in a 195/55/15 on the front. Worked great, but the sizing threw off the traction control. I would recommend getting something in the correct size for the 15/16 wheels.

One thing to avoid is snows only on the rear. I ran this was for only a short period of time until I could get my fronts mounted. In the dry there was no straight line stability, and the car wanted to oversteer on even the most gentle sweeping corners. Made for some interesting driving on the mountain roads! :wink:

luigib · 4 October 2012

chussey said:
I ran studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta on the back in a 215/55/16, and studded General Altimax Arctic (Hakkapeliitta clone) in a 195/55/15 on the front. Worked great, but the sizing threw off the traction control. I would recommend getting something in the correct size for the 15/16 wheels.

One thing to avoid is snows only on the rear. I ran this was for only a short period of time until I could get my fronts mounted. In the dry there was no straight line stability, and the car wanted to oversteer on even the most gentle sweeping corners. Made for some interesting driving on the mountain roads! :wink:

Thanks for the advice! I'm not really looking for studded tires because the roads here are clear more times than not.

goldNSX said:
Hankook W310 has a 205/50/15 and a 225/50/16.

Can you please post a link to these because I still can't find them, even on Hankook's website.

nsxtasy · 5 October 2012

luigib said:
Thanks for the advice! I'm not really looking for studded tires because the roads here are clear more times than not.

Aside from that, in most winter conditions, today's modern "studless ice and snow" winter tires will give better traction than studded winter tires with studs installed.

You're going to need to get winter tires that are slightly narrower than stock, with a higher aspect ratio to keep the outer diameter close to stock. (This is actually a good thing, because in winter conditions, you're better off with narrower tires.) For the stock 15"/16" wheels, you can get the Michelin X-Ice Xi3, an excellent studless ice and snow winter tire, in 195/55-15 front and 215/55-16 rear. Those sizes will work fine with the TCS, since the outer diameters are about the same percentage difference (1.6 percent and 1.8 percent larger than stock). The only possible issue is that the 215/55-16 rear is only approved for wheels 6.0-7.5" wide, and the stock NSX rear wheel is 16x8. You might want to call the folks at the Tire Rack and mention this issue to them, and see what they advise.

goldNSX · 5 October 2012

luigib said:
Can you please post a link to these because I still can't find them, even on Hankook's website.

They're available on the site of Hankook EU: http://www.hankooktire-eu.com/tires...k]=216&cHash=56695b1e6bbc3a87d53f51b0c89c4a17

jwmelvin · 19 December 2013

I put Hankook I*Cept Evo W310 on my '97 OEM wheels a few weeks ago, 205/50R16 and 245/45R17. Had to go up an aspect ratio to find a winter tire but I have had no issues with that size. I got them from Discount Tire Direct.

I will give Richard (r13) some credit for pointing out in this thread that winter tires have some downside. No doubt! Although, for me the downside is mostly in the feel. My car is no longer directly connected and responsive like it used to be. Now there is a definite delay between steering input and rotation. More significant to me is the way it takes forever to set into a corner. It's almost like it's massively understeering at first and then sets and turns okay, even at speeds where the tires are clearly not slipping. I imagine that's due to the sniping in the tread blocks. Anyway, it's weird.

But, linear traction and the car's performance once set in a corner is good. At the subfreezing temperatures we have these days, I would say that it's an improvement over my summer tires (AD 08 R). Plus, when we got hit with snow recently, I didn't take a day off driving, including when the federal government was shut down. The car is quite good in the snow. While I would prefer not to drive it with salt on the road, it didn't quite work out. As far as all-season tires go, I can say they don't come close to a winter tire in the snow. Our other cars have all seasons and they universally struggled. Only the 4wd Jeep was a match for the NSX with the winter tires. So I agree with Richard there but will say that winter tires are some good stuff for getting where you need to get in the cold.

I'm looking forward to spring. By then I will be fully used to the winter-tire squishiness, so it will feel great to get some real tires back under the car.

-jason

Honcho · 31 December 2013

I am considering gunmetal Drag DR-33 rims 16x7 and 17x7.5 with Blizzak WS70 tires in 195/55/16 and 235/45/17. Using Bridgestone's specs, I get a ratio of 3.8% (854/822) rear to front. Will this jive with TCS? My understanding is I am ok if the ratio is between 2.7% and 12.7%.

nsxtasy · 1 January 2014

Honcho said:
I am considering gunmetal Drag DR-33 rims 16x7 and 17x7.5 with Blizzak WS70 tires in 195/55/16 and 235/45/17. Using Bridgestone's specs, I get a ratio of 3.8% (854/822) rear to front. Will this jive with TCS? My understanding is I am ok if the ratio is between 2.7% and 12.7%.

Theoretically you have that as your acceptable range. However, there are too many other variables that affect the sizes for the TCS, such as variations in size from the calculated ones, etc. I generally advise staying within 3.5 percent of the stock front-to-rear ratio, which would be 4.2-11.2%. Also, those tire widths are narrower than stock in the front, but wider than stock in the rear. Plus, the outer diameters are WAY bigger than stock, so there's a possibility they could rub.

I don't see a really great fitment for the WS70 on either your 16"/17" wheels, or the stock '91-93 15"/16" wheels, which are cheap and easy to find used. (I'm looking not only at what will work for the TCS, but also sizes that are approved for the wheel widths.) I see that the Michelin Xi-3 is available in 195/55-15 and 215/55-16, so if you don't mind getting a set of '91-93 stockers, that fitment would work.

Honcho · 8 January 2014

Thanks Ken. I'm going to go with the Michelin in the 15/16 sizes, but using DR-33 aftermarket wheels. Driving to work yesterday on my summer tires (26 F) was not confidence inspiring.

jwmelvin · 8 January 2014

If you aren't going to be driving much in real snow/ice, then you may be happier with a "winter performance" tire rather than a "studless snow/ice" tire. The Hankook W310s that I'm using come in 195/55-15 and 225/50-16, which will also work for you. They felt great yesterday when, during my morning commute, it was 3 F here. And they're much cheaper than the Xi3.

donk · 8 January 2014

Hello all,
Am in St. louis looking for a matched set of new tires 15/16 for spring, and cannot find them anywhere in the Midwest. Have a mixed set of Bridgestone Potenza's F and Dunlop Direzza's R on my car that are 2.5 years old w/20,000 on them for me very close to replacement, and want to relace in the spring, but no one is showing that they will order a matched set of Kumho's, or the mixed set, and am a little reluctant to buy 4 Bridgestone's and spend a grand due to the horror story in one of the other forums. Does anyone have a source?
Thanks a bunch.
Don

jwmelvin · 9 January 2014

The tires in this spreadsheet were all available from Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct as of a few months ago:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ksgDD4tgQ_1rSQVKB69VkgjBTQ3nYpD-zKhiYwC-4nc/

Honcho · 9 January 2014

jwmelvin said:
If you aren't going to be driving much in real snow/ice, then you may be happier with a "winter performance" tire rather than a "studless snow/ice" tire. The Hankook W310s that I'm using come in 195/55-15 and 225/50-16, which will also work for you. They felt great yesterday when, during my morning commute, it was 3 F here. And they're much cheaper than the Xi3.

I thought about that, and considered the Yokohama W.Drive (I love my S.Drives), but honestly I want my NSX rock stable in snow/ice when it hits, no matter how bad it is. The Xi3 has good reviews even in the dry for winter conditions.

nsxtasy · 9 January 2014

donk said:
Am in St. louis looking for a matched set of new tires 15/16 for spring, and cannot find them anywhere in the Midwest. Have a mixed set of Bridgestone Potenza's F and Dunlop Direzza's R on my car that are 2.5 years old w/20,000 on them for me very close to replacement, and want to relace in the spring

I assume you're referring to winter tires. The availability of winter tires peaks in the autumn, then quickly dwindles once winter gets underway. And the worse the winter, the faster it dwindles. Since you're going this winter with what you've got, I recommend waiting until September/October and then shopping for a new set.

BATMANs · 9 January 2014

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tire/blizzak-ws70

I run those on the truck to and from Tahoe. No chains required.

Honcho · 13 January 2014

Just to update I ended up going with Drag Dr-33 in gunmetal 15/16 + Michelin Xi3 195/55/15 and 215/55/16. Will update once the next storm hits.

Honcho · 14 January 2014

Quick follow up- should I use Acura's recommended pressures (33 F 40 R) for these winter tires ? Or, should I use different pressures?

nsxtasy · 14 January 2014

Honcho said:
Quick follow up- should I use Acura's recommended pressures (33 F 40 R) for these winter tires ? Or, should I use different pressures?

I would start with those, then adjust as needed (for example, lower the pressure in 2 psi increments if you find the ride too hard).

FWIW, the max pressure labeled on the Xi3 sidewall is 50 psi so inflating to 33F/40R shouldn't cause any concerns about exceeding that.

Honcho · 23 January 2014

Quick winter storm update. 5 degrees F this morning and 6 inches of snow on the roads on the way to work. With the X-Ice it was like driving on dry pavement. I even tried to engage ABS on my home street by slamming brakes at 20 mph and the car just hauled down to a stop with a small chatter from the ABS. Amazing winter tire. My favorite part was blowing by all these Tahoe 4x4's sliding all over the road and seeing the double-takes from the drivers. That's right. That black flash you saw was a NSX in the snow.

Highly recommend X-Ice Xi3 for winter driving.

jwmelvin · 23 January 2014

Thanks for the report. How do you like them on dry pavement? What is your summer tire for comparison?

Honcho · 23 January 2014

Dry pavement is...vague and floaty. One bonus is the ride is like a caddy on these fat 55 sidewalls. Michelin did about as good a job as they could-these tires are more direct, responsive and quieter than Blizzaks in the dry, but they are still snow tires. Steering input is soft and vague- there is about 1" of steering wheel movement before you start to turn. You get a floating sensation going over bumps and road imperfections. Peak grip in the dry is much less than my summer tires, but a lot of that has to do with running a 215 series rear and 195 front compared to 255 rear and 215 front. For example, I can break traction on the rears with only 3/4 throttle input. These are the best dry handling snow tires I have ever used, and the quietest. But, you have to be realistic. While you can operate your NSX safely in the dry with these tires, they are not high performance sport tires and you should adjust your driving style accordingly.

My summer tires are Yokohama S.Drive 215/40/17 and 255/40/17. Amazing tire for the money. Great on the track too. Same compound as AD08 Neova, but harder. Sort of like F1 hard tire vs soft.

jwmelvin · 2 September 2014

With winter in the not-as-distant-as-I-would-like future, I started thinking about winter tires. But now my car has big brakes with issues clearing wheels, so I'd like to use my existing wheels: 17x8 and 18x9.5. It seems to be making winter-tire selection difficult.

As I'm looking at options, one of the issues is the ratio for TCS. While I'm trying to stay within a few percent of the OEM ratio, that may be an issue. It occurred to me, though, that if the rear is oversized, then the TCS sees the front tires as going too quickly, because for a given rotation of the rear, the fronts spin more to keep up. So when the rear starts slipping, it will eat into that additional margin before cutting the throttle. In other words, it seems to me that as long as TCS isn't engaged without wheel spin, an oversized rear will not lead to premature TCS engagement; if anything it will be somewhat delayed.

Please let me know what I am overlooking, or absent that, what you think of the following (my car is a '00 with 4.65% ratio larger rear than front):

205/40R17 Sottozero & 245/40R18 Sottozero 3 (9.63% ratio; ~4mm smaller front diameter than OEM)

I would use a 205/45R17 Sottozero 3 up front (5.99% ratio; ; ~16mm larger front diameter than OEM) but it appears to be sized for only up to 7.5" rim width. Is that a tire I could get someone to put on a 8" rim? Would that be a bad idea for some reason? There might be increased rubbing with that size but I'm prepared to raise the car for the winter.

215/45R17 Blizzak LM-32 & 255/40R18 Blizzak LM-32 (5.74% ratio; ~25mm larger front diameter than OEM)
or
215/45R17 Blizzak LM-32 & 235/40R18 Blizzak LM-32 (3.18% ratio; ~25mm larger front diameter than OEM)

215/45R17 Hankook W310 & 245/40R18 Hankook W310 (4.46% ratio; ~25mm larger front diameter than OEM)

I don't like the stretch idea but if it's okay then I might go with 205/40R17 & 235/40R18 Blizak WS80.

Appreciate any other thoughts on winter tires for 17/18 rims on a '00. It's driving me crazy.

-Jason

Winter Tire Selection

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