Winter Tires (all four or just rear)
 

I have just moved to Chicago area, and have two cars. '95 318ti and a 2005 X3. I have a question on my 318ti.

The tires are getting really old and have no traction in the wet. Now that the snow has hit i am truly afraid of driving it.

Can i get away with putting 2 new snow tires on the rear (thinking of the Firestone Winterforce Tire- 205/65R15).

You should be afraid of driving it.

You need to be able to get the car moving, but you also need to be able to turn it and stop it. If you have traction in the rear but not the front, you might be able to get the car moving- but it will move in a straight line into whatever tree/ditch/other car it's pointing at.

If you're tyres are worn and not gripping in the wet, you certainly don't want them on the snow.

Get 4 good winter tires for both vehicles.

Blizzaks WS-60
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OM642 engine

The x3 has no issues in the snow with its OEM tires, made various trips to tahoe from San Fransicso during white outs without chains. Next year i will get a set of winter tires/wheels for it.

Thanks for your input on the 318ti I will go out and get a full set. are the Blizzaks $30 per corner better than the firestones?

I know all about summer/Autox tires but winter tires are an unknown to me.

Thanks for the help.
Carl

Yes, the Blizzak WS-60s are far better than the Winterforces.

If you want to save some cash though, the General Altimax Arctic is a good choice. Far better than the Winterforces but still on the cheap side.

ALways use four.

Unless the Blizzaks changed the compound, I found them absolutely great in snow but very squirmy on dry.

+1, if you can only do 2 because of funds, etc. the fronts should be the priority, if you'd rather not spend the money on new ones you could probably find some good tires for cheap on craigslist

Nokian Hakkapeliittas, Cooper Weathermasters, Hankook Zovacs and the brands mentioned by everyone else are all good snow tires, trust me, I'm from Vermont :wink:

Thank you all for your inputs, the General tires look like a great option. I will get them installed in the next few days.

Again thanks for all the input and help. Living in snow is a new experience for me.

Carl

Plus Nine million. 4 dedicated snow tires in 15" size skinny as possible are the way to go. I picked up some cheap Borbet T's in 15x6.5 that had Michelin Arctic Ice X2 on them. The Storm we had here in western Mass was ease, the only issue was lack of clearance. Towns didn't plow till nearly 9am? Snowed from 2am till 8am and they were so behind the power curve.

so going with a 195 is better than a 205? My Logic says otherwise, but i am open to being wrong.

You need lbs per square inch, lots of little edges (Sipes) and run a lb or two lower tire pressure but keep the 2 to 4 lb split front to rear (Its on the door sticker near the latch)
The BMW sizing for the all weather and ice tires is on that tag as well. And if you have adjustable shocks or sway bars soften them up.

Dave

Scan your local Craigslist, you might find a great deal from someone who just sold their car, or someone who just bought a car for summer use, etc. Check with people in the area to find out the preferred winter tire for your conditions. If you're in the city proper (assuming the city still has money for snow plowing), you may be better served with a tire that does better on the ice, rather than the snow.

I have the WS60 because I got a great deal for a package. Given the conditions in Philly, I was really looking for the Dunlop M3 winter tires. I sure don't miss the Chicago winters. Good luck!

a narrower tire helps to cut through the snow a little better, if you go too wide that means there's more snow for the tires to go over, my dad used to have 285 tires on a 4x4 Dodge Ram and it was terrible in the snow

'95 ti in alaska i run my ti year round with mxv4 michlins