Snow Tires - when are you mounting them?

I plan to put mine on in the next few weeks.

 

I will probably mount them this week.

 

Just bought new snows yesterday, going to put them on the rims this week. I wait for first snow to pop them on the cars, though.

 

This week probably. General Altimax Arctic here we come!

 

I'll probably wait until the end of the month. I'm running decent all seasons, so it's not a crucial switch yet.

 

Too soon.

 

This thread convinced me to put my winter setup (stock wheels with Blizzak's) back onto my 2.5 RS.

 

Mount them on the BBS soon, but wait a couple of weeks before putting them on the car (hopefully) !

 

I picked up a set of Blizzak WS60's on some wheels earlier this summer, no TPMS. I understand what my options are but I'm trying to avoid spending the money.
My main concern is that they aren't balanced (seller said they were done recently, but just in case they aren't), and how it affects this federal "make inoperative" deal. I'm going to mount them, so the light will of course go on, but are they (shop) allowed to remove from car, balance if needed, and remount them? I'm leaning towards it being okay, because the system was already inoperative when I drove in, but I was hoping someone here could give a definitive answer. I've got a trip down to Omaha first week of November, plan on putting them on after that as I have good all-seasons.

 

My snows are supposed to arrive today (well yesterday, but the UPS OTR truck broke down, apparently). Not planning on putting them on until next month though. If we get a surprise snowstorm, I'll just drive the truck with Nokians.

 

2.5rs huh?

 

try @1_sic_rex I imagine he's dealt with this type of situation at his shop before. Not sure if there are any federal or state regs that might effect your situation. In my experience, I've had some shops refuse to do it and others didn't ask. I avoid the conversation altogether now by bringing in the wheels and telling them they're off of something older than a 2008. If dismounting/remounting them isn't an option, you could try any of the indy alignment and tire shops mentioned on this forum.

 

Discount tires mounted my winter tires without TPMS on my 2011 WRX. They didn't say anything about it.

 

Speaking of TPMS, anyone know if the 2014 TPMS computers can hold more than 4 sensors?

The TPMS gauge light on the 2014 impreza is a lot more central and annoying compared to the 2008 lgt. Thinking about just getting a second computer for the summer wheels like mentioned in the TPMS sticky: http://mnsubaru.com/threads/subaru-tpms-and-how-it-works.18901/

 

Just called D&D Auto in SLP, they'd have no issue doing it as the system would be inoperative to begin with (or they just don't care). $15 a tire, seems like a bit much as I've had it done for $8 in WI, is this high?

 

If the system has been diabled, most places can still service (balance, rotate, repair). However, due to the legal red tape with TPMS most places are afraid to do anything when the system is disbaled because of the possible liablilty. Discount tire will service them without but will recomend until they are blue in the face to install sensors. They will not disable your TPMS system. My recomendation is to buy the sensors and stop being cheap. i can get them to you for $40 each.
My .02.

 

Idget, The computer will ony hold one set of sensors so you will have to retrain the system everytime you swap (to my knowledge). See owners manuel for manuel reset instruction (if avaiable). Otherwise, a tpms reset is quick and painless at any Discount tire store and most commonly will do this at no cost.

 

$60 seems to be the going rate in the twin cities.

 

Wow, you replied to my post twice! Awesome!

 

So I have potenza re-01r's on right now and they are getting low on tread, would it hurt my winter tires if I threw them on in the next couple of weeks?

 

[QUOTEidget, post: 783029, member: 330"]Speaking of TPMS, anyone know if the 2014 TPMS computers can hold more than 4 sensors?

The TPMS gauge light on the 2014 impreza is a lot more central and annoying compared to the 2008 lgt. Thinking about just getting a second computer for the summer wheels like mentioned in the TPMS sticky: http://mnsubaru.com/threads/subaru-tpms-and-how-it-works.18901/[/QUOTE]

I did some research and it looks as if the 14+ MY's sensors can be cloned which requires a bar tech 400 scan tool.... which I happen to have.

 

The EZ sensor 33000 (which I also carry in stock) can mimic the factory part number. No need to reset your system after spring and fall changes.

 

just giving that awesome post what it deserves.

 

So youre saying you can flash extra sets of sensors to mimic the ones that are already matched to the computer?

If so, sweet! Thats better than the $150 i was going to spend on amazon to buy a cheap sensor flashing tool. I'll hit you up sometime to have some stock tires and sensors swapped over aftermarket wheels and the winter setup cloned. Thanks for the help, bud.

 

No big deal.

I'll wait till the highs are consistantly under 50 degress then I'll throw my winter setup on. Any warmer then that and you risk burning up your tread quicker then if you would wait (says the internet).

 

Stop spreading misinformation.

 

In general the compound to make snow tires is known to wear quicker with warmer road conditions. Physics would prove this to be more of a fact then opinion.. I've yet to see any research study results on the topic so I'm sticking with logic. Just sayin..

 

Do some more searching, physicsboy.

 

Here's an interesting read...
http://www.roadandtrack.com/winterdriving/winter-tires-track-tested

 

It was an interesting read but when they said "No visible wear" and I saw the picture here: http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/slideshow-ford-focus-st-winter-tire-track-test#slide-2
I would call that visible wear. They didn't even measure the tread depth with a gauge, how can you call that a test with no results. Something simple as a before and after tread depth reading of both sets of tires. The only thing they mention is that the winter tires are about 2.2 seconds slower around the track.

 

Lol, your issue is with the picture? Journalism. How does it work?

FWIW I did a tank and a half worth of "open lapping" on revo-1's at dctc several years ago. 50-60deg day. Measured tread depth even. Only visible change were the front shoulders were worn down further (happens with any tire). ZOMG they didn't assplode or melt?!

 

Yeah, journalism, it's not science by any means. It would've been nice to see if they lost any measurable tread depth. I know when I ran my winterforce tires during the summer for one month I lost nearly 4/32nd of tread in nearly 2k miles.
PLus, we all know that winter tires make way better noises when being driven hard than summer tires do

 

I wonder if they meant "as compared to all season or summer tires"?

 

My former p.o.s. had snow tires on it for 4 years in a row ( about 50k miles) before the car blow up.

 

that sounds more like an alignment issue

 

Yeah, the Alignment of the sun.

 

Actually, you left out the key word of their statement:

"Most importantly, at the end of a hard session of high-speed lapping, the Wintersports didn’t exhibit any measurable or visible wear at all."

I just drove one of my SVXs all summer with winter tires on. They were loud, they were squishy, but they don't show any signs of excessive or abnormal wear.

 

During college I had Winterforces on my Honda year round for at least 3 years. No issues.

 

Some Winter tires will show accelerated wear and some will not. I have actually seen a drastic change it the tires (winter tire) snow and ice performance. Its Almost like the tire melts down and hardens up, drastically changing the tires pliability/flexibility which in turn can hurt the tires traction qualities in snow. In temps like we have been seeing you are actually safer on your winter tires if you are using a summer performance tire.

 

Its very dependent on the rubber compound and the tread design. NOT ALL WINTER TIRES ARE THE SAME.

 

Even though it's March, this thread may still be relevant... I swapped to my summers last weekend and had a blast. It felt soooo good to have them back on. But, mother nature is a cruel lady, and the seasonal temps have returned. For those of you that have swapped to summers, are you going back to snows for a while? I really really don't want to, but Monday morning's commute could be scary on the summers...

 

Mother nature is a cold-hearted biatch.

 

I drive like a grandma, so the summers are staying on