# question about snow tires and rims



## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

im sure its been asked somewhere else on this site, but i am wondering what you guys with Spec Vs with the brembo option do for the winter time. 

as you know, its getting more towards snow time and i still have the stock 17's with the z rated summer tires. there aren't alot of rims that will fit with the brembo option, and i dont want to spend 1000$ for rims and tires. 

any insight?


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

Before last winter, I got 4 - 15" steelies from The Tire Rack and bought (locally) 4 - 185/65R15 Nokian Hakkapelita 2 snow tires ... and had them studded. 

Overkill? Perhaps, but this thing went from pathetic to pretty good in the snow. 

If I had to do it over again, I'd skip the studs. They are great on ice but terribly noisy and offer little grip on dry pavement.

Cost will be about $500-$600. You can save a good $150-$200 by going with a cheaper tire.


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## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

but does your car have the bigger brembo brakes?

if i didn't have them then i'd be all set with the black steelies.

i just know there there are major fitament issues with those brakes and rims.


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

Dav5049915 said:


> but does your car have the bigger brembo brakes?
> 
> if i didn't have them then i'd be all set with the black steelies.
> 
> i just know there there are major fitament issues with those brakes and rims.



How big are the brembo brakes? I acually used the snow tires from our spec v and shoved them on my Galant VR4. They clear the duel piston calipers in 15" rims.

If you mesure how far from the center cap to the top of the brake caliper, I could prolly tell you if it fits or not.

Or just go to a store and let them figure it out. Just buy steel rims, they are cheap enough.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

IIRC the Brembos are 12 in f and 10.9 rear...at least some 16s fit the Brembos as I have seen Specs w/ 16s and the package. I dont know if 15s will though. You might wind up having to go 16 up front and 15 in the rear


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## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

BLAH!! lol 

i never thought of them not fitting tall wise, i thought the issue was with the width of the brake 

b/c right now, the stock rims look like they have quite the small gap. maybe i'll go take a few pics.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

*Dav5049915*, sorry. I missed the part where you said "Brembos."


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

i may be wrong but i dont think 16's will fit with the brembo package and the width is also a factor due to offset. i have been wondering what i am gonna do myself.


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## McCoy (Sep 16, 2003)

Dav5049915 said:


> im sure its been asked somewhere else on this site, but i am wondering what you guys with Spec Vs with the brembo option do for the winter time.


I am running 225/45/17 Blizzak WS-50 snow tires on the stock Spec V wheels. I got mine at 1/2 cost from an ex-STi owner  




> there aren't alot of rims that will fit with the brembo option, and i dont want to spend 1000$ for rims and tires.
> 
> any insight?


One of two options... 1) purchase some used Spec V wheels off a forum member 2) ASA wheels on tirerack are $139 a piece, I haven't seen wheels that fit our car any cheaper... or heavier


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

McCoy said:


> I am running 225/45/17 Blizzak WS-50 snow tires on the stock Spec V wheels. I got mine at 1/2 cost from an ex-STi owner
> 
> 
> 
> ...


steel rims that will fit the brembo package?? 139 a piece??


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## McCoy (Sep 16, 2003)

droppinbottom said:


> steel rims that will fit the brembo package?? 139 a piece??


Did you even go to Tirerack and check? The ASA KA3 are alloy, 17x7.5, and about 22 lb's each...


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

McCoy said:


> Did you even go to Tirerack and check? The ASA KA3 are alloy, 17x7.5, and about 22 lb's each...


You don't want wide tires on snow. Unlike dry roads where you want as much contact with the road, on snow you want a narrow tire so the weight of the car cuts to the road.

I'm got 195/60/15 snow tires on non brembo brakes. 

Do you have a discount tire anywhere? They will test fit a rim before they sell it to you.


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## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

lighter rims are always better, but, its the winter if i have to put on 30 lb steelies then i will if it means i will be able to run alot safer winter tires. 

but for now i'll have to be very careful with my Z rated ones that are stock.


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## paldahl (Dec 13, 2004)

downsizing won't help....i tried it as well...it took about me about...3 weeks jus lookin around for a rim/tire package....i couldn't find any 17 inch steelies so i got a cheap set of alloys and hmm...they look pretty good as well and i didn't have to spend that much on the rims since i talked the guy at the shop down to the cheapest price as possible...i basicalyl stole them at the price i got em for :thumbup: but yeah...i have hankooks...225/45/17....good luck with your search...


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

paldahl said:


> downsizing won't help....i tried it as well...it took about me about...3 weeks jus lookin around for a rim/tire package....i couldn't find any 17 inch steelies so i got a cheap set of alloys and hmm...they look pretty good as well and i didn't have to spend that much on the rims since i talked the guy at the shop down to the cheapest price as possible...i basicalyl stole them at the price i got em for :thumbup: but yeah...i have hankooks...225/45/17....good luck with your search...


What Size Tire Should I Run?

This is always a compromise. The best tire to cut through deep snow is a narrow one. The worst is a wide one. Unfortunately, the best tire for lateral traction is a wide tire. So, what is your choice?

Source: http://www.snowtire.info/#ice_performance

You should try and fit a 15" tire on the brembo brakes. Don't just assume they won't fit. I have large brakes on a car that comes with 15" rims stock. They barly clear, but they do clear.

The oversize rim thing is damn near a fad. Ya, you can get better cornering from bigger rims, but a cars 0-60 will be slower with a bigger rim.

Race cars used to run 15" rims. So unless your car can run the 24 hour LaMans, I don't want to hear about your stupid bigger rims.

Save your cash, buy the smallest rims that can clear your brakes. Unless you just have to pimp with your winter tires. It's kind of hard to tho, the tires are not aggressive looking at all (at least not the side wall). They almost look like baby truck tires.


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## paldahl (Dec 13, 2004)

hahha...*sigh*...you don't have to believe me....a 15 inch rim will not fit the brembo option..the calipers are too big....it's not the discs problem...it's the caliper that causes the clearance problem...even then with a 17 inch rim...most of em need a spacer of some sort...only rim i know of that could clear the brembo option without the use of a spacer is the nismo rim...

if you can find me someone with the brembo option who could fit a 15 or 16 inch rim...kudos to you...


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## Jasper (Apr 2, 2004)

i believe Michelin makes a snow tire (X-Ice) in a 245-45-17 - t rated if im not mistaken - 

(i work @ a tire place)
they may be special order, but they make em.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

caveman said:


> What Size Tire Should I Run?
> 
> This is always a compromise. The best tire to cut through deep snow is a narrow one. The worst is a wide one. Unfortunately, the best tire for lateral traction is a wide tire. So, what is your choice?


he says it how it is. those old ass trucks with like 185 tyres dont have any problems in snow at all
lol


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

caveman said:


> What Size Tire Should I Run?
> 
> This is always a compromise. The best tire to cut through deep snow is a narrow one. The worst is a wide one. Unfortunately, the best tire for lateral traction is a wide tire. So, what is your choice?
> 
> ...


 :wtf: i guess you have never seen a spec with the brembo package so let me help you out a little








now let me see you squeeze a 15 inch rim on there and ill call you the man


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

Well, I don't have access to a Spec V with brembo brakes, but since the front brembo rotor is 12.1", I woudn't at all be surprized if a 15" rim would fit. Untill someone acually goes to discount tire or another tire store, we will never know. 

I do know that running a 17" rim for snow tires is down right silly and pointless. As I posted before, if you want to best grip, you want to run a narrow tires, and that involves finding the smallest rim you can fit.


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## Flying Vv (Apr 10, 2003)

they will not fit the brembo's. 


the reason nissan redesigned the spec-v rims for the brembo option is ebcuase of the width of the caliper, not the height. a 15" rim wont have the available offset that a 17 would.

you're best bet would be to go with a stock rim/ snow( ice) tire on there.


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## paldahl (Dec 13, 2004)

Flying V said:


> they will not fit the brembo's.
> 
> 
> the reason nissan redesigned the spec-v rims for the brembo option is ebcuase of the width of the caliper, not the height. a 15" rim wont have the available offset that a 17 would.
> ...




thank you....finally someone knows...with the brembos you are stuck with the 17 inch option...stop talkin about the rotor...that isn't what's causing the fitment problem...it's the size of the calipers....you shoulda done some research before you got the brembo option if you didn't want to be stuck with the 17 inch snow tire...

i took my car to nissan and they tried to fit a 16 inch steelie on it and it would not fit at all....i ended up gettin a cheap a** set of 17" alloys for winter use...once the funds become available i'm gonna get a set of nismos and use the OEM ones for winter...


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

paldahl said:


> thank you....finally someone knows...with the brembos you are stuck with the 17 inch option...stop talkin about the rotor...that isn't what's causing the fitment problem...it's the size of the calipers....you shoulda done some research before you got the brembo option if you didn't want to be stuck with the 17 inch snow tire...


when i purchased my spec over a year ago i was living in a place where there was no snow or ice now i have moved to a place where it does have a chance of snow or ice. i dont mind being stuck with the ole 17. you may already know this but if you plan on eventually using your stock rims for snow rims i would advise against it just for the fact of how soft the stock rims are. one curb and they are pretty much toast. IMO you are best off keeping those cheap alloys you bought that is what i am gonna have to do myself.


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## paldahl (Dec 13, 2004)

droppinbottom said:


> when i purchased my spec over a year ago i was living in a place where there was no snow or ice now i have moved to a place where it does have a chance of snow or ice. i dont mind being stuck with the ole 17. you may already know this but if you plan on eventually using your stock rims for snow rims i would advise against it just for the fact of how soft the stock rims are. one curb and they are pretty much toast. IMO you are best off keeping those cheap alloys you bought that is what i am gonna have to do myself.



yup that's what i'm doing...i'm runnin my cheap set of alloys for the winter...they're not bad lookin either...i'm happy with em...the only thing is...i had to use like...a 2mm spacer on the front wheels...the rims wouldn't fit at first....


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## caveman (Dec 20, 2003)

After looking at the pics of the brembo's, they look to tall for 15" rims, but rim size doesn't equel break clearance.

Example: (I don't think anyone will belive me, but here it goes anyway). I was acually taking 15" winter tire/steel rims and tires off a galant vr4 (originaly bought for the spec v) and putting them back on the spec v. I then installed 03 spec v rims on my galant and they rubbed the break pad clip. The style of the rim bows in and it didn't clear. I had to installed the 15" stocker rims.

I think a correct style 16" might clear the brembo's. Not sure what style that would be, but I'm sure they are out there. I see a lot of WRXs and Audi TTs and many other higher end cars with smaller winter rim and tires and it's pretty messed up that a Sentra has problems with fitting a nice winter tire package. Even with the brembo's, it's just sad. Not much planning went in to that.

Another option you might want to look in to if you don't have too much snow to drive through, but maybe just too much to run the stock tires on, you might want to replace the stock tires with a performance all weather tire. They cost more then summer only tires, but they are safer in the snow. The reason for that is because you either have to buy costly rims to clear the brembo's or, you have to change out tires on the stock rims every winter. I used to have to do that and it's not cheap to do over and over. Snow tires wear out really fast, so you only want to use them when you need them and then change back to regular tires on dry roads. Or the nice winter tires wear out quickly. After the sticky winter compound wears off, there is a all weather compound underneath that, but it isn't nearly as nice.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

it is a good point. the pirelli p zero nero has better handling than the oem tyres in wet, dry and perform very well in snow also.


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## Maniak Blakk (Dec 15, 2004)

I'm getting some BF Goodrich Allweather tres put on this afternoon. The ones the dealship had on the car were Kuhmo Summer tires and I live in Colorado Springs, CO. And if you haven't been keeping up with the weather here it's been snowing massively the past few days. The Kuhmos just ain't cutting it right now.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Maniak Blakk said:


> I'm getting some BF Goodrich Allweather tres put on this afternoon. The ones the dealship had on the car were Kuhmo Summer tires and I live in Colorado Springs, CO. And if you haven't been keeping up with the weather here it's been snowing massively the past few days. The Kuhmos just ain't cutting it right now.


good call :thumbup:


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## droppinbottom (Jun 30, 2003)

it is not all about rim size it is mainly about rim offset. a spec with brembo needs 46-51mm offset rims. you may be able to get buy with a 16 but i doubt that even. a spec with out brembo can fit 15


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## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

i took everybodys vague advice and didn't get any rims, so it snows like 1.5 feet here and i crash into a curb. messed up the steering and flat front tire. now i wait for insurance man to do his job and then i'll find out what exactly is wrong.


im thinkin time for new rims and snow tires.


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## Dav5049915 (Sep 26, 2004)

i am probably going to try and buy a set of 4 spare rim steelies, b/c they are small and might fit some good snow tires, but if not something has to happen before i drive anywhere over 5 mph in the snow. maybe some of those spike straps. that'd be nice. and a crap ton cheaper.


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