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Snow tires in Canada

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by cmstlist, Oct 29, 2014.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That's what we have, xice2, good snow tire AND very well mannered and quiet on bare roads, and decent RR. If tread depth is down to 6/32" or less they start to lose deep snow functionality, 8/32" or more is good. New is maybe 10~11/33"?? Ours are nearing 8, thinking one more winter.
     
  2. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    The tires have been used for 3-4 winters but as I said very sparingly. Probably little to no highway. I'll see about measuring the tread depths.

    Nexus 5 ?
     
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  3. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    I brought a toonie up to one of the tires and tried the "toonie test". The tire tread covers the nickel outer ring of the toonie and just about the polar bear's nose. By my math that's right around 8/32". So I guess they are not quite as mint condition as I thought. They'd survive at least one winter or two I'm sure. And maybe next year I'll have actual income.
     
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  4. plug-it-in

    plug-it-in Active Member

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    As long as they are not 'out of round'. Like damaged in an accident used rims are OK.
     
  5. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    Made an appointment with Tires23. They say that the rims come out to $220 and then after swapping and installation $280. If I opt for storage that's $100 which would also cover the cost of swapping back in the spring.

    Base model (C1/C2) comes with steel wheels right? Cause they were saying on the phone if I had alloy wheels they'd also need to get me a set of lugs. But even if I did need a set of lugs I think the ones on my grandmother's Corolla wheels are the right size just in the wrong pattern.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, was in the back of my mind (a dusty, confused place) that there was a c level with steel rims, and yup: base model has 15" steel rims. If your alloys/lug nuts are like the hatchback, you CAN use them with steel rims. Except, they look kinda silly, standing out too far, with loose washers. They'll work with the temp spare, for example. They have both a trapped washer (contacts with alloys) and a tapered base, contacts with steel rim or temp spare.

    The only problem with your Mom's lug nut set is quantity, ie: you need four more?
     
  7. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    The Canadian base model, which is what I have, is the C2. So if that comes with steel rims, then I have steel rims.

    My grandmother's tires were mounted on a Corolla which has 5 bolt rims. Prius C has 4 bolt rims. So actually there's 4 more than I need ;)

    Nexus 7 ?
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  9. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    Wait, no, I erred: she doesn't have a second set of bolts on these tires, presumably because her stock rims are steel too.

    Nexus 7 ?
     
  10. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    OK they're on! Yup they were able to use the existing lugs.

    I am impressed at the price I got from Tires23. The original quote was $280. I expected this to be before tax but in fact it is after tax. The rims alone were $220 after tax which comes out to under $50 each before tax. Just to compare, some places were quoting me $70/rim before tax. Then $100 after tax for storage and next season's switchover.

    I guess I can do cheaper than that for storage and switchover but I'll see where I'm living next season.

    On the drive home I was glancing at the dashboard thinking, hey, isn't there supposed to be a warning light for tire pressure? Did they move over my sensors without telling me? And then as I turned onto my street I noticed, ha, that I didn't see the warning light because it was behind my mounted phone I was using for GPS.

    As for the speedometer - once I got onto the highway I spent a minute or two on cruise control at 100 km/h (which required getting into the express lanes due to prevailing speeds being a bit low at that time of day) and monitored my GPS. When the speedometer read 100, the GPS speed flickered between 100-101. So it looks like I'm close enough to ignore the difference.
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Also, depending on where you store the tyres, you may not see the light. For example, my AS tyres were stored in the storage locker behind my parking spot, which meant that the car could communicate with the sensors and because my drive to work was short (~10km), most of the time, the light didn't come on.
     
  12. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    Hmm maybe a short communication distance would explain why I didn't see the light when I left the shop, as I was departing from the shop where they're stored. But I doubt there'd be communication over km distances.

    Nexus 5 ?
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    In my experience TPMS takes significant time to react. There was one instance where it actually performed as advertised, we had a low tire (believe it was one with a slow leak from a finishing nail). I aired up all the tires, and drove close to a kilometer before the warning went off.

    I've store our OEM tires (with TPMS) in garage, in a stack just feet from the car. Pretty much every drive with snow tires the light'll come on, can't recall it ever not lighting. But it does various things: sometimes it's off, then flashing, then on steady.
     
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah it's short distance communications.

    I've had it come on during a road trip one morning. Good thing too as I was able to pull into the station and pump it up before heading out of the town and onto the highway.


    If it first detects it, it'll flash and then stay steady. If it was on when you shut off the car, I think it just stays steady the next time you power up.
     
  15. bingee3

    bingee3 Active Member

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    Michelin X-Ice Tires on steel rims , forget the tmps unless it's CDN law you have to have them
     
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  16. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    Indeed that's what I have now. Forecast says possible snow later this week and I'm kinda curious to see how they hold up.

    Nexus 5 ?
     
  17. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    So far so good in the snow. There's something very satisfying about crunching through snow without a hint of trouble.

    Nexus 7 ?
     
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  18. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Just to nit-pick,
    are they "snow tires," "ice tires" or "winter tires?"
     
    #38 GregP507, Nov 19, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2014
  19. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Scrolled back. Ice tires, got it.
    Same as I have.
     
  20. cmstlist

    cmstlist Member

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    On the other hand, I learned the hard way that if I don't brush fresh snowfall off my windshield regularly (when not using the car) my wipers will freeze and become a hassle to free.

    Nexus 5 ?