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OEM Tires + Emergency Chains/Socks Sufficient?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Farfle, Jan 31, 2013.

  1. Farfle

    Farfle Member

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    Hi All,

    Would appreciate some advice from you snow gurus out there, like MrIncredible and Claudius. I intend to go skiing a couple times this year, but i'm not quite sure that warrants me getting snow tires, even though the difference between snow tires vs all-season tires appears to be shocking (
    ).

    I've read some reviews on chains/socks and for ~$100 I could get me a set that would seem to let me get by in case of a freak blizzard or something. I'm only planning on going skiing on nice, sunny days, and would drive to the resorts on well traveled/plowed roads in the morning and leave at night (maybe ~20degree F temperatures). I am quite flexible, so I'm planning only to go on nice days.

    So that being the case, do you think the OEM tires would do OK in this type of scenario? (well-traveled, but still packed snow/ice-with-dirt-thrown-down roads) And then, in case something did happen, and it started snowing a few inches, I could always throw on the chains/socks and crawl along at under 30mph until I was down the mountain. But my main concern would be being able to keep up with the flow of traffic at around 40-45mph with the OEMs on the type of road I described above, on a nice sunny but cold morning/evening.

    I'm concerned the OEM tires would be completely unusable. I saw a Youtube video of a Prius that had a hard time just pulling out of a completely flat spot with no more than a couple inches of snow!

    I'm not a complete newb when it comes to snowy driving, but I've been (un)fortunate enough to have only driven heavier FWD cars, and then pretty much only on flat surfaces. Those cars had all-season tires and didn't have traction-control. It's the TC that has me worried with my little PC.

    Thanks!
     
    #1 Farfle, Jan 31, 2013
  2. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    I have no confidence in the OE tires for ice/snow. As long as you are moving you would be pretty much ok. But if you have to stop and restart, or go around an icy corner, or go up a slick hill that's long enough to lose your momentum, you might be ok.

    I haven't had chains since 1978. They were awesome, but not after I got into town on plowed streets. I have no experience with modern alternatives.

    Much would depend on your particular drive mileage and profile. If it were me, I'd go with snow tires for the winter or a pair of mounted snow tires to put on for the weekend trip and take off once back at home. For the C, I think tires are everything.

    Or rent an SUV. Or bribe a buddy to drive their awesome snow car.
     
    #2 Mr Incredible, Jan 31, 2013
  3. Farfle

    Farfle Member

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    Thanks, MrIncred! I think I should get snow tires too, even if chances are I wouldn't need 'em. They're still good to have. I did some looking around on Craigslist and found someone selling these:

    4 Toyo winter tires on Civic Wheels 185/65 R14

    They are 185s, not 175s, but they might still work right? I heard you can go a size smaller in the diameter too. Thanks.
     
    #3 Farfle, Jan 31, 2013
  4. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    I go to TireRack.Com and check the tires' diameters. Revs per mile. I try to keep it as close to whatever came factory as is practical. I have slightly wider tires right now, but the revs/mile is very close. Slightly wider or more narrow is not much of a problem. The wheel widths for the tire is listed in all the info somewhere, I just don't quite remember where.

    The only problem with getting extra wheels is to be sure the wheels fit around your brakes. I believe our wheels are a J for that. If nothing else you could try one or more on to ensure the brakes are free a clear.

    You never gave any particulars of your problem. Your location, distance to ski place, approximate miles per year, etc. You would know your own circumstances, but it's nice to know before giving advice.
     
    #4 Mr Incredible, Jan 31, 2013
  5. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    These won't work on your wheel... they are 14 inch tires. Your rims are 15s. The wheel might bolt up, but you would need to make sure that the backspacing would work. I googled the rims and they are 4x100, just not sure about the backspacing. After googling the backspacing on Honda wheels I come back with everything from 3.5" to 5". I'm not sure what the backspacing on the PC is, can anyone help me out here?
     
    #5 ztanos, Jan 31, 2013
  6. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    If you can afford it, a dedicated set of winter tires is the wisest decision. All-seasons are a compromise for every season, so while they won't be unusable, they certainly won't be ideal.
     
    #6 Ryephile, Jan 31, 2013
  7. Farfle

    Farfle Member

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    I live in an area that usually never snows or goes below freezing, but if it does it's flat and I could still manage the driving without snow tires if I had to. The ski area(s) that I'd go to are about 3-4 hrs away, so these would be day trips, which is why I can pick and choose only good sunny days to go. The roads are busy well-traveled highways, well plowed. Normally they're pavement, as the temperature gets above freezing during day. There's spots of ice/packed snow, but I've never seen major accidents on these roads in these sunny conditions. The ski resort parking lots are packed snow.

    Thanks for the reply.I can't seem to find a definitive answer one way or the other whether 14in wheels would be ok on the PC. Tirerack.com lists them as an alternative, but with size 185/70r14, not the 185/65r14 I posted above. But if you do the math, the overall diameter (rim and tire) of those 185/65r14 is 23.5in, where the OEM rim+tire is 24in. That's pretty close isn't it? The only question I had was the if the 14s would clear the front brake pad. But now you bring up thi spacing issue..I'll have to look that up, I'm unfamiliar with that term.

    Apparently the Japanese Aqua base model comes with 14in wheels, so it seems like they'd fit
     
    #7 Farfle, Jan 31, 2013
  8. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    I put 14's on my CRX, which came w/13's. As long as the wheels are good to go with the brakes, the combo fits in the wheel well, the stud pattern is the same (4x100), and the revs/mile are close, it shouldn't be a problem. The CRX was old school (to the extreme) and the 14's make it look like a roller skate. The correction factor was 1.06046 when figuring miles and mpgs, and there were no computers to worry about.

    If it were me (safety disclaimer) I'd stick with a wheel/tire combo that is organic to the Prius family. (Another safety disclaimer) I just have the two drive wheels with snow tires, and they've done ok by me. Steel wheels are easy to find, but paying New money may be required if you can't figure out what MAY work and what MAY NOT.

    If $$ is a problem I wouldn't hesitate to do the front two wheel/tire combo now and do the others as money comes available. But if you can do day trip skiing, maybe you've got a few extra bucks laying around. Steel wheels and tire combinations that are quite close to the OE revs/mile is the sweet spot.
     
    #8 Mr Incredible, Jan 31, 2013
  9. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    As for revs/mile, (for example) may be about 865. I wouldn't go more than 20 revs higher or lower. 10 would be better. Just to keep things straight...

    IMO.
     
    #9 Mr Incredible, Jan 31, 2013
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