Yes I know its April.....looking at 128's (19) to buy from a guy here. What are your thoughts about using them in the winter with snow tires? I don't drive much (also from Philadelphia) when there is snow, just if I get caught in it....

My BMW is a 08 550 with the sports package

Thanks

 

Driving a 550i Sport (or any high horsepower rear wheel drive car) with summer performance tires in the snow is risking your life and the lives of others. Do not do it. There is no traction whatsoever and no traction control system can create traction where there is none to begin with.

Get dedicated snows for the winter. My personal favorite snows are Dunlop WinterSport M3s because their dry weather performance is very very good for snows. As a result, they are not quite as grippy in the snow as some of the real extreme dedicated snows but in Philly, you do not need the most extreme dedicated snows. Generally, the more grippy the dedicated snow is in the snow, the worse the dry weather performance.

 

No, what I am saying is to mount Dunlop WinterSport M3s on the 128 for the winter ......so I am asking do people think using 19's for a WINTER SETUP is ok

 

Got it. I prefer a smaller wheel size with higher profile tires for the winter. Guards against the potholes better at the expense of a bit of turn-in sharpness. In the winter, I'll be running on 18s.

 

People have used 19 inch winter tires, (like M5's) and is fine. I guess if you have harsh winters, its not recommended, but if its mild and not much snow, then you'll be ok.


The small the winter tire and narrower, the more traction and response you get in the snow and ice.

 

Right on!

You could get away with 19s in Philly in terms of snow traction but you may want 18s for better pothole protection. It's just a matter of personal preference.

 

19" snow tires are pricey...you could probably get 18" rims and tires for the same price as just the tires in 19".

Plus you should really go with 18" or 17" for winter.

 

I'm using 18" snows. I wouldn't recommend anything more. Especially if you do get more than a dusting of snow. Good luck.

 

I run 17" wheels with M3 run flat snows with a nice big pot hole protecting side wall

If you are getting a good deal on the OEM 19's and don't want smaller wheels on your car in the winter you can run 19" snows but the bugger tires are more expensive.

Take the cost of the 128's plus 19" snows from tirerack and compare the cost to a complete snow wheel and tire set up from tirerack.

 

+1 one the tire width vs effectiveness in snow. IMO that should be your primary concern when getting snows - its not the amount of snow, but rather how (and how much) you will drive in the winter. It only takes one bad patch to send you in a tailspin or worse. I would even suggest going 17in OEM wheels and any good snows.