Buying Snow Tires

I am buying snow tires for my 2004 330xi. I have decided on Blizzaks cause it seems they are widely used and loved. My question is can i just go to tire rack get new rims and tires and slap them on? Or do I have to worry about the tire pressure sensors. This is the first BMW ive ever had and am quite ignorant.

I don't think your car has TPMS...so yes you can do that just fine.

I have the Tire Pressure monitor button on the center console. Doesnt that mean I do have TPMS? or is that something totally different?

Blizzaks are a waste of money- they wear too quickly. Buy Nokian hakkapeliitta R. 205/50/17, 215/50/17, 225/45/17.

Get a used set of OE wheels on craigslist instead of aftermarket from tirerack.

Originally Posted by Kubica

Blizzaks are a waste of money- they wear too quickly. Buy Nokian hakkapeliitta R. 205/50/17, 215/50/17, 225/45/17.

Get a used set of OE wheels on craigslist instead of aftermarket from tirerack.

how much are a set of Hakkapelitas' these days? I had a set a couple years ago but nobody seems to carry them any more..

I'd die for a set of Hakkas but my Hankook's do pretty well and don't wear that much. Next year Hakka's...

Or get tires mounted from Tire Rack with the steel rims. They come balanced and ready to go. I think the steel rims are about $60 each.

not sure of your budget...

I bought16" aluminum wheels from tire-rack for less than $100 each, but I don't know if you can fit 16's with your brakes.

I've never had success buying used rims for other cars. I"m sure if you look around you can probably find a local BMW guy who is swapping rims for appearance rather than his are just bent.

I decided against snow tires and bought true all season tires because I have a long highway commute, and even though it snows and gets icy the snow tires would wear out too quickly on the highway. So far with good all seasons the snow performance is excellent, glad I didn't get snows.

About $170 a piece for 16 inchers. These are VERY good snows. I had them on my 1989 325ix- 4 snows and man I was always looking for a snow storm. Have 4 on my Subaru now and I leave them on year round. Get about 40,000 miles on them before replacement which is unheard of for snows. My 325xi wagon is to pretty for snow.
dlm
1974 2002
1991 318is
2002 325xit
Cervelo
Santa Cruz
Dahon

I've got a set of used Dunlop M3s and they went through an 8" snowfall the other night without a problem. My e36 has a pair of Blizzaks that I've run the last six winters and they still do their job without any sign of excessive wear.

Originally Posted by dlmrun2002

About $170 a piece for 16 inchers...

Yikes! Gotta recommend Blizzacks. Sorry Kubica, you have good tire choice but these don't wear that bad. I think the first gen did as too soft. They are getting the compound down now. I track how many seasons they last. That would be 4-5. Guessing 40K. Not great but being soft is how they grip and grip they do.

I sure don't miss the howl and crackle of studs!

My all season Continentals do a foot of snow with ease.

^Buddy of mine burned through a set of blizzaks in a season and a half on a 550i. He's much happier with the Dunlop m3. General arcticmax are a better option for budget winter tires, IMO.

Wow, that's strange? I've ran Blizzaks on a couple cars with good results. Like everything, this is subjective to how often your road surfaces are covered in compact snow/ice yielding no friction. If you operate any soft compound tires for long periods on dry surfaces they clearly wear fast. I like the studless thing and dedicated winter tires are a must for my frozen world. I tried Firestone's Winterforce tires once that can be optionally studded. The sales rep claimed they work fine studless. Good for deep snow but a horrible failure on ice. They were on Craigslist after a month but I bet they last a long time. I have no loyalty to any brands and am still not convinced any all-seasons tread will work like a proper winter tire does.

Another brand I'll suggest is the Toyo, Observe. Running them on my Wife's MINI Cooper this being year two. Don't know how long they'll last but they have the studless magic. But enough on this winter business! I'm seein' our summers rolling out of the ol' garage in a couple weeks

I have Michelin Xice2 tires and love them. They aren't the best for deep snow (10"+) situations but for the other 99% of the time you'll be in your car, they are fantastic, especially on packed snow roads.

Originally Posted by White_Knuckles

Another brand I'll suggest is the Toyo, Observe. Running them on my Wife's MINI Cooper this being year two. Don't know how long they'll last but they have the studless magic. But enough on this winter business! I'm seein' our summers rolling out of the ol' garage in a couple weeks

My summer tires are still 3 months out. And we aren't allowed to have studded tires here. x2

^^ What!? Three months more! Lake effect or something? I feel your pain brother.

Originally Posted by White_Knuckles

^^ What!? Three months more! Lake effect or something? I feel your pain brother.

Yes, here in the rust belt I've seen snow on Memorial day, rare but it can happen. I remember roofing a relative's garage in long-johns, winter coats and gloves. I don't think my snow banks are going away soon, this was 5 days ago and they're still nearly that tall.

Originally Posted by White_Knuckles

^^ What!? Three months more! Lake effect or something? I feel your pain brother.

Wait, it's March already. More like a month and a half then.

Damn this year is going by quick!

I have Michelin PA3's and they are great on ice, hard pack snow, and light (>5") snow. They are pretty good in deeper snow, but I've only been able to test them to 10". Great in the rain, as well.

As far as TPMS goes, there are no sensors in our wheels, monitoring is done with the ABS sensors. Pressing the button a few seconds until it flashes and then driving re-calibrates the system.

JP

This snow is getting old... So much for the weather forecasting abilities of marmots!?

At least last night's storm only dropped enough snow around here that one swipe with the wipers cleared it all, and this weekend it's supposed to hit 40