New wheel questions

[Big Tone]

Ok, so we had our first big snow yesterday (about 6" of it) and the tires on my car suck (Michelin something or others)! I literally had to drive no faster than 5mph most of the way home from Chicago to the south suburbs because any faster and the car would start to fishtail.

At first I was just going to get some new tires that others have recommended on this site, but figured if I'm going to get new tires I might as well look at new rims, thus the purpose for this thread.

I would like to get 18" alloy or polished wheels (no chrome) for year-round use and noticed that most of the rims I've seen are between 8 and 8.5" wide. My first question is are either of these widths too wide for the J?

Next question is would having larger rims impact the traction of the tires I get? I'll still get a set of all-weather tires, but want to make sure I don't end up with the same driving issue I had yesterday. I basically drove my car home in 2nd and 3rd gear because I was afraid I'd damage my trans due to not having any traction whatsoever. The tread doesn't appear to be low, they just aren't performing very well. Any and all help is, as always, greatly appreciated!

[driverdriver]

skinnier rims cut through snow like butter. It's the whole scientific principle of least resistance. Wider rims = more contact patch more resistance which equals more hydro-planing.

Best bet is to get a set of dedicated snows and a set of dedicated all-season or summers.

[elwesso]

Yeah definitely dont think youll do better in the snow with some 18s... I recommend keeping stock wheels for snow tires... Also ther eare more potholes in the winter time, and using stock sized tires with the tall sidewall can help absorb some of the harshness in the potholes.

Skinny tires always do better the snow.. Wide tires have a tendency to want to run on top of the snow (much like snow shoes) instead of cutting through the snow...

all season tires will NEVER be good enough..... Its all about knowing how to drive in the snow... Ive found that my Q45t almost does better in the snow when its moving faster....

Get you a set of bridgestone blizzaks, michelin alpins, or something thats a dedicated snow tire and then get you some nice sticky summer performance tires for your other set of wheels. You dont want to expose your nice wheels to its arch nemisis.. NaCl...

In the mean time, go get about 3 50lb bags of sand and slap thme in the trunk... Will make all the difference in the world.

[DominickJ30]

How long did it take you to get home on thursday??

Took me 3 hours from Des Plained River Rd. & Oakton to get to my house by Busse and Irving Park.

[Big Tone]

How long did it take you to get home on thursday??

Took me 3 hours from Des Plained River Rd. & Oakton to get to my house by Busse and Irving Park.

It took me about 2 hours to get from Chicago State on 95th to my house out in Richton Park off of Sauk Trail!

[Big Tone]

Yeah definitely dont think youll do better in the snow with some 18s... I recommend keeping stock wheels for snow tires... Also ther eare more potholes in the winter time, and using stock sized tires with the tall sidewall can help absorb some of the harshness in the potholes.

Skinny tires always do better the snow.. Wide tires have a tendency to want to run on top of the snow (much like snow shoes) instead of cutting through the snow...

all season tires will NEVER be good enough..... Its all about knowing how to drive in the snow... Ive found that my Q45t almost does better in the snow when its moving faster....

Get you a set of bridgestone blizzaks, michelin alpins, or something thats a dedicated snow tire and then get you some nice sticky summer performance tires for your other set of wheels. You dont want to expose your nice wheels to its arch nemisis.. NaCl...

In the mean time, go get about 3 50lb bags of sand and slap thme in the trunk... Will make all the difference in the world.

Good to know. One question I still have is are 18x8 too wide/big for the J?

[NY94J30]

8 inch width is fine, i ran a 17x8 w a 235/45 and they felt good - not anywhere near rubbing. In the summer, I found the extra width is good, really helped to keep the tail in line.

[Big Tone]

8 inch width is fine, i ran a 17x8 w a 235/45 and they felt good - not anywhere near rubbing. In the summer, I found the extra width is good, really helped to keep the tail in line.

I'm guessing by your uname that you're in New York. If that's the case, did you leave your 17X8s on in the winter? If so, how did they handle the snow?

[Rex]

I'll chime as others have, spend some $$ on snows now and have them put on your current wheels. Then look at getting a great set of wheels with some nice summer/performance tires.

There is no all season tire that will compare to the confidence a true winter/snow tire will give you.

And as other have suggested get the narrowest tire for your wheel for winter use.

[RPS13 Rocket]

Blizzaks on stock wheels is the best option by far. I have a set of Blizzaks on a GVR4 and man do they do the job. I haven't gotten any for my J yet but I plan on it. In Indy this past week it snowed and snowed and I played and played...I must say that once you get the rear end out the LSD does wonders for holding it out there..this is if you know how to drift or atleast have some advanced driving skills. I always look forward to winter, since I am too old to sled, sliding the car around is the next best thing!

[Puddles]

I'm no car expert but I do live in Minnesota and I've owned a '94 J30T since the day it was new. All I can say is that this is the most pathetic and dangerous winter machine I've ever driven. Of course it gets a bit less dangerous when you put on snow tires, but do yourself a favor and never let your J30 out of the garage if there is more than 1/64" of snow on the road. Can't tell you the number of times I've been embarrassed trying to inch my way up a snowy hill in the J30 while a line of traffic is piling up behind me. No way to sugarcoat it without deluding yourselves....this car is BAD in snow! (Gotta love it on dry pavement though)