Winter Tires

[Frenchie]

Winter time is coming But pleased with my AWD What will be your choice ?Which tire will you use on your 18''I can't find any brand available up to now !What will be the price ?

Frenchie

[EXceptional]

I'm gonna stick with what's on the Car, after-all, it's an AWD, isn't it ?

I have AWD on my GMC Sierra Denali Truck... and I have no problem getting around with what-ever I choose to put on.

So for you, I went on Tire-Rack and keyed in the size we use and came up with this link...

--> CLICK HERE <--

My Brother bought some Tires from TIRE RACK a few Months ago and had them shipped up to Canada from the USA and he saved himself $300.00

[EXceptional]

You know... how the EX35 behaved in the Winter, was a very big concern of mine.

Before we bought, I said to my Wife... if this thing gets stuck in the Winter like all the past Cars you've had, then we are NOT buying it.

During our New Car searching process, we had a Blizzard come through our City and I was able to put this Car to the test. What a stroke of Luck to have a huge dump of Snow. Perfect timing, I thought !

It was our 3rd Test-Drive at this point... and I told the Salesman to come with us. ( I wanted him to come along, in case we got stuck)

The Blizzard had passed through our City by this point, but there was still a lot of Snow on the ground. A few Blocks away from the Dealership, in a Residential Neighborhood, there was Snow that had drifted on to the Road. I laughed and said, I'm gonna plant this thing into that Drift and see if it gets out.

So I did... I jumped out of the Ruts in the middle of the Road and then came to a full stop. Laughing, the 3 of us commented on how screwed we were and that we were going to have to get out and push.

I put it into Drive, and hit Tire-Speed Limiter button and away we went. We laughed and laughed... and I said I want to do that again... I don't believe this... it had to be a fluke, right ?

Seven more times, I tried to get it stuck... and each time, it drove out of the thick, crusty Snow. I'm sure I was pushing Snow with the front-end of the Demo Car. This was in May of 2008 so some of the Snow was Wet, but some was frozen too.

Was the extra traction because of the 3 people in the EX35 ? I'll never know the answer to that... but one things for sure, our old Car (2005 Chrysler 300C) wouldn't be able to do what we did on that day.

I'm sticking with the Tires that are on there, right now. Gone are the Days of having to buy a Winter Set of Tires for my Wifes Car. She has an AWD like I do, and we are both set for Winter.

Bring it on... we are ready for what will come !!!

[rn79870]

I've asked a couple of Canadian members with AWD G's and a years of driving Canadian winters to stop by and offer some help with 18" snow options. They should be here when they see the post.

Hope they offers some options for you Frenchie.

[snwbrdr435]

I use blizzaks and i think they might be the only snow tire that i will ever use.

[EXceptional]

What kills me, are the people that drive the "super-soft" Winter Tires around on Pavement for long periods of time, before (sometimes during) and after the Winter Season.

Pretty soon, they turn themselves into a really expensive All-Season Tire.

This past Winter, we went for really long periods of NO snow and then whammo, we got hit with a Blizzard and 2 feet of Snow.

So is a Blizzak Tire worth the piece of mind for a couple of Days... maybe.

Is a Blizzak Tire gonna be any good after driving on dry Pavement for long periods of time... no.

Will I ever buy over-priced Tires... No.

My...

[snwbrdr435]

there is no such thing as a dry new england winter so im all set its either raining iceing or dumping snow which will soon turn to ice.

[zozoka1212]

Frenchie,

Here is my .02. I live in Guelph, Ontario. You get a little more snow then we do here. I suggest to buy a winter tire set and install it at November keep it on till end of March and have a set of high performance all season tire for the rest of the year. You have the same Attesa awd system as I have in my G35x. They handle verry well but if you like to play safe the snow tire set is the way to go.

I've been driving mine for 2 winters now and did not buy snow tires but that could be dangerous. I might buy a set for this winter.

Here is how the Attesa handles snow with the VDC off. If you leave the VDC on it would go where ever you turn.<no fun>hehehe

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qkl4aCRatFQ

That was with a set of worn all season tire. I changed tires few weeks later.

here is another video.http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zkb...=user

It handles awesome. But with snow tires you can stop and go even faster/shorter.

here is a canadian gov. test on tires. It dshould give you a good idea how much different it makes.http://youtube.com/watch?v=UX1UmYG1nyk

Make sure you check out all 6 modules from them. Well worth.

Hope it helps. If you have question feel free to email me.

Either way you go good luck. If you decide to go with All season tires for winter make sure not to buy the high performance ones. They are better on dry pavement. Snow and high performance all season tires are not the best mix.

AS others said check tirerack reviews. They are good help.

Zozo


Modified by zozoka1212 at 8:05 PM 7/13/2008

[Frenchie]

Thanks Zozota

I know the importance to have snow tires.For the past 8 years I used Brigstone LM22 on my Maxima 2001 and on my G35X 2004.I've been totally satisfied with those tires.The problem with my EX35 is nobody are now offering snow tires for the 18 inches wheel,A new legislation this year in Quebec make all cars must have snow tires between december and march!

I checked on Tire Rack , no suggestion.

Frenchie

[joe603]

Members on the G-Series forum use blizzaks and love 'em!

[zozoka1212]

You can go with the 17 dedicated winter tires and rims and you can have all type of snow tires in that sizes. Should do even better on 17 then on 18.

zozo

[rn79870]

I live in SoCal and don't have a clue about driving in snow, but If I had to change tires 2 times a year, I'd sure look into another set of cheaper rims to mount the tires on.

I tip my hat to you guys and gals that can drive in snow and ice. I'd probably spend more time in the ditches than on the road if I had to.

[bonzai_can]

I live in Vancouver now but I have a place in Squamish (half way to Whistler) and spend most of my winter days off in Whistler ... the Sea to Sky highway is designated a winter highway and you are supposed to have winter tires. The number of days when they are truley necessary is probably relatively low but you only need to see a brand new Audi Q7 flipped on its roof in a ditch once to believe they are a worth while precaution I've seen 4x4's in the main Whistler parking lot struggle with all season tires on one of those days when the weather closes in before they can get it cleared ... and seen more cars in ditches than I care to throw a throwing thing at My dilema will me do I put on snow tires when during the week I will be in Vancouver and mainly on bare roads or stick with the all-season tires and perhaps have an issue at weekends any time from late October thru' April.Hmmm decisions decisions.

Knowing the cops do spot checks now & again between Squamish & Whistler and they do turn people back, I think I have to go for the winter tires ... so a question of seperate rims or not. Hmmm?!

[zozoka1212]

Do yourself a favor and get a separated set of rims. Think about the installations and all the goodies come with it. I would deff. buy a separated set. If possible get the 17" they even better on snow then the 18" or bigger.

zozo

[bonzai_can]

That's what I think I will do ... just a question of which rims & where to get 'em from. Will not be needing them until October'ish though.

[mik3025]

check this thread " Winter vs techno gadgets"

[bonzai_can]

Thanks

[zozoka1212]

You probably can get some good deal around you from taken off from G or other rides. Most G owners are replacing there's with aftermarket ones. Yuo can use G,M, I think Maxima wheels are same too.

Kijiji.ca maybe ebay.ca or check local newspaper(classified). It would be better for you. No shipping involved is always a good thing. Shipping is a rape heavy and big items like wheels, tires.

zozo

[EXceptional]

This is all interesting conversation...

I live in Alberta, and I don't plan on getting a second set for my Wife's EX35

You guys must get more Snow than we get here, or something ?

The whole point for me in getting my Wife an AWD was so that I didn't have to worry about how she gets from "A" to "B".

[dividedhighw]

OK - here's why I believe in 4 winter tires (and separate winter wheels).

Having driven AWD for the past 20 years (Audi & Subaru), I can attest to the fact that having all wheels driven will guard against getting stuck - as long as the vehicle stays on the road.

However, when it comes to braking and turning, it's all about how much grip the tires have on the road surface, period. (AWD plays, at most, a minor role via engine-braking, especially with an automatic transmission.) And without speaking for anyone else, every time I take a trip in my car, somehow, I ALWAYS wind up needing both braking and turning!

I've long held that "all-season" tires cannot perform adequately in typical Canadian winter conditions (very low temperatures and/or abundance of snow & ice) as they are a compromise of the requirements of each season. This of course, has to do with the tread patterns and compounds used in constructing tires for optimal performance under specific conditions - that's why I've always called these "no-season" tires, as they're guaranteed NOT to be ideally suited to any season. (Have a look at the videos linked by zozo, above.)

I've noticed with interest that lately, some in the auto industry are now referring to this product segment as "3-season" instead of "all-season", finally acknowledging they're not suited to winter driving.

As far as cost, I would counter that in my case, the added expense is restricted to tire change-overs twice a year and 4 additional winter wheels. I tend to keep my vehicles long enough that I would wear out the original tires anyway. So, instead of replacing the original all-seasons with a new set part-way, I simply buy winter tires up-front and don't end up having to buy more tires before I sell the vehicle.

If I amortize the cost of the wheels over the years I keep a car and add in the annual change-over costs, the additional expense is at most a couple hundred dollars per year, which buys me:a) less wear/damage on my nice summer alloys (yes, salt is used prodigiously where I live),b) less stress and more confidence (even added fun!) on the worst stormy winter days, andc) a wider margin for error, in case I ... go faster than I should for the road conditions, need to brake extra hard due to a moment's inattention, need to make an evasive maneuver to avoid some bonehead, etc.

For anyone counting on that couple hundred per year to feed your family, by all means drive slowly and carefully on your all-season tires instead. (I seriously doubt if that includes anyone driving an EX35, though.)

Myself, I can afford this price and added to the list I gave above, if this even ONCE helps me avoid sliding off the road, or doing a 180-deg spin on ice, or avoid a small fender bender, in the entire time I own the vehicle, it will have been well worth it!!

Just my $0.02, David

[bonzai_can]

A very well said 2cents and agree totally ... where I live if we get a dump of snow often it takes a while before any of the side streets are cleared so unless you're getting up at midday you'll be driving on snow. I've had to get out of a culdesac with 15inches of fresh snow & no sign of a snowplough in my Mazda 3 (front wheel drive) and I was only able to make it 'cos of my snow tires ... the other people there with their all season tires (even those with 4x4's) had to take the bus that day as all 4 wheels were just spinning. I used to have a Ford F150 (4x4) & the 1st winter I didn't bother with snow tires ... I got stuck in a few driveways that year.

[ExLover]

I took delivery of my EX during February when there were a few really heavy snow storm. The all season tires performed very well on the snow, much better than my previous FWD car with winter tires. I think I'll keep these tires for another winter at least. After that I may look for winter tires plus a second set of 20" summer wheels.

[bosh]

I went with 4 sensors, 4 G35 17' rims (7 spoke) 4 nuts, weights, install, activate tire pressure monitor, 4 17" Nokian' Hakkapeliitta 5 SUV 235/60-17 or $ 2,296.00 before taxes. And yes, they sell Hakkapeliitta' in 18". You can also look for Teflon covered wheels.

[ThinkingAboutIt]

Hi; I just got my new EX last PREM night. I live in Toronto so now I am keen on purchasing winter tires/steel rims. Much to my surprise, my dealer says that they have not found a winter tire package for the EX yet. This concerns me a bit as all their other packages are out. I have tried to follow the threads on the website but really don't think I have seen an answer to the following:

can we change tire/steel rims on the EX for winter tires? if so, to what? I really don't care about the cosmetics of tire size if there prices are cheaper in difference sizesthe only company I found that makes 18 inch winter tires is Yokohama or Nohean (sp) and I will need to get them shipped in from Edmonton Does anyone have some guidance on this? Ottawa Folks? Quebec Folks?

[bosh]

http://www.tonygrahaminfiniti.....html

And Nokian Hakkapeliitta SUV - winter tire - do come in 18" 235/55, I went with 17' - see my answer above... Yes, you can buy 17"-18"Nokian Hakkapeliitta SUV in Canada - I did!

Other winter tire brands: Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin, Pirelli etc.

Steel rims - you may have a problem with tire pressure sensors...

Modified by bosh at 11:30 AM 10/9/2008
Modified by bosh at 11:32 AM 10/9/2008

[dividedhighw]

can we change tire/steel rims on the EX for winter tires? if so, to what?

I didn't investigate the steel wheel option, but hopefully, other members can comment.

I really don't care about the cosmetics of tire size if there prices are cheaper in difference sizes

Yes, in general, tires with a smaller diameter are less costly. For example, a 17" tire is generally cheaper than an equivalent 18" tire. That's why I myself opted for a 17" winter setup. (more about this, further below)

the only company I found that makes 18 inch winter tires is Yokohama or Nohean (sp) and I will need to get them shipped in from Edmonton

Don't know if you meant Nokian (?), but many brands are available, depending upon size (e.g. 17" or 18"). Another advantage of going to a 17" fitment is that there's more tire choice because (again, generally speaking), any manufacturer will make more size varieties of 17" than 18" tires, within any particular line of tire.

I've used Toyo tires on my Audi's and Subaru's for many years and found them to be an excellent value in terms of high traction, low noise and high durability. One of their "claims to fame" is their use of embedded walnut shell shards to provide enhanced ice traction in an environmentally friendly manner - visit their web site to read all about it.

From what you said, we have the same factory setup - optional 18x8 wheels shod with 225/55R18 Dunlop SP Sport 7000 A/S tires. For my EX, I ordered the Toyo "Observe G-02 plus" in a 225/60R17 size and got a good deal on these Tesla wheels from FastCo. When I get them mounted/installed, I'll post some pics.

If you ever change the tire size or even brand, away from the factory one, you need to verify a compatible size to maintain accuracy in your speedometer/odometer and any number of other hi-tech features that depend upon imputed vehicle speed. The most accurate way to do that is to look up the "revolutions per mile" (or "per km") figures published by the tire manufacturer.

The OEM Dunlop tires are rated at 746 revs per mile, while my chosen Toyo tires are 744 revs per mile (465 revs per km). People have different opinions, but generally, within 1% is OK, so in this case, about 7.5 revolutions. Since these tires only differ by 2 revs in a mile, it's a good fit. BTW, 2 fewer revolutions in a mile means I'll be going slightly faster (0.27%) than the speedometer reading when using these winter tires.

Here's a quick link for tire size calculations.

Lastly, I was considering what to do about TPMS sensors, but as I said in this thread, decided to forego them and just tolerate the warning light (or pull the wire that lights it, if it's easy enough to locate/do).

HTH,David

[EXceptional]

eBay has lots of Infiniti Take-off Rims for a really good price.

[allthatjazz]

also debating whether or not to use the existing tires for the first winter and then get winter tires for the second winter.

ThinkingAboutIt ... wondering why you have to get your tires shipped in from Edmonton?

Have you tried Steelecase Tire, they are just north of Steeles Ave, off the DVP. They usually have great selection, however be warned, they are usually very busy around winter/spring when everyone goes to get their tires changed. In the past I have purchased the following winter tires from from them: perelli, yoko and toyo. Really liked the toyo performance.

I haven't called them to price toyo and steel rims for the EX, but I am sure they would have them in stock.

http://www.steelcasetires.ca/manufacturers.htm

[302@12psi]

Can the EX be programmed to read up to two sets of TPMS?

I know some vehicles you can program up to two set's of the sensors thus making the swap go much easier. Having to reprogram the ECU for the two sets of rims wouldnt not be fun.

[dividedhighw]

Can the EX be programmed to read up to two sets of TPMS?

No, and ...

I know some vehicles you can program up to two set's of the sensors thus making the swap go much easier. Having to reprogram the ECU for the two sets of rims wouldnt not be fun.

No ... it wouldn't be much "fun" (especially because it would need to be done twice a year). That's why I plan to simply tolerate the idiot light, as I said in this thread.

Cheers,David