BabyBenz6spd

Thanks, I guess I'll be spending the money to buy some additional safety.

Aurora

yup, i was in the same situation and ended up buying a dedicated set of winter wheels before i even got my car! i wanted to keep the stock setup and not have to keep remounting snow tires every season. i live in the boston area and i'm coming from a front wheel drive car so from what i've been told and seen you really need snow tires for the snow. i got silver fox sports and Blizzak LM22's off of ebay, really good deal, check there.

Turbo2

Aurora-

Any pics?

Thanks

taylor192

Don't listen to the 'buy a cheap car for winter' advice.

I bought my car knowing this would be the first car I'd buy 2 sets of tires for, I usually just got all-seasons and drove more carefully in the winter.

Your plan for the 17" wheels is exactly my plan for next winter. Buy a set of 19" wheels for summer only and use the 17" for winter.

My 2003 C230 SC can actually fit 15" steelies, which I found from a W202.

Alternatively you could try and sell the stock 17" wheels and tires and buy a cheap set of 17" steelies with winter tires, yet I bet you'll find that the stock 17"s won't sell for more than 17" steelies would cost brand new.

BTW our stock wheels are painted, not polished, so any winter abuse is going to make them a mess.

BabyBenz6spd

Taylor,

Sell these nice OEM 17"? I'll probably just get a set of generic 17" wheels (Better than Steel wheels atleast~) and put on snow tires. I don't know if the steel wheels will clear the brakes.

Someone post pictures of your snow tire and wheels..

Narcissus

Ah!

Here's my Winter Benz setup, 205-55-r16 Studded Nokian Hakapaalita tires with hubcaps! I have to with our Canadian winters

BabyBenz6spd

Narcissus,

I like your setup. How much are those hubcaps? How much did this setup cost you? Steel wheels, hupcap, and tires?
:p

Narcissus

Well, someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you'll be able to fit steelies with your large brakes.... the caps you can probably fid on ebay ( look for radkappen on german ebay ) for cheap or pay top $ for them at the dealer, probably around 40-50$ each, plus add the steelies around 50$ each also and the winter tires, you're looking at around 900-1000$. The tires I have on are studded cuz we have ton of ice and snow up here, so you don't really need that, maybe go with Blizzaks LM-22 for good performance winter wheels, or the dunlop M3. make sure the tires meet the minimum speed rating for your car, I think it's H, but not sure...

If you're looking for wheels to put your winter rubber on I have a set of C7 wheels that you can use, you'd have to buy some rubber and you'd be cruising in style...

Narcissus

Never use chains, they're ok in snow but if you hit asphalt good luck driving or braking.

I live in Montreal, Canada, so I know winter here's what you need

most important : Good winter tires
you also need a winter solution for your wipers, regular washer will freeze on contact. the MB winter solution is allright but any winter windshield washer will do

Winter wipers, very important also, the summer blades are too soft and will not help you if you have snow or ice on your windshield. I have teflon blades bought from a local automotive store, make sure the blade are 1 inch smaller than your summer blades.

I might suggest also keeping 2 20kg bags or road salt in each of the little wells inside your trunk, right where your wheels are. This will apply more weight on the back wheels and if you get stuck you can always use some of the salt

Keep your car in W or C mode so your car will start on 2nd gear and will less likely spin

If it snows a lot you might wanna use some road tracks (Track-Aids), I don'T know the exact terms , they are metal plates with teeths that you put right in front of your rear wheels to give you traction if you get stuck, I carry a pair in my trunk

Something really important, when you start your car, wait for the revs to drop under 1000 rtm , 90% of engine wears comes from startups so this should also apply year long if you plan on keeping your car for long.

Also one last thing, don't wait for your car to heat up, you'Re only wasting gas and wearing down your engine, when you drop under 1000 rpm start driving, moderatly, trying to stay under 3000rpm until the car is warmed up, this should take around 2 minutes instead of the 10 minute you would stay in your car in park

Safe driving, stay far from cars in front, don'T push your car too much and leave esp on unless you're stuck in snow, once you're free put esp back on.

BabyBenz6spd

Thanks.....I'll keep your tips in mind.....btw, you got some pictures of the C7 wheels that you mentioned earlier?

taylor192

You're probably better off buying someone's used 17" OEM wheels if you wish to keep your 17" OEM wheels in good shape. Otherwise, just throw snow tires on your 17" OEM wheels and buy new wheels for summer.

Any 17" wheel will clear your brakes, just 17" steelies are hard to find and probably cost a little more. So used 17" wheels might be cheaper.

Snoopygis

I like your winter tips, it's just the kind of information that I was looking for. I'll definately be getting some sand or salt bags to put in the trunk. I already have a shovel, jumper cables, a tow rope, extra gloves, matches, candles and a blanket.

I too live in the Great White North, but I live north of Toronto. We don't get as much snow as you do in Montreal, but we see our fair share.

I plan on getting the Dunlop M3 winter tires, I've heard some good things about them.

What's the difference between the teflon blades and the winter blades you can get from Crappy Tire?

Narcissus

The teflon blades are softer so they will not squeak and will clean your windows a lot better then regular blades, plus they have a very low freezing point, so you can use them driving 120 at -40c with no performance issue.

You will also see Teflon windshield liquid but it's really useless, make sure you buy high quality winter washer or even better is the MB winter solution that you can mix with water at home....

You will not be disapointed with the M3, not only can they be driven to high speed but they are also very good over dry and wet pavement, reducing hydrosliding and giving you great performance if we end up with a f*cked up winter last last year where it would be -30 one day and near 0 the next

Thanks for pointing out the shovel part, I totally forgot about this essential item...

Narcissus

One more thing, never, ever try to jumpstart someone else, chances are you'll fry their car

The candle/matches/lanket part is also essential incase you get stuck... as for the tow rope make sure you use the 2 tow hooks that you can screw to your front and rear bumpers.. they're under a plastic tab that you can pull open...

Winter's coming so fast, and with NO HOCKEY???

What are we gonna do without a Leaf-Habs game to keep us company on those cold saturday nights....

Snoopygis

Thanks for the information. Where can you buy the teflon blades? I just got my C in April 04 so I haven't had thge pleasure of driving it in the winter. Is it true that the side mirrors are heated all the time? Also, are the windshield wipers heated or is it just the nozzles?

I just read a great review about winter tires in the Toronto Star. You have to sign up to see the article so I'm just going to cut and paste it.

Trio helps you get better grip on ice
New models focus less on snow and more on icy roads

Michelin revamps total winter lineup for cars and trucks


JOHN MAHLER
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Just as the first frost hits the GTA, so do new winter tires from three manufacturers: Dunlop, Michelin and Toyo.

Most of the companies are standing pat with what worked last year and just adding a new model to fill gaps, but Michelin has revamped its total winter product line with three new tires, for family cars, SUVs and sports sedans.

The Arctic Alpin line is discontinued and replaced by the Michelin X-Ice family. The SUV version is called the Latitude X-Ice. Latitude will become the new Michelin name for the family of tires designed for SUVs and light trucks. The sports tire is called the Pilot Alpin PA2.

Ice rather than snow seems to be the driver's greatest concern. So Michelin now joins the other major tire companies in naming its tire for this condition. But it is not just a cosmetic change.

The X-Ice tires are new from the casing to the tread. Unlike products of Bridgestone and Yokohama, the X-Ice does not rely on multicellular technology for winter grip: Michelin uses compounding and tread pattern.

The X-Ice family has a very aggressive V-shaped tread pattern with lots of edges for snow grip. In fact, the biting edges extend even onto the shoulder blocks. For good ice grip, the rubber that touches the surface must be flexible. However, if the whole tread is flexible, the tire feels squirmy. Michelin uses a rubber technology they call "Adaptive Progressive Stiffness" (APS) to address this contradiction.

This winter/ice grip is at its maximum until the tire reaches a 5/32 inch tread depth. There is a special wear indicator on the tires to let drivers know the winter grip is fading.

The X-Ice betters its predecessor in every winter driving category. On ice in brake tests from moderate speeds, the X-Ice stops in 18 per cent less distance and accelerates about 16 per cent better. On snow, the tires' braking and acceleration gains are more modest, averaging around 5 to 6 per cent.

The new Michelin is available in 39 sizes from 13-inch to 17-inch rims. The SUV line has 10 sizes in 15-inch and 16-inch rims. Sal Spano at Johnson and Magwood in Mississauga sells a typical application like a Toyota Camry size of P205/65R15 for $135 installed and balanced. The list price is $162.

Dunlop has replaced its excellent Winter Sport M2 with the Sport M3 (not to be confused with the BMW M3). The new tire makes significant improvements.

Traction on fresh and packed snow improves 5 per cent, as does dry pavement handling. Ice traction remains the same but wet traction goes up by 5 per cent. Resistance to aquaplaning jumps up significantly by 15 per cent under lateral load. Noise is reduced slightly.

All of this is accomplished by wider grooves between the tread blocks and a more aggressively siped tire. Sipes are the tiny wiggly cuts in the blocks. The Dunlop M3 is available in 13-inch to 19-inch rim sizes and includes some run-flat sizes.

A tire for a Nissan Maxima sized at P215/55R16 sells for $155 plus $15 to $18 for installation at Tireworks in Mississauga. Scott Luke discounts down from a list price of $273.

Toyo adds an SUV winter tire to its line. The Open Country G-02 Plus adds many new sizes to the line as it replaces the Observe GP-4. Open Country is Toyo's designation for SUV and light-truck tires.

This new tire mimics many of the features of a similar sedan tire introduced last year.

Toyo adds ground walnut shells to add grit to the tire's surface. This generation of walnut shells is larger and harder than in previous versions of the company's winter tires for cars.

They also use Lamella crystals to wick up moisture as the vehicle's weight causes the snow or ice beneath the tread to become water. It is this thin film that makes ice so slippery.

This new Toyo has a 10 per cent wider contact patch, which will help in braking and in better lateral grip. The tire is covered in sipes and uses many smaller tread blocks in the tread. This creates more sharp edges to dig into snow.

A P245/70R16 tire for a Dodge Dakota lists at $283. Mark Semak at Extreme Tire in Richmond Hill sells it for $170 including installation. It is available in 34 sizes from 15-inch to 17-inch rim diameters.


Others stick to their winners

Six other tiremakers, who also offer good winter tire traction and options, are sticking with their current lineups this season.

Goodyear stays with its two winning winter designs. For the sporty end of the scale, their Eagle Ultra Grip GW3 provides good snow grip and adds excellent dry pavement handling. For sedans, the Ultra Grip Ice has proven to be a great value as other winter tires prices have moved up. It is bargain-priced for the performance it delivers.

Bridgestone's Blizzak line stays the same but with increases in size availability. The WT-50 Winterbiter is the multi-cell ice-grip tire that made Blizzak a household word. The LM-22 is its sportier brother but is not multi-cell design.

Yokohama last year joined Bridgestone in an ice-grip tire with air pockets in the tread. The Ice Guard IG10 is also heavily siped for additional ice grip. Yokohama's sportier version of a winter tire, the AVS Winter, does not use the multi-cell design either. It relies on compounding. Multi-cell so far has not been able to be stiff enough for higher speed ratings.

Pirelli does not use any multi-cell technology but its compounding seems to be right on target as its Snowsport high-performance line of tires has won several European magazine road tests. Their everyday tire sizes are made up of the Winter Ice and the Winter Carving lines.

Continental Tires continues to market its TS790 line of high-performance winter tires.

Canadian Tire continues to offer its well selling Nordic house brand in the low-cost market, but also offers the Michelin X-Ice as a premium tire. In fact, Canadian Tire will special-order tires from any manufacturer.

BFGoodrich has one of the all-time bargain tires, the Winter Slalom. It grabs well in snow but is an older design that does not perform as well on pavement as some of its competitors. But it is well priced, so there is no excuse for not getting winter tires if you live in a snow belt area.

For those who head deep into snow country, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta line of winter tires from Finland is worth a look. The new RSi design and the older Hakka 2 are both all snow-go designs with no compromises for other road conditions. They are not everyone's cup of tea, but if a Hakka can't get you through the snow, you shouldn't be going out the front door. —John Mahler

Snoopygis

Yea, I know. One of the greatest rivalry's in sports history and we can't watch it anymore.

Narcissus

Soon.. hopefully, soon.... You can buy the teflon blads from Canadian Tire, they will fit with the adjustment included, the swap meraly takes a minute, measure your 2 bldes, I think they are 22 and 20 inches, and then buy 1 inch smaller for the winter blades, so 21 and 19 inches...

It is true that the mirros are heated but they are not always on, only if it's cold enough will it turn on, the wiper nozzles are heated....

You're gonna love driving your c in the winter...

Aurora

I haven't put the snow setup on my car yet... probably towards the end of this month but when I do I'll post pics.

Snoopygis

Thanks again for the information. One last question. Did you get an after market rust proofing for your C from like Krown for example? I'm toying with the idea, but I've heard people say "no, don't bother" and I've heard, "yes, go for it". What do you think?

Narcissus

I've had Krown done last week , you really should do it, they are gonna charge you more than 109$ because they need to remove a couple of plastic plates under the car and part of the trunk, but they did a great job for mine, I'll do it every year from now on, the cars do rust, put your car on the lift and look under you'll be surprised, they didn'T drill any hole in the doors they only used the existing drain holes and misted everything inside. Make sure you park in the street because it will drip for 24-48 hours...

But you really should do it, great investment if you plan on keeping your car.

Aurora

What is Krown and do they have that or something similiar in the States?

Snoopygis

How do you like the Nokian's? I'm considering going with either:

1) Dunlop Winter Sport M3 or
2) Nokian Hakapeliitta 2

Although, I'm leaning towards getting non-studded Haks. Let me know how your Hak's are. Thanks.

Narcissus

Couldn' tell you if something similar exist, maybe RustCheck?

Bring your car up north they'll know what to do

Narcissus

2 completly different tires, the WinterSport are more performance oriented, capable of higher speed and react more or less like a summer performance tire, they are halfway between all season and winter... don'T get them if you have a lot of snow or ice, and after 50% used they loose ice and snow tractiona nd become 4 season tires...

The Nokians are great, a lot of people swear only by them, I can'T tell you how good they are when they'Re studless but with stud they rock, they can go everywhere, plus on dry pavement you can brake hard or spin your tires for crazy spark effects

Guest0001

winter plans? hah! It doesnt even rain here let alone snow.