Winter tires or winter tires + wheels? (vehicle, good tire, buy, cost)
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It depends on where you live- when I was in college in Indiana, the local tire installer could do a mount and balance on all four wheels for $50. When I moved back to NJ I found that the service was anywhere from $80 at tiny shops to $125 at reputable places.
For $50 a pop, I'd probably just pay a shop to swap the tires, but at $125 twice per year, I'd probably spend $400 on generic wheels at tire rack and do the bi-annual swap in my garage. I had a set of snow tires in Indiana and did the tire-only method, FWIW.
I have two sets of wheels and just swap them twice a year. I have the place to store them and I sure would not want to expose myself to tire changes twice a year.
Having a separate set of winter tires and wheels gives you flexibility, especially if you live in an area like the Mid-Atlantic states (like I do) where winter can be very fickle. If I had put snow tires on but there was no snow in the longterm forecast for a month or so I'd likely take them back off because I have a long commute (80 mile round trip) and would rather save the wear. If I heard a big storm was coming I could easily pop them back on at any time. This is of course assuming you have a place to store the tires, a good jack, and air tools which makes swapping quick and easy.
One thing to consider is if you have TPMS. If you don't care about the flashing TPMS warning light on your dash all winter than be like me and get a second set. It will save you money in the long run
If you can store tires, you can store tires + wheels. Make that initial outlay for used/cheap rims (~$200 around me) and you'll be ready at a moments notice.
The other option if you don't want to store anything is to go with M&S all-seasons like the Nokian WR3 (not sure if there are other brands who do this now, I moved to the SE a few years back). I ran both the original WR and WR2 on my Jetta and they were some Very good tires. Pricey, no doubt, but worth the money when there was no storage space.
I found a set of OEM take off wheels with TPMS that is the same as my factory wheels for $500 so it was a no brainer to use is for my snow tires. It does require extra storage space compared to just storing the tires but it's nice to be able to swap back and forth. One big reason is that my vehicle doesn't have a spare so having extra mounted wheel makes sense.
I found a set of OEM take off wheels with TPMS that is the same as my factory wheels for $500 so it was a no brainer to use is for my snow tires. It does require extra storage space compared to just storing the tires but it's nice to be able to swap back and forth. One big reason is that my vehicle doesn't have a spare so having extra mounted wheel makes sense.
FWIW you can often find suitable steel wheels at a junkyard and only pay what they're worth in scrap.
The only people who get their tires changed over at the tire shop twice a year are those who live in apartments or in the city and have no space to store their winter wheel package. If you have the space (even if it's at your parents house in the suburbs) you should get a dedicated winter wheel package. I have 2 sets and looking for a 3rd set right now. It's a lot cheaper to buy a separate winter wheel package and do this yourself considering it will cost about $60-80 (about $15-20/wheel) to swap the tires twice a year. Not to mention you will also have to find a place to store the set of tires that you're not using.
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