Winter and General Tire Qs

[zukered]

The manual indicates the following specs for non-Sport tires:

P175/65R14 81S

... which I read to mean:
175 mm wide
.65 sidewall aspect ratio
Radial construction
14" rim
load index of 81, "S" meaning it's rated to 180 km/h (112 mph)

How closely do winter tires (or for that matter, replacement tires) have to conform to these specs?

Do I need to budget for wheels to go with them, or would they just re-use the ones I have on now?

Obviously I could just buy and install from the dealer, but I believe I saw a price of $720 (in Canada) on their service department's price board... didn't clarify whether that included installation or wheels. Some winter tires are on sale for $60 each right now, so the potential savings are enormous.

Note that Canadian Fits don't have the tire pressure monitor, so I don't have to worry about special tires that support TPMS.

Thanks

[NEK FIT]

Are you in the Annapolis Valley in NS? Looks like it from the picture...

I ordered Blizzak winter tires from Tire Rack. I got them on their own wheels, since it makes swapping them so much easier and cheaper. I did this previously on a Subaru I owned and found the tires to be excellent. I have not driven my Fit through a Vermont winter yet, so it remains to be seen how well it will perform. But up here, dedicated snow tires are a must.

[trek44]

I also ordered the Blizzak's from tire rack mounted on their own wheels. It really helps here in MN during winter. If you can, I would get Hakki's, they have the best winter tires going.

[mahout]

[quote=zukered;358736]The manual indicates the following specs for non-Sport tires:

P175/65R14 81S

... which I read to mean:
175 mm wide
.65 sidewall aspect ratio
Radial construction
14" rim
load index of 81, "S" meaning it's rated to 180 km/h (112 mph)

How closely do winter tires (or for that matter, replacement tires) have to conform to these specs?

Do I need to budget for wheels to go with them, or would they just re-use the ones I have on now?

It depends. If you plan to change these fairly often, like twice a year, the cost in a couple of years will exceed the cost of spare wheels, which you can get from a junkyard or buy new from DiscountTireDirect already mounted with winter tires and balanced. You can change wheels with tires mounted yourself. And if you have a punctured tire you have a spare handy.
175/65x14 tires (and BTW there is a 175/65x15 too) measured under the metric regulations must conform at least within 2% of the stated measurements when pressurized at design pressure by manufacturer.
A 175 mm section tire lays between 172 and 178 mm wide. THe tread width is not specified but for most tires it will lay about 85 to 95% of the section width, For winter use, a slightly narrower and slightly taller tire is advantageous for better traction and ground clearance.

Likewise a metrisized tire must conform to: section width in mm (2xsection aspect in hundredths)/25.4 and added to wheel diameter in inches = tire diameter.
For 175/65x14 the diameter is (175x1.3)/25.4 and that added to 14" = 22.95".
We used 175/65x15 continental 'ice bears' last winter in the mountains very well and never got halted.

but we don't have anything like Candian winters so local success counts more..
PS if you need tires rated better tha 'S' there is heavy rethinking to be done here.

[DeeZeex]

Originally Posted by NEK FIT

Are you in the Annapolis Valley in NS? Looks like it from the picture...

Could be the 'Look Off'...

[zukered]

Ottawa Valley, actually, looking from the one of the lookouts in the Gatineau Hills. But after looking up Annapolis Valley, NS, I can see the resemblance!

Are there any downsides to using a slightly bigger tire (175/65x15), aside from making the speed- and odometer go off slightly (goes 8 cm more per revolution)? It's got a bigger diameter than even the Sport's wheels.

BTW, I calculated the diameter thusly:

(height of tire section) x 2 + tire diameter
(175 mm x .65) x 2 + 15 in. x 25.4 mm/in. = 608.5 mm

[mahout]

Originally Posted by zukered

Ottawa Valley, actually, looking from the one of the lookouts in the Gatineau Hills. But after looking up Annapolis Valley, NS, I can see the resemblance!

Are there any downsides to using a slightly bigger tire (175/65x15), aside from making the speed- and odometer go off slightly (goes 8 cm more per revolution)? It's got a bigger diameter than even the Sport's wheels.

BTW, I calculated the diameter thusly:

(height of tire section) x 2 + tire diameter
(175 mm x .65) x 2 + 15 in. x 25.4 mm/in. = 608.5 mm

I got the same as you, 23.95" or 608.5 mm. My winter tires are 175/65x15's and they have no downsides I could find except I wouldn't autocross or track them as they are snow tires. I regret I don't remember what mpg I got but it certainly wasn't bad or I would. Dimly I remember getting more than 34 mpg on our trip to the mountains which would be better than usual. I don't speed much but I don't slow down for corners either.
you'll not really see the 2% difference on your speedo or odo unless you cut that 'patrol allowance' way too close.
cheers.

[fork_nSpoon]

buy cheap older honda civic 4x100 14inch steel rims and buy some snow tires that way you dont need to get rid of your stockers if they're still good

[wdb]

Originally Posted by zukered

How closely do winter tires (or for that matter, replacement tires) have to conform to these specs?

For winter tires on non-Sport rims I would get the same size exactly.

Speed ratings for winter tires are usually Q and H; which one you get should depend solely on what kind of winter conditions you will encounter, NOT how fast you think you will go in the car. H-rated winter tires should be used by folks who will see occasional snow and a lot of wet or dry conditions. Q-rated tires should be used by folks who will see a lot of snow and ice. I live in southeast Pennsylvania and use H-rated tires on my Subaru Legacy and STi.

Do I need to budget for wheels to go with them, or would they just re-use the ones I have on now?

Get wheels. Steelies are fine for winter, and as some have noted there are used Civic rims that fit the car.

Obviously I could just buy and install from the dealer, but I believe I saw a price of $720 (in Canada) on their service department's price board... didn't clarify whether that included installation or wheels. Some winter tires are on sale for $60 each right now, so the potential savings are enormous.

I don't know about your area, but around here dealer prices for tires are ridiculously high. Shop around.

Note that Canadian Fits don't have the tire pressure monitor, so I don't have to worry about special tires that support TPMS.

The tires have nothing to do with TPMS. You may be thinking run-flat vs. non run-flat tires. Stay away from run-flats unless you absolutely need them, for example if you have a very high incidence of punctures. They're heavier and more expensive than normal tires, and if you don't get punctures they provide no benefit.