[Jamie '92 968]

I want to put 205/60-16 and 225/55-16 tires on my stock 16x7 and 16x8 wheels respectively.
They give an outer tire diameter of 25.7 inches vs. the standard 25 inches.

Anybody have any experience with upsizing like this? Any clearance issues?
My car has been lowered about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, so this complicates things also.

The reason I want to do this is because the 225/50-16 tire size is becoming less common and I can't find a good snow tire option without changing.

I made another post about winter tire recommendations that asked the same question which did not get a lot of views. I'm hoping this post gets attention from people who may have just passes over the other post thinking "snow tires, that's just nuts" and not bothering to read it.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jamie

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[flash]

with so few people running snow tires, and the fact that you are lowered, i don't think you are going to find anybody who has tried that combination

i think you will need to fit them, fully load the suspension in each direction, crank the wheels fully in both directions, and find out

good luck

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[Jamie '92 968]

You're probably right, but I thought I'd throw it out there and see what the world-wide 968 community could offer.

Thanks again for your help on this and many other topics.

Jamie

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[flash]

no worries - i just wanted to make sure that any response you got considered the suspension loading and such, and not just the tire diameter spec - often you don't find out until you toss it into a corner that the tires make contact, which is very dangerous in the snow

good luck

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[Jamie '92 968]

In case anybody else might want to try the same thing, I thought I'd report that I put the new snow tires on the car a few days ago and so far so good.

They are Continental Extreme Winter Contact tires in 205/60-16 and 225/55-16 on my stock 16x7 and 16x8 wheels respectively with an outer tire diameter of 25.7 inches vs. the standard 25 inches. My car is lowered about 3/4 inch.



The car certainly feels a bit more loose than with my summer performance tires, but I am sure to love them the first time it snows. Tire rack rated them best in the snow and ice, and Consumer Reports also rated them near the top.



I have not fully loaded the car yet (just me and some light cargo going to work and back), or really thrown it into any corners (that probably won't happen too much until I have my summer tires back in about 4 months), but there seems to be plenty of clearance over the full range of steering.



I'll report back if I ever encounter any rubbing, but for now it looks like I have a winner (for the winter) <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Jamie

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[rxter]

Snow tires? That's just nuts <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Jamie '92 968]

<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/laugh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



If only I had a 3 car garage (or lived in SoCal) things would be different.

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[PhilG968]

I really can't say, but I run 205 50 17 on the front, and 235 45 17 on the back, 7.5 and 9 inch wheels.

Trying to keep it narrower for the snow, using Michelin XICE Xi2 winter tires.

They ride great, grip well, but the spirited driving is for next spring, but can still have some fun.

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[Jamie '92 968]

Hey Phil,



I think I remember that the Xi2 was Consumer Reports # 1 tire for snow and ice, but the Continental had a better compromise for dry and wet conditions. I really had a hard time choosing.



I haven't had the opportunity to drive in the snow yet with my new tires.

What's your experience been with the 968 in the snow?



Jamie

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[PhilG968]

I find the 968 really good in the snow. Just have to be patient and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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[flash]

"be patient" - lol



translation: sit there, shut up, have a drink from that flask, and wait for the tow truck

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[PhilG968]

I did get stuck one year on the side of the highway in my 844 for 9 hours. Tried driving the winter on Pilot Exalto summer tires.

Then got the 968 and winter tires, not stuck yet, and I do mean yet!!!

I meant 944.

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[flash]

yeah - i don't drive in the snow in a 2 wheel drive vehicle - period - i can wait - i only drive in it at all by accident or stupidity (basically i was too dumb to plan ahead) - i wouldn't want to live anywhere that driving in the snow was necessary - my philosophy is "drive to it - play in it - then go home where it's warm"



i know not everybody feels that way, but i just don't get it - it's bad enough that it gets chilly here (about 40 or so) for a couple of weeks each year - i don't get the attraction to snow and bad weather, and with the 40 odd broken bones i've had, the pain is just nutty in the cold and damp



as for tires for the 968 in the snow, i think i'd rather get a different car that was more suited to it - if you're willing to subject a car to the weather like that, there's no reason it couldn't stay outside, and be a disposable beater, since anything you drive in the snow will be pretty much a bucket of bolts in short order anyway



sure, you can do it, but why?

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[flash]

i was doing some math, and based on average snow damage repair figures, you could buy a used ford explorer or something like that for about the same amount of money you would spend on the 968, after factoring in mileage depreciation, and expense - if you figure this into the budget, you would end up saving the 968 the wear and tear, and most certainly the potential damage, and have a safer car in the snow



if you financed the car, and got a slightly newer one, it would be even less per year



case in point - my dad, who is only 65, and has been driving in snow for decades, on a road he drives all the time, stuffed it into a snow bank last year and munched the front end - this was in a 4 wheel drive too - in a 2 wheel drive, there are just too many chances for a boo boo, including somebody else who doesn't know how to drive in the snow



i'm happy that the tires fit for you, but i think it's an ill-advised concept

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[Jamie '92 968]

As an engineer, I love this kind of analysis.

I spend my whole life attempting to optimize every situation. It's a curse, really... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



Here are a couple of other things that went into my calculation.



First, my wife is a teacher and her car is a Ford Explorer.

If it snows a lot, school is canceled and I take her car to work.

I also have a friend at work, with a Subaru, who lives just down the road. We often trade rides, and he usually gives me a ride on days when it's snowing, but school is not canceled.



My real issue has been on those days when it snows unexpectedly and the roads get dusted. I used to drive the 968 with summer tires all winter, but ran into a few very scary occasions by hapenstance (i.e flying back home late at night after a few days on a business trip to find snow covered roads). My last attempt at a solution was all season tires, but these were a bad compromise for the summer and were still pretty bad in the snow.



Also, I HATE scraping the windshield in the morning in the freezing cold. Departing from a relatively warm/dry garage in the morning is worth A LOT to me.



I have a lot of snow driving experience and don't get overly stressed out about it. Putting the snow tires on the car has reduced my stress level from not always having to watch the weather, wondering whether school will be canceled, and deciding whether to spend a ride-to-work credit from my friend (even though he doesn't mind). The biggest risk in the snow is the other guy who slides into you because he doesn't know what he's doing. You have that risk no matter what you are driving. If I had a 3rd stall on my garage, I'd consider buying a 1992 Ford Bronco with a 350. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/cool.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[PhilG968]

Wish I was in California. But alas, I am not and to old to figure that out now. So its all Porsche, all the time!!!!

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[Jamie '92 968]

Season one is now in the books. The snow tires are back on the wall rack and my Sumitomos are back on the car.

I have to report that the snow tires worked even better than I expected. I only had a few occasions to drive on snow covered roads, but they worked great! PhilG968 was right. Turns out the 968 actually drives really well in the snow with the right footwear. It was nice to spend a lot less mental energy worrying about the weather this winter.

I also had a few enjoyable opportunities for some power-slides in the parking lot at work... <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/tongue.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

If you are crazy enough to want to drive the 968 all winter, I definitely recommend getting some dedicated tires and wheels. I would be interested to see what results you can get with some "performance" winter tires. I definitely had some margin to spare with my "studless ice and snow" category.



Now that I have the summer tires back, I am pretty excited to be glued to the road again and having a ball.



Thanks again to Pureandsimple and Bob Blackwell for getting me hooked up with some great 16" wheels and center caps for a very reasonable price.



Jamie

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[Scott Collins]

"There's no such thing as bad weather - you just have to have the right clothes."



968's are fine in the snow, as are 944's. Just have a good set of proper snow tires and recognize that you have to modify your

driving style to fit the road conditions. You have to do that in any vehicle, except maybe an M1 tank. No sudden input is the basic rule. The balance and overall composure of the 968 is an asset in the snow, IMHO. The installation of the Guards diff certainly helped matters for me and is much better than the factory open diff, in ALL conditions.



Summer or all-season tires will make the 968 seem very poor in the snow because of the rubber compound and tread pattern. I know this because I drove around like this all winter with some SO-3's on the car when I first got it. Didn't know any better. No traction in the cold, and I spun the car easily on anything the least bit slick. I put some Conti Winter Contact snows on it and it was night and day. Completely different car with the proper tires.

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