On Tue, 15 Jan 2002, Randall Young wrote:
> 165/65-14 is not too uncommon, it shouldn't be too hard to find some in a
> decent performance tire. Purely as an example, Tire Rack has Bridgestone
> Potenza RE92 in that size, $47/tire.
>
> It still isn't going to work well in deep snow or on ice, for that you need
> studded tires and/or chains.
They aren't going to work much at all in snow or on ice. I had RE-92s
as OEM on my Subaru, and I autocrossed them on snow, on ice, and on
pavement. I found them poor on each surface.
There is no excuse for skimping on tires; they are the only thing
between you and whatever afterlife you happen to believe in.
Unless you can afford to stay home when it snows, get snow tires. They
make all the difference in the world. Then buy high performance tires
that are good in the rain ( I like Yokohama A032R competition tires which
were excellent in the rain on my Mazda, but there are many other choices )
for the other three seasons.
Not many high performance models are available in 14" diameters
anymore, but competition tires still are. They may not last long, but
I'd rather out-live my tires than vice versa.
I've picked up a set of brand new steel wheels as cheap as $40, plus a
set of Blizzaks or Hakkepaliittas for ~$300 depending on size. Another
$400 for the 3 season tires and you're set.
I think you'll find OEM sizes fine, with the proper tires. Harder
tires require more weight to produce traction, since they don't grip.
For example, when I got my MR2, it had Goodyear Eagle God-Awfuls on it,
and would push like a pig on turn-in unless you were under heavy braking,
since the motor is the back and each front wheel only sees about 400
pounds static. With Kumho race tires, braking before turn-in is rarely
necessary, since they have substantial grip even when lightly loaded.
--
D a v i d H i l l m a n
hillman@planet-torque.com
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