snow driving - some questions

S

satyr36

Member
:
2003 Protege Speed
Just wondering how many people drive their MSPs through the winter? Is it good in snow? I know most FWD cars are, but just want to know...

also, what types of tires do you get for snow? I have 17" wheels with low profile tires now. My first set of low profiles ever on a car...

what size rims / tires should i get for winter? 15" with normal walled tires?

Whats a good place to buy used wheels/tire sets?

thanks for any answers, just trying to guage if i need to try and find a 500$ car for winters :D
 
They suck in the winter with performance tires, find 16's from a P5 and through some snow tires on. That's my next step as well. You should be able to find a used set for $200-$300
 
what year p5? also

what is our bolt pattern? wouldnt 15" be better with full sized snow tires? need some clearence between the tire and the fender aye?
 
The issue is the brake size, 15's won't fit. You need a 16. I don't think the year p5 matters, I've also heard that the ES fit, I think they may come 16's as well, I'll search and edit soon.


I just checked and yes the protege sedan does come in a 5 lug 16 and 4 lug 15.
 
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Good read. From everything I have read it seems that you can run 15's this whole time I've been looking for the much higher priced 16's. You may have just saving me a couple hundred bucks!!
 
zuku26 said:
The issue is the brake size, 15's won't fit. You need a 16. I don't think the year p5 matters, I've also heard that the ES fit, I think they may come 16's as well, I'll search and edit soon.


I just checked and yes the protege sedan does come in a 5 lug 16 and 4 lug 15.
Click to expand...

15's will fit over the brakes - i have a set i used to run. and, for winter driving, nothing will beat a good set of dedicated snow tires. the protege is awesome in the snow :D
 
You can go onto discount tire direct and put in a 2002 Mazda 626 with 15" wheels and order them. Those are the ones I got for my MSP along with Hankook Winter iPike tires. The tires work just as well as any higher priced tires like Blizzaks or Nokians (I've tried both brands). The MSP handles as well as any other FWD car, you just need snow tires.
 
MSP + stock tires = l0ze.

MSP + winter tires = winz!

I've been running 16" steelies with Pirelli SnowSports for .. I think it's been five 'winters' now (they're generally only on the car for 4 months). They've treated me very well, excellent treadwear and great grip in incliment weather.

You CAN fit 15" steelies on the MSP, but I went with 16" just for a little more space.

I bought my entire package on Tire Rack, steel wheels and tires and everything mounted up and shipped right to my door. I believe it cost me just over $500. Money well-spent.

:)

Snowy7.jpg
 
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the msp handles extremely well in the snow with snow tires. i had 15" nokians on mine and it was great. i've heard consistently good things about both nokians and blizzaks, then people who use others will say they love whatever is on their car but blizzaks and nokians are always a safe bet. anything that's labeled as a winter tire will do. avoid studded, overkill for indiana.
 
jred321 said:
the msp handles extremely well in the snow with snow tires. i had 15" nokians on mine and it was great. i've heard consistently good things about both nokians and blizzaks, then people who use others will say they love whatever is on their car but blizzaks and nokians are always a safe bet. anything that's labeled as a winter tire will do. avoid studded, overkill for indiana.
Click to expand...

I have tried all three, and Nokians and Blizzaks are the best. Are they worth the premium price, I highly doubt it. My Hankook Winter iPikes are nearly half the price of Nokian's and they work just as well. I put Nokian's on my wife's car and I regret paying the $450 for them because they aren't really any better than the Hankook's I use.
 
Yeah obviously we established that 15s fit. 15'' steelies with some blizzaks for me. I actually traded my msp rims with bad tires for a set of steelies w/blizzaks.
 
sweet thanks guys! ill start saving a few bucks for the tires/wheels for fall time... i really didnt want to buy some old beater... ive driven mustangs for years and always had my jeep, but sold the stangs + jeep and got the MSP mostly because i thaught FWD + fun car = win (ter) hehe
 
15" with 195/55r15 blizzaks for me. i only got the 55's because they were a package deal with the wheels at the time. once they're gone i'll be going to a 60 series (cheaper and closer to stock diameter). as far as handling the snow? the LSD makes this thing a tank!!!
 
Thanks you guys!! I've really been trying to find some good priced p5 wheels for the winter. You guys just saved me a ton of money by letting me know 15's fit. I know I read on this forum that 15's wouldn't fit, I must have gotten into a bad thread.
 
zuku26 said:
Thanks you guys!! I've really been trying to find some good priced p5 wheels for the winter. You guys just saved me a ton of money by letting me know 15's fit. I know I read on this forum that 15's wouldn't fit, I must have gotten into a bad thread.
Click to expand...
Have a link to that thread? If you can find it again, let me know -- I'll go in and edit the posts so that no one else finds it and gets the wrong info!
 
I'll search for it later today and PM it too, That's a good idea BTW!!!
 
I've been through one NASTY winter here with the tires I bought a year ago or so... (can't remember now)
I got some Goodyear Eagle F1 all season in the stock size and they did very well. excellent grip, weren't rated poorly on tirerack, and I got them for a mere 137 a tire. I have thought about snow tires, and new wheels for the winter... our stock RHs are horrible when you get snow and ice in there, I have a picture somewhere, I'll post it when I find it.
 
Snow Pics

I found 'em!
I found it funny how we get snow eyes from all of the salt and crap that gets thrown up behind our cars. I got out to pump gas one night, and those were staring at me.
 

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im rockin stock wheels with kumho asx year 'round. they do fine in light snow
 
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