What winter tires and rims do you use in the colder months?

I plan on getting Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires for my car. I've had them on my Cmax for 4 winters and I am very happy with them. Low noise, great grip. As for rims, I haven't started my search yet. That said, personally I wouldn't get a rim with such a large offset difference.

 

I have got my last few sets of rims and rubber from PMC. They have lots of rims with 45 and up offsets. I'll probably order from them again as they will ship mounted and balanced.

https://pmctire.com/en/wheels/wheel-type/replica-wheel-styled-wheel--mag-/usage/winter-4-seasons-winter-approved/stock-status/in-stock/wheel-diam/16/wheel-nuts/5/wheel-bolt-circle/114-114.3/wheel-centering/77.8-71.5-87.1-78.1-67.1-73.1-95.4-83.3-70.6-74.4-70-71-74.5-92.5-95.3-72.5-84-78.5-79.5-100.5-83.8-83.5-83.06-78.3-67.2-74.9-76.5-94.6-100-83.82-72.62-72.56-73.9-68.2-70.1-79.4-93.1-86-75.1-100.3-87.6-74.6-84.2-74.7-74.8-71.7-71.8-79.3-70.60-70.70-73.10-77.80-71.50-87.10-78.30-67.00-70.30-78.10-72.60-66.90-100.50-74.10-78.00-84.10-93.10-83.50-86.00-67.20-71.60-84.00-76.50-74.40-72.70-83.80-68.00-94.60-83.00-71.56-84.3-71.12-76.1-87.3-88-67.01-75.5-86.2-68-70.2-97.1-81-78.7-100.6-92.3-91-66.9-67-70.3-70.5-70.7-71.6-72-72.1-72.6-73-74-74.1-76-78-84.1-87-93-100.1/wheel-offset/37-45-44-31-47-32-48-41-36-46-29-33-34-39-44.5-47.5-36.5-38.5-43.5/sort-by/price/sort-direction/asc.tire

 

Generally speaking yes. A center bore of 67.1 matches the factory specs. If you go larger, you may need/want an adapter called a Hub Centric Ring. This is basically a plastic ring to make sure the wheel is installed perfectly centered and can help reduce vibration. They are safe to use and dirt cheap.

 

Don't forget, if you go with a 16 x 6.5" rim for winter use, it's 1/2" narrower than the 7" factory rim. Or about 12 mm, 6mm per side. The factory 16" Kona non electric wheels have a 44 offset. I'll be going with 45 on mine.

 

One thing to watch out for with aftermarket wheels, is front caliper clearance, esp with lower diameter rims (higher sidewalls). Newer cars tend to have larger calipers and often wheels that met previous gen cars, no longer fit. One solution is to go with a lower offset, but then you get more poke (tire sticks out past the wheel well).

Best is to buy wheels that are confirmed to fit on your car by actual users (not just by specs) or do a test fit yourself. Wheels with more poke can affect the cornering dynamics of your car. This is esp true of the newest cars with more sophisticated suspension systems.

 

The offset changes mostly because the rim width changes. This keeps the wheel basically in the same place in the wheel well from model to model. Narrower wheels aren't a bad thing necessarily, especially in winter. As long as you have enough offset to keep the wheels out from the brake calipers. My plan is a 6 x 6.5" rim and a 45 offset. I've dealt with PMC for rims/rubber a few times and they've always sold me something that fit great on my current model vehicles.

My car arrives next week after 2 delays (original arrival date was Aug 12th, then Aug 23rd, now Aug 28th). I'll be buying my winter rims/rubber at some point in September or very early October.

 

I doubt I will install TPMS sensors. 4 winters in the Cmax without them, I can live with the light on. I assume it's similar in the Kona. I know with most cars, the dealership still has to match the sensor to the car before they will work properly.

Not worth the time or expense for me. I'd sooner spend the money on another EVSE, trailer hitch, window tint, etc.

 

Very good reasoning. I've got a tire pressure gauge and an air compressor in the garage. I generally check all our cars tires every couple of weeks and adjust accordingly. It's quite amazing the difference in a tire's pressure from +20C to -5C.

 

Thanks for this thread. I am in the process of buying my Kona in Maine. I have seen a lot of discussions on this and other forums regarding winter tires. I have always had studded snow tires on my cars (FWD sedans). I am wondering if folks have experience with studs on their Kona? My local tire place suggested Laufenn I fit ice. I haven't been able to find any info about studded tires and EVs in general via a google search. I'm nervous about only using winter tires and not studs. Thoughts? Many thanks.