A Tutorial.
Step #1: Search for tires to replace the Nokian Hakkapeliittas you bought 20 years ago. (not shown)
Step #2: Find that the only 14"snow tire with a 99 load rating is a 225/70R14 (not shown)
Step#3: Concerned it’s too wide, but nobody can confrirm, you buy one tire, mount it, and run it on the front and rear for a day each, listening for rubbing/clearance issues. (not shown)
Step #4: Satisfied with your test, buy three more and mount them.
Step #5: Run the tires for two and a half winters. (not shown)
Step #6: Swap out snows for summers in the spring (shown)
Step #7: Wonder why the hell the end of my upper control arm is cleaner than the rest of the arm. (shown)
Step #8: Start looking at the inner sidewalls of the tires. (shown)
Step #9: Oh lord. I have rotated these. There are all ruined. (shown)
Step #10: because I can’t help it.
$500 worth of tires down the drain.
I can’t believe I didn’t notice a thing, especially since I’m sitting on the wheel well.
I have run snow tires since the mid 90s when I absolutely had to get to work. Even thought I have not had a job like that since 2005, I still had the set so I kept using them every winter. It doesn’t snow much around DC, but when it does, I loved the extra grip.
Feb of 2016 I got a flat and had to retire the Nokians, figured I would replace them and use them for years. Do I want to?
Sure spacers would work, but the tires are garbage and can’t be put back on the car. I would need to get another set of tires PLUS the spacers. I suppose I could source four used 15" or 16" wheels to make some more tires available, mill out the center hole once I found the right offset.... but.. see what I mean. Not sure it’s worth the effort for the weather we get.
(sigh)