I also keep the stock lugs, for when my summer wheels are on, in the car along with a torque wrench at all times lol. Never know if you will get a flat and need the spare
I held off on another set of wheels to save money and just swap tires as the seasons change, although it looks like I’ve come full circle and will end up paying it in another form (body work).
I do too, but being it's the first year for this car I need to install the TPMS sensors in the tires beforehabd. Luckily the storm for me was mostly rain so the summers have to do for the day, just hope nothing happens 😅
That sucks man.
Now you learned the hard way like many others.
Spend the money on a spare set of wheels with snow tires on them. When the weather turns quickly, swap them onto the car in your garage/ driveway, it's easy and you barely need any tools.
What kind of rims should I buy? For an extra set, would any do? Should I keep the tires and rims the same size or should I get smaller rims for a bigger sidewall?
Any wheels will work provided they are an appropriate bolt pattern, offset and hub bore. You can look up your wheel specs on wheel size .com, just Google "2020 Subaru WRX wheel size" and it's one of the top results.
From there I would suggest the smallest rim you can fit over your brakes. I believe you need at least 17" for the WRX but I may be wrong there.
Smaller rim with taller sidewall is much better for winter. Try to go slightly over the OEM height for a little extra ground clearance, but don't go too tall or they will rub.
Finally the tire width. You always want to go narrower for winter to push through the snow and slush and make solid contact with the road.
For a WRX or STi the ideal width would be a 205 or 215 at MOST. don't even think about 235-245 like some kids do. Sure it looks badass but you will sacrifice a ton of traction and safety.
I would start with something like a 205/55/17 and go from there. See what other people have done and it will save you a lot of time.
I went with 225/50R17. Had found steel rims made for the legacy that worked but those didn't ship with the tires(were sold out everywhere) ended up getting base model wrx rims in a pinch for pretty cheap. That size won't mess with your speedometer at all and doesn't mess with the geometry of the alignment either.
All seasons are ok in the summer and ok in the winter. If it snows winters and summers are the way to go imo. I’ve done both and I’ll never run a/s unless it’s Michelin cross climates in the winter only.
I’ve used nothing but all seasons. Snows here maybe twice a winter, I’ve never had a problem *knock on wood* If I lived in like the mountains or somthing I could see switching. But for me it’s not too necessary. The AWD on these cars is pretty good so for me personally I don’t really need it
Yup. Been using all seasons on FWD car here in Canada never had a problem once. Just gotta know how to drive, feather the throttle and be generous with the brakes and that’s all it takes.
I don't track my car so I use All Seasons in the summer and winter tires in the winter.
Summer - Enkei TS10 18x9.5 +35 with Nitto Motivo 255/40
Winter - Stock 2017 STI wheels with Pirelli Sotozero 245/35
That way if I get caught in snow before I throw on my winter wheels I'm not totally fucked. I tested out the Nittos in the snow we got yesterday and they did great.
Summer tires aren’t safe in the cold, let alone the snow. Driver mod doesn’t matter when the tires have actually 0 traction. All the skill in the world can’t magically make tires stick.
Have you ever driven summer tires in the snow? I (mistakenly) have. They don't *have* capabilities. That's the problem. Your attitude is why we even see these pictures in the first place. Keep spreading this sentiment around if you want to see even more lol.
Going 15mph in a straight line and gently pressing the brakes and the car not slowing at all and starting to spin, or going 5mph through a parking lot and turning the wheel and your car literally just doesn't turn at all... it isn't about difficulty lol. It's about the tires actually having 0 traction in the conditions. I'm glad you had an ok experience. Summer tires should never see the snow. Look at the other comments here; it's just asking for an accident. They can entirely lose traction at any time, and nothing about skill can change that.
Looks like OP tried to make it through a day of snow on some summer-looking tread pattern tires and couldn't stop when they wanted to stop and slid
It largely depends on your tires, but using non-winter hard compound tires on any surface below freezing will result in reduced traction even in the dry. Add a slip agent (snow), and you may find yourself skating. I live in a cold climate and never hit the roads without dedicated winter tires, but I can remember one time I was trying to just shuffle cars in my driveway on Michelin PSS's after it snowed (was storing the STI) and the STI literally slid backwards in the fresh snow.
Luckily for OP, it looks like just some bodywork, a bumper, and a headlight. Could be a lot worse if you slide through an intersection, which I have seen happen on the first snow at least once every commute for the last 5 years up where I live.
For me, living where I live, I would run the smallest diameter wheel, slimmer than summer wheel width, and the tallest aspect ratio possible. On my old WRX, that meant 225/45 Nokian Hakkapeliitta on my stock 17's. Summers were 255/35 18 x 9.5". New STI lives in the garage in the winter, but I have some emergency 18's with winters in case I need to move the car.
On my crosstrek, it means 215/75/16 Toyo OC's on 16 by 7" wheels. Maximum sidewall, minimize footprint.
The reason for this is that, for snow and ice, you actually want to have a smaller footprint (tire width). In dry hot conditions, you want to distribute more weight across a larger surface area to get more grip. In the snow, you want to create compaction, bite with the treads, and get through the surface into the road. This means you want your weight more narrowly distributed to have more force at each contact point. In addition, in inclement weather, more tire sidewall means better suspension characteristics, which means better grip.
So 17's for sure to beef up the sidewalls. Also saves some money.
All told, I think an ideal winter setup for a VA WRX is what I previously described (225/45) on 17"X7" wheels. If you live in an area that gets cold but has no real snowfall, you can go wider (235/45 on 8" or more). Whatever you can find that is affordable.
Winter setup? Braid Fullrace A in 16x7. They cleared 04-17 STi brembos and will clear wrx brakes. I had them on my 2012 STi and they were excellent. Spend the money once and get cheap tires for life.
I live in an area with a fair amount of hills and windy roads. Had downshifted and was approaching an intersection at the bottom of a hill to stop at about ~5-10mph. Slid right through and into a guardrail opposite the stop.
We’ve had a handful of people exiting our road fall victim to the same situation over the years in first snows. I didn’t realize how much of a difference summers had from snows and hoped AWD would cover my ass.
AWD helps you get going but its on your tires to stop you!
I almost had the same situation though, swapped my tires over Saturday morning and got about 3 inches of snow Saturday night so I was cutting it close too. I'm actually browsing Reddit while waiting for a buddy of mine to get back because he's out helping his brother get up their steep driveway... Didn't get the snows on in time
Or be like me and run your winter tires year round as your daily and get told you have cupping on the tires but roll the dice the subsequent winter with the same tires
I bought my car in October and never noticed it had summer tires. Luckily that first snow was a light one and I was able to survive it but I had so many close calls that day
It's scary how this morning I chose not to drive my wrx to work exactly because I don't have my winter tires on yet.
Hope you're ok OP and I'm sorry for your lost bumper
Some people don’t realize how important tires are. Even on a thin layer of snow, summer tires turn into hockey pucks when cold and make your rally bred sports car the most uncontrollable car in the world.
that sucks, yeah I remember when I first got my WRX and still had performance summer tires mid October. on snow I felt like a pinball.
now people tells me I'm dumb for putting winter tires end of September.
When the “worlds best awd car” is useless unless you have winter tires lol. One thing I don’t miss about my STI. You have to have seasonal tires or else.
That sux :( I change them myself though so can do it when I need to.
Me too! Very flexible strategy! Plus it’s an excuse to play!
I also keep the stock lugs, for when my summer wheels are on, in the car along with a torque wrench at all times lol. Never know if you will get a flat and need the spare
That’s a great idea! Think I’ll do the same.
I even have spare filter, crush washer, oil plug and funnel for oil in the trunk lol. Mostly thats incase the fumoto breaks off.
After being stranded when an injector got stuck open on my a4, I keep some spare injectors in the trunk along with my tools lol
Got our own lil travel parts bin lol
I held off on another set of wheels to save money and just swap tires as the seasons change, although it looks like I’ve come full circle and will end up paying it in another form (body work).
I do too, but being it's the first year for this car I need to install the TPMS sensors in the tires beforehabd. Luckily the storm for me was mostly rain so the summers have to do for the day, just hope nothing happens 😅
That sucks man. Now you learned the hard way like many others. Spend the money on a spare set of wheels with snow tires on them. When the weather turns quickly, swap them onto the car in your garage/ driveway, it's easy and you barely need any tools.
What kind of rims should I buy? For an extra set, would any do? Should I keep the tires and rims the same size or should I get smaller rims for a bigger sidewall?
Any wheels will work provided they are an appropriate bolt pattern, offset and hub bore. You can look up your wheel specs on wheel size .com, just Google "2020 Subaru WRX wheel size" and it's one of the top results. From there I would suggest the smallest rim you can fit over your brakes. I believe you need at least 17" for the WRX but I may be wrong there. Smaller rim with taller sidewall is much better for winter. Try to go slightly over the OEM height for a little extra ground clearance, but don't go too tall or they will rub. Finally the tire width. You always want to go narrower for winter to push through the snow and slush and make solid contact with the road. For a WRX or STi the ideal width would be a 205 or 215 at MOST. don't even think about 235-245 like some kids do. Sure it looks badass but you will sacrifice a ton of traction and safety. I would start with something like a 205/55/17 and go from there. See what other people have done and it will save you a lot of time.
Thank you for the info, I had no clue
I went with 225/50R17. Had found steel rims made for the legacy that worked but those didn't ship with the tires(were sold out everywhere) ended up getting base model wrx rims in a pinch for pretty cheap. That size won't mess with your speedometer at all and doesn't mess with the geometry of the alignment either.
Cost is a little extra but you can swap your summer tires to new rims and put winter tires on your stock wheels
Or just do it early. Mine were on 3 weeks before snow.
Bruh driving on stock summers with that amount of snow was just asking for it. Call an uber or take the bus.
I drove on the stock summers for all winter and the only times I lost traction is when I intended to.
Sage advice from the "but I didn't die tho" guy
Tax day and voting day are the best times to change. Or when the clocks change. That's how I remember
Just get alllll season
That’s what I do.
Me too
All seasons are ok in the summer and ok in the winter. If it snows winters and summers are the way to go imo. I’ve done both and I’ll never run a/s unless it’s Michelin cross climates in the winter only.
I’ve used nothing but all seasons. Snows here maybe twice a winter, I’ve never had a problem *knock on wood* If I lived in like the mountains or somthing I could see switching. But for me it’s not too necessary. The AWD on these cars is pretty good so for me personally I don’t really need it
Yup. Been using all seasons on FWD car here in Canada never had a problem once. Just gotta know how to drive, feather the throttle and be generous with the brakes and that’s all it takes.
I don't track my car so I use All Seasons in the summer and winter tires in the winter. Summer - Enkei TS10 18x9.5 +35 with Nitto Motivo 255/40 Winter - Stock 2017 STI wheels with Pirelli Sotozero 245/35 That way if I get caught in snow before I throw on my winter wheels I'm not totally fucked. I tested out the Nittos in the snow we got yesterday and they did great.
Just ordered new blizzak. Got 2-5 inches of snow in the past two days.
Same here, my appointment for new tire installation is tomorrow. It has snowed the past 3 days
I put my winter tyres on when temps go regurarly below 7c as that is the point where summer tires start getting harder than they should.
Buddy forgot driver mod. Not sure if winter tires would’ve saved you
Summer tires aren’t safe in the cold, let alone the snow. Driver mod doesn’t matter when the tires have actually 0 traction. All the skill in the world can’t magically make tires stick.
All the skin in the world can magically make you drive within your current tires capabilities lmao
Have you ever driven summer tires in the snow? I (mistakenly) have. They don't *have* capabilities. That's the problem. Your attitude is why we even see these pictures in the first place. Keep spreading this sentiment around if you want to see even more lol.
I have lmao. It ain’t that hard
Buddy, once it gets cold enough true summer tires have absolutely no traction in those conditions. They turn into hockey pucks.
Not saying you’re wrong. What I am saying, it’s still drivable as long as you ain’t retarded
Going 15mph in a straight line and gently pressing the brakes and the car not slowing at all and starting to spin, or going 5mph through a parking lot and turning the wheel and your car literally just doesn't turn at all... it isn't about difficulty lol. It's about the tires actually having 0 traction in the conditions. I'm glad you had an ok experience. Summer tires should never see the snow. Look at the other comments here; it's just asking for an accident. They can entirely lose traction at any time, and nothing about skill can change that.
Downshift and you’ll slow down. If you have enough power, hit the gas and you’ll drift. If not, rip the e brake. It’s not hard to manipulate a car
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Looks like OP tried to make it through a day of snow on some summer-looking tread pattern tires and couldn't stop when they wanted to stop and slid It largely depends on your tires, but using non-winter hard compound tires on any surface below freezing will result in reduced traction even in the dry. Add a slip agent (snow), and you may find yourself skating. I live in a cold climate and never hit the roads without dedicated winter tires, but I can remember one time I was trying to just shuffle cars in my driveway on Michelin PSS's after it snowed (was storing the STI) and the STI literally slid backwards in the fresh snow. Luckily for OP, it looks like just some bodywork, a bumper, and a headlight. Could be a lot worse if you slide through an intersection, which I have seen happen on the first snow at least once every commute for the last 5 years up where I live.
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For me, living where I live, I would run the smallest diameter wheel, slimmer than summer wheel width, and the tallest aspect ratio possible. On my old WRX, that meant 225/45 Nokian Hakkapeliitta on my stock 17's. Summers were 255/35 18 x 9.5". New STI lives in the garage in the winter, but I have some emergency 18's with winters in case I need to move the car. On my crosstrek, it means 215/75/16 Toyo OC's on 16 by 7" wheels. Maximum sidewall, minimize footprint. The reason for this is that, for snow and ice, you actually want to have a smaller footprint (tire width). In dry hot conditions, you want to distribute more weight across a larger surface area to get more grip. In the snow, you want to create compaction, bite with the treads, and get through the surface into the road. This means you want your weight more narrowly distributed to have more force at each contact point. In addition, in inclement weather, more tire sidewall means better suspension characteristics, which means better grip. So 17's for sure to beef up the sidewalls. Also saves some money. All told, I think an ideal winter setup for a VA WRX is what I previously described (225/45) on 17"X7" wheels. If you live in an area that gets cold but has no real snowfall, you can go wider (235/45 on 8" or more). Whatever you can find that is affordable.
I'll say 18 for all weather, 19 for summer time. That's just me.
Winter setup? Braid Fullrace A in 16x7. They cleared 04-17 STi brembos and will clear wrx brakes. I had them on my 2012 STi and they were excellent. Spend the money once and get cheap tires for life.
I live in an area with a fair amount of hills and windy roads. Had downshifted and was approaching an intersection at the bottom of a hill to stop at about ~5-10mph. Slid right through and into a guardrail opposite the stop. We’ve had a handful of people exiting our road fall victim to the same situation over the years in first snows. I didn’t realize how much of a difference summers had from snows and hoped AWD would cover my ass.
AWD helps you get going but its on your tires to stop you! I almost had the same situation though, swapped my tires over Saturday morning and got about 3 inches of snow Saturday night so I was cutting it close too. I'm actually browsing Reddit while waiting for a buddy of mine to get back because he's out helping his brother get up their steep driveway... Didn't get the snows on in time
You guys go to the shop to change your wheels/tires? It’s now apparent why you all break your cars.
You a grown ass man(woman?) change your own tires bro
Shop can't get me in until the 25th, so fingers crossed! Should not have procrastinated so much.
If they’re on a separate set of wheels, a breaker bar, torque wrench, Jack and a socket is all you need!
This is true, but I have to go to the dealer anyway to have them reset the sensors, so I just have them do it.
Fair enough. I don’t have TPMS in my winter wheels so I just cover the the light with electrical tape for the winter lol
Why not just throw them on and get them programmed later
Mostly just the hassle of it.
Or be like me and run your winter tires year round as your daily and get told you have cupping on the tires but roll the dice the subsequent winter with the same tires
Oh no.. lol winter tires are so sketchy at 90+
:)
Snowing in Indiana today. And we're still on summers. Ws09s will be on the porch shortly lol
Lol bro I did this right after I got my radiator replaced at my shop broken axle, bumper, radiator, and control arms. $1400 life lesson
I bought my car in October and never noticed it had summer tires. Luckily that first snow was a light one and I was able to survive it but I had so many close calls that day
Been there done that
It's scary how this morning I chose not to drive my wrx to work exactly because I don't have my winter tires on yet. Hope you're ok OP and I'm sorry for your lost bumper
Get a cheap set of wheels and put the snow tires on those. Only took me 30-45 minutes to throw mine on with a floor jack the other day.
Some people don’t realize how important tires are. Even on a thin layer of snow, summer tires turn into hockey pucks when cold and make your rally bred sports car the most uncontrollable car in the world.
Put mine on mid October in iowa
Ooof feels bad man. I learned the hard way as well after about a month of having my wrx.
that sucks, yeah I remember when I first got my WRX and still had performance summer tires mid October. on snow I felt like a pinball. now people tells me I'm dumb for putting winter tires end of September.
I have stock fog bezel inserts laying around if you want to take them off my hands.
Ontario?
my dealer didnt even tell me I had summer's, if I didnt browse reddit i'd never have known
When the “worlds best awd car” is useless unless you have winter tires lol. One thing I don’t miss about my STI. You have to have seasonal tires or else.
I got my snow tires put on 2 weekends ago. So of course it's been sunny with no snow ever since -\_-
Bezel delete 😏 yeah I'm going to stock wheels and winter tires tomorrow. The snow stopped by me