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[Mr.D]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase a set of rear winter tires to slap onto my 10.5" rear width Volk TE37s.

I'm limited in terms of my set-up, as I have a set of unworn 245/40/18 front Dunlop Winter Sport M3 tires (circa 2008, V Rated). After calling Tire Rack, these are my two options:

1. Dunlop Winter Sport 3D in 285/35/18 (W rated)
2. Dunlop Winter Sport 3D in 265/35/18 (V rated)

My concerns are as follows:
- 285/35/18 rear with a 245/40/18 front is not the ideal tire size and the stagger will be more than stock

- 265/35/18 rear is shorter than the stock set-up (which is 265/40/18) and will be stretched on a 10.5" wheel. FYI -- Tire Rack states the max wheel width for this tire is 10.5".

Look forward to tapping into the knowledge here.

Cheers,

Aly

[paradocs98]

Lots of looks, but no takers...

A few things to consider. The newer 3Ds have a slightly different tread pattern, and possibly tread composition, compared to the previous-generation Winter Sport M3s. Ideally all four winter tires should be the same make/model. But the difference is probably small enough that it won't matter.

Keep in mind that your front unused M3s might not have a ton of life left on them. They have zero miles, but tires do break down over time. They're already four years old, and I believe that 6 years or more is the period where you should consider replacing tires due to rubber decay. My numbers might be off here, so others should chime in. But don't be surprised if you're looking at replacing them in a couple of years.

Of the two choices, 265 vs. 285, I'd probably do the 285s. Ideally winter tires should be narrower than summers to help dig down into the snow and get traction, as opposed to floating on top like pontoons. But 285 over 265 probably isn't that significant. 215 or 225 vs. 285 would be significant, but who's going to put 215s on their M3? I would be more concerned about stretching a 265mm tire over that wide 10.5" wheel. 285 would be more appropriate.

And as far as increasing the stagger to 40mm goes, I don't think that will be too much of an issue, either. An increased stagger might present a handling problem in the setting of summer tires in dry, warm conditions when pushing the car hard, but this clearly will not be the case during a Toronto winter.

It might be worth it to do some research on TireRack's website regarding the appropriateness of the Dunlops for a Toronto winter. If this will be your only winter vehicle, you might want to consider a tire with a bit more snow and ice grip, but still "performance winter," such as the Blizzak LM60. Then you can probably also have more leeway with sizing and maintaining proper stagger. Or use your OEM wheels for winter and save the TE37s for summer duty. That way you could also do a narrower 255 or 265 in back.

[slicer]

There are disadvantages to both but if those were my only choices, I would go with 285/35 without a doubt. 265/35 is too short for the rear. You should use 265/40 for the rear (stock size). I don't like the idea of running a shorter tire in the rear than the front (245/40 is taller than 265/35). 285/35 is wider than ideal for winter use. I am not as against this option considering you will still have winter tires and you live in NY vs some of the more snowy regions of the country. I ran stock sizes on my OEM 18" wheels when I lived in MN without problems except for deep snow. The 265/40 in the rear did not have enough traction to overcome the friction of the car plowing through snow greater than 5".

[Mr.D]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like 285 is the best option given my limitations with the existing wheel and tire combo.

Cheers,

Aly