Winter tires.

[jackd]

Where's the best place to buy steel rims and winter tires in the Vancouver or Vancouver Island area? I need to put some new winter rubber on my '07 Caravan for my work commute. I spend enough time heading back and forth travelling to Vancouver Island so heading cross border is out. Your thoughts please.

[DNF]

USA

We get screwed for rubber up here as per usual.

Otherwise (as you mentioned) cheap steel rims at crappy tire or Walmart. As for rubber, do your homework. I have bought some good stuff at Kal Tire, but some swear by the independents.

[Bill 310]

My Lexus dealer told me to order from the tire rack, i did and saved a ton on rims and tires. It was like the savings MC tires all over again.

I paid the tax no duty

[klondike1]

I got a set off eBay from Connecticut delivered to my door for 1000 less than i could get here. This was on Nissan rims rather than steel. Tires were Blizzack DV1 i think is the name and were 18 inch rims. 1400 to my door. 2600 from the local dealer

[jackd]

I'm kind of gun shy when it comes to ordering off of the internet for something like this. My employer bought some replacement cheapo rims for their fleet of Caravans and discovered that the brake rotors rubbed on these units when they installed them. I would probably spend a few more bucks to get something that really fits. Tire size is P215-70R15.

[Bill 310]

The Tire Rack is a first class operation. The Lexus rims needed a Tire Pressure Monitor. One of the ones installed on their rims was defective when received

The dealership had to install an OEM sensor. I called the Tire Rack and they asked me to return the sensor and send them PDF's of the bills.They sent me a postage paid shipping label to return the sensor for testing.

They refunded the sensor cost, paid for the OEM Lexus part and all the extra labour costs. I was actually ahead financially

First Class operation

Your tire size in not sold in the US ?

Originally Posted by jackd

I'm kind of gun shy when it comes to ordering off of the internet for something like this. My employer bought some replacement cheapo rims for their fleet of Caravans and discovered that the brake rotors rubbed on these units when they installed them. I would probably spend a few more bucks to get something that really fits. Tire size is P215-70R15.

[Maggot12]

Check usedvic in Victoria, or kijiji and craigslist in Vancouver


I recently moved to Ont and looked around for wheels and tires for my 09 Montana van. I hecked kijiji in the Barrie area and there were 3 pages for the 225-60-17 that I was looking for. Got a set of 4 steel wheels with excellent Continental rubber. He wanted 70, but I only had 20's so I gave him 80.

[edwin]

+1 kijiji
but also try auto wreckers...maybe the rims would even have winters on them!? and you may get allloys for way less than buying new steels....

[jackd]

I've been checking Craigslist and Kijiji to get an idea of what's out there. The pics that accompany the ads often show 1/2 worn out rubber that they claim that has hardly been used... I heard some horror stories about co-workers going to look at these items to find nothing but junk instead of pristine tires/rims as was advertised. Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming. My van is a shortie and the size is readily available - I just don`t feel like putting $1000 worth of tires on a mid aged vehicle. The Michelin all-seasons that I have on it now are in great shape - hardly showing any wear but in the event we start getting some major snow on the southwest coast, I want to be prepared.

[Steve G.]

Havn't bought a bike or car tire in Canada for 10 yrs. See no financial reason to change this trend.

[jackd]

ITC in Langley, B.C. came out equal to some mega bike tire stores down south price wise a few years ago and so I bought my Avons from them - I might give them a shout. I have no interest in going cross border for my purchases.

[ZZR_Ron]

A bit off the topic, but I can't say enough good things about the Blizzaks I had...it was like driving on pavement with those things on!

[Steve G.]

Originally Posted by jackd

ITC in Langley, B.C. came out equal to some mega bike tire stores down south price wise a few years ago and so I bought my Avons from them - I might give them a shout. I have no interest in going cross border for my purchases.

Why not?

[jackd]

Originally Posted by ZZR_Ron

A bit off the topic, but I can't say enough good things about the Blizzaks I had...it was like driving on pavement with those things on!

Good to know. I spent some time in a tire shop today and realized that many of the newer winter tires were less aggressive in the tread than the Michelin all seasons that I run now. Then I realized that what the marketing people are doing is pushing the new winter tires as having low temperature rubber compounds which are supposedly an improvement over regular all seasons but not exactly a snow tire. An aggressive pattern snow tire seems to be quite rare unless you are in the SUV or light truck range. Keep the suggestions coming.

[troidus]

Originally Posted by jackd

Good to know. I spent some time in a tire shop today and realized that many of the newer winter tires were less aggressive in the tread than the Michelin all seasons that I run now. Then I realized that what the marketing people are doing is pushing the new winter tires as having low temperature rubber compounds which are supposedly an improvement over regular all seasons but not exactly a snow tire. An aggressive pattern snow tire seems to be quite rare unless you are in the SUV or light truck range. Keep the suggestions coming.

It's gripping surface you want with silica in the mix for extra bite. The old-fashioned snows with large tread voids don't work as well as the newer stuff. Check the tread blocks on modern Alpine-rated snows (snowflake on a mountain symbol on the sidewall) and you'll see fine siping. That's where your traction comes from, especially on ice. Now if you slog through deep mud, that's a different story.

The first year I had my Blizzaks, I was pushing through foot-deep snow with impunity in a Camry.