I was thinking of getting blizzak tires ws70 18 inch tires..for my XT. Will changing the tires (winter to all season and back) each season on the XT alloy rims be harmful??
It would be much more affordable, easier, and less risk of damage to run 17" winter wheels.
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f72/snow-tires-2014-2-0xt-forester-233066/
Many people are planning to buy 17" steel wheels (often OEM from Subaru for 2.5i models) and put snow tires on them. 17" snow tires are going to be much more affordable than finding 18" snow tires in our size.
There are several people here who have tested to see, and yes, 17s will fit.They claim that the steel wheels will not fit the xt because of the bigger brakes/rotors.
All for a low low price of 1499 plus tax lol
I'd recommend looking for 17-inch Subaru wheels on craigslist. I bought a set of Outback XT wheels and put a new set of Goodyear snow tires on for under $700 total.Thanks for the information everybody!
It cost 50 bucks to unmount/mount and balance the wheels at the costco up here.
How much would oem steel wheels from subaru cost?? What size winter tire for the 17 inch should I get??
I talked to the dealership where I got my car..n they said they offer ONLY oem alloy wheels 17 inch snow tires ws70 blizzaks. They claim that the steel wheels will not fit the xt because of the bigger brakes/rotors.
All for a low low price of 1499 plus tax lol
As long as the rims are decently maintained and do not take physical damage that opens up the finish to weathering, they will continue to look good for many, many years.As a fellow Canadian I would recommend trying Kal Tire online first and then going to a kaltire store and seeing what they have to offer. we got a great set of "painted finish" alloys for winter driving with a two year warranty on the paint (Core Racing) they sure look better than steelies.
Oooh, I didn't know that! Thanks for the lesson!On a previous posting from this forum it was explained that you only have to go with blizzak if you have "Eyesite" for warranty purposes other that that you pick your tire.
Remember that just saying "Blizzak" is like saying that you had a hamburger for lunch. There's a lot of different "Blizzak" tires in the Bridgestone winter lineup, spanning the sub-genres of passenger "Performance Winters" and "Studless Ice & Snow" tires to SUV/LT applications including the DM, LM, and the WS lines.Picking up a silver '14 XT next week. :woohoo: Inquired about winter tires for it from the dealership. They are telling me that, because the car is equipped with Eyesight, that we MUST use Blizzak WS70's on it. They showed me a service bulletin from Subaru about it (bulletin number is SB.05.01.12)
The space-saver spare tire is basically meant for you to be able to get from the place you got a flat tire directly (or ASAP) to the tire shop to get the flat tire replaced or repaired. It will work sufficiently in most circumstances for this purpose whether or not the other three tires are the stock all-seasons or snow/winter tires.I have my first Subaru/Forester and am seriously thinking about winter tires and wheels so this thread has been very helpful - thanks.
I have a question though; everyone talks about getting 4 wheels/tires so what about the spare? If you're driving in conditions that merit specific winter tires then would you really want to risk doing it on a donut?
Is it that a full size tire and wheel wouldn't fit in the spare space? I've had a glance and certainly a bigger wheel than the doughnut would go it but I don't know about a full size wheel and tire, anyone tried?
Thanks again
I believe people have put full size spares in the back of the 2014 Forester, but it requires removing the styrofoam organizer that is in the compartment.Is it that a full size tire and wheel wouldn't fit in the spare space? I've had a glance and certainly a bigger wheel than the doughnut would go it but I don't know about a full size wheel and tire, anyone tried?
Thanks again