Fiesta ST Winter Tires, Lets hear what you think

[kevinatfms]

I run mine(195/55R15) at 42F and 39R and so far they have worn pretty well(only 400 miles so far).

 

[DoucheBagGold]

Anyone have any experience with Pirelli Sottozero, I just ordered them to put on some 16s for the winter.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Zombiexpandas]

Hello, just wondering if someone can answer my question. I have a set of 215/55/16 altimax arctic snows and I want to know if I buy a set of 16x6.5 steel wheels can I put them on without rubbing issues??? Please help ASAP snows coming to my area and I don't want to have any issues


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[BobMaxed]

Hello, just wondering if someone can answer my question. I have a set of 215/55/16 altimax arctic snows and I want to know if I buy a set of 16x6.5 steel wheels can I put them on without rubbing issues??? Please help ASAP snows coming to my area and I don't want to have any issues

Boy, that is going to be tight. your tires have a dia of 25.3 1.8 inches bigger than stock. I just put on my snows for the first time (195-60-15) mine are .7 bigger than stock. I have no problem, but I doubt if I have another 1/2 inch of clearance. Sorry I couldn't give you a definitive answer.

 

[cbizz]

I'd suggest finding a narrower tire for such a light car. Wide tires in snow act like skies instead of carving they push the snow around.

 

[SethD]

I've owned mine for 3 days now. Drive the stock rims with 205/40/17 Pirelli Winter sottozero 3's which are Incredible on cold dry weather but tend to understeer in the wet when driven hard. They also bring out torque steer in the wet (still, when pushing it). VERY good communication, always know what's going to happen. The don't just let you slide away when grip goes, they pick up fast and give valuable info. Overall much better than the Dunlop winter sport max 5's on the bimmer. Could be because the ST weight 400KG less than the BM as well.
Def recommend. Highway speed gives a fair amount of tire noise though. But overall good performance winter tires when it's not snowing (have yet to test them in that condition). I hope for some snow very soon.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^Sadly, here in North America, that tire in THAT size is VERY VERY hard to find/get.

NONE of the reputable major online distributors/retailers (Tire Rack, DTD, Mavis, etc.) bring it in, and only a few of the lesser ones (Big O Tires) even bother with it at all.

It's a shame because that would be a GREAT option for those wanting to use the factory wheels/factory diameter tire height for winter duty, even though their short sidewalls will not help the snow release from the tread.

 

[SethD]

^^^Sadly, here in North America, that tire in THAT size is VERY VERY hard to find/get.

NONE of the reputable major online distributors/retailers (Tire Rack, DTD, Mavis, etc.) bring it in, and only a few of the lesser ones (Big O Tires) even bother with it at all.

It's a shame because that would be a GREAT option for those wanting to use the factory wheels/factory diameter tire height for winter duty, even though their short sidewalls will not help the snow release from the tread.

I was lucky my neighbour which is a Ford car nut and works for them made some stuff happen. We talk about cars alot and he was thrilled I bought the ST200. I specifically asked him if high performance winter rubber was possible on short notice and I guess he pulled some strings. I can't thank him enough, they really make me able to enjoy the car even in this weather. I know when these wear out I'll get them 100% again for a winter set in the future. Getting him a gift as a thank you, since this man seriously has petrol running in his veigns and has taught me a lot. I've read the newest performance winter Michelin's are on par with these, they should be easier to get. So might be viable alternative Man I love this car, I haven;t had this much fun driving since I got to drive and old 1.8 e36 BMW. The ST is on another level though. INcredible

 

[coneklr]

Running a 215/45/17 cooper weathermaster. So far they are great for an el cheapo studdable. Not great in true dry but great wet and snow traction so far.



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[meatloafman69]

Here is my winter setup.
MSW Type 23 15x6.5
Goodyear UltraGrip 185/60r15
This will be my fourth winter on this setup and they have performed very well. Tires still have very little wear.

 

[Dazzle]

Hey guys
Just wanted to bring this back up and thank all those that had contributed to the thread.
I've got a new ST and I'm reading through a lot of old long threads and this was one of them.
Living in Calgary, Canada I will be in serious need of winter tires so I was trying to get a good take on what everyone else was using.
I knew I needed some steelies so I was looking on a local sales site and ended up finding a set of 4 185/60/15's mounted and balanced that had come off a Fiesta.
Supposedly they were lady driven for one winter and then they got rid of the car.
So, I went to see them last night and apart from the signs that they must have had alignment issues with their Fiesta, everything looked good with lots of tread left, so I bought them
Ended up paying him 140 CAD for them, bit of a steal I think
They are Champiro Icepro's I think? I'm not sure what they're like but we'll see.
I'm blessed enough to have a truck as well, so if the weather's that bad in the morning, I can always take that

 

[BobMaxed]

Hey guys
I knew I needed some steelies so I was looking on a local sales site and ended up finding a set of 4 185/60/15's mounted and balanced that had come off a Fiesta.
Supposedly they were lady driven for one winter and then they got rid of the car.
So, I went to see them last night and apart from the signs that they must have had alignment issues with their Fiesta, everything looked good with lots of tread left, so I bought them
Ended up paying him 140 CAD for them, bit of a steal I think
They are Champiro Icepro's I think? I'm not sure what they're like but we'll see.
I'm blessed enough to have a truck as well, so if the weather's that bad in the morning, I can always take that

Sounds to me like you did great. I ran my ST last winter on used 15 inch snows mounted on steel rims and they worked fine.

 

[Intuit]

Confirm whether those wheels will balance. Seeing a crap load of weights on a wheel is usually a bad sign. That said, the stock ST black-painted wheels may come from the factory with a butt-load of weights already on them.

 

[thePete]

Who said anything about weights? I'm assuming he saw feathering which indicates a toe issue. Factory steelies balance as well as the tire you put on them, for the most part. Having said that, Champiros balance either impressively well, or absolutely terribly. I've had them zero out with no weights and had to put 6oz on the next one. My only concern would be brake clearance, but I'm sure he'll be fine.

Champiros are decent for a cheap winter tire, and a good tread design for your area. Just wait until its consistently cold to put them on and pull them back off as soon as possible. They're very soft to make up for the lack of technology in the tire composition. They grip well, but wear exceptionally fast in warmer temperatures... like, +5C.

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[Guaji]

I am thinking about driving my Fiesta ST up North this winter....Since I am there alot for work, driving between the Philly area and North Jersey. The car I use presently is getting old and is boring to drive...2002 Outback. I've been reading thru this thread to learn about snow tires.....never had a need for them. I may only have the car up there for one winter, maybe two. Considering the climate, would I be ok with the stock black wheels and Blizzaks? Seems like most people prefer 15s in the winter.

 

[Intuit]

Who said anything about weights? I'm assuming he saw feathering which indicates a toe issue. Factory steelies balance as well as the tire you put on them, for the most part. Having said that, Champiros balance either impressively well, or absolutely terribly. I've had them zero out with no weights and had to put 6oz on the next one. My only concern would be brake clearance, but I'm sure he'll be fine.

Champiros are decent for a cheap winter tire, and a good tread design for your area. Just wait until its consistently cold to put them on and pull them back off as soon as possible. They're very soft to make up for the lack of technology in the tire composition. They grip well, but wear exceptionally fast in warmer temperatures... like, +5C.

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I was the one that mentioned weights; and in reference to the wheels not the tires. Like flood vehicles, wheels get damaged and/or develop slow-leakage, then get resold cheaply. As for assuming, alignment issues are often a result of accident damage; including striking a curb.

 

[FiSTbump]

Thought this could be useful for those doing research on winter tires. Browsed through a few pages in this thread and compiled a list of possible winter tire sizes, based off of previous user posts, in no particular order:

205/40r17 (stock tire size)
185/60r15 (spare tire size and most popular)
195/55r15
195/60r15 (ford dealer sells this size)
195/65r15 (one user reported clearance issues)
195/45r16 (size in the ST owners manual)
195/50r16
195/55r16
205/50r16
215/45r17

 

[captainmorbid]

Ordered a set of 195 50 16 Nokian Hakkallapita R2s today. Will be mounted on some bronze Rota Grids... Yes, a bit overboard for a winter setup. I had a set of 185 60 15 General Altimax Arctics on Sparco Drifts on the last Fiesta SES, they were like riding on sponges, too squishy for the ST, though they were relatively decent in Edmonton winters.


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[M-Sport fan]

Ordered a set of 195 50 16 Nokian Hakkallapita R2s today. Will be mounted on some bronze Rota Grids... Yes, a bit overboard for a winter setup.

The same exact tire I want to put on my ultimate winter, and working/marshaling on rallies setup (on Sparco Terras) IF I go 16x7 on these.

Now that Sparco/OZed have released the Terras in 15x7s (In BLACK no less!! ), I might go that route as the taller side wall is more conducive to rough rally stage fire/logging road use, but I have to decide whether or not I want to 'chew up' expensive R2s on those gravel roads (making them useless for the snow/ice), or go with something less pricey (like the Altimax Arctics) which also might stand up to that abuse better than the possibly 'softer' Nokians.

 

[captainmorbid]

The same exact tire I want to put on my ultimate winter, and working/marshaling on rallies setup (on Sparco Terras) IF I go 16x7 on these.

Now that Sparco/OZed have released the Terras in 15x7s (In BLACK no less!! ), I might go that route as the taller side wall is more conducive to rough rally stage fire/logging road use, but I have to decide whether or not I want to 'chew up' expensive R2s on those gravel roads (making them useless for the snow/ice), or go with something less pricey (like the Altimax Arctics) which also might stand up to that abuse better than the possibly 'softer' Nokians.

Check out Nokian's "bargain" brand Nordman. The Nordman 7 in 185-60-15 is relatively cheap, though I can't speak to how tough the sidewalls are on them, the Generals had some damn soft walls on them. Might not hold up too well to gravel blitzes. Though if memory serves, BRGT ran some Altimax Arctics in some snow rally cross... can't remember which of his cars though... or which forum he posted it on... damn decrepitness..

I'll give the Hakkas a squeeze when I pick them up on Humpday.


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