Fiesta ST Winter Tires, Lets hear what you think

[pixelzombie]

My 2016 had Blizzacks on the stock 17" wheels when I purchased it and I've been impressed with them through 2 snow falls so far. I was surprised how expensive they are, but they've made winter a non concern.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

My 2016 had Blizzacks on the stock 17" wheels when I purchased it and I've been impressed with them through 2 snow falls so far. I was surprised how expensive they are, but they've made winter a non concern.

I Agree here....I had Michelins As3s out of the Factory....Piece of god awful spin at every single stop sign and light garbage. Now I have Pirelli Scotto Zero....Way better than A/s tires of any kind.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I'm running 16X7 Sparcos and Conti Viking Contacts. No deep snow use yet but they work well on snowy and icy roads. Bonus is the car rides WAY better with more sidewall and less unsprung weight.

195/50s??

 

[Sael]

My ST is put away for the winter but I run Hankook I Pike's on my pickup and my wife’s SUV. Hard to beat the price and snow traction and as an added plus they are quite quiet for a winter tire. I was always a Cooper winter tire guy until my local garage turned me on to these.

I'm going to really date myself here but wayyyy back in the day, before radial tires were readily available the best winter tires you could get here in Central Vermont were recaps made by a local tire company. They were referred to as “sandpaper’s” and the recap winter tread had little pieces of walnut shell, wire and who knows what molded into it for added traction. They usually lasted only one season but they were real cheap and provided the best traction available at the time, this would be the 1960’s.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^I am old enough to remember bias ply, winter recaps as well.

Some of the very limited budget rally crews now use gravel tire recaps, given how quickly the new ones wear on rough stages, and how BIG $$$$$ the new 'sticker' ones are.

 

[Snark_1]

I've been running 185/65r15s on the 15x6 steelies for two years now with great results in up to 4" snow. Colorado resident here, which unfortunately means I'm running my winter tire set up for close to five months out of the year. Since I spend so much time on them, I was hoping I could find a set up with a wider tread pattern. I found some Yokohama IG52Cs in 205/60r15 ($92 each, so a little pricier than the blizzaks), anybody have experience with them? Thoughts on the size/fitment issues?

 

[SteveS]

I am using Yokohama IceGuards 185/60R15. Good tire. And getting plenty of snow/ice use this week. The biggest problem I see with 205/60R15 is that it's an inch and a quarter taller than the stock tire (and the 185/60). It will probably fit, but it's more than 5% taller, making your speedometer off by that much (read low). 205/50 or 195/55 would be a better fit if you could find them. I was actually just looking them up yesterday and I don't know that there are any in those sizes.

Just did a search. 195/55's: Nitto NT-SN2, Viking Contact 7, Yokohama Iceguard IG52c, Michelin Xice Xi3
205/50 they are all summer and race tires.

 

[M-Sport fan]

That is a tall enough tire that it could possibly rub a bunch, yes, even at factory ride height.
I am even 'pushing it' concerning overall diameter on my 195/60-15 winter/rally working setup, although it does not rub at all (mounted on a 15x7, 47ET wheel), under any circumstances at all, but it is a full half inch shorter than the 205/60-15s you seek.

 

[Snark_1]

As always, I appreciate the insight and experience everyone on this forum shares. Thanks folks

 

[Northwest]

I've been on 15' steelies with Studded and Siped, Federal Himalaya WS2 for about 5 months now and they did absolutely incredible in our last snowstorm.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^Many state DOTs do not allow any metal in the tires at all, but yeah, you can LAUGH at ice on the roads with them.

Just look at how fast the WRC cars get down pure ice and snow stages with 384 of the little spikes in their 'sawblade' tires.
They are capable of 130 MPH on pure ice straightaways with those things, and great AWD systems!

 

[SPhilli911]

Just look at how fast the WRC cars get down pure ice and snow stages with 384 of the little spikes in their 'sawblade' tires.
They are capable of 130 MPH on pure ice straightaways with those things, and great AWD systems!

More grip on the studded tires than in the tarmac stages.

Related, but still kinda off topic, I recently learned that the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan is one of the toughest rallys anywhere because Michigan doesn't allow metal studded tires on public roads, therefore the rally cars can't be fitted with them either.

 

[M-Sport fan]

More grip on the studded tires than in the tarmac stages.

Related, but still kinda off topic, I recently learned that the Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan is one of the toughest rallies anywhere because Michigan doesn't allow metal studded tires on public roads, therefore the rally cars can't be fitted with them either.

Not too sure that they get better grip than they do with semi-slicks on warm/dry tarmac, but definitely better grip than they do on gravel.

Yes, the above is why Team McKenna did so poorly this year in that rally with his 'hybrid' Fiesta open class car, which is an older FIA S2000 class Fiesta roller with an '08 Focus WRC M-Sport 2.0 liter turbo engine transplanted into it.

The original S2000 class cars had naturally aspirated 2.0 liter, high revving powerplants, but had great AWD/sequential drivetrains in them.

He had NO GRIP at all, but still managed to place third against the very well funded, and equipped 'works' (Vermont Sportscar/Lance Smith prepped) Scoobies, which did a much better job at 'tractionizing' <-(look it up) their spike-less Yokohama snow/ice tires, than Barry McKenna did to his Pirelli equivalents.

 

[Northwest]

They are legal in my location but not in the summer time, and that's confirmed ^ They are awesome in the gravel and dirt and terrible on the road. Only one stud has left a tire since I put them on. Here is what they look like if anybody cares... It was the closest rally tire I could find without bugging team oneal for an actual rally set... I want reigers on my car but thats a whole other topic, really hard to get ahold of. I actually use it quite a bit in the gravel. No races are going on around here and all tracks are closed, same goes for dirtbike tracks. sad face.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^Did you install that Skid Plate Guy's bash plate in your avatar yet?

Yeah, join the club regarding the Reiger coil overs , but at ~$8K for a new set, and at least $3.5K used, OUCH!

The General Altimax Arctic 12s, or the Conti Viking Contact 7s are about the closest you can get to a GRAVEL (not snow/ice rally) tire which is still streetable, without going to an actual ribbed/reinforced sidewall, very quick wearing, and big $$$$ name brand rally tire.

 

[Northwest]

Yeah I've had it on for about two years if you look at the first pic you can see it, barely, because my cars filthy

do you have the same one?

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yeah I've had it on for about two years if you look at the first pic you can see it, barely, because my cars filthy

do you have the same one?

Yes, as well as a few others on here.

I only put it on for when I work on/volunteer for ARA rallies, so that I don't have to worry about the transaxle/oil pan/etc. driving down the stage roads, at about half rally pace speeds.

 

[Northwest]

That's awesome you work/volunteer for ARA Rally

If you can find me a set of used reigers for 3500 I am probably a buyer that sounds like a good deal actually. What ones are they?

 

[M-Sport fan]

Someone posted them up from an ebay (I think, or maybe it was a for sale section of a Euro/Brit rally site) ad, but I cannot find it now.

Claimed that they were just rebuilt as well for that price, and they were the 3 way, remote reservoir, $8K when brand spanking new, R2 versions.

I don't remember if they were tarmac or gravel spec though.

 

[TheAntiEggroll]

Semi related question. How bad is my fiesta going to be driving on all seasons after a tune? I have them on their now and if anythomg its made the car more fun to drive but middle of this week ill be switching to cobb stage 2 and then a custom tune in a few months.

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