I have a 2004 G35 Coupe 6MT with stock 18" rims & orginial Michilin summer tires. My rear tires are completely bald (I'm even sliding on dry pavement now).

My question is I want to get winter tires (Dunlop WinterSport M3 from DiscountTire Store - $950 installed) on my current rims. If I put the winter tires on now in early September, I have another 2 months to go before the Chicago weather drops below 50 degrees. Will I damage my new winter tires extensively if I put them on now in September?

Also, do I even need winter tires for Chicago winters? There is snow on the ground usually for 10-15 days all winter, and all other days are usually frigid cold with wet/dry pavement here in Chicago. I have read that winter tires are only for extreme weather conditions with alot of snow on the ground. Can I get away with all-season tires for winter?

Thanks...

 

I used "all season" tires last winter on my 6MT sedan here in Chicagoland. I used 245/45/18 Continental Extreme Contact. Not once did I wish I'd had true "winter tires". These worked extremely well and still offer some performance for the dry days.

I have no plans of buying true dedicated winter tires.

 

Don't forget, it's not just about having a tread pattern for snow and ice. Winter tires also are made of a different compound than all-seasons that remains softer and grippier in frigid temps. Even all-seasons get hard in extreme cold, which chicago has in spades.

I ran dedicaed snows during my 3 years in Chicago (on a 300ZX) and never regretted a minute of it.

I wouldn't put them on in September though, as you will definitely wear them down faster. If I were you, I would get an extra set of 17" wheels with those snow tires from Tire Rack - you won't pay much more than $1,000 from them shipped - and you can wait till November to put them on.

I have a 2004 6MT Coupe with Brembos, and run ASA-JH3 17" wheels and Dunlop Wintersport M3's and love the combo. 225/50-17 front, 225-55-17 rear.

 

i just got my coupe a few month back and i already got a set of OEM 17's with some Blizzak's for this coming Chi-Town winter. i drive way to much and have driven through too many snow storms on the never cleared highways around here to know better. can't wait to try them out.

 

I know what you mean....we only get so many days of true snow on the streets....but anyway, I do have a set of 16" Sport rims with winter tires. I have all-seasons on the stock 17's for the rest of the year. You may want to get a set of dedicated rims/tires for winter instead of unmounting/remounting on your 18's. That being said, my brother got away with all seasons on his old RWD Celica GT for years here in Chicago. main advantage to the winter tires is that you're less likely to get stuck in the snow due to better traction. Also, if you have a steep driveway (like mine), it helps you to climb the driveway when it's snow/slush-covered.

 

not to thread jack...but i was going to post a very similar question to yours. Im from the northwest suburbs and I currently am driving on the stock A/S turanzas. I have an 05 RWD G35 sedan with the sport package (235/45/18s all around and LSD). I have about 60% thread left on all four. I was looking into getting another set of wheels w/ snow tires, but am trying to see if the "all season tires" live up to their name. This is my first RWD car, been loving it all summer. Starting to get colder out and I need to make a decision soon. I dont go into the city very often and around here the streets are cleared pretty well while and during any storms we get. Do any of you guys think I will be okay with the A/S tires?

 

You might be able to get away with All-seasons around here. I have friends with RWD cars that use all-seasons. Like my post above, main advantage is that you have traction when the snow gets thick, so you won't be prone to being stuck as much. If you drive carefully and with common sense, you won't spin out. Good luck!

 

yeah i figure with VDC and the LSD, i should be alright in the snow. +1 on the common sense while driving.

Lets just hope our winter isn't too bad this year!!!

 

Sorry to butt in on the Chicagoland discussion, but I have a 2004 6mt with stock 18inch and brembos. My question is, if I order 17inch rims and blizzak ws50's, will I have problems clearing brembos with the new rims?

 

Perfect thread, just picked up a 06 g35 coupe on Friday. It has the 19's on it. Will stock 17" rims bolt right up? Is there any difference on the sport package suspension that would screw up off set?

I would like to buy some stock 17's and put on snow tires for the 3.5 months of snow and then the 19's stay bling nice for summer.

 

Are you talking about OEM 17" rims? If so, then no, they won't clear the Brembos. Go to Tire Rack - they can tell you which ones will fit. As I mentioned above, I have the 17" ASA-JH3's and they clear just fine.

 

I was just on tire rack's site and it said:

You Selected: 2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe Base Model

"Winter wheels for this vehicle are not available but winter tires can be purchased separately by selecting your size at the right."

 

Welcome to my world and my pain. I got the exact same message trying to find a winter wheel/tire setup for my 04 g35 6mt.

I should mention, because they don't OFFER the winter wheel packages, you can still input your car, and then shop for the wheels and tires seperately and make your own package.