Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums banner

17" Winter Tire Thread

15K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  14v6 
#1 · (Edited)
Im getting ready to put a winter tires on the Ridgeline. I'm going with Honda's steel rims and sensors and narrowed my choices down to some tires.
Tire size I'm using is 245 70 17. Height is 1 inch higher than stock 18" and width is the same.
Toyo Observe GSI5
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#5 ·
Assuming same diameter as 18" wheels, 17" has nicer (softer, quieter, but less sporty) ride, plus more protection if you hit a curb or pothole under the snow, or other frozen objects.

I will go 17" when the time comes, and I will keep same overall diameter as oem (to give me full-size spares).
 
#6 ·
I'm not sure where you live. So do you really need snows? I live in CT, we do get some big snow storms, I have yet needed to put snows on. Even when the original Michelin LTXs were worn I was still able to get up my unplowed hill to get home, nickname (Snake hill). And yes that name does describe it well. 1/4 mile of off camber turns all the way up and down. The only time I couldn't go up one year was they closed it.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
Northern Canada. I prefer true dedicated winter snow tires just from my own experience. It's a personal choice really. I know in Quebec it is now mandatory that you must use them even Rentals must have them. Not sure what the law is regarding accident faults if you are in an accident without them but there are fines if you are caught without them.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
Personally I would stay away from the studded versions. Not that they do not work well, more so because they are getting banned from many indoor parking places including condos and apartments because they rip up the floor. If you have a garage, you do not want to drive in there either unless you really do not care if it gets damaged. You also have to deal with strict dates for when they can and cannot be installed and the noise they make will drive you crazy for the entire winter unless you are on snow packed roads. That being said I prefer Michelin Xice or Blizzaks which are pretty much rated #1.
 
#10 ·
I got mine thrown in with the new truck purchase - steel rims, tpms and Michelin xi2 latitudes. Honda gave me 17" rims and tires at OEM diameter. Fantastic tire. Good on wet +5 C days, excellent on slush, fresh, deep, packed snow/ice and cold. On dry - moot point anything will do. Blizzaks always rate well too but I've never had a pair. Performance is obviously important, but to me quiet and true tracking are equally important. Some winter tires are awfully loud.

I've had toyos in the winter before on long term loaners and found they were awful on wet roads (ie slid past a right turn slippery).

I've used Pirelli contacts for a few cars and found they wear well, drive well, good on wet roads but after 2-3 years they become scalloped and the centre of the tire depressed so it rides on its shoulders. Adding more air doesn't fix it. Not sure if its truly a problem, but Michelins cost the same and always are 1-2or 3 in testing.

If you live north enough to allow studs thats sweet, but I would only stud one vehicle (the low mileage one) for awful days and non-stud the high mileage driver. Today with 12 hours freezing rain forecast (again, 3rd time) studs would rip.
 
#14 ·
Highly recommend Blizzaks. I don't feel the need to use winter tires on AWD or 4x4 vehicles, but on anything else I think Blizzaks are the best. Comes down to personal preference in the end but to me just a solid set of all-terrain tires works great in any conditions if you have AWD or 4x4.
 
#15 ·
I'm 2 thumbs up on Xice. Blizzaks and Haks were better in snow, but the xice was just scarily good on ice. I've also managed to find a good deal on lightly used oem rims for each of my last 4 cars to make a dedicated snow set. Just turned in my diesel vw for dieselgate. My summer tires wore out last year and I ran the snows all this past summer until the buy back date late Jan. Gotta say they stuck like mofo's, but snow performance was a bit compromised this winter by being at minimum legal tread depth, measured at inspection in December. New Ridgeline comes in this week. I'll run the oem tires this winter while they're new, and put dedicated winters on next year. that'll give me almost a year to find a good deal on oem takeoff rims.
 
#16 ·
For the last couple of years or so I've been running Eternity Winter Warriors on my trucks. There Made in China but there a Michelin subsidiary. I've had tires costing twice as much and more and these are right up there with them in terms of traction and wearability. I called for some last week but they were sold out until next season. I got a call yesterday that they found 4 for me. On my F150s they worked great and even in just 2wd on 4x4. Great traction.
 

Attachments

#19 · (Edited)
I looked but could not find the stock offset. I think it is 44? That seems to ring a bell... Anyway, I and thinking of getting these wheels and winter tires. The wheels are XD129 HOLESHOT BLACK PAINTED. And in DSP, it looks awesome. Tires are LATITUDE X-ICE XI2 in size 255/65R17.

EDIT stock offset is 55.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: G2RL
#20 ·
#21 ·
Any weight in snow is good. The only difference is the wheels and tires are measured in (unsprung weight) . Which means your suspension is not supporting that weight of them. Just causes you to use what ever fuel to get them rolling. So if they weigh more then the stock alloy,then it's going cause your fuel mileage down a hair.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
#22 ·
I thought it was better for traction to have a heavier wheel in the snow and worse for rebound. The shock has to stop the heavier wheel and send it back down so lighter is better for that reason and weight is, well heavy. lol cuts through the snow to the pavement easier. Also a narrower wheel which is also better in the snow.
 
#23 ·
Narrower yes. Helps to cut through snow and ice to keep tread on pavement. Weight is good at this point. your going slower, so bounce and rebound is less. All works to help you keep traction. The rubber compound is also different to keep it softer in colder temps. That's why it's not good to run snows in warmer temps.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 
#24 ·
so, my question is now, will that steel wheel fit the 2017 G2? I am thinking that the steel wheel inside, is very different from an aluminum wheel shape inside of the wheel. I could put some baby moons or skull hubcaps, not sure which. lol
 
#27 · (Edited)
Stumbled upon this. All weather tires may be the way to go. They are different from all season tires so it will probably take time for tire dealers and the public to get educated on this but it sounds like the best trade off to avoid getting a second set of wheels. Hope that some more players enter the market.

New All-Weather Tires Outperform Some Snow Tires


The more I read, it looks like this has been around in Canada for some time now.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top