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
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).
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.
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.
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.
I got my 18" wheels with Toyo performance winters that have a narrower sidewall off Kijiji so they are 95% smaller in diameter. More miles registering than actual. Hoping to switch to Blizzaks next year and go back to OEM size.
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.
Would you have a part # for the wheels by any chance? Are they black or silver? I suspect they are 17x7.5 Pilot/Ridgeline steel wheels unless there is something different in Canada.
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.
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.
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.
Those Eternity tires look similar to the tread on my General AltiMax Arctic snow tires...you might check them out next time you can't find Eternity. I am very happy with the General tires.
The 10 year old Altimax Arctic model has been upgraded to the Altimax Arctic 12. New tread design, new rubber formulations, much less rolling resistance.
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.
Do you have a link to the Honda steel wheels? I found these. They do not list the weight but is it better for the wheel to be heavy or light? Seems heavy to stay in contact with the ground better? or it does matter...
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.
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.
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.
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
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.