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toronto201

Winter Tires

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I would like to buy winter tires before the rush. I can't find a dealer that sell the right size of tire. I own a 451 Pure. Require Front tires 155/60 R15, Rear tires 175/55R15.Are there any dealers in Toronto or surrounding area. Thanks.

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You have a choice of either Continental TS800 or Pirelli 190 Snowcontrol winter tires, staying with OEM sizes. Check the company's websites for distributors nears you.

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I would like to buy winter tires before the rush. I can't find a dealer that sell the right size of tire. I own a 451 Pure. Require Front tires 155/60 R15, Rear tires 175/55R15.Are there any dealer in Toronto or sorrounding area. Thanks.

I am in South Barrie. I have a set of snows, used one season, off an 2006. They are steel wheels, mounted & balanced at MB Barrie. As far as I know the steel rims will fit all smart.I paid about $900.00 for rims & tires plus balancing. sell for $500.00

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Go to www.tirerack.com - they are in the US but ship to Canada. Prices are significantly less than Cdn prices

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Their initial prices are cheaper, but the shipping costs get ya. I found it was actually cheaper just to stick with the Conti's from the dealership. Blizzak's were garbage (lasted half a winter before going bald/losing all traction). Dunno what it was - parents have run Blizzak's on all their vehicles and I have as well in the past with no problems, but on the smart they were useless.-Iain

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Blizzak has a new version for the smart. The WS-60, which the tire dealer told me are much better than the old LM-18. The new ones are also cheaper than the old version. I don't know about how long they'll last. I will be buying these next year when my Hankook's are done.

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Ooo, thanks for the heads up on that - because the LM-18's I had last year were garbage! I was gonna switch back to Conti's this winter (they were that bad!), but now I'll have to look into this.

-Iain

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Ooo, thanks for the heads up on that - because the LM-18's I had last year were garbage! I was gonna switch back to Conti's this winter (they were that bad!), but now I'll have to look into this.

-Iain

Yes, the LM-18's were useless. I now use them as strictly fall/spring tires.

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I have a full set of 145/65R15 Blizzack WS-60 to try this winter. I picked them up in the US at the Tire Rack HQ when I went down for the Tail of the Dragon event. They look like a better tire all around from the first version of the X-Ice tire. All said and done saved close to $200 this way.

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Would these be the ones: Fronts, Rears? How'd you do the pickup, and what was the total cost?

-Iain

Edited by Duck

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Those are the tires. I am experimenting with running 145's all the way around. Less than $300 for the tires, $50 cash to have them mounted, balanced and have the old tire recycled. Priced out the same setup from a local tire dealer the total with taxes would be just shy of $660.I went right to HQ in South Bend Indiana to pick them up, this is the main warehouse. I paid for the tires, they took maybe 20 minuted or so to pick them for me, drove into the service area, loaded the tires in the car and away I went.

Edited by Huronlad

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I wouldn't even consider putting narrow 145's on the rear of a smart. With the smart's extreamly short wheelbase,the car can do a 360,in the blink of an eye. The reason smarts were designed with wider rear tires,is to minimize this from ever happening.Even with the electronic stability control the car has, to put narrower tires on the rear,is asking for trouble.Don't do it! On any other 'normal',car with a longer wheelbase, putting narrow tires on all four wheels,would probably be safe.

Edited by PrairieBoy

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I will do my best not to give your opinion too much weight.Living on the edge, that's how I roll. The reason the wider tires are on the car is to cause the car to understeer during hard cornering or extreme maneuvers.With the narrower tires at the rear it should tend to cut into the snow instead of sitting up on the snow and spinning the rear wheels. On top of that the new WS-60 are an ice radial so I expect to be much safer out there than anyone running the Continental snows.

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We are all entitled to our own opinions.Narrow tires ARE known to cut through the snow better,than wide tires, however, so you are right on that one.But in the case of using narrow tires on the rear of the smart, i just don't think it's safe.

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Those are the ones Iain. For me, it's the same price to buy them from the local Kal Tire dealer, as it is to have them shipped here, than installed by a local shop.I'm sticking with my Hankook's for one more winter. They have just enough tread, and we don't use it in the really crappy weather. That's what the Forester is for. Next year though I'll be getting some WS-60's.

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The thing that kills me about TireRack is that it appears at first that it's a great deal ($300!), then you reach the check-out page and suddenly it's $600.-Iain

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If you are going to be down in the US for a few days it really is a good deal. $350 CDN and I have a set of mounted and balanced winter tires, 1/2 the price of what it would cost me in Canada. Unless I am forced to I can't see me ever buying tires in Canada again. I am planning at least two trips to the US next year and will likely bring tires back on both occasions.

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Don't you have to end up paying all the surcharges at the border when you come back across and have to claim your purchase?-Iain

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I was down in the US for 4 days and did not have to pay anything at the border, you can bring $480 back.

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What do yo guys think of using 145/65R15 on the fronts and 175/55R15 in the rear? I want WS60's, but they don't seem to have them available in the OEM sizing for the front...

Edited by Limited3Three

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