Snow Tires and Wheels

New Snows, originally uploaded by oparvez.

Should you have separate wheels for your snow tires?

For many years, I followed the mantra that it was better to have a separate set of wheels on your dedicated winter tires. I also was a big fan of the Nokian brand.

After much deliberation, not only did I choose to stick to one set of wheels, I also bought a set of Michelin - X-Ice Xi2 tires instead of Nokian Hakkapelittas.

No matter how I added up the numbers, it simply made sense. The tires were $165.99 each at Costco. The price includes mounting, balancing, road hazard coverage, and free rotation. For $25, Costco will even swap my summer tires back and rebalance them.

The best price I could find on the Nokian Hakka 4s was $175 each, plus $50 for shipping. Once they arrived, I'd have to pay for mounting and balancing at a tire shop. And no road hazard coverage.

Bring on the snow!

p.s. How durable are Canola oil based tires?