I have 16 inch wheels now in my 2001 Mercury Cougar, but I always have trouble with ice getting stuck in the wells and wearing out the tire tread. Will getting 15 inch wheels help?
2007-08-10 15:04:50 · 7 answers · asked by Kristen B 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Yes, I remove the ice before and after but sometimes I even have to stop on the highway and kick it off. Should I get bigger wheels?
2007-08-10 15:28:35 · update #1
Ice will buil up no matter the size of the wheel, and smaller tires will just get you stuck easier. Try spraying the inside of the fender wells with silicone spray. Ice can't build up if it can't stick.
2007-08-10 15:18:21 · answer #1 · answered by noah buddy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Some car models, ranging from less expensive and super expensive, do not take into account "all weather" conditions and are not designed to operate safely in "all weather" conditions. One of which you have mentioned.
Many newer models do not have the same wheel to inner fender well clearance that cars had on earlier models. This creates problems that render a car unsafe in certain conditions. In addition to not handling well due to ice forming in the wheel wells they can't take a pot hole without breaking the suspension or bending a wheel (low profile tires/wheels) which can cause loss of tire pressure and a flat tire when you really can't change one in awful weather conditions. The lower the profile of the tire, the closer to the road surface the wheel becomes and wheels like to dig into the road surface in a high speed manuever or if you run off the road in the dirt and casue the car to flip over or roll. A tire that is too wide is great on dry pavement but terrible on wet or snowy/icy pavement since the weight distribution is spread over too much "foot print" where the rubber meets the road.
So, what can you do? Two sets of tires and wheels. One for Winter and one for all other conditions. They still sell snow tires and if they have a wheel for that car that is an inch or two smaller in height than they can fit you with a tire to match the wheel. This way you can punish those snow tires and have some additional clearance for slush and snow accumulation. It is a good idea to kick some of these "ice bergs" loose if you can or take it through the carwash to melt them off in bad weather that isn't going to let up for a few weeks or longer.
I also recommend that people who drive those SUV's (SUicide Vehicles) and like to use a wheel and tire that is not stock, they keep the original tires and wheels and put them back on before the bad weather hits. The manufacturers use a particular tire size and wheel size for a reason and to defeat this engineering renders your vehicle less safe and more of a SUicide Vehicle.
Good Luck!
2007-08-10 15:42:27 · answer #2 · answered by CactiJoe 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It happens, not just to you, but to all the other people too. There really isn't much you can do about it other than knock it off when you get the chance. The main thing is having good tread and keeping traction on the road. A lot of the times, the ice will fall off by itself, when you hit a bump or something. You'll be OK, I doubt if the ice will actually hurt your tire. The rubber will just wear away the ice instead of the ice wearing down the tire. good luck.
2007-08-10 15:39:39 · answer #3 · answered by Fordman 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not really. It will take a bit longer for build up to get thick enough to start rubbing on the tire. Get into the habit of kicking/knocking off the chunks of snow/ice that build up behind the tire. Only takes a few seconds to do.
It's best to do this right after getting out when everything is still 'fresh'. If you let it sit for hours or overnight, then it hardens up and can be difficult to remove.
2007-08-10 15:12:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
NO way...... Always knock the ice build up before you drive in the snow or ice. you would probably spend to much money going this route. If you get smaller wheels you will get even more ice build up! I have 14inch wheels on a 2004 cavalier and i get a ton of ice build up, so i end up knocking it off with my foot! Also check your tire's air pressure and keep them at the tire's max air pressure!!
2007-08-10 15:21:21 · answer #5 · answered by big t 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No not really, and going to a smaller size tire can throw off your speedometer. Which could get you a speeding ticket. Bigger tires won't help either, and will throw off your speedometer as well. Your best bet would be a good set of Snow/Ice Tires.
2007-08-10 15:17:58 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. Jon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all it would do is collect more ice , when it happens to me i usually find a car wash that takes change spend 50-75cents and spray it off it dont take long
2007-08-10 15:14:31 · answer #7 · answered by ron h 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋