# Winter wheels



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Where did you get the rims? I'm exploring getting a second set for snow tires, and I LOVE the 2LT (2012 and newer) rims, which appear to be the ones you have. I was expecting them to be a whole lot more than $100 each.

You mentioned you lost mileage and pep; I have no experience with Firestone other than my father-in-law who uses them, but I purposely avoided them and got Michelin X-Ice instead. The Firestone are supposed to be much better in snow, but the Michelins are better on dry roads, quieter, and more efficient. If figured for the trade-off in a little bit of deep snow traction, I'd prefer the handling and efficiency of the Michelins for the 75% of the time the roads are clear in the winter.


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## ehousel (Nov 1, 2013)

I actually found the wheels on ebay the tires are just so exspensive at that size and i lost gas mileage because of the rims weight mostly but its not entirely accurate because i gotta warm my car up longer in the cold tempuratures


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Yea 40 lb weight difference on a 3000 lb car is insignificant. I doubt the tires / rims make a huge difference at all, probably less than 5% on fuel mileage.

I love those rims!!! I see them occasionally but they are really nice. The only thing is 17" tires are so much more expensive than 16" tires, which is why people just downsize and put the steels on.


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## ehousel (Nov 1, 2013)

ErikBEggs said:


> Yea 40 lb weight difference on a 3000 lb car is insignificant. I doubt the tires / rims make a huge difference at all, probably less than 5% on fuel mileage.
> 
> I love those rims!!! I see them occasionally but they are really nice. The only thing is 17" tires are so much more expensive than 16" tires, which is why people just downsize and put the steels on.


The rims are a real eye catcher but the tires are much more $$$ the winterforces were the cheapest and i still had to buy through an account at a discount tire warehouse for that deal. I really believe that the weight of the rims is why its acceleration is so much slower I like to think about it as much more force needs to be exerted to the wheels to make them rotate so it negatively affects mpg i could be wrong though just my observations


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## mikeskingv (Nov 16, 2013)

sticky tires are just that, they dont slip as easily but they will not be as fuel efficient 

i dont understand why the rims are so heavy though, are you sure about that ?


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## F and J (Mar 16, 2013)

We also put Michelin X Ice3 215/60X16, but on steel.
Shocked at how quiet and smooth compared to stock 18" Michelin Pilots.:dazed052:
Hate to go back to summer.
Super traction, recommend them so far. 
Too many variables to compare mileage, it's colder now, snow or slush kills mileage.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

IIRC, the stock rims on an LTZ are 26 lbs. I lugged them into storage and checked the spec. Or maybe that was the tires?? The combo was ~50 lbs / combo I believe. So the 2LT rims / tires are a tad lighter.

Also, F and J - I second this notion. The Xi3 is indeed quieter than the stocks!!!! (Somehow)


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

The Winterforces are good in snow and cheap to buy. The downside is that their compound and design are ancient technology. In this case, that's a negative for fuel efficiency. Newer snow tires will perform the same or better while being more fuel-efficient. I can't tell much of a difference in fuel economy between my OEM Goodyears and my Nokian Hakka R snow tires. 

Add in how much heavier the 2LT 17's are than the forged aluminum Eco 17's, and there's your fuel mileage drop.


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## ehousel (Nov 1, 2013)

each rim i have is 27lbs on the scale at my house and according to gm the eco wheels are 17 so thats where i got the 40lb add on but you guys are probably right these tires have been the same since at least 2000


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