Winter Tires

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Thanks guys, I think I will just leave them on then. Again even if they wear twice as fast, in the 6 summer months we have it will probably only be driven 3k miles so if that equates to 6k of winter driving it should hardly be worth the $120-140 to swap them out. The snows sure made a difference in the winter, went from our most likely to get stuck car to our least.
In the future I think I'm only going to purchase summer rated snow tires, I really like the Micheline Crosstrek's?? I purchased for a van, very good winter traction and are rated for summer use.
 
I thought I had avoided the hefty twice a year expense of having tires swapped by getting separate wheels for the snows, but it turns out that the mounting and balancing was "free" and that either way I have to pay the mobile tire service $110 just for essentially rotating the tires...
 
To add one small thing...

I figured I would have my LEAF for awhile so I spent $50 CAD per wheel for new 16" steel wheels. I didn't bother with the TPMS sensors.

Then I started watching Craigslist postings for a friend who was looking for cheap alloy wheels and quickly realized there are better deals to be had...

For jjeff, these set of wheels I found on CL would be a good example (alloy wheels c/w TPMS sensors):

https://rmn.craigslist.org/wto/d/brownsdale-2015-nissan-altima-wheels/7110590766.html

The 2015 Nissan Altima wheels have the same bolt pattern (5x114.3mm), offset, and CB so they should definitely fit a 2013 LEAF.

I realize that Brownsdale is a bit of a drive for you, but this is just an example - these sorts of deals pop up with regularity on Craigslist.

When hunting for something specific on CL, I use a saved searched with specific criteria which notifies me by email whenever new matching postings appear.

To create a saved search, register for a CL account and then go under the "wheels+tires" category. Using search criteria such as "owner", "has image" and "miles from ZIP", along with a "Nissan R16" search term, should give you good results. I've purchased two sets of all season tires tires for my LEAF from CL, using this same methodology - both sets with >70% tread for about $250 CAD per set.
 
alozzy said:
To add one small thing...

I figured I would have my LEAF for awhile so I spent $50 CAD per wheel for new 16" steel wheels. I didn't bother with the TPMS sensors.

Then I started watching Craigslist postings for a friend who was looking for cheap alloy wheels and quickly realized there are better deals to be had...

For jjeff, these set of wheels I found on CL would be a good example (alloy wheels c/w TPMS sensors):

https://rmn.craigslist.org/wto/d/brownsdale-2015-nissan-altima-wheels/7110590766.html

The 2015 Nissan Altima wheels have the same bolt pattern (5x114.3mm), offset, and CB so they should definitely fit a 2013 LEAF.

I realize that Brownsdale is a bit of a drive for you, but this is just an example - these sorts of deals pop up with regularity on Craigslist.

When hunting for something specific on CL, I use a saved searched with specific criteria which notifies me by email whenever new matching postings appear.

To create a saved search, register for a CL account and then go under the "wheels+tires" category. Using search criteria such as "owner", "has image" and "miles from ZIP", along with a "Nissan R16" search term, should give you good results. I've purchased two sets of all season tires tires for my LEAF from CL, using this same methodology - both sets with >70% tread for about $250 CAD per set.
Thanks, Rochester is really only a long hour from me. The only thing that worries me a bit is I've read the new TPMS need to be paired to the vehicle, if I did this would I then need to re-pair my original TPMSs or does it remember more than 4 sensors? I believe I've read Leafspy Pro has this feature? If so I have it but haven't explored all it's options, all I really use it for is to occasionally display my battery health.
 
jjeff, I would also recommend just getting a second whole set. The other thing to keep in mind is where to store them in the opposite season. It also gives you a "spare tire", even if it is at your house and you have to run to get it, if you ever did get a flat. Our oldest is starting at the Univ of Minn starting next fall (hopefully on campus), so I will be back and forth a bunch. If you do go with another set I could bring our TPMS cloning stuff with us and we could clone your summer to winters, then the Leaf never even knows you changed them, but with the added benefit of the TPMS and no dash warning light :) It looks like a set of four cloneable is now about $130. Then again if you not going to have it long term or of the low mileage all of this might be overkill.

Oh our 2013 can only know one set of TPMS, I thought I read the 2018 SV & SL could remember two sets?

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=24701&p=507690&hilit=tpms+cloning#p507690
 
We sprang for TPMS sensors when we bought new wheels and swapped the factory tires to them. Put snows on the factory wheels, as they're narrower. The car remembers both sets.

No hassle at all. Just swap the tires twice a year. I do it myself, or have Discount Tires do it (free, but I have to go over there and wait). Much easier on the bead not dismounting and remounting them every season. Store the off-season set behind the garage under a cover I got off of Amazon. Cover blocks UV and moisture.

We do this with all of our year-round cars. Only the roadster wears the same tires all-year as it's a fair weather car.
 
jjeff said:
Thanks guys, I think I will just leave them on then. Again even if they wear twice as fast, in the 6 summer months we have it will probably only be driven 3k miles so if that equates to 6k of winter driving it should hardly be worth the $120-140 to swap them out. The snows sure made a difference in the winter, went from our most likely to get stuck car to our least.
In the future I think I'm only going to purchase summer rated snow tires, I really like the Micheline Crosstrek's?? I purchased for a van, very good winter traction and are rated for summer use.

The other factor with using winters in summer is in warm weather your traction won't be as good in warm weather (the rubber gets very soft), thus degrading both your handling and stopping distance. This could affect your inseparability in a collision if the insurance company determines that the accident could have been avoided had you had summer tires.

LeftieBiker said:
I thought I had avoided the hefty twice a year expense of having tires swapped by getting separate wheels for the snows, but it turns out that the mounting and balancing was "free" and that either way I have to pay the mobile tire service $110 just for essentially rotating the tires...

You might want to look for a new tire service. $110 is crazy expensive. Here most places here charge $40 CAD (under $30 USD) to swap tires on rims.

LeftieBiker said:
My 2018 seems to remember both sets. I'll find out for sure when I get it inspected this month, or change the wheels myself.

Nice to know. I have "parked" my Leaf for COVID, to save on insurance, but its good to know that I don't need to reset the TPMS when I change the tires (I normally do it in May as we can get snow in April here).
 
Has anybody tried All-Weather tires on their LEAF?

I was at tirerack.com looking for all weather tires. Once I put in that it's for a LEAF, I don't have any All-Weather to choose from.
If I clear my cache, and search for P215-50-R17 I get choices that include All-Weather.

Are all weather tires not recommended for the LEAF? If so, why?
 
CanuckEVDriver said:
Has anybody tried All-Weather tires on their LEAF?

I was at tirerack.com looking for all weather tires. Once I put in that it's for a LEAF, I don't have any All-Weather to choose from.
If I clear my cache, and search for P215-50-R17 I get choices that include All-Weather.

Are all weather tires not recommended for the LEAF? If so, why?

I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, it would be the rolling resistance of All Weather tires. Rolling resistance is a more significant consideration with EVs.
Tire design is a series of compromises and improving one trait tends to sacrifice another.
 
I personally prefer Nokian's but they are a bit harder to find. My close second choice is Michelin Cross Climate 2's, they are as close to "snow tires" as you can get yet still able to run all year round and have a deceit tread wear life and low rolling resistance, not sure how they did that. If you don't get snow regularly most true all seasons should be better than touring or summer tires.
 
Strong supporter of the Crossclimate 2's, They are true winter rated yet can be left on in the summer. I didn't really notice a drop in range from my previous Ecopia's, maybe a 5-mile drop in total 60ish range, if even that much of a drop but note you can't get much better LRR than the Ecopias so basically anything is going to be less. To me the Crossclimates are well worth it for colder climates, they are all I'm going to purchase any more for all my vehicles and the price is pretty good too. Not as low as the Ecopia but one accident in the snow would more than offset any price difference.
 
alozzy said:
Depending on where you live, Nokian WRG4's are good all weather tires though not true winter tires.

We run the WRG3s (SUV version of course) on our Audi Q5. I like them a lot. Not as squirrelly as a true snow tire, with no apparent meaningful reduction in grip, (and I've run Michellins, Blizzaks and some Conti winters for comparison on various vehicles over the years.) Also better wear characteristics than a true snow. Since the Q is our "mountain car", we do use it under some challenging conditions in the Colorado Rockies.

I think of them as close to a performance snow. So perhaps a slight reduction in slick traction, but still a huge improvement over any all-season I've ever run.

On the Leaf+, we run Conti Winter Contact SI tires. They seem to be their version of the Michellin Ice-X, but were much more affordable. I went to a 205/55R17 on the stock wheels, and put the all-seasons on new, wider wheels.
 
roger1818 said:
CanuckEVDriver said:
Has anybody tried All-Weather tires on their LEAF?

I was at tirerack.com looking for all weather tires. Once I put in that it's for a LEAF, I don't have any All-Weather to choose from.
If I clear my cache, and search for P215-50-R17 I get choices that include All-Weather.

Are all weather tires not recommended for the LEAF? If so, why?

I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, it would be the rolling resistance of All Weather tires. Rolling resistance is a more significant consideration with EVs.
Tire design is a series of compromises and improving one trait tends to sacrifice another.
Personally found those trade-offs significant while tire shopping, including load & speed/torque ratings and road noise. Between 2 Leafs, had both the factory LRR Bridgestone and Michelins. I found both of them pretty squirrley on frozen roads so usually parked the Leaf in favor of a 2nd vehicle in those conditions. This year decided to get a 2nd set of wheels, sensors, and dedicated winter tires (Michelin X-ice 205-60-R16) after deciding it was better in my case to avoid a bad 4-season compromise. The X-ice are definitely grippier on cold wet roads and enjoy the change in ride quality of the different size/profile over rough surfaces. However there is a noticeable background "whirr" sound that I hope doesn't drive me insane before Spring. So far range loss is not not very noticeable.
 
I just got the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 on my Leaf (this tire was announced just earlier this year and they will replace the older R3). Here's my review of the noise level and rolling resistance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY918U9wMPM
 
The X-ice are definitely grippier on cold wet roads and enjoy the change in ride quality of the different size/profile over rough surfaces. However there is a noticeable background "whirr" sound that I hope doesn't drive me insane before Spring. So far range loss is not not very noticeable.

I've been running those tires for years. I'm also sensitive to noises, but haven't noticed that. (Let's hope I don't start hearing it now!) What tire pressure are you running?
 
I'll be doing my own wheel/tire swap this year, and would also like to know if you can position the floor jack directly under the lower strut mounts on the Gen II Leaf. I have two rubber blocks with slots as recommended, but I've always preferred to raise cars by those lower suspension members.
 
I jack the Leaf from a fairly large downward-facing bolt head that is inboard of the struts a bit and farther forward, it is the only thing that looks like actual metal because there is so much plastic shielding there.... it works fine and the floor jack handle projects out far enough to make it easy to jack (which is not the case if trying to jack on the strut mounts). Maybe the front fender bolts on there? On the rear I have a trailer hitch wich really makes it easy!
 
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