sheathy Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 (edited) Now that I'm living on the continent and the snow will be here soon I need to get winter tyres on my vehicle. It is ex MOD and therefore currently has tubeless wolf wheels for which I suspect tyres will be hellishly expensive (especially here in Geneva). Is it OK to put non- wolf wheels on my truck if I find a reasonably priced set with winter tyres fitted? If so what wheels would be an adequate replacement. Sorry if this is a bit of a dumb question but I'm still learning. Thanks Edited November 4, 2016 by sheathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 There is no reason why Wolf wheels will mean the tyres will be any more expensive than usual. In fact I would say the opposite as the 6.5" width gives you a good option of tyre sizes - they will take 7.50, 235, or 255 section tyres from most manufacturers for example. However should you wish to change them then you have the option of standard 90/110 wheels (5.5" wide so limited to narrower section tyres), suitably rated alloys (generally 7" wide so suited to wider sections) or aftermarket wheels in almost any shape and size wanted. Personally I would stick with the tubeless Wolf wheels - best option there is in my opinion. A set of winter tyres in 235/85R16 should be easy to come by and do the job. Alternatively fit a set of the newer BFG ATs which I believe have the necessary snowflake symbol so would do you all year round in terms of legality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheathy Posted November 4, 2016 Author Share Posted November 4, 2016 Thanks for the detailed reply. One of my main reasons for discounting replacing the tyres on my current rims was I didn't know if tubeless could be refitted repeatedly for switching between winter and summer tyres each year, is this possible? A big part of the problem for me at the moment is knowing where to get stuff on a tight budget as I'm so new to the region and think that if I turn up to most places to get winter tyres fitted it will likely cost me an arm and a leg. BFG's maybe the best option by the sounds of it- and saves me having to worry each season. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 There is no problem replacing the tyres on tubeless rims - they're steel, so don't damage easily, and rust on the sealing surface of the bead is rare, especially at the age of HD (Wolf) rims. I think BFG ATs are very good for winter roads - I had to work hard at making them slip on compact snow or ice compared to other tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 One option is a winter rated tyre that you can run all year. That is what I do on my Defender. I use Goodyear Duratracs. They have the severe service rating, so should meet any legal winter requirements. They are not quite as good as a pure winter ice tyre on ice, but acceptable. Where I live the roads are covered in ice six months of the year. Do not do the BFGs. They are not very good on winter roads. Otherwise, get a second set of rims. It is not worth the hassle and cost of changing tyres twice a year. A cheap set of rims will not be a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheathy Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Thanks Red. Yeah I've heard Calgary can get pretty chilly. Are these indeed tubeless too? Can't seem to find anywhere that says they are or are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 Genuine LR XD/Wolf steel rims have 'Tubed' or 'Tubeless' stamped into the rim face, at least mine have. , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheathy Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Sorry, I realise that was slightly ambiguous. My rims are tubeless, I was asking if the tyres mentioned ^^^ are available in tubeless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 majority of tyres are tubeless as standard now, so any goodyear,michelin,BFG would do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 23 hours ago, Red90 said: One option is a winter rated tyre that you can run all year ...... Do not do the BFGs. They are not very good on winter roads. Hi Red90, the BFGs have the Mountain/Snowflake symbol on the ATs that I run, which i think is a North America confirmation of achieving winter performance standards or something (compound, sipes and presumably traction). It's a bit surprising to see that you don't rate them. Is there something specific about them that you have found not to be good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 3 hours ago, Peaklander said: Hi Red90, the BFGs have the Mountain/Snowflake symbol on the ATs that I run, which i think is a North America confirmation of achieving winter performance standards or something (compound, sipes and presumably traction). It's a bit surprising to see that you don't rate them. Is there something specific about them that you have found not to be good? I've driven on them and they do not have very good ice traction. The Duratracs are much better. I have not seen a "tubed" tyre for sale in 30 years other than on industrial machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Bear in mind conditions in Geneva are not remotely similar to conditions in Calgary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Why not get yourself a second set of rims that will take your tyres of choice... We do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 18 hours ago, Snagger said: Bear in mind conditions in Geneva are not remotely similar to conditions in Calgary. I've driven all over the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 Hi, Sheathy, I've got 265/75/R16 General Grabber AT2's (with the snow flake and mountain symbol, 'cos not all AT2's are so rated) on my 110CSW and I love them all year, except in snow! They float far too much. When the snow comes I put on my proper winter tires which are Michelin Alpine 205/80/R16. Yes, I know that they have different rolling circumferences, but when I legally needed winter tires, they were the only 16" for a standard LR Defender wheel available. And, they are brilliant! Since you're living in Switzerland, you're probably familiar with the Austrian OAMTC and they publish an annual rating of tire performance on various road conditions, dry tarmac, wet tarmac, snow, ice, etc. These, I believe, are based on independent third party tests, and Austrian motor insurance generally require that tires compliant with OAMTC recommendations are fitted in winter. This means that they virtually acquire the force of law. Anyway, the OAMTC website provides a good source for choosing winter tire. Based on the above replies about wheel and tire size availability this could give you good info for choosing a tire brand and model. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil110 Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 You might be able to source reasonably priced tyres here. https://www.reifenleader.ch/reifen-auto-235-85-16/?s=W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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