Snow Tires, Wheel and Pressure Sensors Question

isdes

New member
I'm buying a 2013 Sprinter Passenger. I want to get a set of wheels equipped with Snow Tires.

The dealer is proposing for $1,500

Steel wheels.

Tire pressure sensors.

Bridgstone blizzak winter tires LT245-75-16

Is this a reasonable price?
I'm located in Seattle, WA - any other place than the dealer you could recommend?
How does one reset the tire pressure sensors when swapping the wheels? Is this easy to do / w/o the dealer doing it?
Are the tires good snow tires?


Thank you --- Eric
 

jdcaples

Not Suitable w/220v Gen
<snip>
How does one reset the tire pressure sensors when swapping the wheels? Is this easy to do / w/o the dealer doing it?
<snip>
Thank you --- Eric
I live in Seattle too. As far as I know, the pressure sensors do not require any reset effort beyond selecting "ok" when the instrument cluster prompts the driver to monitor the current pressure.

The sensors are not tied to a specific location on the van.

If you own 8 rims (9 if you count the spare) and you have snow tires on four and regular mounted on four, you can swap them yourself.

I use an air-driven impact wrench, a floor jack, jack stands and a torque wrench and a 19mm socket. It takes me about 30 minutes to rotate my tires because I move slowly and usually do it on my lawn instead of my gravel driveway.

Any tire shop can mount snow tires on rims that are pulling Sprinter duty. That's what I do these days: have someone pull the rubber off the rims and mount the appropriate tires. If you can break a bead and mount a tire, you can DIY all you want.

-Jon
 
I would say its not a bad price. The tires are probably around $800, sensors $2-300, rims $3-400 so yes, that is not a bad price. I just did what you are proposing and the sensors did not need any reset. Just drive down the road for 5 or 10 minutes and they will register, at least they did on my 2011. I don't have any personal experience with those tires but I've heard good things about them.
 
I agree, that price for Blizzak W965, 4 new steel rims AND tire pressure monitors is good.

The tires would run abut $700 from Tire Rack, 4 like new take offs from eBay will be around $300-400 and tire pressure monitors go for $50-100 each depending on the source and brand. Add about $75 mounting and balancing... that is $1275-1575.

I have used Blizzaks on passenger cars in the past and while I prefer Michelin's winter tires these days, we had no issues with 2 different sets of and models of Blizzaks on the cars.

I did own a set of Bridgestone AT LT tires at one time and one delaminated on me at highway speed - on a 3/4 ton RAM. I later learned Bridgestone recalled these specific tires but I got no notification either from Bridgestone (owner registration card) or Tire Rack (where purchased). So I am unlikely to buy Bridgestone in the future. I have owned and worn out many sets of Michelins of all sorts and never once had any problem beyond the tread lasting so long the tires become rock hard and ride like stones.
 

isdes

New member
Thank you very much. This is very helpful.

What Michelin snow tires (and in what size) would you recommend?

Best,

Eric
 
I think the only Michelin winter that carries the E load rating is the LTX Winter.

From what I have read (since I dont have these - our cars are on Pilot Alpins) the tread life is better than the Blizzak but the grip in snow and on ice is less.

The last tire on our RAM 2500 before we sold it for the Sprinter was the Michelin LTX M/S2 which has a similar tread pattern to the LTX Winter. I found them to be very competent in snow. I usually put it in 4WD in snow and on ice since the truck was fairly heavy but light over the rear axle (even more so than an unloaded Sprinter).


FWIW. I dont drive my Sprinter much in the winter - maybe every other week on a short trip and I can often plan to avoid bad weather - but I do have a somewhat difficult exit from its parking space (short steep uphill with a sharp turn at the beginning so I cant make a run at it) and that little stretch tends to be snow and ice covered all winter. I decided to just go with a set of Cooper E rated LT snows (Discoverer M+S) on the rear and put 300 pounds of sandbags over the rear axle. The couple times I have driven the Sprinter out of there set up this way it has done it like a champ.
 
Last edited:

tampes

New member
Hi..I would NOT buy the Blizzaks...I have 07 Sprinter, live in lake tahoe and have lots of snow every year. The blizzaks are good for cars but not for the Sprinter. the sidewalls are too stiff, because of the loadfactor and that (softness) is what makes the Blizzaks a great winter tire...Had them for 2 seasons on the Sprinter and they do "stink"....No I have the firestone winterforce with studs and they are excellent, almost as good on my sprinter as the 4/4 Jeep, seriously

St
 

supermoo

Member
Hi..I would NOT buy the Blizzaks...I have 07 Sprinter, live in lake tahoe and have lots of snow every year. The blizzaks are good for cars but not for the Sprinter. the sidewalls are too stiff, because of the loadfactor and that (softness) is what makes the Blizzaks a great winter tire...Had them for 2 seasons on the Sprinter and they do "stink"....No I have the firestone winterforce with studs and they are excellent, almost as good on my sprinter as the 4/4 Jeep, seriously

St
I am most concerned with the lack of lugs near the edge of the tire. Do you get much sliding when going around corners in the snow with these tires?
 

Buss

New member
I just mounted some new Hankook Dyna-Pro M/T with studs for $1100. The TPMS sensor did not need any replacement or adjustment. I use the same rims and just swap out tires twice a year. If your price includes a set of rims and TPMS sensors then $1500 is probably were you should be. These Hankooks are bad ass tires too. We had our first heavy snow last week and they performed as well as I expected.
 

Top Bottom