Canadian members, please come in

[Klutch9]

Living just outside of Detroit, I have made many trips to Canada in my lifetime. Also, on a daily basis, I see many drivers from Ontario. Here's my question:

During wintertime, why do so many Canadian drivers have 'steelies' (steel wheels, no wheel covers) on their cars? I only started noticing this a few years ago, but have noticed this a ton ever since. I see this quite frequently on very new, nicer cars from Ontario. Is it to save their other aluminum rims from salt corrosion? From what I have seen, the cars with the steel wheels still have all-season tires, not winter tires, and are very nice cars.

I've always been interested in regional car culture. Like how in northern Michigan, every other car is a Subaru Outback, and many people leave their winter tires on year-round. Anyone who knows anything about this steel wheel thing, please enlighten me

maybe the Canadians know something we don't...

 

[hemitom]

I'm one running the steelies. For me its to save the rims from salt, less hassle on change over having steel rims to swap on. Less chance of damage to the wheels from tire change overs. I run snows no all seasons, there is a big difference in traction in bad road conditions. Also in Quebec its mandatory to run snow tires, i'm from Ontario and i'm sure the laws will eventually change here as well .

 

[Donald]

I am going to get new rims for the warm weather and use my beat Jeep rims for the winter. But good idea on the snow tires rather than all season.

 

[IndyIan]

I think if you look closely, all those tires on steelies are winter tires. Many high performance ones don't look much different than all seasons these days. Maybe way down south there people do just put all-seasons on as the number of snow days is a bit limited, but I've never seen that in my trips through the area.

 

[dernp]

Agreed as stated above. Road salt is brutal on very expensive aluminum wheels.

I just picked up 4 brand new steelies at Belle Tire in Pt Huron for my daughter's snow tires. Can't beat the price of cross border shopping.

 

[sir1900]

I use steel rims for winter on all our vehicles except the Lexus. The Lexus I swap tires every winter and spring. The reason for the use of steel rims is mainly convenience and cost savings over the long run.

In my household, winter tires are mandatory. The difference is almost night and day. No excuse not to have winter tires. Sadly in the province of Saskatchewan, half of the population thinks traction control is "good enough". we really need to follow in Quebec's footsteps and make winter tire use mandatory.

 

[Falken]

It is, in a lot of cases, to be able to do your own seasonal tire changeovers without having to book an appointment at the dealer or local garage, and pay them twice a year for the service. Also wait times can be over an hour in most cases, sometimes two.

Having a second set of tires also saves the bead from being ripped and the tire needing to be re-balanced and the rims being cleaned with a die grinder and a rope brush speeds up future rust.

Also, it is stressful worrying if you are going to get your tires back. Mix ups in the garage happen often, and arguing what tires were actually yours when you got stuck with someone else's worn out tires could be challenging especially if they were the same brand.

Always mark your name on the back of your tires AND rims with tire chalk that is paint based to make sure you get what is yours back.

Also, hitting a curb, trying to park on slippery streets and driving in snow and on ice, it is nice to not have to worry about scratching your shiny mags. Not to mention aluminum corrodes just as much as iron does in the Winter. And steelies are dirt cheap.

Also, if you are able to leave your summer rubber on your mags they don't get as bashed up in a garage. Most tire changers are rough and don't care. They'll even avoid sticky weights at all costs and balance static and bash a steelie weight onto your mag and call it good.

I actually find it a lot more curious all the people that think they need 19" alloy wheels and low profile performance tires... To pick up junk at Walmart. Also running a low profile performance Winter tire is very expensive.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Living just outside of Detroit, I have made many trips to Canada in my lifetime. Also, on a daily basis, I see many drivers from Ontario. Here's my question:

During wintertime, why do so many Canadian drivers have 'steelies' (steel wheels, no wheel covers) on their cars? I only started noticing this a few years ago, but have noticed this a ton ever since. I see this quite frequently on very new, nicer cars from Ontario. Is it to save their other aluminum rims from salt corrosion? From what I have seen, the cars with the steel wheels still have all-season tires, not winter tires, and are very nice cars.

I've always been interested in regional car culture. Like how in northern Michigan, every other car is a Subaru Outback, and many people leave their winter tires on year-round. Anyone who knows anything about this steel wheel thing, please enlighten me

maybe the Canadians know something we don't...


The main reason that people don't bother putting on hubcaps, is due to the fact that the price of them in Canada is double what you pay for them in the US. We get ripped off on auto parts in the Great white north.

I think half the people want you to know that they have snow tires, so when they fly by you in a snow storm you can just say to yourself "Oh he can do that cause he's got the snow tires on"!

Just my two cents.

Regards, JC.

 

[sprocketser]

Got winter tires on steelies , here in Qc it s mandatory since a couple of years .

 

[Bluestream]

Not sure they will ever make snow tire mandatory in Ontario; in the south we don't get much snow anymore....In the North they can use studded tires if they want.

In Quebec they do get more snow, but also have a paternalistic government that seems to know whats best for everyone...

 

[cb450sc]

I just purchased a Civic from a gentleman in Toronto. He had already changed out to winter tires. When we went to the tire shop to get the all seasons that were being stored for him, they could not find them. So it does happen.

 

[expat]

We don't normally get much snow here, but it's still easier and cheaper in the long run to have a Winter set of tires on separate rims.

My Winter rims came from the Bone Yard, others buy the cheap steelies from CT.

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Living just outside of Detroit, I have made many trips to Canada in my lifetime. Also, on a daily basis, I see many drivers from Ontario. Here's my question:

During wintertime, why do so many Canadian drivers have 'steelies' (steel wheels, no wheel covers) on their cars? I only started noticing this a few years ago, but have noticed this a ton ever since. I see this quite frequently on very new, nicer cars from Ontario. Is it to save their other aluminum rims from salt corrosion? From what I have seen, the cars with the steel wheels still have all-season tires, not winter tires, and are very nice cars.

I've always been interested in regional car culture. Like how in northern Michigan, every other car is a Subaru Outback, and many people leave their winter tires on year-round. Anyone who knows anything about this steel wheel thing, please enlighten me

maybe the Canadians know something we don't...


I live just outside of Detroit too but on the Canadian side. A lot of folks:
1) Have their snows mounted on rims to easily facilitate swapping.
2) Use steelies for winter rims 'cause they're cheap and tough.
3) Makes tire repair alongside the road a lot easier in the cold/dark if you don't have to wrestle with wheel covers.Don't need wheel covers anyway 'cause we're not out to impress anyone.

(You don't wear your winter boots with a tux !!)(especially with a beaver-skin hat) (Eh ??!!)

 

[Klutch9]

I just wonder why I don't see more American drivers doing the steelies with winter tires combo. It makes sense to do so. I know that if I get winter tires for my car, I'd put them on a set of steel wheels. It just seems that the VAST majority of cars I see like this are from Canada.

 

[RiceCake]

I run all seasons on steel wheels but for very different reasons.

1) The car came with steel wheels.
2) The hubcaps are [censored] and click when driving so I left them off.
3) I run very soft tires and know how to drive and do just fine without winter tread.

But reality for most people is its easier and often cheaper and faster in the long run to just have a second set of rims to throw on, versus getting the tires changed over and rebalanced every season.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: JC1
The main reason that people don't bother putting on hubcaps, is due to the fact that the price of them in Canada is double what you pay for them in the US. We get ripped off on auto parts in the Great white north.


Not to mention that most aftermarket hubcaps these days look god awful.

 

[4ever4d]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: JC1
The main reason that people don't bother putting on hubcaps, is due to the fact that the price of them in Canada is double what you pay for them in the US. We get ripped off on auto parts in the Great white north.


Not to mention that most aftermarket hubcaps these days look god awful.

Absolutely true! I have been looking for a set of replacements for my 07 Sentra and can find nothing short of hideous. I suppose i will eventually have to fork out the dough for genuine OEM Nissan replacements. I did find an online shop who will refurbish oem covers but i am a little skeptical of quality.

 

[weebl]

I do steelies for winter as well. On my last 2 cars, I had cheap Walmart wheelcovers that didn't look horrible, and didn't fall off, nor were they loose.

On my current vehicle, I started off the same, but some curb bumping damaged one of the wheelcovers, and the following year, the others started to work loose. Pulled them all off to get rid of the horrible rattling and finished off that winter with black wheels.

Wife isn't a fan of the black wheel look, and I didn't want to waste money continually replacing cheap wheelcovers. So for the next winter, I promised her something that looked better than black wheels. I used black ABS centre hub covers (intended for trailer wheels, using the same 5 x 4.5" pattern), got silver Duplicolor wheel spray paint, and refinished the visible side of all the wheels, as well as the hubcover in the silver paint. Result is that they somewhat resemble this (different vehicle, different style centre cap, but similar wheel appearance):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Honda_Civic_silver.jpg

 

[SubLGT]

"..............A recent study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation indicates that Canadian motorists don't seem to understand the benefits of winter tires..........
.........................................................................................................................
More frightening was the “belief that all-season and summer tires were sufficient for winter driving in their region, and that their vehicle’s safety features negated the need for winter tires,” the study said..................."

http://www.tirereview.com/Article/107781...nter_tires.aspx

http://www.autosphere.ca/tirenews/2012/11/30/winter-tires-are-misunderstood-report/

 

[RiceCake]

No more like ages ago, it used to be common to have summer and winter tires which you switched on and off from.

Then all season tires came around to cure all that [censored].

Now we're getting told again that all season tires aren't good enough, and need to swap out to winter tires.

I drive on all season tires and I haven't died yet. I'm sure if I drive with winter tires, studs, or tank treads on my car, it will be better. But if we're gonna go that far, you may as well walk around town so you have less of a chance of crashing your car.