20" rim profile for deep snow winter
 

Hey everyone,

I know a topic much discussed before but cant find info on options of skinnier version of 275 40 (or 45) 20 that can be used in order for better ice/snow performance?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

You can always go 265/45s for less tread width. Blizzaks typically have less tread width than comparable tires of same specs.

A 265/40 would be both narrower AND shorter......NO

A 265/45 would be narrow and taller......better

We've been running 275/45 for more sidewall, but didn't get any snow this year :(

Yeah its what I am debating.. going 265 or 275 /45 20. Up in Ontario we get decent snow and ice. Considering studded tires Hakka 9s or Pirelli Ice Zeros.

20" in the snow with tires that wide is ridiculous .....if you are serious about traction and proper snow performance go down at least a size or two and fit the proper OEM appropriate winter tire. I run winter 18's and i can go pretty much anywhere with my Cayenne within reason. Keep in mind the Cayenne is decent in deep snow but not great due to it's weight as where my 2002 ML500 is much better.

My 955 Cayenne S in 4 feet of snow at my cottage can get approx half way up my 200ft drive when i take a run at it from the road as i am rolling in where the ML will make it right to the front door. The Cayenne will start to sink where the Benz will stay up on plane as long as you don't let off the gas.

Agreed that I would go 18s with a 235/60 tire for the snow skinny.

I'm a big fan of dedicated rims for winter tires.

I'm going to guess (and it's just a guess) that if you shop around a bit, and be patient, you can find a set of 18" rims pretty cheap. Add in (or more accurately, subtract) the cost difference of 18" snows vs 20" and you may not be paying much (if any) more money.

Plus, if you were planning on having the 20" tires swapped back and forth on the same set of rims every 6 months, its a real pain to mount/dismount tires with sidewalls that short. I can't imagine that it's all that good for the tires either.

I had a set in 20in snow tires on my 08 CTT, they were awful, quickly changed them for a set of 18in Blizzack's. Sold the 20's for the price of the 18's.

BTW, I live in Buffalo NY and we get our fair share of snow.

I have 3 sets of 18s just for this reason.

Check on CL or Ebay, they are cheap as in 200-400 a set. Add a set of fresh TPMS sensors for 80-100 and you are good to go!

Of course there are crazy Cayenne owners that think 19/18/17s are worth something, but they are not. Just keep looking if they think their wheels are gold.

FWIW if anyone is in NoVA and needs a 955 18 set with 235/60 Blizzaks let me know. Used of course but priced to move! PM me if interested.

winter tire size
 

Hi there,

Sorry maybe stupid question.. I have 20" rims.. thinking 275 maybe a bit too thick for really heavy winters with snow and ice.. maybe 265 better?

So 265/45 R20 is what I am thinking... instead of the more normal 275/45 R20 size most use. Any thoughts on that? Maybe 255 even better?

Do you know the width of your rims? That will dictate whether 255 or 265 is best.

They are originals, designed for 275 width.

I use the PAG recommended 275/40-20 setup in our harsh Canadian winters with no problems whatsoever. Where do you live?

When wheel sizes get large like 20-inches, it can make it difficult to get the best winter performance. Thinner/narrower tires do make quite a difference in bad winter weather. But with 20" wheels, to get the best winter grip when the streets are not "clean", you may want to consider a 19 inch or 18 inch wheel with a lower (smaller) aspect ratio number tires, smaller wheel diameter, and thicker/taller sidewall. Web sites with a lot of tire information like tirerack.com can help you determine if the circumference of an 225/65-18 tire has the same circumference as the 275/35-20 tires, your car will have an accurate speedometer and odometer but you will have much better traction in rain, slush, and snow. With the 20-inch wheels, there's not a lot you can do to "narrow" the tire without affecting circumference of the tire. You have the right idea about using a narrower tire for better winter traction, but it is not easy to do when the wheels are 20-inches and VERY wide... around the same width as the tire tread. To do what you want to do requires making the wheel diameter smaller at the same time you make the sidewall "taller" and the tread narrower.

That said, Cayennes are HEAVY beasts and that helps wide tires find traction in winter conditions. Winters vary a lot... some places have a lot of snow and mountain roads and would benefit most from 225/65-18 tires while other places my be very cold in winter but there is not so much snow. In the US, there are places in the Rocky Mountains that get 500 inches of snow every winter, but the snow is very DRY, meaning it is fluffy and not heavy. In upstate NY we got 100 inches of snow every winter, but it was heavy and thick snow compared to the 500 inches in the mountains. driving conditions are very different in the 2 areas and you may want different tires for those different conditions.

Why are you asking the same question again?

https://rennlist.com/forums/cayenne-...ow-winter.html