My wife just got a 2011 HL Limited to replace her CRV. She HAS to be to work no matter what the weather. Rather than aggressive all season tires (like CRV had), I'd like to put snow tires on in the winter. Also, not sure I like the idea of switching seasonal tires on and off the factory rims twice a year.
I'd prefer stock 17" rims for winter, but we all know OEM wheel are way expensive. Any ideas?
My wife just got a 2011 HL Limited to replace her CRV. She HAS to be to work no matter what the weather. Rather than aggressive all season tires (like CRV had), I'd like to put snow tires on in the winter. Also, not sure I like the idea of switching seasonal tires on and off the factory rims twice a year.
I'd prefer stock 17" rims for winter, but we all know OEM wheel are way expensive. Any ideas?
Run Nokian WR G2s year round on one set of wheels. They are expensive but work great in the winter and good in the summer. We got a set for my wife's car from here - http://www.tiresbyweb.com/
I have stock RAV4 17" steel wheels that I use for my winters. My Blizzaks have never left me stranded so I always go with Blizzaks.
__________________ 2008 Highlander Sport V6 AWD, classic silver, black leather, Canadian version, 90 000 KM. 2009 Tacoma AC V6 4X4, SR5 w/ power package, timberland mica, beige cloth, 48 000 KM.
2002 Highlander Limited V6 4WD, black, tan leather, 134 000 KM (SOLD)
If I were you, I will go to discount tire.com / tirerack pick a set of rim with winter tires. That way you can switch it between season and it will let you drive for long time with good traction in both summer and winter
I've been thinking of doing the same thing, but what about the tire pressure sensors in the Limited? If you get a second set of wheels they won't have them. Anyone know if that would be a problem?
An additional set of TPS would likely have to be purchased ( if changing the wheels over completely) and calibrated by the shop that makes the switch of tires/wheels. Any reputable shop can do this as there is a little device that "'awakens'' TPS sensors they should have.
Had this done on my corvette a few years back without issue.
If you know how to use a tire PSI gauge every few weeks, then the TPMS warning light can be ignore. Put a piece of black tape over it.
You can get bling bling rims from any tire shop. Discounttiredirect, Tirerack, 1010tires, has sets of 4 for ~$550 in 17 and 18". Ebay, and your local salvage yard, have rims too. There is no requirement to buy OE Toyota rims.
I run Blizzaks year around. I have no storage room for a 2nd set of rims, and don't want to waste my time getting tires swapped, rebalanced.... twice a year. Summers are short and haven't been too stressful on my snow tires.
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Preventive maintenance prevents mechanical problems. Ripe out your owners manual's maintenance schedule and start some common sense intervals for ALL fluids in your vehicle.
I have a set of 17" Limited wheels from a 2007 Highlander that are new for $400 including lugnuts. I am located in Maryland, shipping is prohibitively $$.
I ordered these from Discount Tire Direct for my '11 HL Ltd. I went with 17" wheels mounted with Hakka SUV tires for a dedicated winter wheel/tire set up. I would never trust the 19" OEM tires for real winter driving. Also, the gun metal finish on the wheels nearly matches the color of my Magnetic Meteor Grey HL. I opted to not have the TPMS installed in the winter wheels and it was no big deal. As previously mentioned the dash light will stay on and that's about it.
I have after market black 17" steel rims with Yokohama Geolander winter tires on them. No TPMSs on these tires. The TPMS light is so small and dim, I hardly notice it. And since my winter tires are kept in the same garage as my Highlander, occasionally, my Highlander senses the TPMS sensors and resets the light and it will remain off for a while. And like DeadRX7 mentioned, if the light bugs you that much, just cover it with black electrical tape.
These tires work great in the snow and allows me to pass people who are in the ditch because they tried to save a few dollars on tires.
__________________ 2009 Highlander Limited
2005 Corolla CE, Canadian Edition, Silver with grey interior, automatic transmission, CD changer, cruise control, rear bumper protector.
I ordered these from Discount Tire Direct for my '11 HL Ltd. I went with 17" wheels mounted with Hakka SUV tires for a dedicated winter wheel/tire set up. I would never trust the 19" OEM tires for real winter driving. Also, the gun metal finish on the wheels nearly matches the color of my Magnetic Meteor Grey HL. I opted to not have the TPMS installed in the winter wheels and it was no big deal. As previously mentioned the dash light will stay on and that's about it.
I like the look of those wheels. Have any pics of them on the HL?
No. I wanted to but never took the time. They look really good. I like them just as well if not better than the OEM wheels. At first I had been trying to decide between two styles of wheels on the Tire Rack but wouldn't commit as I was unsure about the silver painted finishes. I really like the understated look of the darker wheel. I'll definitely take a picture this fall.
I finally took a picture of my HL with the 17" MB Wheels Weapon tires in the Gunmetal finish. The wheels go pretty well with the Meteor Grey Metallic color of the vehicle.
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