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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / February 2008Thanks you guys!
Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy streets here in CO. I have the 93 Corolla wagon with front wheel drive. Someone suggested just getting good snow tires and that it might work as well as a 4WD, that the newer snow tire designs are pretty good. I'm from Florida originally and haven't gotten into snow tires since moving out here, for years, because they didn't used to be that good years ago. Well I asked Costco about some and they suggested Michelin X-Ice, which for my car wound up costing around $416 with tax and installation and everything. Well let me tell you, these things are GREAT! I may have mentioned a kind of steep hill outside the house here. No more problems with it! These things get us around, pronto, when everyone else is slipping and sliding with their regular tires. Thanks guys! I really appreciate the good advice here! >Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy >streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >Thanks guys! I really appreciate the good advice here! Keep your wagon forever! I plan on doing the same with my '92!!!!!!!!!!  SignatureScott in Florida Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >>Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy >>streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > I plan on doing the same with my '92!!!!!!!!!! It may be getting to the point though, where it can cost more to fix than the whole car is worth. >Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >It may be getting to the point though, where it can cost more to fix >than the whole car is worth. Nah..... Even if I have to put in a couple of thousand....that is much cheaper than a new car. It is worth more to me than just what the book says. Toyota does not make a small wagon. SignatureScott in Florida Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >>Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Toyota does not make a small wagon. True. I'm just wondering what happens when it reaches the point where I may have to put tens of thousands into it, just to keep it going, parts get really hard to find, etc. And at some point fuel efficiency is going to need to improve too. I work with my car. It would save me a lot of money if I had one that got 40 MPG instead of 25. Not enough money, unfortunately, to buy a new Prius, which I covet but can't justify yet. >Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] >have to put tens of thousands into it, just to keep it going, parts get >really hard to find, etc. I don't think you COULD spend tens of thousands! >And at some point fuel efficiency is going to need to improve too. > >I work with my car. > >It would save me a lot of money if I had one that got 40 MPG instead of >25. A new Corolla will do 40mpg. >Not enough money, unfortunately, to buy a new Prius, which I covet but >can't justify yet. SignatureScott in Florida Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >>Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > > A new Corolla will do 40mpg. It's the "new" that's the kicker, when we start talking about $20k and up? Now if I could find something pre-owned with lower miles on it, for around $2000 that gets 40 MPG.... >> A new Corolla will do 40mpg. > > It's the "new" that's the kicker, when we start talking about $20k and up? > > Now if I could find something pre-owned with lower miles on it, for around > $2000 that gets 40 MPG.... Buy a '96-98 Tercel. Mine got 45 MPG on premium fuel. I did a cost study and found that at 89 Octane at 38 MPG, 93 Octane at 45 MPG saved me $220 over the 2 years I owned the car. Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : >>> A new Corolla will do 40mpg. >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > 89 Octane at 38 MPG, 93 Octane at 45 MPG saved me $220 over the 2 > years I owned the car. It would be even better to use regular, and get 45 MPG. :) > Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > It would be even better to use regular, and get 45 MPG. :) What's the big deal about MPG? Gasoline is NOT one of the larger items in my annual budget. "sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote : >> Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > What's the big deal about MPG? Gasoline is NOT one of the larger > items in my annual budget. I work with my car and drive maybe 600 miles a week with it for work. > "sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > I work with my car and drive maybe 600 miles a week with it for work. 400 miles with one car, 400+ with the other. > "sharx35" <sharx35@hotmail.com> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > I work with my car and drive maybe 600 miles a week with it for work. Yikes. My annual mileage these days is about 8,000, hence gas being a minor budget item...even doubled in price. >> Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > What's the big deal about MPG? Gasoline is NOT one of the larger items in > my annual budget. 60 miles per night, 6 days a week, and 60-120 miles per day, 4-5 days a week... >>> Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : >>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > 60 miles per night, 6 days a week, and 60-120 miles per day, 4-5 days a > week... It adds up, eh? >>>> Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote : >>>> [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >> > It adds up, eh? You bet! That's one reason why I have so many cars. They manage to keep to <=12,000/year... > Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 64 lines] > It's the "new" that's the kicker, when we start talking about $20k and > up? Nope, Corollas are well under $20K. Cathy > Now if I could find something pre-owned with lower miles on it, for > around $2000 that gets 40 MPG.... "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >> Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > Nope, Corollas are well under $20K. Cool. I just looked at http://denver.craigslist.org/search/car? query=corolla+mpg&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max&addTwo= Just not sure which models are the best. With Toyotas, there aren't any real doggy models are there, or really exceptionally good ( even more reliable ) ones that get good MPG? I remember years ago, buying the COnsumer Reports Car Guides with the bubble charts on reliability, repairs etc. > "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 86 lines] > I remember years ago, buying the COnsumer Reports Car Guides with the > bubble charts on reliability, repairs etc. Considering it's now Feb., their (CR's) annual April car issue should be out in several weeks... Cathy "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >> "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 91 lines] > Considering it's now Feb., their (CR's) annual April car issue should > be out in several weeks... I can't afford a new car anyway. I'm thinking in terms of something super reliable ( I work with my car ) that I can get with less than 100k miles on it, for under about $3000, and would get maybe 35 MPG city and 40 MPG hwy? >> Considering it's now Feb., their (CR's) annual April car issue should be >> out in several weeks... [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > that I can get with less than 100k miles on it, for under about $3000, and > would get maybe 35 MPG city and 40 MPG hwy? YIKES!!! If you find it, let me know!!! Ray says to avoid Tercels, but I had a '95 that was a great car, and <$2000. Last year was '98, however, so unless you find alittle old lady car you're going to see mileage. Don't hit me, but you're talking Escort here... > Ray says to avoid Tercels, but I had a '95 that was a great car, and > <$2000. Last year was '98, however, so unless you find alittle old lady > car you're going to see mileage. > Don't hit me, but you're talking Escort here... My beloved Escort, the car thieves hate so much that I can keep $10,000 cash in plain sight on the dashboard, park in a bad neighborhood with the doors unlocked, and not worry about theft? > I'm thinking in terms of something super reliable ( I work with my car ) > that I can get with less than 100k miles on it, for under about $3000, > and would get maybe 35 MPG city and 40 MPG hwy? I don't know about the price, and the gas mileage won't be 35 MPG city in real life, but how about the Toyota Echo? It's roomier than it looks, Consumer Reports once said it was among the most reliable cars made, and it rides better than its replacement, the Yaris. > "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 99 lines] > that I can get with less than 100k miles on it, for under about $3000, > and would get maybe 35 MPG city and 40 MPG hwy? An older Corolla would fit that bill, but - at least in the northern climates - one with a decent body which is old enough to sell for $3K would likely be difficult to find. Up here (upstate NY), the bodies tend to start to go & need a lot of maintenance way before the rest of the car deteriorates. Which is why I usually hang onto each of my cars for ~6 years & then trade it in/sell it. I kept one of my cars for 8 years & that turned out to be at least 2 years too long. However, if you can find one in good shape that fits your budget - would work, I think. Also, maybe a Honda Civic? Cathy >> "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >> [quoted text clipped - 111 lines] > > Cathy Incredible. My 99 camry is almost 9 years old and is as good as new, save for a few paint chips. Of course, I've had most of the required maintenance done. I plan on getting at least another 6 years out of it. Hell, even my 85 Hyundai Pony lasted 10+ years. If I only got 6 years out of a vehicle, I would NEVER buy that make/model again. I live up in the Canadian subarctic where vehicles are subjected to temperature extremes, stop and go traffic, dust, gravel, hail, etc.. <snipped> > With Toyotas, there aren't any real doggy models are there, or really > exceptionally good ( even more reliable ) ones that get good MPG? > > I remember years ago, buying the COnsumer Reports Car Guides with the > bubble charts on reliability, repairs etc. Avoid the last generation of Tercels. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >> With Toyotas, there aren't any real doggy models are there, or really >> exceptionally good ( even more reliable ) ones that get good MPG? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> > Avoid the last generation of Tercels. Hmmm. Why? Mine was a '95 and was a GREAT car! >>> With Toyotas, there aren't any real doggy models are there, or really >>> exceptionally good ( even more reliable ) ones that get good MPG? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Hmmm. Why? Mine was a '95 and was a GREAT car! I was thinking of the recent poster with the burnt valve/dead cylinder, and the drivability problems from the electronic carburetors, and the carbon buildup on the valves of those cars. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) > "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote in message > Avoid the last generation of Tercels. > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > the drivability problems from the electronic carburetors, and the carbon > buildup on the valves of those cars. Did Toyota ever fix the problems with those carburetors? Did anybody? >> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@ae86.gts> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Did Toyota ever fix the problems with those carburetors? Did anybody? Those electronic carburetors were a huge pain to set up correctly. If they were not perfectly set up, you ended up with poor drivability right away or a car that drove nicely with rapid carbon buildup on the valves, which resulted in poor drivability. Toyota fixed the problem by changing over to EFI. SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) >> Hmmm. Why? Mine was a '95 and was a GREAT car! >> > I was thinking of the recent poster with the burnt valve/dead cylinder, > and the drivability problems from the electronic carburetors, and the > carbon buildup on the valves of those cars. Those were the early '90's/three valve engines. When they went to the 1.5 DOHC those problems went away. I know '91, '92 and '93 had the valve problem. I think '94 was the first year of the new style. Funny thing, though. I think the Chilton's cover '91-'94 and '96-'98. The '95 was something of a 'bastard child', an interim model that had some parts all to itself. <hugely snipped> > Not enough money, unfortunately, to buy a new Prius, which I covet but > can't justify yet. This last sentence - this has been me, since '04!! *Technically* I could afford it - just, but doesn't make financial sense. Or at least didn't in '04, when gas wasn't $3+/gallon. Figured it out, from all angles, & would've been $5K more than the Corolla to own over the course of ~6 years. And now, with my '04 Corolla paid off a year ago, doesn't make a whole lot of sense now, even. But I keep telling myself "someday..." Cathy ><hugely snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Cathy Go ahead and get one, Cathy. You want one. You deserve one. ....besides it will help the economy!!!!!!!!!! SignatureScott in Florida >><hugely snipped> >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Go ahead and get one, Cathy. Maybe. Someday. ;-) > You want one. Yep. > You deserve one. Probably. > ....besides it will help the economy!!!!!!!!!! Yep. Cathy >>><hugely snipped> >>> [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > >Cathy What color are you getting? What options? SignatureScott in Florida >>>><hugely snipped> >>>> [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > What color are you getting? (*If* I get one) Silver. > What options? Pkg. #3, I think. Anything higher & it's overkill (for me) & so would make even less sense, financially. Cathy >>>>><hugely snipped> >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > >Cathy I can see you in your new car!!!!!!!!!! ...the Silver on!!!!!!!!!!! SignatureScott in Florida >>>>>><hugely snipped> >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > > ...the Silver on!!!!!!!!!!! Hi-ho, Silver, & away! ;-) Hey, if I win $10-15K in the lottery I'll get one... Cathy >>>>>>><hugely snipped> >>>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > >Cathy You are just suffering from the disease I have... No Car Payments!!!!!!!!!!! You just have to take a baby aspirin and BUY...LOL SignatureScott in Florida "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >>>>><hugely snipped> >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > (*If* I get one) Silver. I still want one in deep purple but they don't make them. <sigh> Toyota, with those stodgy few colors. Scott in Florida <JustAskl@verizon.net> wrote : >><hugely snipped> >> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > ....besides it will help the economy!!!!!!!!!! Not our personal economy. :) "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : ><hugely snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > *Technically* I could afford it - just, but doesn't make financial > sense. Exactly. I mean you can buy a lot of gas for less than $25k. > Or at least didn't in '04, when gas wasn't $3+/gallon. > Figured it out, from all angles, & would've been $5K more than the > Corolla to own over the course of ~6 years. And now, with my '04 > Corolla paid off a year ago, doesn't make a whole lot of sense now, > even. But I keep telling myself "someday..." Me too. :) I just need that lotto win. :) "Sarah Houston" ... > Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy > streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Thanks guys! I really appreciate the good advice here! Yep, the advice here is good and when it is not it gets jumped on so one can tell the difference. Are you planning on using those snow tires in the summer too? I would be curious in how they would behave in the heat. Tomes > "Sarah Houston" ... >> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > the summer too? I would be curious in how they would behave in the heat. > Tomes Boy, I hope not! Winter tires are a softer compound than summer tires and wear a LOT faster. You can usually run winter tire in the summer if you're prepared to buy a new set every winter. Some states/municipalities don't allow winter tires all year long, esp if they are studded. In Mass they can be installed Nov 1 and have to be removed by April 15 (studded tires, that is...) "Hachiroku... >> "Sarah Houston" ... >>> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > In Mass they can be installed Nov 1 and have to be removed by April 15 > (studded tires, that is...) Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I just have not put on snows for so long now here in NJ where the all seasons seems to be OK enough for me. It seems like a real pain to be switching them twice a year... Tomes >> "Sarah Houston" ... >>> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > In Mass they can be installed Nov 1 and have to be removed by April 15 > (studded tires, that is...) And to think that I thought that studded tires were ones that someone had whacked off on. Ooooh. Horrible joke. Hey you can check craigslist.org for some rims and or wheels. You I am sure you can get a set from a junk/wrecking yard. I am almost sure where you live Corollas just like yours frames are rusting out.I think you could pickup a set for 20 bucks each (that is what it is at the wrecking yard I go to) I hope this is of any help to you Jamie. Some people have an addiction to drink... Some people have an addiction to drugs.... I just have an addiction to 4x4's and their accessories.... > Some people have an addiction to drink... Some people have an addiction to > drugs.... I just have an addiction to 4x4's and their accessories.... Electronics... Musical Equipment... Cars... Parts... Damn, I ain't addicted to drugs or alcohol, but just about everything else! "Tomes" <ask.me@here.net> wrote : > "Sarah Houston" ... >> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > tires in the summer too? I would be curious in how they would behave > in the heat. Tomes No, the guy at COstco recommends against it, says they'd only last one year that way, that they're softer rubber and heat will wear them out fast. He said if I only use them in winter, I should get 4 winters out of them. "Sarah Houston" ... > Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy > streets here in CO. *snipping gracious thanks* Take heed, off-topic whiners (I don't mean you, Ms. Houston)... When you *ask* for advice, you get it, as this lady's post proves. So, instead of complaining about the off-topic banter here (granted, there is *way* too much of that), *ask your questions*, and they will be very skillfully answered. :-) Natalie > Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy > streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Thanks guys! I really appreciate the good advice here! Excellent! (I'm one who suggested getting tires that are rated highly for snow, & IIRC, someone else did, too.) Cathy >> I may have mentioned a kind of steep hill outside the house here. No >> more problems with it! [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Cathy I guess because I'm out in the middle of East Overshoe at 3AM, I bought snows for the first time in years this year (well, I had some on the AWD Tercel, too...) THANK GOD!!! Almost ALL of our snowstorms have come after midnight, have been at least 3-4" and the towns on my route don't plow until about 6AM (when I'm home checking the insides of my eyelids for leaks...) I STILL managed to get stuck with the Mazda a couple times, esp on the dirt roads where it turns to ice. When I got the Subaru, the singer in my band gave me 4 almost NRW studded snows. They are cheap and don't grip well on ice (or snow, either, really...) but I haven't been stuck yet and can get to where I need to be even in ice. I just had a feeling this was going to be a bad year and that I really should have snows... BTW, I got Hankook iPike snows for the Mazda. I should have waited and spent the $$$ for the tires for the Suby, because even on the Mazda these thing make it through like a tank!!! They were $52 each, and as long as I didn't have to make any funny moves they would just keep going. "Hachiroku ... >>> I may have mentioned a kind of steep hill outside the house here. No >>> more problems with it! [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > thing make it through like a tank!!! They were $52 each, and as long as I > didn't have to make any funny moves they would just keep going. Do you go with 4 tires or just 2 on the drive wheels? Tomes >> BTW, I got Hankook iPike snows for the Mazda. I should have waited and >> spent the $$$ for the tires for the Suby, because even on the Mazda [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> > Do you go with 4 tires or just 2 on the drive wheels? Tomes I don't know why, but I was expecting a lot of snow this year. i guessed correctly... One year I bought some snow tires for the Hachiroku...the only winter it ever saw. It is RWD, so I got two tires and put them on the rear. Yeah...and after the first snowstorm, I went back and got two more for the front. It was like trying to steer an oil tanker... So...lesson learned. Since FWD are driven, duh, by the front wheels, and you CAN'T STEER THE REAR WHEELS (at least, not with the 626 I have...it doesn't have RWS...) I got four right off the bat. Plus, knowing I would be in the middle of East Cupcake at that time in the morning, it made more sense than to try to flirt with disaster... "Hachiroku ... >>> BTW, I got Hankook iPike snows for the Mazda. I should have waited and >>> spent the $$$ for the tires for the Suby, because even on the Mazda [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I don't know why, but I was expecting a lot of snow this year. i guessed > correctly... We have had basically no snow here in NJ this year so far. I just don't think I will ever do the snow tire thing. The Prius is pretty bad in the snow tho with those OEM tires. Tomes > One year I bought some snow tires for the Hachiroku...the only winter it > ever saw. It is RWD, so I got two tires and put them on the rear. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > be in the middle of East Cupcake at that time in the morning, it made more > sense than to try to flirt with disaster... "Tomes" <ask.me@here.net> wrote : > "Hachiroku ... >> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > bad in the snow tho with those OEM tires. > Tomes It must be the "Global Warming" ( Al Gore TM ) or something, but we've been getting pretty good snows here for the last couple of years, in the Denver area. Sometimes it seems like we're up to our ears in Global Warming...er, I mean snow. :-) =?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?= <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote : >>> BTW, I got Hankook iPike snows for the Mazda. I should have waited >>> and spent the $$$ for the tires for the Suby, because even on the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > knowing I would be in the middle of East Cupcake at that time in the > morning, it made more sense than to try to flirt with disaster... Yes, this car of ours may be front wheel drive, but it brakes with all 4, and I can tell the difference with these X-Ice. Amazing. Other people can be spinning around in front of us ( we actually saw it happen one night on a neighborhood back street ) and we just drive right through past them. "Cathy F." ... > "Sarah Houston" ... >> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Cathy Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back, Cathy... ;-) Natalie > "Cathy F." ... >> [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > ;-) I had actually erased my second sentence, then put it back in, believe it or not. Hey, if this is the post I'm remembering, I did suggest better tires for snow. And since I know so little about the mechanics of cars & can answer so few car questions, decided may as well take credit when it's actually due! ;-P Cathy > Natalie >I had actually erased my second sentence, then put it back in, believe it or >not. Hey, if this is the post I'm remembering, I did suggest better tires [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Cathy You done good! SignatureScott in Florida >>I had actually erased my second sentence, then put it back in, believe it >>or [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > You done good! <Blush> ;-) Cathy "Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote : >> Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy >> streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Cathy It's amazing Cathy. About the only way I can get stuck with these, would be to drive into a foot of snow off the side of the road, or something. I've never experienced anything like this on snow before. The guy at Costco told me that they have an employee who lives in the mountains here and uses them, that's how he knew they were this good. >Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy >streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >Thanks guys! I really appreciate the good advice here! Okay, what kind of rims does the car have? Because it makes Much More Sense to have a seperate set of rims for the snow tires - that way you can switch back and forth as needed without paying for the labor (again!) and waiting in the long line you find at the tire shop every time the weather turns with the 50,000 other snow-tire lemmings. (This is for old-style cars, or the passive, ABS Sensor based tire pressure monitoring that just counts the rotation pulses to sense a low tire. People with radio sender in-the-rim based Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems on your cars, that's going to seriously complicate things...) Just takes a good floor jack, a spot in the corner of the garage to stack the other set of tires, and a bit of elbow grease. You can buy an electric impact wrench to make it easier getting the lug nuts off. And yes, even girls can do it, car maintenance ain't Rocket Science - just make your monthly manicure appointment AFTER you do the work, just in case you break one. And if you wear disposable nitrile gloves while you work the grease won't get rubbed in so deep. You can switch the snow tires off early in March when it looks like the snow stopped, and back on in April for a week when you get a last gasp blast of Winter coming through. Without waiting too long and grinding all that expensive winter rubber off on warm dry roads. And every time you mount and dismount tires to and from the rims you risk ripping the bead seal surfaces and wrecking the tire. (Or cause an annoying chronic slow leak.) Best to mount it once, and leave it on the rim until worn out. If you put the snows on your factory alloy rims and took the "summer" tires home, start shopping around for another set of rims now - especially for another set of alloy rims you will find much better prices when you are not in a hurry and need to buy them /right now/. Ask at regional wrecking yards, and at all the regional Toyota dealers and tire shops. Leave a note on their bulletin board with need, name, and number, and don't expect a call for weeks or more. People will slide into a curb and wreck one alloy rim and change all four with aftermarket (sometimes cheaper than buying one new factory alloy - they want a LOT!), leaving three good used factory alloys. Then the tire shop owner remembers your note, and calls. Or a car will have a fire and get junked with four perfectly good rims. (Good tires are a bonus.) The wrecking yard gets more reselling them to you as used rims than as scrap metal. Or find some inexpensive steel rims for the snow tires, and switch them over next spring. That way you'll be ready. (NOTE: Different length and seat shape lug nuts are required for mounting steel and alloy rims. You might need to spend $10 on a set.) --<< Bruce >>-- Bruce L. Bergman <blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid> wrote : >>Awhile back I was asking about 4WD for getting around on the snowy >>streets here in CO. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Okay, what kind of rims does the car have? Plain old stock rims. One of them is even dented, from driving up on a square curb one night. <blush> > Because it makes Much > More Sense to have a seperate set of rims for the snow tires - that > way you can switch back and forth as needed without paying for the > labor (again!) Not sure how. I'm not into doing it myself, thanks. :) Costco has a deal where they only charge $24 to change them, if you bought both sets from them. I'll let them do it. :) > and waiting in the long line you find at the tire shop > every time the weather turns with the 50,000 other snow-tire > lemmings. Now THAT, I haven't experienced yet, and hope I don't. Maybe instead of April 15th, I'll do them May 1st? We've gotten 8" of snow here in mid May before, not too long ago actually. > Just takes a good floor jack, a spot in the corner of the garage to > stack the other set of tires, and a bit of elbow grease. You can buy > an electric impact wrench to make it easier getting the lug nuts > off. Garage? You have a garage? :) We have a concrete driveway slab here. > And yes, even girls can do it, car maintenance ain't Rocket Science > - just make your monthly manicure appointment AFTER you do the work, > just in case you break one. And if you wear disposable nitrile > gloves while you work the grease won't get rubbed in so deep. Ahhh. I work hard enough at the work I need these tires for, thanks. :) I'll pay Costco the $24 to change them for me. :) > You can switch the snow tires off early in March when it looks like > the snow stopped, and back on in April for a week when you get a last > gasp blast of Winter coming through. Without waiting too long and > grinding all that expensive winter rubber off on warm dry roads. Hmm. Have to see about when to change them I suppose. Things don't get real hot here usually, until at least the end of April? > And every time you mount and dismount tires to and from the rims > you > risk ripping the bead seal surfaces and wrecking the tire. (Or cause > an annoying chronic slow leak.) Best to mount it once, and leave it > on the rim until worn out. That sounds interesting, but what does a second set of rims cost? I may find out soon, I gotta replace that bent one. > If you put the snows on your factory alloy rims and took the > "summer" tires home, start shopping around for another set of rims > now - especially for another set of alloy rims you will find much > better prices when you are not in a hurry and need to buy them /right > now/. Ok, sounds good. > Ask at regional wrecking yards, and at all the regional Toyota > dealers and tire shops. Leave a note on their bulletin board with > need, name, and number, and don't expect a call for weeks or more. I see. Thanks. > People will slide into a curb and wreck one alloy rim and change > all > four with aftermarket (sometimes cheaper than buying one new factory > alloy - they want a LOT!), leaving three good used factory alloys. > Then the tire shop owner remembers your note, and calls. Ahah. :) > Or a car will have a fire and get junked with four perfectly good > rims. (Good tires are a bonus.) The wrecking yard gets more > reselling them to you as used rims than as scrap metal. :) > Or find some inexpensive steel rims for the snow tires, and switch > them over next spring. That way you'll be ready. > > (NOTE: Different length and seat shape lug nuts are required for > mounting steel and alloy rims. You might need to spend $10 on a > set.) Thanks Bruce. >Bruce L. Bergman <blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid> wrote : >> Okay, what kind of rims does the car have? > >Plain old stock rims. One of them is even dented, from driving up on a >square curb one night. <blush> Hey, it happens. Steel rims are cheap, Car maker-specific alloy rims are the ones you scream when you find out how much they cost to replace new. $400, $500, $600... Each. Yeah, ouch! >> Because it makes Much More Sense to have a seperate set of rims >> for the snow tires - that way you can switch back and forth as >> needed without paying for the labor (again!) > >Not sure how. I'm not into doing it myself, thanks. :) Ahh, but even if you never need to change a tire for real you really should be /able/ to do it, and should have actually /practiced/ doing it once or twice (with someone there to show you how) - that way if you get stuck somewhere you know you can. You are NOT helpless. Put a few pairs of nitrile rubber gloves, a few clean hand rags, and a bandana for your hair in a Ziploc and stash them with your jack and wrench kit in the back of the car. You might even get a set of Tyvek painter's overalls, in case you are dressed nicely. And put a 6'x10' chunk of heavy plastic sheeting in there too, to kneel on while sliding the jack under and working with the lug nuts - the flat tire always happens in the muddiest spot you can find. With no cell coverage, or you call for a tow and they say three hours wait. Twenty to thirty minutes of honest work changing a tire sure beats the hell out of wasting a few hours playing "Damsel in Distress"... I know you can do it - My mom not only did her own car repairs when needed, in the early 50's she was half partner in a garage and out driving the extra tow truck when things got busy - the National Auto Club contract said they had to handle service calls within an hour. If it got really busy and there was a truck available but no driver, she went. In a Bullocks Wilshire hot-pink overcoat... And this was an all-manual, chains and boom and bumper-pad recovery wrecker with a manual transmission, and power nothing save for the PTO main winch, not the cushy all-Hydraulic all-Power trucks of today. Lady had a certified pair of Big Brass Ones hidden in there. There were a few Chauvinists out there who were almost ready to turn away any help from "a girl!" before common sense took hold - and the rational brain told the pig part to shut the <heck> up. >Costco has a deal where they only charge $24 to change them, if you >bought both sets from them. I'll let them do it. :) Trust me, I've waited in the hours-long lines at Costco when they run the "Buy 4 tires, get $60 off" deals - and that's in So Cal, where we "don't do Snow". But I can guarantee that the "Take off the snow tires, put on the regular tires" lines are going to be worse, because more people need to do it, and they all want to do it in a two week period when the weather changes. Get there at 6 AM to "beat the crowd" for a 10 AM Tire Center opening, and find out that 10 people got in line ahead of you starting at 5 AM. There goes the entire day... >Garage? You have a garage? :) >We have a concrete driveway slab here. Yes, we do have a deep 2-car garage - and my folks have parked a car in it exactly ONCE, the day before Escrow closed. That was 1971. Since then, it's been the "working from home" area for Dad and Mom the salespeople (now retired and mom gone), and then for me the electrician. I'm lucky to keep clear aisles to get to the tools and supplies, let alone enough room to actually (Gasp!) park a car. >> And every time you mount and dismount tires to and from the rims you >> risk ripping the bead seal surfaces and wrecking the tire. (Or cause [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >That sounds interesting, but what does a second set of rims cost? >I may find out soon, I gotta replace that bent one. Generic steel rims are $35 each brand new, plain black. http://www.tirerack.com/snow/WinterWheels.jsp?skipTires=true You might do a bit better if you look around, get "take-offs" from the tire shop when another Corolla owner gives them the steel wheels to buy new alloys, or get a set at the wrecking yard. >I see. Thanks. No problem. Why make mistakes yourself, when we who have already learned (sometimes the hard way...) can save you most of the grief? --<< Bruce >>-- >>Bruce L. Bergman <blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > rims are the ones you scream when you find out how much they cost to > replace new. $400, $500, $600... Each. Yeah, ouch! I've never figured out why anyone, save the wealthy, would spend that much on wheels. (More comments below). >>> Because it makes Much More Sense to have a seperate set of rims >>> for the snow tires - that way you can switch back and forth as [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > electrician. I'm lucky to keep clear aisles to get to the tools and > supplies, let alone enough room to actually (Gasp!) park a car. Most of the time what people do with their garage is *their* business, however, when they don't park in their garage or elsewhere ON their private property and, instead, litter the adjacent street with their vehicles..that pisses me off enough to report them to the bylaw people. It's illegal here to park on a residential street for more than 72 hours in one location, regardless if it is in front of your residence. Streets are for MOVING traffic, NOT storing vehicles. Tokyo has a good idea--unless you can PROVE that you have OFF-road parking, you can NOT register a vehicle there. >>> And every time you mount and dismount tires to and from the rims you >>> risk ripping the bead seal surfaces and wrecking the tire. (Or cause [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > --<< Bruce >>-- Bruce L. Bergman <blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid> wrote : >>Bruce L. Bergman <blnospambergman@earthlink.invalid> wrote : > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > it once or twice (with someone there to show you how) - that way if > you get stuck somewhere you know you can. You are NOT helpless. I knmow, and I have changed my own tires before, but it's a miserable job with this Corolla. The standard jack is VERY hard to use and the jack handle has to be used to unscrew the wheel lugs. Very difficult for me. > Put a few pairs of nitrile rubber gloves, a few clean hand rags, > and a bandana for your hair in a Ziploc and stash them with your jack > and wrench kit in the back of the car. You might even get a set of > Tyvek painter's overalls, in case you are dressed nicely. Me? Nah, I'm in Colorado and am always informal. ( except for funerals ) My work doesn't even require anything formal. > And put a 6'x10' chunk of heavy plastic sheeting in there too, to > kneel on while sliding the jack under and working with the lug nuts - > the flat tire always happens in the muddiest spot you can find. With > no cell coverage, or you call for a tow and they say three hours wait. It's not that, it's the darn jack and iron that goes with it. I wish I could find something a LOT better, that would fit in the spare tire well and wouldn't break my budget. > Twenty to thirty minutes of honest work changing a tire sure beats > the hell out of wasting a few hours playing "Damsel in Distress"... I'd agree, but not with this flimsy hard-to-use stock jack. Are you listening Toyota? I love your cars but your stock jacks ( '93 anyway ) are too hard for me. > I know you can do it - Of course, you're misunderstanding my motives. >>Costco has a deal where they only charge $24 to change them, if you >>bought both sets from them. I'll let them do it. :) [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Tire Center opening, and find out that 10 people got in line ahead of > you starting at 5 AM. There goes the entire day... Or I could just do it on April 1st, I suppose, and beat the rush. >>Garage? You have a garage? :) >>We have a concrete driveway slab here. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > electrician. I'm lucky to keep clear aisles to get to the tools and > supplies, let alone enough room to actually (Gasp!) park a car. Yeah, who uses their garage for much besides a storage shed? LOL! >>> And every time you mount and dismount tires to and from the rims you >>> risk ripping the bead seal surfaces and wrecking the tire. (Or cause [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Generic steel rims are $35 each brand new, plain black. > http://www.tirerack.com/snow/WinterWheels.jsp?skipTires=true Can't find them there, but I'd get them locally anyway. > You might do a bit better if you look around, get "take-offs" from > the tire shop when another Corolla owner gives them the steel wheels > to buy new alloys, or get a set at the wrecking yard. Interesting. |
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