Advice on how to do my snow tire set up - questions from a skiing flatlander

[DB-EV]

Hi all - I am finally getting my R1s. I have 20ATs configured, and am in flatland metro NY but I ski the Adirondacks and Catskills 20-30 days per year (yes hold the snark about how I should move too the mountains, please).

Given what I have seen, I am leaning heavily to running snow tires say December to April. I am reasonably intelligent but not mechanically trained.

How do I do it? Do I buy a cheap set of rims and get the snow tires, then pay an installer? Instead do I keep one set of rims and have the tire folks change out the tires on the rims 2x per year (to Blizzak LT in fall and to Rivian AT tires in Spring)? What is cheaper? What is more efficient in time? If over five years it is a difference of a few hundred dollars, I would go with more time efficient.

I currently have an AWD CRV and have almost never had an issue, but that is a light car and particularly in bad conditions I am a defensive driver that leaves plenty of following room.

Many thanks in advance. (PS I am actually on Long Island but it would not let me select NY so I did CT).

PS

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[doit82]

The 20" ATs are snow/ice rated so if you are cautious and using snow mode you will likely be fine.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I usually go with cheap rims + snow tires, but I have room for storage. For the Rivian, I wasn't convinced about the fit of aftermarket wheels, so I ended up buying another set of rims from Rivian and having snow tires mounted on them. Rivian programmed new TPMS into the truck, so it's just a matter of swapping between seasons and no programming. The truck automatically picks up the pre-programmed sensors.

20 ATs are 3 peak rated, but they still aren't "winter tires". If you're out skiing as much as you say you are, there's no question in my mind that you should be having another dedicated set with real winter tires.

Rivian won't mount non-OEM tires, so I had to have a shop do it. With the extra set of rims it made it easy, since I didn't trust them to lift the truck properly. Just dropped everything off at the shop.

 

[COdogman]

I think you would be ok with the 20s and snow mode, but if you want to be extra careful and get a set of snow tires there are 2 options I’m sure you are already aware of:

1. Buy snow tires and pay a local tire shop to put them on your OEM wheels.
2. Buy a second set of wheels, snow tires, pay the shop to mount them.

If I were to want snow tires I would go with option 1 because currently you need Rivian to change the settings in your truck to accommodate the change in wheels/ tires. If you just have new tires put on your OEM wheels you do not need to do this. So in my opinion the simpler solution is to just swap tires.

Also, if you do have a second set of wheels/ tires are you comfortable switching them yourself each season. I only ask this because you said you weren’t mechanically inclined.

 

[jjswan33]

I’d say stick with the 20’s and get a set of snow socks or chains for the worst of conditions. I similarly go snowboarding a lot but I am sure the weather and road conditions are a lot different here in Oregon but I have been more than fine, not yet had to use the chains.

If I were going to upgrade, I went to the tire shop and discussed, I would get studded tires because in most conditions I don’t expect a huge improvement with a basic snow tire over the stock 20s.

 

[Redline]

You'll be fine with the 20s.

 

[NY_Rob]

Hi @DB-EV .... Also on L.I. and just set up a spare tire for my soon coming R1T.

I purchased a 20" RAM 2363 wheel on Ebay for $150
Purchased a 20" Firestone Winterforce LT275/65R20 tire from Tirerack ($235) and had it shipped to my local Pep Boys where they installed it on the RAM wheel for $20 no questions asked.

You could do the same only X4 and use those for your winter tires and keep one in the bed storage for your spare tire.

I don't like removing the 3 season tires and installing the winter tires on the same wheel 2X/year because you always chance them damaging your expensive OEM wheels on the tire machine and you're constantly removing/adding wheel weights 2X/year as well which can also mark up the OEM wheels.

Also, if you get dedicated wheels w/winter tires.. in the winter you keep one of the 3-season tires in the bed as as spare and in summer you keep one of the winter tires in the bed as a spare.

 

[DB-EV]

Hi @DB-EV .... Also on L.I. and just set up a spare tire for my soon coming R1T.

I purchased a 20" RAM 2363 wheel on Ebay for $150
Purchased a 20" Firestone Winterforce LT275/65R20 tire from Tirerack ($235) and had it shipped to my local Pep Boys where they installed it on the RAM wheel for $20 no questions asked.

You could do the same only X4 and use those for your winter tires and keep one in the bed storage for your spare tire.

I don't like removing the 3 season tires and installing the winter tires on the same wheel 2X/year because you always chance them damaging your expensive OEM wheels on the tire machine and you're constantly removing/adding wheel weights 2X/year as well which can also mark up the OEM wheels.

Also, if you get dedicated wheels w/winter tires.. in the winter you keep one of the 3-season tires in the bed as as spare and in summer you keep one of the winter tires in the bed as a spare.

Yo! We should meet up when we get our vehicles. I know of 3 other LI Rivian folks.

 

[DB-EV]

I usually go with cheap rims + snow tires, but I have room for storage. For the Rivian, I wasn't convinced about the fit of aftermarket wheels, so I ended up buying another set of rims from Rivian and having snow tires mounted on them. Rivian programmed new TPMS into the truck, so it's just a matter of swapping between seasons and no programming. The truck automatically picks up the pre-programmed sensors.

20 ATs are 3 peak rated, but they still aren't "winter tires". If you're out skiing as much as you say you are, there's no question in my mind that you should be having another dedicated set with real winter tires.

Rivian won't mount non-OEM tires, so I had to have a shop do it. With the extra set of rims it made it easy, since I didn't trust them to lift the truck properly. Just dropped everything off at the shop.

Awesome thanks - how did you buy the rims from Rivian?

 

[DB-EV]

You'll be fine with the 20s.

Ooh bold from a Minnesotan. Making me feel good.

 

[DB-EV]

I think you would be ok with the 20s and snow mode, but if you want to be extra careful and get a set of snow tires there are 2 options I’m sure you are already aware of:

1. Buy snow tires and pay a local tire shop to put them on your OEM wheels.
2. Buy a second set of wheels, snow tires, pay the shop to mount them.

If I were to want snow tires I would go with option 1 because currently you need Rivian to change the settings in your truck to accommodate the change in wheels/ tires. If you just have new tires put on your OEM wheels you do not need to do this. So in my opinion the simpler solution is to just swap tires.

Also, if you do have a second set of wheels/ tires are you comfortable switching them yourself each season. I only ask this because you said you weren’t mechanically inclined.

Yes, I would feel comfortable swapping the tires out myself. If I did that, do I need to rebalance or that is not a thing for whole wheel swaps?

 

[COdogman]

Yes, I would feel comfortable swapping the tires out myself. If I did that, do I need to rebalance or that is not a thing for whole wheel swaps?

As long as they are balanced the first time after being mounted you should be good each time as long as you tighten them properly.

If money and space are not factors, @Dark-Fx 's plan is a good one. I personally have never had enough of either

 

[M00v0vr]

Not sure what the snow is like in up state ny, here in the PNW our snow has a very high moisture content, it gets very slick at times, Zamboni slick. The stock 20's suck ass when it gets slick so I put a set of Firestone Winterforce LT's on the existing rims and have been very happy. Check them out, same compound as the Blizaks and studable if needed.

 

[Redline]

Ooh bold from a Minnesotan. Making me feel good.

I’m going with the 22s so I will be doing snow tires. If I was getting the 20s I’d feel very confident in our conditions here.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Awesome thanks - how did you buy the rims from Rivian?

Service center can order them. It was barely cheaper than buying a full new set. If I were doing it again I just would have done that and had the spare OEM tires taken off to keep for when I wear down my stock tires.

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