[TarHeelFan]

Although I don't PLAN on driving in the snow too often and I realize this is an AWD vehicle, there are times when having chains or cables is mandatory. Anyone have suggestions?

For you East Coast folk, how well do the OEM "All Season" tires work in the snow? I've got the Cinturato P7 All Seasons on my 35i.

Just to clarify...I don't live in an area where it snows and I'm referring to a situation of getting to a place that might require chains. To clarify further: Planning a trip to Yosemite and we know if we go in July there wouldn't be any issues. What if we decided to go in December instead? The Yosemite website states that HAVING chains is mandatory to get to certain passes.

[Razel]

What size wheels? I believe BMW "strongly discourages" chains on 19" wheels, which probably means the same goes for 20" ones.

And, from what I've gathered, no one uses chains except for Californians.

[TarHeelFan]

I've got the stock 18" 245/50 Pirelli All Season RFTs.

[Nahoa]

I believe you can use "chains" on the 18 if I understood the manual correctly. Previously BMW sold cable-style chains for our 3 series sedan. Haven't seen them under accessories for the F25 yet.

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by TarHeelFan

For you East Coast folk, how well do the OEM "All Season" tires work in the snow? I've got the Cinturato P7 All Seasons on my 35i.

.... The Yosemite website states that HAVING chains is mandatory to get to certain passes.

I have a 35i that came with the P7 "All Seasons". they work OK in what we in the Midwest would consider light to moderate snow or about 1 to 3 inches. On anything deeper or roads covered with glare ice, they would probably not be be acceptable. This winter I was able to drive the X3 35i with P7s and then a Subaru Legacy turbo fitted with Bridgestone Blizzaks (LM-25s). the Blizzaks were dramatically better than the P7s in the same snow, but with appropriate caution, the X3/P7 combination was "usable". I'll certainly get a set of winter tires on new wheels for the X3 next winter.

If a Yosemite road has a "chains required" warning posted, the P7s are probably not going to do it. Remember, the AWD does not help with braking and does very little for lateral (turning) traction. For deep snow a tire with a dedicated winter tread pattern and a low-temp compound really makes a difference.

Think Nokian, Blizzaks, Pirelli Sottozeros or Dunlop SP 3Ds.

Regarding chains, BMW states:

Fine-link snow chains
Only certain types of fine-link snow chains have
been tested by the manufacturer of your vehicle,
classified as road-safe and recommended.
Consult your service center for more information.

Use
Use only in pairs on the rear wheels, equipped
with the tires of the following size:
▷ 205/65 R 17.
▷ 225/60 R 17.
▷ 245/50 R 18.

They are never allowed on the 19 inch wheels, and speed is limited to 20 mph.

[walendvay]

nokian hakkapilitta and chains if you need them!

[Razel]

Ok, it's a zombie thread at this point, but here's some info anyway.

http://www.etrailer.com/question-23135.html

Little more pricey ...
http://www.vulcantire.com/cgi-bin/ch...eXG12pro_l.htm

Originally Posted by Nahoa

I believe you can use "chains" on the 18 if I understood the manual correctly. Previously BMW sold cable-style chains for our 3 series sedan. Haven't seen them under accessories for the F25 yet.

They hid it pretty well. Click on the picture with snow chains, and it went to la-la land in the server. But, a little imagination, and voila!
Put the mouse over the "Model Availability" on the right hand side. X3 11/10 forward (ours, I'm pretty sure) is listed as the first one.
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/acc...=Snow%20Chains

My CA's response to my initial tire chain inquiry was "I don't drive in the snow", and BMWNA Customer Service response was "Please discuss with your dealer". There's a dealer in Reno, NV. that might have a good idea of what to look out for.

[teegee]

This might be a very silly question as I haven't used snow chains before:

The BMW accesssory catalogue in Japan lists the RUD-matic disc as OK for 19 245/45...
Does this mean if you buy them, you can only put them on the front two wheels (as the rear 19s are 275/40)??

A few of the posts above say that BMW says no chains on 19s, so I'm a bit worried!

And a general snow-chain question: does it matter if you put them on the front or rear tyres? Is one better than the other?

Like the first poster, I'll only be driving in snow around 5 times a year to go skiing & it'll only be the last 20 mins between motorway & hotel where I'll have to put chains on...

As an aside - I've looked into the RUD-matics - they cost around 60k yen over here (731 USD), but 60 GBP in the UK (<100 USD).... can you believe that??!!

[rs6655]

This is what I use on my 2009 with 235/55 R 17's and I highly recommend them.

http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/...ain%20104.aspx

[Razel]

Also from www.vulcantire.com, but almost $400/pair. They don't wrap around to the inside of the tire/wheel, so clearance isn't a problem with parts not-so-visible.