Problem with Snow Tires

Hey guys. I am having a problem finding snow tires for my 2003 Xterra. I am looking for a set of studless winter tires like the ones from Michelin or BFG, because the studded ones don't do well with my garage floor. I want to go with a 245/75 R16, because the stock 265s are horrible on ice and snow. The problem is that Costco will not mount any tire that doesn't stand up to the "load rating," which these tires don't. Some tire shops will mount 245s, but Costco will not. I suspect this load rating applies to the max load the X can haul. I don't plan to haul all that much, nor do I plan to tow a trailer during winter. My X weighs 5200 LBs. I think any tire in a 245 should be able to handle that. So, my only options are to go somewhere else, pay more, and not get the tire I want, or go to Costco , get the 265s and slide on the ice. Are there any studless tires that will stand up to this rating? Am I really jeopardizing my life by going with a lighter weight tire? Any help will be appreciated.

The clerks are good at the keyboard and application guides (probably designed with a lawyer over their shoulder) You need to know your stuff and insist on what YOU want. That's what I do.

The tire doesn't know if you drive an Xterra or a Crown Victoria. A P rated is also sufficient. There are lots of studless tires available in 245/75-16. Some tires are squirelly (due to the thread, not due to the vehicle weight). This measurement is not designed for sports car or sedans, so... It doesn't take a scientist to determine they're for vehicles in our categorie.

These are listed for SUV:
Michelin Latitude X-Ice
Bridgestone Blizzak W965 is LT rated
Continental ExtremeWinterContact
BFGoodrich Winter Slalom KSI
General Altimax Arctic Winter is LT rated
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 "...new standard for light truck and SUV winter tire performance"
Toyo Open Country G-02 plus LT rated
Toyo Open Country WLT1
Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072

You're not jeopardizing your life with a 245, whatever the clerk says. Tacoma are running 245/75-16. If owner ask a clerk to install 265, he will tell him he cannot!!! Yet Tacoma and Xterra are similar in size. Pick what YOU need.

During winter driving you're jeopardizing more with 265 though...

Good luck!

If they absolutely refust to mount the 245s, why not just buy the tires from Costco and have them mounted somewhere else?

-Michael

Thanks for the info. I thought about doing that today. My neighbor works at a tire shop. Unfortunately,his shop doesn't have the tire I want. Knowing Costco, and their stupid rules, they may not sell tires without mounting them. But, I plan to call them today to find out. I think this whole load index thing is bullshit. My GVWR is 5200 LBs, my wife's Caravan is 5800 LBs. My "load index" number is 111, hers is like a 96. My neighbor said that a load index much less than what the Xterra is rated for, will handle much more weight than the weight of the vehicle and anything I plan to haul. I think Nissan includes the GVWR with a max weight trailer, to come up with this. Since I don't tow during winter, I don't think I will have a problem with this.

Several people, who seem to know what they are talking about, have told me to never go below the 111 load index. One guy from Michelin did say that 109 would probably be okay. Another guy said that Nissan's load index is a little bit of overkill, but should still be strictly adhered to for safety reasons. So, I guess I am going with the stock superwide 265s, to keep it safe. You may see me in the ditch this winter. This really sucks that we can't change tire sizes.

I wouldn't be as concerned with the load index as with the max weight each tire can handle. Doing a quick search on tirerack.com I looked at the Continental ExtremeWinterContact in the size you want and the Max Load is 2403 lbs per tire, the Xterra is not nearly that heavy. Seems the Continentals are the only studless winter tire tirerack.com has in that size @ $103.00 each. Shipping is usually about $15/tire and they generally ship same day.

GVWR does not equal GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Ratio).

-Michael

Thanks Swampwrecker, I called TireRack this morning. They said that Nissan actually had a 106 stock tire that year, and a 109 is fine. I don't know why everyone has 111 listed as standard load index. I was going to order a Michelin Lat Ice, from them, because it is cheaper, but I already ordered some from Costco, and they got it in today. Since Costco agreed to mount them, and I don't want to wait for UPS, I am getting the BFG Winter Slalom KSI in 245/75R16, so It's all good.

Good deal. I hope the tires work well for you.

-Michael