For those of us who are crazy enough to drive our RX8's in the snowy, salty winters, I'd recommend checking out http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.jsp

I went with a set of Fondmetal 6700 (7x17, 5-114.3, +42 offset) in silver. (I don't see them on their website currently) They aren't the lightest (at about 23.5 lbs. but they were inexpensive, look good and appear well-made. (and they're Italian, they know their wheels, right?)

Their service was quick: I saw some wheels I liked listed under the '94 RX7 last week, and emailed them to find out if they would fit my RX8. (6 MT) I got a reply within two hours from Emmitt, confirming they would, so I ordered the wheels last Monday and received them on Thursday the same week.

Over the weekend, I bolted them up to the front hub, to make sure they would fit properly, and they look like they were made for the car. (They are hubcentric as well) I also gave them the spin test to make sure they were straight. I was disappointed to find one of them had about a 0.070 flat spot on the inside edge, and wobbled a bit as it rotated; probably damaged during shipping.

The following Monday, I called Discount Tire, and explained the situation to Scott, who immediately made accommodations to ship me a new wheel, (which I received in two days!) and help me ship back the damaged one.

I feel their service is noteworthy; few retailers offer such good service. A few years ago, I ordered a tire/wheel package from another popular retailer, and had problems with leaking valve stems, (chrome, hadn't been properly installed) and lugnuts. (one was a different hex size; I don't know if they realized what a PITA it would be to have to carry two lug wrenches) Both situations were rectified, (the lugnuts, after two attempts) but quite a bit of time and some running around took place between delivery and regular use.

Just the same, I'm still dreading winter.

What did you get for tires?

There are a couple of threads here, and one long one in the Canada regional forum where we're working on wheels and discussing tires. Have a look!

Regards,
Gordon

Gord96BRG:

I didn't get any tires yet, and quite frankly, I'm not sure what to buy. I want 215-55R17's, but the only somewhat reasonably priced winter tires I can find in that size are the Blizzak WS-50's.

I may end up with those, but I'd like to get something a little more durable on dry pavement, if it is true that these tires wear quickly under non-snow, less cold conditions. (first 50% of the treadwear removes the softer multi-cell rubber, or something like that)

I hope more options turn up in the next few weeks.

I'm no fan of the WS-50s - it is true that they wear quickly, and when 50% gone they become a less-than-average all-season tire. They handle terribly on dry pavement as well, like you're driving in mud all the time.

Pirelli makes the Winter210 SnowSport in 215/55-17, and it turns out that the new Michelin Pilot Alpin Next Generation is also available in that size.

I did some detailed comparisons of the specs, and it turns out that most winter tires in 225/50-17 (about the same outside diameter as the 215/55-17 or the OEM 18s) typically have a tread width that is at least 0.5" narrower than the 225/45-18 OEM tire. There are a couple of other options in the 225/50-17 size, including the Toyo Garit HT (which I'm seriously considering), and the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22.

Other performance winter tires that I like, but don't seem to have an appropriate 17" size, are the Goodyear UltraGrip GW3 and the Yokohama AVS Winter V901.

You can see pretty good info on these winter tires at www.1010tires.com - they seem to have the best listings of most of the winter tires available, much more than what TireRack shows.

Regards,
Gordon

Hmmm, thanks for the info Gordon. I'd like to if anything, slightly increase the outer diameter due to ground clearance concerns, but I realize any appreciable amount could throw things out of whack.

I haven't looked at actual tire measurements lately, but if I remember correctly, in comparing equivalent tire sizes in winter vs. standard tires, snow tires usually have a slightly larger diameter, right?

I just ordered my winter setup from Bob at www.tiretrends.com.

Wheels are Konig Holes (http://www.tiretrends.com/wheel_catalog.php3?wheelID=262 ) , 17x7, bolt pattern 5x114.3, offset 45mm, weight 16.1 lbs. They're pricier than others offered at $255, but cheaper wheels like the FRD30 are 21 lbs each or more. My Mazda $500 is going towards the lighter wheels! Since the car will be wearing these for 5 months + every year, I figured I shouldn't shortchange it - I'll appreciate the lighter wheels every winter every year!

For tires, I chose the Pirelli Winter210 SnowSport (http://www.tiretrends.com/catalog2.php3?tireID=344 ), size 215/55-17. From what I can tell, they are very slightly taller than OEM (26.3 diameter rather than 26.0), but one width narrower, so should bite better in snow.

I should have them within a week!

Regards,
Gordon

Ahh, very nice! It sounds like you won't be giving up a lot of performance just to be able to handle the winter crap.

Gord - just PM'd you. I'n in Nfld, snow and water are my winter problems. Ice and extreme cold are not an issue. How do you ffel about the Pirellis in snow as opposed to ice (you're in AB right - ice/cold are bigger issues for you).

Why did you go with the Pirelli's over the Michelins?

Originally posted by bgparsons3
Why did you go with the Pirelli's over the Michelins?

Well, it's still an ongoing story - I'd updated my similar post in a Canada forum thread, but later the day I place the order I mentioned above, I was told that they weren't actually sure that those wheels would fit the RX-8 (so we're still working on wheels), and that although Pirelli had showed the 215/55-17 size, in fact they didn't have any in stock yet. Now it's almost 2 weeks later, and Pirelli still doesn't have them stocked!

At the same time, TireTrends spoke with Michelin and it looks like they will not be stocking the Pilot Alpin in that size after all this season. They also spoke with Toyo, and there will be a 215/55-17 size of the Garit HT. I've told them that whichever tire they can get first in that size will be fine with me!

For Newfoundland conditions, I think both the Pirelli and Michelin would be great. The Toyo is a bit softer and slightly better on ice, but still would be fine for milder winter conditions.

Regards,
Gordon

I will be using Tireworks in Mississauga and they have the Pirelli's in stock right now. I am still looking for a rim around the $200 mark. Tireworks have Avanti in that price range but I don't have a model fixed yet.

I also have Pirelli's on my other car, Volvo V70 T5 and they have been great for the GTA. Since we don't get too many days of bad winter weather, the wear of the tyre on dry roads was important to me. The Pirelli's have lasted around 20,000km so far with no problem.