I'm not sure if it's just me or has anyone else noticed this, but does the rx-8 seem to pick up a whole lot of rocks when driving? I mean sometimes the sound of the rocks hitting the car just ruins the drive. Has anyone else noticed this?

I have not experienced this issue - sorry.

I only notice around large trucks, but its the same with any car.

One thing, on previous cars I've owned, I get more stone damage on the rear bumper than the front. Not sure why this is, but it is. It was very noticable on my late mini-van; after 6 years the front bumper had few dings and scratches; the rear bumper was trashed. So if I get that Clearbra stuff I'd be more inclined to cover the rear bumper than the front. Has anyone else noticed this?

I do 60 miles a day in the DC Beltway and the front of my 3 year old Miata has about a million + tiny rock chips ... the windshield is sand blasted... and that is staying as far as possible from dump trucks.
I think the 8 and stock Miata are about same height so it's to be expected depending on the type of route or commute you do.
I've noticed that empty dump trucks do more harm than heavy ones , when they hit any road imperfection they shake out a lot of debris...

I have noticed the sound of small rocks when I first take off, after that I turn up the BOSE sound and drown everything else out. I check for nicks all the time but have found a single one, so no worries.

yeah, i can never hear the road because of music

Me too. I hear the rocks when I leave my street in the morning. I think its two things: (1) bigger tires, more debris coming up into the undercarriage; (2) hitting something that makes a noise loud enough to hear, unlike in my other vehicles.

the angle of the front end makes it very easy for rocks to chip the paint. i have a few already :(

I have noticed the same thing. I noticed when I put in my clear corners the wheel well liners are made of some very thin plastic which may have something to do with it.

Sux about your rocks...bra might be neccessary?

I suggest also giving yourself alittle distance from vehicles ahead of you. It helps...

Speaking of rocks that hit the front of the car; since rocks bounce at your car because they've been "stirred-up" by some event in front of your car -- that would rule out "the rock-receiving car" being the cause of the rocks. If the car is the 'victim' of rocks and not the cause of the rocks, then wouldn't all cars of a given height encounter the same rocks under the same road/rock conditions. I agree with the earlier post that says to watch how close you follow on a rocky (or rock-strewn) road. I am new to 8's so maybe I'm missing something but I had my last car for 3 years, driving it daily and there were exactly 3 rock chips on the car; all on the front of the hood. That's 3 too many in my opinion and that's why I'll have a clear-bra put on this week. Never heard of cars throwing rocks on themselves but if somehow they manage to do so, I suppose the clear-bra on the back of the car would be a good idea for 8_wanna. :)

IN the time I have had it every time I wash it I find more chips. I am up to about 35 now as well as 2 small dents, 1 on the hood, 1 on the fender, AND one mother of a rock that chipped a tiny (under 1mm across) crater in the windshield I need to fix.

I am going to have the whole thing done with a buddy who does paint for a living and then I am getting a friking clear bra. it just crushes me everytime I find a new one.

I stay WAY BEHIND everything that's rolling in front of me - especially trucks. When I get the chance, ZOOM, I'm gone in a flash, literally. I suppose those who are watching & don't understand think I'm either crazy, or picking on somebody to race. Oh well, but so far, no dinks or nothing. Still showroom condition. A lot of that fortune is luck so far, I know...

My MX-6 & my G20-T have major damage up front due to rocks & sand & stuff...that's why I know now to stay way behind, give that stuff a chance to at least bounce once off the ground before I get to it...let it lose some energy at least.

About the tires picking up stuff, last night, at the end of a 5-lane road, where it goes down to 2 lanes, I decided to use what remained of the middle (left-turn) lane to get around a slow poke (my last chance for miles). The trash in that middle lane was so nasty, I was real upset that I did it. It sounded like I was being pelted by a million Lilliputians from the underside of my car. Argh!!! I would have stayed behind that slow poke for a long time instead of experiencing that, if I'd only known...:(

The sound of debris kicked up by the tires seems to be more audible in the 8 than most cars. This seems to be true even of very small stuff that isn't damaging. Maybe it's something to do with the combination of tire diameter, wheel well materials, and undercarriage design.

Originally posted by zoomalot
The sound of debris kicked up by the tires seems to be more audible in the 8 than most cars.

I really agree with this and think the previous post about the thin plastic in the wheel wells may be right. That material may be acting like a drum head.

Is it possible this is caused by soft compound tires? Maybe some of you that have run softer compound tires on the street with other vehicles could comment. As far as causing damage, it is beginning to show on my 8. I'll be repainting the areo flares soon.

Originally posted by TheDosDog
Is it possible this is caused by soft compound tires? Maybe some of you that have run softer compound tires on the street with other vehicles could comment. As far as causing damage, it is beginning to show on my 8. I'll be repainting the areo flares soon. Yup, that's part of it, and the tire tread design. But most of all, it's because it's a low-to-the-ground sports car. EVERYthing is more audible in sports cars.

Are there any members yet that have the dunlops. Since a lot of us will be replacing our tires soon I wonder how they compare.

Super old thread, I know but hey when you are searching tgis is what you come accross, so i was wondering about those dunlops as well, i have some rock kicking up sounds, but think its just hitting my fender wells, weird though....

8 years in hibernation and its been awaken by :rolleyes: lol

Hey when you use the search bar and google it comes up, better than starting a new thread when this one is here

It helps, but only to a degree. Most chips come from people suddenly changing lanes in front of you and churning up the debris that doesn't get cleared as readily as in the travel lanes themselves. Road rash is inevitable. A clear bra helps too, but it's a little like those folks who seal their livingroom furniture in plastic.

I suggest also giving yourself alittle distance from vehicles ahead of you. It helps...

Hey when you use the search bar and google it comes up, better than starting a new thread when this one is here
Very true. Sometimes it's a double-edged sword....if you start a new thread people will tell you to search, if you revive an old thread people will give ya a hard time for that too. Reviving an old thread is always better imo.

Are there any members yet that have the dunlops. Since a lot of us will be replacing our tires soon I wonder how they compare.

Dunlops pick up ALOT of rocks. It's the first thing I noticed when I had them on my car. It's well worth the sacrifice for the handling though.

ive noticed it too, i just thought it was the cars ahead of me. but come to think of it, my 3 series never seemed to get the same rock smashing sound so often.