WHealy
12-13-2003, 09:55 AM
Special thanks to rx8cited for posting pricing information on Dunlop Winter Sport M3 235/45HR18 tires. (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15387) Also thanks to Gord96BRG for blazing the trail on snow tires and being so informative.
As for me, I thought I would just finish out my comments here with a few pics. Yesterday, I dropped off my new snow tires and wheels, tire sensors and tire sensors nuts at a local tire shop. My first issue was a vibration coming from the rise of the new snow tires stong enough to but a vibration in a persons speech when ridding. Tire Rack said the tires needed to be re-balanced. I have to admit I find this strange to find that Tire Rack did this incorrectly since their main business is selling tires. A little concerning on my part.
Anyway, I got the wheels/tires back later yesterday. Unfortunately, where the previous weights had been removed, the adhesive was still on the wheel. I realize that the local shop didn’t get the benefit of putting the first weights on a new wheel like TireRack did. So the application would be a little more involved. But I don’t understand why they left 4 by 1 inch strips of paper (adhesive backing) on the wheel and expected me not to care. Luckily, I had some 3M adhesive remover here. Probably spent 5 a wheel getting the stuff off, being careful to not let the stuff touch the existing weights. The wheels were also a little chewed up around the previous weights and rear of the wheel. I have yet to really clean the “faces” of the snow wheels, but I think they look fine. Again, the tire shop had to work with the mess that Tire Rack left in my opinion. I may be pursing them for a discount on my wheels.
But the good news is that this morning I took it for the tire sensor setting drive. No vibration. Obviously now they are balanced correctly. No tire sensor warning either after a 30 minute drive. So all seems well … finally.
In addition, since I had the tires at the tire shop on Friday, I spent Thursday night painting my calipers letting them sit until this morning. I have to be honest, I think the pictures make it look better than they really look. I just wasn’t that impressed with the results. If I could have taken the paint back off after finishing the rears (I did one axel at a time) I would have. But it doesn’t look terrible and it wasn’t a lot of cash invested. So we’ll see how they look over time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much space to take the pics since it was in the garage, but I think you get the idea.
So here's the front ...
As for me, I thought I would just finish out my comments here with a few pics. Yesterday, I dropped off my new snow tires and wheels, tire sensors and tire sensors nuts at a local tire shop. My first issue was a vibration coming from the rise of the new snow tires stong enough to but a vibration in a persons speech when ridding. Tire Rack said the tires needed to be re-balanced. I have to admit I find this strange to find that Tire Rack did this incorrectly since their main business is selling tires. A little concerning on my part.
Anyway, I got the wheels/tires back later yesterday. Unfortunately, where the previous weights had been removed, the adhesive was still on the wheel. I realize that the local shop didn’t get the benefit of putting the first weights on a new wheel like TireRack did. So the application would be a little more involved. But I don’t understand why they left 4 by 1 inch strips of paper (adhesive backing) on the wheel and expected me not to care. Luckily, I had some 3M adhesive remover here. Probably spent 5 a wheel getting the stuff off, being careful to not let the stuff touch the existing weights. The wheels were also a little chewed up around the previous weights and rear of the wheel. I have yet to really clean the “faces” of the snow wheels, but I think they look fine. Again, the tire shop had to work with the mess that Tire Rack left in my opinion. I may be pursing them for a discount on my wheels.
But the good news is that this morning I took it for the tire sensor setting drive. No vibration. Obviously now they are balanced correctly. No tire sensor warning either after a 30 minute drive. So all seems well … finally.
In addition, since I had the tires at the tire shop on Friday, I spent Thursday night painting my calipers letting them sit until this morning. I have to be honest, I think the pictures make it look better than they really look. I just wasn’t that impressed with the results. If I could have taken the paint back off after finishing the rears (I did one axel at a time) I would have. But it doesn’t look terrible and it wasn’t a lot of cash invested. So we’ll see how they look over time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much space to take the pics since it was in the garage, but I think you get the idea.
So here's the front ...