Sorry if this topic has been discussed already but I couldn't find the following question answered yet. First of all, I live in Columbus, OH. We get snow here. How important is it to but winter tires? Am I insane to think about driving without winter tires and relying a lot on the DSC system? Secondly, do all 4 need to be changed or just the rear 2? Lastly, I called up the dealer where I bought the car and they said they can get me the 18" Brisgestone Blizzacks for $255 and $16 installation fee per tire. Does that sound reasonable? Thanks

By the way, any recommendations on how to protect the open areas by the oil filter and AC filter area on the front by the air dam?

From what i have read the 8 is a no goer in the snow..... and even with snow tires the ground clearence would be a killer .... good luck

From what i have read the 8 is a no goer in the snow..... and even with snow tires the ground clearence would be a killer .... good luck
You haven't been reading here, then. The STOCK TIRES are summer performance tires, and are useless in snow. With WINTER TIRES, the RX-8 does extremely well. Ground clearance is no problem except perhaps in a big storm. Nobody here has ever said ground clearance is a problem. FWIW, this is my second winter driving my RX-8 on winter tires, and it's been fabulous. I regularly take it skiing to the Banff Rockies ski areas.

RX8rider, your search techniques obviously need work! ;) There are dozens, nearly hundreds, of threads discussing winter driving and the RX-8. Even the forum software found some - look at the very bottom of your thread, for similar topics. Search in the Wheels and Tires forum section for "winter tires" and you'll find plenty of useful reading (actually, start with the sticky threads at the top of the Wheels and Tires forum section).

18" tires are not necessarily the best way to go. I did a cost comparison that showed if you keep the car 4 winters or more, it is cheaper to buy a separate set of 17" winter alloy wheels and 17" winter tires. Again, relevant discussions are in the Wheels and Tires section. Do some reading there, then feel free to ask more questions.

Regards,
Gordon

From what i have read the 8 is a no goer in the snow..... and even with snow tires the ground clearence would be a killer .... good luck

Check out the Canadian Regional forum... many of us are driving the 8 in snow. The majority have purchased 17" rims to go with 17" tires. There are a few that have mounted Blizzak 18" on the stock rims too... seems to be working well. Definitely would recommend all 4 tires.

Also $255 (USD?) seems a bit pricey, but not unreasonable.

there shoudl be a little list of related threads at the bottom here, go check them out. From what I have gathered, in general the 8 is OK to drive in winter, but snow tire or even good all seasons are more recommened than stock rubber. All 4 tires should be changed out, even if you changed the rear 2 for traction, you still couldn't turn worht a darn.

not sure on pricing, check tire rack, might have soem winter tire/wheel specials, and come next summer they can become the auto-x wheels with race rubber.

Haven't had the pleasure yet (I'm in VA and got mine at the end of Feb). From what I've read here the car does fine in the snow if you replace the OEM tires with winter tires. Clearance shouldn't be an issue since you shouldn't be going anywhere a plow hasn't been (I drove a Honda CRX through three winters here and only got it hung up once. The trick is, if your going to get stuck, get stuck in everyone's way...then you'll get a friendly push from the people that want to get by.).

I am happy to hear they go good in the snow then.... maybe it was another MD driver who posted they don't ... i know mine won't .....i'll leave the snow to the 4X

I am happy to hear they go good in the snow then.... maybe it was another MD driver who posted they don't ... i know mine won't .....i'll leave the snow to the 4X
:rolleyes: It's ALL about the tires. My RX-8 on winter tires drives around the FWD cars and SUVs on all-season tires who can't make it up the icy hills. Tires, man - it doesn't matter how many wheels you have providing drive, 4WD and AWD don't help at all when it comes time to turn and stop. Tires - the interface between the car and the road. That's what matters.

Regards,
Gordon

Another thumbs up from a snow RX-8 driver... with winter tires, the 8 is wonderful in the snow. I went through some pretty deep stuff last winter, and it out handled and out stopped my wife's 4WD explorer (with all-terrains). Without snow tires, you will not make it though the winter undamaged.

Speaking from intimate experience, DO NOT drive your -8 on summer tires in the snow.

If your area doesn't get socked a lot with snow, and you don't want to invest hugely in extra wheels/snow tires, get a set of Pirelli PZero Nero M+S all-seasons from tire rack. They handle just as well in the dry as the stock tires (in fact, they rate BETTER than the stock tires in the dry stuff) and rate a solid "pretty good" (7.5 out of 10 in the snow).

That's what I did ... haven't seen snow with them yet, but love them on the dry. Quieter and better handling than the stock Potenza's ...

Check out the two threads on the Tire/Wheel forum on the PZeros ... one from me, one from Omicron, who has driven his in snow and loves them.

Stew

Also, you should be changing ALL FOUR tires, not just the back. It's no good if you can get traction for moving the car with the rear wheels, but no traction with the front wheels to steer where you want the car to go. You gotta do them all.

I changed my stock tires to Dunlop M3 Snow Tires, and they do wonders in the snow, with no fear in a foot of the white stuff. It should not even be a question to get them if you have the intention of even driving in a 1/4" of snow with the stock summer tires, as they do sh!t.

I just recently drove my yellow Rx-8 in its 1st snow here in Michigan and it was great with the all season 245-40-18 Toyo Proxes 4's! Much, Much, better than my 99 Mustang GT. I do not see the need to get snow tires for the amount of snow we get around here in Detroit.

The RX-8 has a built-in advantage for driving in the snow! It's one of those looking on the bright side of things. The RX-8 is, as has been pointed out repeatedly, low on torque. That's an advantage in the snow because you are less likely to lose traction when accelerating. When I drive a standard transmission on snow, I try to stay a gear above where I would normally be just to reduce the torque and the possibility of breaking the driven wheels loose. With the 8's low torque, that may not be necessary.

From what i have read the 8 is a no goer in the snow..... and even with snow tires the ground clearence would be a killer .... good luck
That's bogus. With M+S or winter-rated rubber, people consistantly report it as an excellent winter driver.

Besides, it has MORE ground clearance (assuming no 'appearance kit' crap) than my VW GTI. If you lower it, or put on a ground-scraping bumper, then it's your fault, not the 8's.

Gord96brg, you sound like one who's had some experience here...what brand of winter tires do you use? And what are you guys paying for the whole deal?

The RX-8 has a built-in advantage for driving in the snow! It's one of those looking on the bright side of things. The RX-8 is, as has been pointed out repeatedly, low on torque. That's an advantage in the snow because you are less likely to lose traction when accelerating. When I drive a standard transmission on snow, I try to stay a gear above where I would normally be just to reduce the torque and the possibility of breaking the driven wheels loose. With the 8's low torque, that may not be necessary.

This is very true- that played a role in my decision making process. I've seen similar horsepower cars with much more torque (Mustang GT) struggle in the snow, even with winter tires, because of how easy the backend would come out with the slightest bit of gas. The crappy weight distribution also didn't help. I'm curious to see how the redesigned 'stang holds up in the winter...

Is it the tires that make the most difference in snow traction, or is it the DSC? I don't have DSC / Traction Control on my 8 (base model - 6sp). Assuming that I get snow tires, am I still asking for trouble?

Is it the tires that make the most difference in snow traction, or is it the DSC? I don't have DSC / Traction Control on my 8 (base model - 6sp). Assuming that I get snow tires, am I still asking for trouble?
It's all about the tires... DSC/TCS is a great help, but if the tires don't have grip to start with, the computer can't do anything to help. With 50/50 balance and good tires, you should be fine if you're familiar with RWD in the snow.

Gord96brg, you sound like one who's had some experience here...what brand of winter tires do you use? And what are you guys paying for the whole deal?

29 Canadian winters of driving experience! :eek: As a moderator, it's my duty to offer a forum tip - if you want to find something like "What winter tires might Gord96BRG use?", click the Search button at the top of the forum, click the "advanced search" button, then put in "winter tires" in the Key Words field, "Gord96BRG" in the User Name field, then select the forum to search - All, Wheels/Tires, or Canada forums would be excellent choices. ;) If you pick All, you'll find 191 threads where I've posted about winter tires :eek: (Lots of great reading there, going back to Sept 03 when we first started discussing winter tires).

To sum up, though - I run Toyo Garit HT 215/55-17 on Konig Holes (Graphite) 17x7" wheels (pictures are around here in a few threads). It's actually cheaper to buy separate 17" alloy wheels and 17" winter tires than to buy more expensive 18" winter tires and pay to swap them with your summer tires twice per year, if you are planning to keep the car for 4 winters or more. Also - for winter use, narrower is better. A 215 width winter tire gives much better traction than a 245 all-season tire. For more than occasional snow use, the all-seasons would not be adequate (especially wide ones like 245s).

Regards,
Gordon

Is it the tires that make the most difference in snow traction, or is it the DSC? I don't have DSC / Traction Control on my 8 (base model - 6sp). Assuming that I get snow tires, am I still asking for trouble?
What GR8boy said - DSC can not magically create traction, they can only use as much traction as the tires provide. If you have the stock summer tires, there is extremely little traction available, and DSC will just ensure that you slide off the road pointed straight ahead rather than sideways or backwards - but you'll still be sliding off the road. If you want traction, then it's all about the tires.

Regards,
Gordon

What GR8boy said - DSC can not magically create traction, they can only use as much traction as the tires provide. If you have the stock summer tires, there is extremely little traction available, and DSC will just ensure that you slide off the road pointed straight ahead rather than sideways or backwards - but you'll still be sliding off the road. If you want traction, then it's all about the tires.



So where in all of this do chains come into play? I've always put chains on my accord (front wheel drive / stock tires), when going up to the snow. Does having snow tires negate the need for chains on the 8 in all but the most snowed in conditions?

So where in all of this do chains come into play? I've always put chains on my accord (front wheel drive / stock tires), when going up to the snow. Does having snow tires negate the need for chains on the 8 in all but the most snowed in conditions?
I forget the California pass requirements and classifications, but as far as I recall, there are several classifications in snow conditions. At one level, you need either winter tires or chains on all-season tires; at the next level, you need AWD/4WD with winter tires or FWD/RWD, winter tires, and chains; at the next level the road is closed? ;)
Chains would still help on winter tires in extreme ice conditions, maybe in deep loose snow. I don't have much experience with chains, though, haven't used them in over 20 years.

Regards,
Gordon

So where in all of this do chains come into play? I've always put chains on my accord (front wheel drive / stock tires), when going up to the snow. Does having snow tires negate the need for chains on the 8 in all but the most snowed in conditions?

Don't do it.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=46650&highlight=chains
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=31553&highlight=chains

Lost control in an intersection recently with just a tiny amount of ice/wetness. Granted, my DSC was off and I was doing a U turn... and I still have my summer tires.

First and hopefully last time I end up facing the wrong way down the street.

That had to have been pleasant.

Our first 1/8" snowfall (mid-November) caught me by surprise. I skidded helplessly through one intersection at 10mph with the ABS pumping madly - and uselessly. If there's a snowflake within 5 miles the stock tires curl up in a little, fetal ball screaming, "NO! NO! NO!" ;)


Our second snowfall (last week) caught me by surprise again. (Okay, okay, I'm a schmuck!) The 1.5 hour drive home was terrifying. The stock tires are even worse than useless, by far the worst I've experienced on any vehicle in 34 years of driving. DSC? Hah! When there's zero traction it doesn't matter how well your drivetrain is regulated.

Benedick's "low torque/higher gear" tip was spot on. If I didn't already know that from years of RX-7's my 8 would have been crushed. Climbing gradual hills with an inch of snow was impossible if engine revs got above 2500. I drove for over an hour with the tach between 1500 and 2500. Any higher and the rear end instantly decided it was going to lead the way.

Do NOT drive on snow with the stock tires, ever. (So says the schmuck!) If I didn't have alot of experience driving in bad conditions I would have ditched the car or smashed into someone at the first spin. One second I was travelling up a slight incline on a straight road. Next second the car was beyond 45 degrees, no warning, faster than you can blink. Since I'm naturally slow (have I mentioned I'm a schmuck?) I didn't over-react. Calm countersteering and very delicate throttle modulation is the only reason my car's still in one piece.

She's staying in the garage on all but sunny days. That's why I kept my 12 year old Cherokee. He's actually fun on snow days.
Jeep + Blizzaks = Zoom-Zoom on snow!

thanks for all of the recommendations. I recently ordered Michelin Pilot Alpine PA2 17" tires and ASA JS! rims from Tirerack. So far they're carving right through the 4 " of snow that just fell here! Not only that but I think that the rims might actually look better than the stock rims.

Do yourself a favor, dont bring the 8 out in the snow