AF-RX8

This is like torture . . . I picked up a brand new Black RX8 with the G/T package M/T on Thursday, I drove it home from the dealer in snowy weather and I haven't driven it since

Here in NY we have had bad driving conditions and since my tires are brand new with that coating they put on new tires, it is EXTREMELY sliipery driving the 8 plus I know the bridgestones stink anyway in snow.

The car has 14 miles on it and to top it off I am going away this Friday for over 2 weeks . . . I'm never going to be able to drive this car.


Also I've been trying to get another set of 18" wheels so I could buy some all-season tires so at least if there is snow on the ground, I will be able to drive and not get killed . . .

All I could do is just admire that black beauty in my garage !!

Gord96BRG

I don't get it - the people who have been buying 18" all-season tires did so because they wanted to use their original rims and AS tires year round. If you're going to buy separate wheels and tires for winter duty - why not just buy 17" wheels and 17" proper winter tires??? They're cheaper than the 18" equivalents, the 17" winter tires are still available, and winter tires will do much better in winter conditions than AS tires, which are a compromise in winter and a compromise in summer. If you're keeping the original wheels and tires for summer use - then why would you compromise the winter use tires?

Regards,
Gordon

AF-RX8

I would love to buy 18" winter tires but there are none available anymore . . . as far as 17" wheels, honestly I have not found any 17" wheels that look as good as the stock 18's though I am open minded, unfortunately on this site there are limited number of cars with aftermarket 17's so the few I have seen I am not crazy about.

All-seasons would be the only choice at this point of the season plus I've been using all-season's for winter use only on my 330Ci and 330i for the past 3 1/2 yrs and they have gotten me through snow beautifully

Rotary Nut

Check out my thread I started here
on my AS tire install!

MEGAREDS

I know where you are coming from Carguy. I bought my telescope two years ago... clouds for 20 straight days!

Rotary Nut

Doooh you already have. My bad!

AF-RX8

Your thread is part of the reason I am going with those tires . . . I was thinking of going with a 235/40/18 instead of the 245/40/18 sicne I figure it should be a little better for snow use . . .

Doctorr

I don't know why you bother, Gord.

They don't want to listen.....
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doc

Thinthi

i'm also out here in li, and i'm riding on the stock tires, i have just over 2200 miles on the car, so i don't still ahve that slippery stuff on my tires, but i drove about 100 miles on friday, even went into a gated community that wasn't cleaned at all and drove a good 10 miles in there going to someoens house.... tires slipped a little bit but i had no problem keeping complete control of the car. def more fun to drive in the summer but good luck trying to get some driving before you leave.

AF-RX8

Actually I am new to this board but think his advice is right on target . . . I happen to be pretty aware of wheels/ tires, etc.

I have had over 8 sets of wheels in the last 10 months on the Bimmer. . . I totally agree with what Gord says and he does have me rethinking the possiblity of going with the 17's ... if someone posted a picture of some attractive 17's I would definitely consider it.

Otherwise if not, since snow tires are not available anymore in the proper size and I don't want to take the chance with the Birdgestones, the choices are very limited . ..

Gord96BRG

Actually, I've seen quite a few 17s that I think look great!

This thread has pics of mine, and this thread (from Oct 6 on) has some pics of wheels that others have used that look very nice. They are out there - even the Kazera 17" wheels that Tire Rack offers look pretty good (those have been posted here as well).

Regards,
Gordon

AF-RX8

I think we must have different taste . . . I saw the yellow wheels picture :D


On a serious note. . . I saw those pictures but I don't like the looks of the higher aspect ratio sidewall . . . plus here in Long Island, it's not like we get snow everyday or anything . . . I need a tire that can get me home on my 10 mile commute on a day it just happens to snow.

I don't know if you ever tried all-seasons in the snow but they do an excellent job as I have had them in various sizes for the past 3 winters.

93rdcurrent

Keep in mind Carguy that lower profile tires don't do as well in snow and on ice. The more air pressure you have to keep makes the tires more rigid and "tight" making them less effecient. Many people keep their tires at 5psi under recommended pressure when driving on snow and ice. The reason for this as I understand it is that you have more tread on the ice for traction. Will someone help me out here? So the 17" wheels may not look as good but they should give you better traction. Oh and one other point, narrower tires do better in snow.

AF-RX8

Thanks 93rdcurrent, you make some great points . . . my last set of winter wheels were 225/45/17 all-seasons which was my first season trying out such a wide tire and surprisingly, they were very good, previous to that I was using a 205/50/17 all-seasin which were also very good though in the dry they didn't handle as well.

Both sets were the same exact tire too so the size and aspect ratio definitely gave a better feel as far as dry handling and in the winter, most of our weather is dry with snow a few times a year

DaveT

Patience, Carguy, patience!
I'm in Tennessee and I drove mine home from the dealer the night I bought it in the middle of an ice storm and it didn't miss a beat.
'course you feller's been gettin' more than your share of bad weather here of late. I feel your pain.

Gord96BRG

I don't know if you have ever tried real winter tires in the snow, because if you had - you couldn't think that all-seasons do an excellent job in snow! :D Yes, I've tried quite a few all-seasons in the snow, including on my Miata (OEM in Canada in 96). My other car, an Audi allroad, was delivered with all-seasons, and the car the RX-8 replaced, my wife's Ford Contour SE, was delivered with all-seasons. Both of those have been driven on all-seasons in snow only out of necessity with an early or very late storm, but are normally fitted with winter tires for winter. Even with the Audi allroad (AWD quattro), there is a real world of difference in the capability of all-seasons vs. winter tires. Braking is where it's most noticeable on the AWD, but cornering as well.

Seriously - there really isn't any comparison. All-seasons can get you by, but a good winter tire transforms the car. Something like a Michelin Pilot Alpin, Dunlop M3, BS LM-22, or Pirelli Winter 210 SnowSport give good dry pavement handling as well. I'd swear that the Pilot Alpins on the Audi handle better than the OEM all-seasons, but (again) provide much more grip than the A/S tires on snow or ice.

PS - I'm Canadian, so I've been driving in real winters on old bias snows, radials, all-seasons, and winter tires, in RWD, FWD, and AWD, for 28 years now! (Good lord, saying that makes me feel old!! )

Regards,
Gordon

AF-RX8

Ok Gordon I appreciate the advice and am thinking of going with the Dunlop M2 but the problem is the only size around is the 225/40/18.

From another thread on this board it looks like others have done . . . what do you think about going with that size ?

For the $380 this place is charging how could I go wrong
http://www.bestwheel.com/specials.asp?id=29

Icanrel-8

93rdcurrent- I'm not a tire scientist, but my experience with off-roading backs up what you are saying.

On sand dunes, and for most other applications off-road, we "air down" and some guys actually have special valves for letting out air faster to get out on the trail, and we carry various systems for airing back up quickly as well. If you think of tank treads, the lower tire pressure makes your tire act like that, kinda.

You definately don't want a hard tire, it spins, breaking traction, tearing up the trail (Tread Lightly). Best snow truck tires are tall and narrow, NOT those big fat floaters you see on monster trucks (those are used for deep mud and flattening stacks of import sedans :D ). The concept would hold true for road snow tires.

Fwiw, I'm buying 17s with snow tires to swap for winter. I'll let you all know how that goes. I don't know how that will look or handle vs the stocks, but I'll bet I will look better going than stuck on the side of the road. Such is compromise

Icanrel-8

...and that's not even talking about the difference in rubber compounds...