RX-XSIV

Just wondering if it would be worth spending alot of money on winter tires and wheels for rx8 owners on long island.. im picking up my 8 in the beginning of january and before i mod it the first thing i would think be necessary is winter tires..but is it necessary? do we really get enough snow that we would need winter tires? Would all-season be better? would 18inch wheels with a/s tires be better or 17 inch? id rhater have 18 inch all season tires and wheels this way i can still swap the wheels in the summer and whatever... but just aksing would it be worth it ?

If anyone in nassau county/western suffolk county has winter tires for their 8..please explain if its worht it for me haha.. thanks guys =]

chrism

buy some cheap rims and definately invest in snow tires.....if you try to drive your 8 with stock tires in the snow you wont make it out of the dealership without crashing it.....i made the mistake once in a slight dusting and almost wiped out!.....

RX-XSIV

winter tires woudl be better than all season? even in nassau county wehre it only snows a few times ?

chrism

your joking right?....are you new to the area?.....nassau gets just as much snow as most of the tri-state area and i know for a fact i wouldnt drive my 8 even if i heard a rumour of flurries in the area.....i dont need snows cuz i have a winter beater car (as do most others)....but if you wanna get mediocre performance out of all season tires and take a chance of having an issue still then go for it....but you have a nice sports car....dont skimp

New Yorker

Okay, here are the facts:

1. If you intend to take your 8 out on snow or ice at all—even just one time to go the 7-11—you need winter or all-season tires. You should never drive the car on snow or ice with the stock summer tires.

2. You can "get by" with the summer tires if the roads are totally dry, though they won't grip very well below 40º—they get too hard. But for most people this isn't a practical alternative: even if you drive somewhere when the roads are dry, there's a possibility it'll snow or get icy while you're out, leaving you vulnerable.

3. Don't get all-seasons! While they're more-than-adequate for handling typical L.I. winters, they only make sense if you keep them on all year. Their one advantage is that they're the only tires you need. But since you already have summer tires—and you have to take them off for snow and ice, you might as well put on winter tires, which are superior to all-seasons. (The only way all-seasons would make sense for you is if you kept them on all year and sold your summer tires.)

Just my 2¢.

RX-XSIV

nah im not new to the area.. its just that last year i dindt think it snowed all that much..except for the 16 inches of snow we got in february that one night.. but i wasnt even driving my acura durin that storm anyway..i was stuck in for 2 or 3 days.. ..i know the stock potenzas are horrible for anything other than summer drivin and nice weather.. but i just wnated to know if a nice pair of all seasons would do me the same as performance snow tires.. because on dry days during the winter i dont want snow tires becasue the treadsd will wear down..and we got quite a few of those days last year..

RX-XSIV

arite sounds good.. ill go with snows..thanks for the help new yorker and chrism..i appreciate it.. now just the other question.. should i go for a performance snow tire.. or just a normal one? i like the blizzakks but they are expensive for a set of 4 of em..espeically if im only gonna be using them for 3 months in a year ..im financing my 8 starting in january and my payments are already ognna be 300+ a month.. which is expensive for an 18 year old going to school full time and havin a part time job lol.. im not sure if i want to keep the stock 18s on during the winter though =\.. i like the way they look and i might want to just keep the wheels stock .. the only other wheel i would consider buying are the axis hiro's..and then still i would have to get another set of new tires because of the staggeredness..so idk if i wanna get a set of 17s for the winter and keep the 18's stock for spring /summer/early fall.. what would u reccomend? 17s for the winter and 18s for the rest of the year.. or.. 18s for the winter and then a set of axis hiros for the rest of the year..

New Yorker

Not if you get what Tire Rack calls a "Performance Winter" tire like the "Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3" or the "Blizzak LM-22/LM-25" or the "Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2".

Go to their website and read owner's reviews—many of them like these tires so much they want to keep them on all year!

New Yorker

Winter tires work better in snow when they're smaller and narrower. So I'd go with 17's for winter and 18's (either stock, or sell 'em and some other 18's) the rest of the year.

RX-XSIV

heyy arite thanks alot man i appreciate it.. im new to the 8 scene nd ive been obsessing with the car since march last year..finally in january i should have enough money saved up to put a down payment on one =] hearing how all these people ar edoing these thigns to their 8s and stuff is making me so anxious.. i almost was going to lease the car a month ago because i wanted it as soon as possible haha.. my only question is that how come there arent that many 8 meets around on the island.. we needa get some started soon.. i know alot of ppl dont like bringin their cars out in the winter..but im hoping in march or april we can get somethin started..

chrism

you just missed one in flushing meadows park a couple of weeks ago.....was 70ish rotaries.....

New Yorker

Try to make this one on Sunday…
https://www.rx8club.com/ne-rx-8-forum-29/nyra-final-meet-october-8th-2006-%40-bear-mountain-99329/

SmokeyTheBalrog

I saw another 8 this weekend. (I need to remember exactly where so I can post in the "I saw you thread")

Yeah, I haven't seen to many 8's on the Island, but there are a few.

And feel free to come to the meet on the 8th. The more the merrier.

Chino075

The Dunlops M3 work wonders, even if the weather is dry (during winter). Although, you won't be able to go 60 mph on a 30 mph turn, but like around 50 mph they are still awesome tires. I've had them for 2 winters and my treadwear are still good....I even drove them during the spring (*cough* Chris remembers it).

If you want to enjoy the car and the safety of it, don't skip on winter tires. Do what I did, stock rims with Dunlops M3 and aftermarket rims with your stock tires. If it ever snows, I would be more than happy to show you how the 8 works wonderfully in the snow. I make SUVS look like snails

Al

New Yorker

Anyone know the expected tread life on the Dunlop M3s?

RX-XSIV

i dont got an 8 yet lol.. it would be pretty stupid of me to go haha.. i gotta wait until the beginnin of january to get it =\ .. not allowed to touch some money until im 19 or some stupid crap like that.. if i had the car i woulda been there believe me haha.. im just trying to get as much info as i can this way wen i pick the car up i dont go runnin around not knowing what to do haha..

chrism

dont mean you cant go to learn

SmokeyTheBalrog

Doesn't matter that you don't have an 8. Come to hang out and get a close up look at 8 an stuff.

RX-XSIV

true..id go but id feel weird #1 bc eveyr1 got an 8 and ill show up in my integra haha and then #2.. id get jealous/anxious bc i want the car now and i dont feel like waiting another 2-3 montsh haha.. but yeah ill try and go if i dont got work =] thanks guys

vdelvec

You can expect anywhere between 3-5 winter seasons out of them. Just remember, it really all depends on how you drive. You can totally wipe out a tire after 3,000 miles if you burn rubber everytime you go from a stop.

Paul_in_DC

This will be my 2nd winter on my Dunlop M3s. Tire rack says their tread depth when new is 11/32". I just checked mine and they're still 11/32!

(This little $3 tread depth gauge sure comes in handy.)

M23RX8

Someone once referred to all-season tires as "NO-season tires". If you've ever driven on winter tires especially, you could see the truth in that statement. They are incredible. All-seasons dont do anything well, they are just adequate.