tobeit

These Khumo's should be rock hard at -40F.....I don't want to start the correct vs good enough discussion again, but on the pictures it looks like these rims have less than 40 offset to make the 255's fit and not rub on the inner fender? Tire/wheel fitment has a lot to do what look you like and how much money you want to spend....but agree winter tires are an absolute must in your arctic area before spending money to match the mm or less sidewall difference.

Lawkeeper

This RX8 is not our only means of transportation and we have a good 4WD so winters aren't critical on it - they aren't a bad idea though.

Regarding the temperatres and these Kuhmos - they are hilariously bad. After the car has been sitting for about an hour the tires hold a flat spot because of how cold the cold is. It's like going down the road in a giant rumble strip lol.

I think the factory offset is 50. These XXR's have an offset of 36 - there isn't any rubbing.

I appreciate that that everyone has different tastes. What I don't get is why the previous owner put 18x8.75 on the front and 18x9.75 on the rear with 255/40/18's on the front and rear. I suppose it could of been a mistake but when you are ordering wheels, would you select, 4 of the same wheel? I have the boxes the XXR's came in - they were ordered.

You mentioned a point t that I may have over looked - 255/40/18 will fit knthe factory wheels but will they fit the car without rubbing? I was thinking of putting the factory wheels on in place of the XXR's. The factory wheels are 21 lbs whereas the XXR's are 23 lbs. also, the factory wheels are the same all the way around.

Mellina

Hi,

If you use Kumbo 255/40/18 I guess you may like Michelin or Continental.
For example, my brother uses Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 of the same size on his RX8.
For driving in snow they are great, cause the grip is better and there is no skidding on ice as we had previously while using Nankang Winter Activa SV-55.
We've bought ours here http://www.mytyres.co.uk/ and found prices pretty affordable.

I agree that it's better to opt for winters.
Concerning the size, yeah, you may choose 17" as well, cause the difference is tiny. Bridgestone is good too.
Tell us then, what you've chosen.

tobeit

There are probably people on this forum who tested the tire fit in all directions (VIP style...). 255/40 does not sound too scary as normally car manufacturer leave good clearance when specifying stock (225/45). I use rimsntires.com, they have a nice calculator and normally give a good starting point if plus sizing causes any issues. They do not list 255/40/18 as a fitment option though. If it bothers you and like the 2lb weight loss, nothing to loose to put the OEM 18 back on. They are actually pretty nice for OEM, i.e. clean style rim design and not those cheesy wheels manufacturer sometimes put on cars. As someone mentioned before, the previous owner probably just wanted to put some new tires on before selling... Khumo's are on the low end of the cost and he likely got some good discounts on these. Also, tire shops are also not always the brightest and did not care about the different rim size as technically the tires are approved for both rim spec's.

Lawkeeper

The previous owner didn't drive the new wheels and tires at all - not one spec of dirt. And here, in the winter, that's impossible.

I don't mind the OEM wheels at all and we've all seen the Stig push the 8 around the TG test track and get exactly the same time as an M3 on factory wheels and tires.

I'd try to swap the rear wheels but the box is very clearly market that once a tire has been mounted they will not do any exchanges or returns.

I'll check out that site and see what I can come up with.

I finally had time to get all thr plast-Dip off the factory wheels. The funny part is of the four TPMS sensors, one is missing completely, one has been broken off, another looks like a wrench was taken to it, and the last looks like the threaded end was attacked with a minus screwdriver.

CelestialGryphon

iTrader: (1)

IIRC, staggered wheels on an RX8 is stupid. Something about the rims being all the same size on all four corners is how the car was designed, and using staggered rears actually makes it handle worse. Could be Hearsay, but... I got no issues in tight corners in my car on stocks. I just want lighter smaller rims for less rotational mass.

RRousso

Hey there guys. This may be a dumb question however new to the rx-8 as I just purchased it a few days ago. Wondering if Hyundai Sonya rims and tires will fit for winter months. 215/55/17. 5x114.3 46mm offset. Thanks A ton!

NotAPreppie

The rims might, depending on a few things.

Tell us year, trim level and gearbox. 17's will definitely fit a base automatic without sport package. They *might* fit over the brakes included with all manuals or base auto with sport package or auto in touring or grand touring trim.

Also, check the centerbore diameter. RX-8's have a centerbore of 67.1 mm and if it's smaller than that, you're out of luck.

The tire size should be fine. It's about 1.3% larger that stock but that shouldn't matter too much.