alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

The only reason to go down in size is the tires are cheaper.
I'm in the Chicago area too (DuPage County). I've never used a winter tire on the car in 8 yrs. I've used all-seasons year around, except when I go to the track. Of the few brands I've tried, Continental makes the best A/S tire for the snow.
I don't have to worry about that anymore, I now have a Jeep too.

NO_PSTNS

I use my rx-8 quite a bit jumping from mountain to mountain skiing all winter and I use the Firestone WinterForce and I can't say enough good things about these winter tires they are truly amazing... Tommi Makinen's WRC Subaru used these exact tires to film an episode of Hot Versions Touge Showdown Special Back in the day on a snow covered touge.
As for the rx-8 what a great car in the winter, truly love this thing!

EricB

iTrader: (7)

milk mustache!

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

I typically think Firestone & Uniroyal tires SUCK, but Firestone seems to have nailed the Winterforce in terms of tread for snow eating purposes.

I agree with everything you said about the 8. I had a Mustang GT years ago that SUCKED in the snow no matter what snow tires were on it. The 8 is like a frickin' 4x4 compared to the Stang.

The X-Ice are supposed to be great for snow traction, too, but they're absolutely not 'sport' snow tires, with a Q speed rating and very soft sidewalls.

I like the Nokians and the nearly identical Hankook iPikes, because you get some decent handling (for winter tires) along with fantastic snow traction, in one package.

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

Just saw your post and totally agree.

I had Nokians on a VW and now have Hankook iPikes on the 8 in the winter.

The iPikes are every bit as good as the Nokians, IMO, and that's saying A LOT.

Some people get the Hankook Icebears (which SUCK) confused with the iPikes. The iPikes are infinitely BETTER and a totally different tread pattern and compound.

The iPikes are very popular with some semi-pro Subaru snow rally drivers.

godesshunter

Artic Claws are pretty cheap too. I put them on the wifes car with studs and they work great.

DR. Victor Wankel

@rotorocket: solid post bro! Nice pics. Good to know someone has conquered snow in the 8. this winter will be my first with the car. How did you get those steelies for your 8? Tire rack doesn't sell any for some reason...atleast not in an 18'. How much did they run you?

NO_PSTNS

Well I was given Two choices after I told the salesmen I was going to rally race it this winter...

If I wanted 18" they would have had to of been the Toyo observe GO-2 Plus walnut shell dealie and unstuddable. $1900 with rims installed out the door

I wanted to go the studded tire route; biggest studdable tire was in 17" format.
Here's how the price breaks down (keep in mind I live in an inflated oil town were a big mac meal with run you $14)





So $65 a rim...

DR. Victor Wankel

what size steelies fit the rx8? I've got an 06 GT with 18 inch rims. If I go looking in junkyards what size should I be looking for?

JamesD31

I believe the OEM rims on the rx-8 are 225/45?

DR. Victor Wankel

what about these:

Blizzak Snow Tires on 4 X 100 Miata Wheels

they are 15' wheels with blizzaks off a mazda miata. Would they fit the tread pattern of a 06 rx8 grand touring? My rim size is 18 so it would be a downgrade, but for winter, who cares?

JamesD31

there are 4 lug nut spots on those rims - rx-8s have 5 so the pattern would be far from the same.

Bladecutter

That's the tire size, not the rim size.
Rim sizes are a function of diameter, width, offset, and bolt pattern size.

An example would be 18x8, +35 offset, 5x112.5

The last one is the most important, because if that isn't the same, the wheel won't even mount onto the car.

BC.

Bladecutter

Not going to fit your car, because the lug pattern is completely wrong.

A 4 bolt pattern can't fit a 5 lug car.
Second, you need the second part of that to match up too.
So a 5-100 wheel isn't going to fit onto a 5-114.3 car.

Lug pattern is the important factor here, not tread pattern.

BC

NO_PSTNS

To be honest in this area I just pay a pro to pick out the correct dimensions ect for my according vehicle, there's nothing worst then poor fitment...

Tell em what kind of car you have, and let them do the dirty work of finding the right fit.

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

This.

Dr. Vic and others, do yourselves a favor and bite the bullet and buy 17" dedicated wheels for the snow tires.

Mounting and remounting 18" snow tires and then summer tires on the 18" wheels is not only a pain in the *** (especially the summer low profile rubber), but the repeated mounting will do a number on the sidewalls and possibly ruin them.

With the 17" winter wheels and tires in one set, it's a 10 minute jobs to swap out summer to winter tires.

I went with 225/55/17 snow tires. Narrower and taller is better for snow traction anyways.

p.s. - Once every month or so, one of the big tire dealers does a decent snow tire deal at around $80 to $90 a pop. If you can then get a good deal on 17" wheels for maybe another $80 to $90 each, you're going to be spending around $750 to $800 for a mounted, balanced set of snow tires on winter wheels that will probably last you 3 or 4 years (depending on how much driving you do), and you'll still have the wheels when it comes time to buy new winter tires.

a2rotor

NO PSTNS,

Where did you get those steel wheels ? I see you got them in Canada somewhere, is there some place on the internet that I may be able to get those steel wheels for winter driving stateside ? I really need a set exactly like that.

Thanks

NO_PSTNS

A place called OK TIRE, they are pretty big up here.

http://www.oktire.com/home/?gclid=CI...FcxcMgoddnMAFg

a2rotor

NO PSTNS,

another couple questions for you. Thanks for responding to the last one.


1.) Does it say on the steel wheels what size they are, bolt pattern, etc. ? Did they custom fit ? drill holes ?

2.) Also, what size tire did you get ?

NO_PSTNS

It's just a standard 5 bolt 17" steel rim, no drilling nothing they fit perfect. I put them on a 98 chevy malabu that I bought for the winter instead of my rx8 wile i do my clutch, ect over the winter.

Tires are Winterforce P225/50 R17 93S

NO_PSTNS

It's just a standard 5 bolt 17" steel rim, no drilling nothing they fit perfect. I put them on a 98 Chevy malabu that I bought for the winter instead of my rx8 wile I do my clutch, ect over the winter.

And no there is no markings that I can see on the rim that say bolt pattern ect, sorry mazda brother.


Tires are Winterforce P225/50 R17 93S

NO_PSTNS

These are the exact rims and tires that were on my rx8 last year and the fit is perfect for this 98 Chevy Malibu LS... so maybe that might help if they can’t find you ones for the rx8???