Sandbags....do they work?
 

Been getting a bit more snow this winter than last year, and I haven't gone the winter tire route just yet. I am wondering though if anyone has actually tried weight in the rear, and if it actually made a difference. Fishtailin' is fun and all, but I don't need to be wrecking my car because mother nature wants to be a **tch. BTW it hasn't snowed enough to constitute dropping the coin for winter tires, only that occasional snow when the tires want to forget what they are suppose to be doing.

50% of the car's weight is already over the rear wheels. This ain't no pickup truck. More weight in the back might help, or it might cause understeer. I don't know, try it out.

It should definitely help because it will put more weight over the rear tires...giving them more traction.

i always wondered the same thing...try it out and give us your hypothesis!

yeah try it out....

... just dont spin out, hit a tree, and explode.
but let us know, im curious.

I've got all-season tires on, and personally the one time i've driven it in the snow i noticed more understeer than problems with the rear end. as long as i kept the front wheels pointed in the right direction, i didn't have much trouble with fishtailing as the stability control took care of it.

The understeer is present when making a turn and a fair amount of snow has piled up. The front wheels don't bite at first. I've found it helpful to give it a little bit of gas to get them turning, but not too much.

No worth the risk. Snow tires or parked it.

Sandbags are good. If you get stuck on slippery stuff, you can pour the sand in front of and under the tires to get traction.

Works for FWD cars, too, but you have to remember which tires to pour the sand around.

Ken

:cussing: after i had my car for about a year i got caught at work when it srarted to snow real heavy.i was 3/4 ways home going up beacon hill(pretty good incline)and a a@@hole hit his brakes to slow my speed down and you guessed it i got stuck!!!i tried to get going with no luck at all.then my next door nieghbor was passing me and then went and got me four bags of rock salt(no sand availible).worked like a charm.got home parked it till the roads were cleared and got a new set of rims and tire's.NO MORE KILLING MY RIMS IN WINTER!!!
i drive my accord wagon untill it's safe to drive the 8. :nono:

The first thing I did was put Avon all season tires on my car. I only got stuck once last winter, but that was in my own parking lot because the lot doesn't get a lot of sun and the spot was full of ice. Once I got out of the parking spot I was fine.

I only have a problem when an asshat with a SUV or Truck is going 5mph up an incline when they don't need to... Pisses me off. It's gonna snow tomorrow and I have to dirve 40 minutes into the city for my V-day date with my gf at the hockey game, dreading it...

I have some bags of cat litter in the trunk that appear to help...

People should realize that snow tires aren't just good for when there's snow on the ground. Anytime it's regularly colder than 40F is too cold for summer performance tires.

I don't see what the big deal with getting an extra set of winter tires is anyways, you're making your summer tires last twice as long (or maybe even longer since the repeated heating & cooling of the harder rubber can't help the lifespan). So instead of changing tires every 20,000 miles or so, you get a set of winter tires and replace both sets at 40,000 miles. Same cost people, and you won't die in a horrible highway crash in the winter because you can't stop. Yeah it's *possible* to drive around on summers, but it's still dumb.

no sand bags. The cars balance is a real plus in the snow and ice. All you need is a good set of snow tires and you should be able to go anywhere. In on my 3rd winter of snow and sometimes some very cold (-30) temperatures. The car have always worked great.

For a quick fix I used to put 3 or 4 50lb bags of rice in my FC, and yes I mean actual bags of rice, but I live in Atlanta and we do not get much snow, the best bet is snow tires if you live in a area that gets significant snow fall.

^^^

Except in snow deeper than the "draft" of the car. I found that out the fun way.

i put some sandbags in my car today and it mad a major difference i have 4 60lbs bags two in the gap in the middle of the trunk and then one on each side
you can def feel the weight and you can tell when looking at it that the back is alot lower but before the bags i was just spining and would get stuck at every stop but the weight helps the tires stick a little better and keeps you from getting stuck

My dad used to put bags of Sakrete in the trunk of his Lincoln Mark III. Reputed to have the longest hood of any production car ever made.

http://www.jbek.nl/images/lincoln_ma...74_front_v.jpg

If you don't wanto get Winter tires, then you have no choice but to get sand bags.
However, look at it this way!

The RX8 is One of The BEST RWD Winter cars available, it has almost perfect 50/50 weight distrabution, and it isn't ridiculously light, it tops out just over 3000 pounds. Plus it has a great traction control system!, With winter tires it is Very easy to handle in the snow, and its super predictable due to the 50/50 weight ratio, easy to countersteer sliding.

Now If you put 200 lb's in the trunk.. the vehicle is no longer 50/50 weight... and with any over acceleration in a striaght line, or around a turn, the vehicle is just going to do what?? Spin out!! And it wont be easy to re-anqure the car after it spins out because you messed up the weight...

This is what your doing when you put sandbags in the back and summer tires.





Anyways if you only get snow once and a while but you have money? * you oviously have money if you have an rx8 * Do this!! plz...


Buy Stealie rims! With Michilin X-Ice tires, keep them in your garauge!! and buy a jack!!

If it snows, or is going to snow, swap the tires yourself!! Takes 30 - 60 mins.. no harm no foul.

Then you have a fantastic winter machine and can get anywhere!!
When the roads are clear you pur ur lil racing rims back on..

Deal

Who sells steel wheels for the 8? And will they work with TPMS?

Cheapest 17 inch wheels Tire Rack carries are in the $120 range, and they're still aluminum.

I'm a season or two from needing winter tires and wheels, so I still have lots of time to shop.

Ken

120 per wheel?? Thats not to bad considering you'll still have nice aluminum looking wheels
only drawback is Winter tires for 17inch rims are expensive!!

Just go to Canadian Tire, or Cosco and pick up stealies * universal * either 15's or 16's
and get 60 or 65 series tires. They'll be the same size as your 18 inch wheels with 40 series tires.

Putting steel rims on an RX-8 rates right up there with child abuse.

It may not look fancy... but it will save your vehice aspecially if it is winter 6 months out of the year.

I mean you wished to have the rx8, then you finally get one, why will are you willing to sacrafice loosing the vehicle and potentially nave your insurance go up to much you can't afford another rx8 by having low profile tires.. or nice rims..

its all Ego... Is satisfying your ego worth losing a rx8?

Check out DiscountTireDirect.com. Back in June-ish, I found a set of 17" alloys in 17x7 ET43 for $86 each. Racing Sparco "D-Spec Stage 1", I think. TPMS compatible. They were listed with a 5x100 bolt pattern but are dual-pattern with the secondary being 5x114.3 They fit my '05 6spd perfectly.

You can't use 15-16" steelies on the RX-8 so don't suggest it to people.

Yeah, so I tried two 50lb bags in the trunk and it didn't really do much. I guess it will be winter tires for me next year. Come on spring, hurry up and get here. Thank god I don't live in Ohio anymore. I would've definitely been SOL there with my 8.