on a scale of 1-10, how screwed am i (newbie to winter driving)
 

Once winter comes (i live in NY), this will be the first rear wheel drive car I have had to drive in the winter. I will have a backup car for the real snowy days when its certain death that the 8 goes out, but i know ive seen threads about winter tires and such, so i know some of you do drive in the winter.

Any thing I should know about using a rearwheel drive car in the winter dos/donts?

I have only ever used my front wheel drive small cars, but this is like 1k lbs lighter than them. Im gonna try to put on blizzaks to get the best tire at least, but a lot of people tell me driving rearwheel in the winter is just asking for an accident.

Which leads me to my next question. My dad actually happened to mention a while ago that rims could only be used so many times or something for tire replacements (or at least a dealer told him that). I am planning on buying blizzaks or toyos which are like 200$ a tire and if I had to get even cheap rims itd come out to like 2k$ total for everything.

Is it ok to just buy my tires online and have a dealer swap em out with my current rims? They are just OEM factory ones. I dont have the tools/DIYs to do it myself otherwise id try. But in all honesty id rather have a pro do it because i want to be safe... even tho the dealer that sold me the car put the directional tires on backwards but hey it happens.

Any thoughts? It's getting to be fall, and I have a daughter. I want to be alive to be with her and not be dead because of a stupid driving decision during the winter.

Which leads me to one last question about the tires too. What size is optimal? I know that you can use 17''/18''/19'' etc, but I see ppl who put trailing numbers after the 17'' which maybe indicate another dimension? Can you give me a rough idea of what I need. I wanted to look into Toyo winter tires but could not find a size that would fit my current 18'' rims. I have uhhhh eagle something tires atm i forget the name but damn they hug the road like no other.

Rockon and thanks for the advice in advance :ylsuper:

RWD isn't a problem for me. Although when I started driving, there weren't that many FWD cars on the road. Tires are the answer to most winter driving in the car. On snowy days, you may find yourself experimenting with turning off traction control/stability control. TC I find is too aggressive and SC responds too late in slippery conditions.
The OEM tires have zero grip on ice & snow. Don't wait until the first snow fall to find this out. Many of us have tried and failed.

Don't forget that up until the '80s, every car in the country was rear wheel drive, and did just fine.

Like Al said, the stock summer-only tires WILL kill you in the first inch of snow, you MUST get snows (not All Seasons) if you drive in a NY winter.

Upside is they will last forever if you don't drive on hot pavement, and rims will pay for themselves in just two years. Another plus is they are a much better tire on the street, the soft rubber and 17" diameter make the ride 'cushy' for a daily driver.

Bought mine when I got the car, this winter will be my TENTH on those snows!! (Toyo Garit HT) and they are not half worn yet.

Your small fwd cars have not been 1,000lbs heavier :lol:

You have been getting fed the same folklore tall tails about rwd cars in the snow that I got. 4 winters in new england with my 8, and it took 3 of those being the only one in the office that made it in just fine every snow day before they shut up for the 4th.

Not, you aren't screwed at all. With 17" blizzaks on, you will be shocked at how much traction you actually have. Not more than dry, still don't be stupid, but really...not something you or the people you are listening to will expect.

The common perception of 'rwd sucks in the snow' should be better stated as 'poor drivers with high torque front weight bias sports cars wearing summer tires suck in the snow'. What you have is a rwd light sports car with good weight balance and low torque. The 8 has more weight over the rear tires than a 3,500lb 60/40 split muscle car, and doesn't have instant torque down low that is hard to modulate. Add some winter tires designed for soft flexible rubber when cold that grip the snow well, and the only thing that will stop you is too deep soft snow on the road, plowed snow berms across the road, or your own stupidity :)


As for size, ideally get 17" rims. 17x7 works good, with 205 or 215 width tires. Maybe 20-30% cheaper than 18", better grip, softer sidewall for the worse roads, etc... shouldn't cost you 2k at all. Cheap knock-off rims for ~100 or so each, blizzaks for ~180-200 each, should be around 1200-ish. Or hunt other mazda forums for the 17" stock rims from the 3, 6, cx-7, cx-5, tribute, etc... deals can be found, and other winter tires will still work great. Blizzak is the best, but any winter tire will be vastly superior to any all season.

Or buy some steel wheels for the winter tires.....they will take a small hit a lot better than alloy ones :)

More...

The 17x7 means 17 inch diameter by 7 inch width. Oem 8 rims are 18x8. Width is what sets the doable tire width. X7 usually means tires fit ideally in the range of 195-225. Rims don't wear out from tire replacements. Tires do however. Though usually not before they are overly worn.

Any tire shop can mount the tires on the rims. Usually far cheaper than dealer prices.

RWD is easier to get into trouble if you drive too aggressive for the elements BUT it is also considerably easier to get yourself out of trouble if you know what you are doing.

Practice getting out of a slide somewhere safe (like a parking lot). Once you get it, you'll know and will actually feel more confident than you do in an FWD, which (once in a slide) is much harder to correct IMHO.

Get good tires, blizzaks have always been my choice and have served me well.

Actually the lack of torque in the 8 is good for winter driving as long as you know how to start rolling at low rpms.

That's so impressive it's almost unbelievable. Does your car get towed all winter? ;)

Yup, rwd in snow has more options than fwd. You can steer with either end, 1 braking option with the front, 2 with the rear.

OEM rims are 18x8

That's what I said :suspect:









:D: thanks, corrected.

Don't forget, skinny tires will get you through the snow. With fat tires, you're plowing through it.

with summer winding down, am on the lookout for a skinny bitcx not a fat one.
I want to make it through the winter. Wait. I do not mind PLOWING through it

Thank God no snow in Texas

Any one know where I can purchase toyo snow tires for a reasonable price? Links to your favorite source would be greatly appreciated!

I could help if you were in Canada, but a Montreal tire shop isn't any good to you!

Did you try clicking the link I posted? You know, there's tons of info in the bloody stickies...

If you were up north near Dallas, you could have ice. It's amusing watching Texans sliding around, after an ice storm, on the news.

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$988.00 plus tax and shipping. Mounted,balanced and ready to put on the car. hub centric rings and lug nuts included. from tire rack. not sure if the link will work for you.

You'll be pointed to stickies and FAQs out the wazoo on this one. The search button is your friend.

The very most important thing when driving a rear wheel drive sports car in the snow is to put the right bloody tires on the thing.

Last winter I picked up a set of 215/55R-17 Michelin X-Ice Xi2 tires, and the cheapest 17 inch rims I could fit (17x7.5 MSW Type 14 Silver) from Tire Rack. You don't need top of the line winter tires to commute on. Pick "decent" tires, but you don't need the best of the best - you won't be taking your baby and hanging the back end out in a drift setting track records.

The 215 width on a 17" rim gives you better winter performance than an 18x8. Narrower tire does better in deep snow, and the 17" rim allows for more sidewall to flex and absorb potholes.

Set me back under $1100 - INCLUDING shipping. (no TPMS though in Canada)

Ok. I checked tire rack and i may go with:

4 225/50R17 XL Michelin X-Ice Xi3 Blackwall

and 4 17x7.5 MSW Type 14 Silver Painted


Thats the cheapest rim and the tires are reasonable too. Comes about to about 1.2k.

Theres a warning though that comes up:
Important Notes:
The tire selected is for a smaller diameter wheel than what is installed as Original Equipment. Be sure to select tires to match the diameter of the wheel currently installed on the vehicle. Read More About Minus Sizing

but i guess that's just because the oems are 18'' right?

ill give these a shot and see what happens.

TRUST ME the rx8 isnt that bad of a car in winter. My advice is get some 17 inch steel rims (since they will take a beating). Knock off rims arent even worth the price unless youre worried about looks.

I bought my car in october 2009 and bought 17 inch steel wheels with dunlop draspic snow. I went with a slimmer tire but thicker so the ride is actually more comfortable. I put on 215/55/17. Its been 3 winters and Ive never had a problem.

Of course since the car is low you might get stuck in snow banks or parking on the street but you can always manage maneuvering out of there. Of course take the DSC out.

Of course in winter, dont mash the gas pedal especially turning corners. You will see traction control kicking in. Sometimes its not super efficient. I keep it on when im driving but when im in the city I put it off. On the first snowfall, go for a drive and get a feel of the car. Its really not that bad. Be responsible is all

cheers!

Why not the 215/55 combination? I think the rolling diameter turns out better, and you get more sidewall and a narrower tire. Trust me - if you have potholes OR snow, you'll want the narrower, taller rubber. It's probably cheaper too.

Seriously.

Give this a try: Tire size calculator

Im guessing its just a good baseline to start. When you choose a 17" winter tire and wheel package for the rx8 from tire rack, that is the size they choose for you.