Haze

Hey all -

I've been thinking about those add-ons that I might want when my car gets here, and I'm thinking that I really want snow tires, which is something that I haven't had in a while, and I really felt the lack last winter. So I'm thinking that the best way to do it is to get four extra wheels and four seriously knobbly snow tires, but I am debating what kind of wheels and what kind of tires.

I was reading in another post that the wheels will have a built in tire pressure sensor, and I would guess that any wheel I buy will have to accomodate that sensor. Does anyone know if that is true? I have also been debating whether to get eighteen inch wheels which will be standard on my car or to get sixteens and higher side wall tires. Would it work if I did that, you know got R 16s and then built up to the tire diameter? Any guesses as to how the increased spring rate in the tire would effect handling? Are there after market manufacturers who make wheels that would work on the car, or am I better off with Mazda wheels? Could I use the whels on the automatic version as a replacement or would Miata wheels work if they were cheaper? Anybody know a good snow tire?

Well, you get the idea of my level of confusion so pretty much anything that you guys suggest would be an improvement on my thinking. All comments appreciated and thanks in advance -

H

m477

Yeah, if I get an rx-8 I will be doing the same thing. The snow tires that I see recommended the most often are blizzaks. Probably 16s will be fine, since snow tires are higher profile. I would just buy the cheapest, decent-looking wheel I could find.

Sputnik

Both snow tires and sensor relocations on aftermarket wheels have already been discussed in other threads. Please do a search.

---jps