Just bought an '06 Sport and am wondering how everyone gets their tires to autocross events? I was planning on building a small tire trailer and getting a hitch installed. I also talked to someone who said that they can fit 4 tires/wheels in their backseat with all the cushions removed...just wondering what everyone else is doing?

In my '88 turbo II I could fit 3 in the hatch, and one in the passenger seat....that got old though, so I want something better this time around

I have a set of V710's on the way, and an evo phase I school April 4th...can't wait!!

 

You can fit 4 245's in the back...or 3 larger and one in the front seat...sucks though

Trailer would be nice

 

You can fit 4, 275s in the rear. it's a PITA, and you gotta take the seats out, but it works.

 

can you be in b-stock with the seats ripped out?

 

^Nope.

 

depends on how tall you are. I'm 6'4", so only one tire fits behind me. But two on the passenger side rear and one in the truck with the helmet, air tank, jack and impact.

 

We got four tires and a bunch of stuff into the back of the car for every event without removing any interior bits -- they just need some encouragement going in. Place them standing up on edge side-by-side in the back seat.

 

What size tires were they?

I can get 4 wheels with 245/35/18 V710's mounted in the back of the car standing up (2 per side). My co-driver and I are trying to figure out whether the new 255/35/18 A6's will fit in a similar fashion...

 

Since buying the RX8 I've been in ST classes, and I've only done local events, so I haven't needed to cart my tires around yet. I have a tire trailer from my stock-class days, though, and I intend to get a hitch fitted to the car so I can use it again.

That's what I'd recommend you do. Admittedly, it's always painful to spend money on something that doesn't directly apply to competition, but a trailer makes life so much easier. It goes on and comes off the car in minutes, I don't dirty up my interior and I have a weatherproof, locked place to put everything. I also have a nice, easy-access kit that contains lots of handy things like band-aids, tape, a utility knife, sunscreen, etc.

 

I've put 245 Kuhmo's, 275/40 hoosier Rains, 275/35 Hoosiers and 255/40 Falkens in the back seat. The Kuhmo's are the easiest. The 275/40 Hoosier rains are a tight fit because of diameter. Width doesn't seem to be an issue just diameter. For some reason the passenger side is easier to load, they don't fall forward while I get the second tire as much. Besides the hitch/trailer combo, you can get roof racks and put them up there. Looks funny but works.

 

Nick,

From what I undertsand, the RX-8's trunk floor isn't strong enough to support a hitch. You'll need a custom system that connects to the rear subframe somehow. If you figure out a way, let me know!
Thanks! Just the info I was looking for...

Meh, on roof racks on sports cars!

 

I'm about to get a hitch installed by Uhaul...I think it's the Dalan hitch. Not sure on the specifics on that hitch but assuming that it's sturdy enough to pull the 140 lb trailer + 4 tires + toolbox, it's rated for 1000 lbs...

 

Before installing the hitch, you might want to do a thorough search of this board...ULLLLLLLLLLLLOSE tore up the floor pan of his car in one trip, using the Da'Lan hitch and with the Konis set stiff, IIRC. I'm not sure if they've changed the design since then, to give more surface area on the mounts or whatever was indicated as being the problem.

I love having a tire trailer and actually spent a bunch of time fabricating a "quick release" hitch for the Mustang, but based on the experience of others with hitches on RX8's, I never went down that path with my BS car.

 

I agree with what the others are saying -- don't assume that a hitch is a good design just because someone's willing to sell you one. I tore holes in the trunk of my S2000 using a badly designed hitch from a well known vendor (not Da'Lan -- I have no idea how good their hitch is).

Chike, we got 285 Kumhos in the back, but doing so requires a healthy disrespect for the interior of the car.

 

Good to know - thanks Stephen. While she's no show car, I wouldn't want to ruin my interior in anyway - but a few nicks here and there won't bother me one bit.

 

We also regularly put 4 285's in the back... upright and sideways. Wrapping them in tire-totes, and placing towels/pillows on the center console helps keep the interior from getting too scuffed.

 

Awesome. Will follow that advice Ivan!

 

I built a tire trailer out of my old boat trailer. I still pull the 17 foot boat with a new boat trailer on the RX8. Based upon some of the comments about hitches I'm going to watch carefully the stress on the rear with the boat but I don't think there's a problem at all with the tire trailer. I guess all hitches are not created equal.

 

Wow, that's a lot of weight. What hitch do you have on there?

 

I have got 6 tires inside the car before. 4-245 Kumho and 2-285 Hoosiers. (4 in backs seat, 2 in passenger seat.

I think it is possible to get 8 tires in the car if they are all 245 Kumho. I think it is possible to get 5 in the back seat and 1 in the trunk. Requires driver seat to be
near the forward position.

Remember to protect interior surfaces.

A hitch and trailer is much safer setup I think.

 

also helps if the driver is a midg^H^H^H^H "short of stature"...
tall drivers will have trouble working the pedals with the seat too far forward.

i've put 4 275 Hoosiers in the back seat without too much trouble.

 

I put 4 tires in the back seat with Tire Totes' no problem.

 

I don't remember and there's no sticker on the hitch. Its a 2000 lb class I hitch and was installed locally at the hitch shop.

 

I moved some 245s with one behind me (im ~6'3" so I couldn't do 2) 2 behind the passenger seat and one in the trunk... You'd have to pack light to do that though, as the trunk is mostly taken up by the tire

 

It's not so much the total weight, as it is the tongue weight and the amount of compliance in the rear suspension. Put over 100lbs of tongue weight, levered with a half foot plus of draw bar, bounce it over bumps on a stiffened suspension...and you end up putting a lot of force into the hitch mounting surfaces, which on the hitches I've seen have been limited to flange on trunk floor sheetmetal.