Lpr0923

I planned on buying snow tires for this winter. But I really don't feel like spending the 1300$ for the cheapest 18" wheels I can find and Blizzak tires.

I don't get too much snow where I live. Maybe like, 2 good snows a year. In which case, I don't drive anyway. The only thing I really have to worry about, is being in class as it starts to snow and having to drive about 12 miles while it's just begining to accumulate. (Note: 3 years of college and it hasn't happened yet.) That, and the slushy junk left in the road after things start melting.

Anyway, do you think I can make it... at least until next winter with no snow tires? This is obviously my first winter with the car and I don't know just how bad it's going to be. Based on the fact that I don't drive in a lot of snow and I just mainly deal with slush, what do you all think?

expo1

Read your post again and then delete it after you realize how silly it is. How do we know how much snow will fall this winter, how well you drive or how well they clean the roads by you. What is known is the OEM tires are not designed for snow, ice , cold. So you are asking how well a product will preform doing something it was not designed to do. You can also find 17" wheels and tires for around $1000, how much will it cost you to fix a wreck??

Lpr0923

It isn't silly at all. I'm asking people's opinions who have relatively low snowfall if they've made it through a winter without snow tires, not for a smart *** answer that doesn't help at all. I understand the Potenza's aren't designed for snow, ice, and cold, and that's not what I'm asking. If you don't have a helpful opinion, don't be an *******, just don't answer.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

^^^

what he said!!

might consider 4 season tires.. and if you are going to ask a ? like this you might post where the hell you are....

duh, like this is hard!!!!

beers

swoope

iTrader: (5)

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php

garbage in garbage out..

beers

naoki

A common sense tells me that taking a taxicab twice a year is cheaper than buying snow tires.
Or can't you use some public transportation when it snows? I had to drive rx-8 with summer tires on (hard-packed) snow once. It wasn't fun. With snow tires, RX-8 is fun to drive on snow, though. Spending $30 for taxi sounds better than spending > $1k for bodyworks.

expo1

If you read my first post again you will find I did answer the aspects of your question that didn’t require predicting the future. The “ experts “ said the 2006 hurricane season was going to be as bad if not worse that 2005 and that prediction ended up being wrong. So taking a chance on the weather is risky. If you do get ANY snow / ice you have a shot at getting caught and it doesn’t take much to spin you around or to get stuck at the bottom of an incline. But here are some other threads on the topic you might like to read.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/snow-broke-my-8-a-16558/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/wrecked-rx8-16917/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/winter-2005-defeated-stock-tires-d-99331/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/caught-snow-storm-wrecked-85596/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/busted-up-snow-83179/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/wrecked-my-rx8-today-83564/
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/i-took-my-8-out-snow-stock-tires-1st-time-77741/
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-55/%40%24-snow-77962/

Lpr0923

Thank you

ken-x8

Ummm... Expo1 is not an ******* - far from it. *Way* far from it. Hang out here for a while, and you'll see he's very knowledgable and helpful. Read his post again and you'll see that he gave you some very useful information. 17 inch wheels and tires are a lot cheaper than 18 inch. Better combination for the snow, too.

If it snows while you're in class, you can just leave your car parked and hitchhike or take the bus home, then do the same to go back and get it after the roads are clear. Or take a cab, as naoki suggests.

You also could consider getting some tire chains. There are ones made of nylon and plastic that may be OK on your wheels. Keep them in the trunk, pop them on if it snows while you're out. Although (been there, done that) putting chains on in the snow makes hitchhiking or taking the bus seem pretty attractive.

I also live in a light snow area. My strategy for the winter is that I kept my old car, a 19 year old Honda with all-season tires, as a beater and snow car.

Ken

Lpr0923

I guess after having just spent 25k$ on a new car and watching my bank account run dry, I'm penny pinching and trying to convince myself I don't need something I really do. Thank you for handing my *** to me... expo1- those threads made some good points. Guess I'll be shelling out another grand.

Wilson

If money is tight, and it always is, just catch a ride and leave it parked if the weatherman says snow is coming. A new set of wheels and tires is a huge expense for a student. I wouldn't want to drive mine in the snow with any kind of tires, because some idiot would come along and slide into it with their summer tires on.

SlowLude

Don't be a ***** about driving in the snow. Hell, I've driven in snow with the OEM tires a bunch of times. It took me a while and pissed a bunch of people off, but I got home! haha... that's Canada for you though. Don't complain with your 2 snowfall a year ****, you gotta be hardcore like us canucks!

Huskyfan23

Why is it an absolute neccessity to upgrade the wheels? Just upgrade the tires, and you'll save about 500 off of what you stated (if you're already going to drive during the winter with your stock rims / tires, why not drive with your stock rims and upgraded tires?)

tirerack.com has a Dunlop M3 package for $790. It is debatable which is a better winter tire (Blizzak or M3), but both perform EXTREMELY well in poor weather conditions. I have the Dunlop M3's on my car, and the car handles absolutely perfect in the snow.

Lpr0923

I've got a friend that works at firestone, so I'm getting the Blizzak's for 767$ total (including shipping). I know they both have great ratings, but I have a few friends that have the Blizzak's that swear by them.

Lpr0923

That's what I plan on doing. My dad has a 4 wheel drive truck, my mom a 4 wheel drive Durango, and hell, even my sister just got a 4 wheel drive Jeep. In really shitty weather when it's an absolute necessity, I'm sure I can count on them! I'm just primarily worried about slush and ice.

Anyway, case closed. My buddy is ordering the tires for me tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's input.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

the Blizzaks are amazing, but more amazing is you went from a stupid post , to a solution in less than 2 hours..

i to some extent (and we still dont know where you live) think you are full of IT!!!!

enjoy driving on deticated snow tire on all the other days without snow..

beers

Lpr0923

Northern Maryland!

And what do you mean full of it? I had some sense talked into me.

I planned on buying the snow tires before I bought the car. I had it all planned out. But I got a case of the cheap-bastard syndrome. Then I realized I was being stupid. End of story.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilson
If money is tight, and it always is, just catch a ride and leave it parked if the weatherman says snow is coming. A new set of wheels and tires is a huge expense for a student. I wouldn't want to drive mine in the snow with any kind of tires, because some idiot would come along and slide into it with their summer tires on.


That's what I plan on doing. My dad has a 4 wheel drive truck, my mom a 4 wheel drive Durango, and hell, even my sister just got a 4 wheel drive Jeep. In really shitty weather when it's an absolute necessity, I'm sure I can count on them! I'm just primarily worried about slush and ice.

Anyway, case closed. My buddy is ordering the tires for me tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's input.
Reply With Quote


dude,

pick a side.. point made..

beers

expo1

Your Welcome and I might have been a bit harsh in my first post. You didn't know about those other threads I posted, I did. So when I read a post like yours knowing about all the snow threads around I had to get in a jab before I offered some help. One thing about going the 17" route. Mine are 225/50/17 on rims with a universal bolt pattern. There are 100's of cars they can fit on so the risk of me getting stuck with them is low. I can also install them at my convenience.
Enjoy your 8, study hard and post often. Your willingness to learn from us here is a rare, but positive sign.

The Ace

Granted, we here in Greece don't get too much snow, except of course up in the mountains, but what I don't get is how much you US dudes worry about driving in the snow. The Canadians, I can understand, or the Alaskans (sp ?), but the rest of you ?

If we are talking about 1m of snow, then you don't need snow tires, you need a Caterpilar If we are talking about 10-20cm of snow, I really don't get how the RX8 will be worse than any other car out there. It is RWD, but it's just a matter of learning to drive correctly and carefully when in snow.

I have gone up and down some mountains with relatively enough snow, both with FWD and RWD cars, and always with "performance tires" (Pilots, Potenzas etc). Sometimes it got a bit scary, but I always escaped unscathed...

SureShot

I am surprised no one has mentioned tire pressure. I used to just drop the tire pressure when it snowed. It’s not anything like snow tires, but it helps in a pinch.
(I used to live in Indiana)

ALP22

Options...

1) Do nothing.. it is not a question of IF you will end up in a ditch, just WHEN.

2) Get snow tires only, M3s on Tire rack are cheap at the moment. Find a GOOD shop that you trust to fit them on your rims, otherwise they will scratch up your rims fitting them.

3) Get wheels and tires. I got M3s on alloys a couple months back for $1000 including mail-in rebates. You can certainly do better than the 1300 you quoted in your orignal post.

4) Get all seasons. You will not be able to drive in anything but the lightest of snow, and you will be PO'd for the rest of the year because all-seasons handle like crap in dry weather.

If I was you, I'd go for option 2.

Smileynh

The OEM tires aren't just bad in snow. I bought my car in feb. and was waiting on my snow tires. I SLID halfway into the road coming out of the car wash. It wasn't icey the tires were :P The stock tires are BRICKS when it gets below 40. At 10 degrees they are more like granite.

The Ace

That's strange....don't you get the same Potenza 040s like we do ?
I've driven my 8 up in the mountain with just a tad of snow (the slopes had 5m of snow, the roads were cleared though), but the parking lot in the ski resort had about 10cm of snow. I had zero problems going in, parking, and then driving out....

SayNoToPistons

iTrader: (8)

You can find fairly cheap steelie + snow tire packages. Who cares if your wheels look like **** in the winter.