You will love em I bought a set from Connor just a year ago

- but I no longer have the car

just the wheels and Blizacks with 3000 miles on em:uhh:

Oops Wrong thread. :banghead:

Hey guys. I am just banging my head against the wall trying to decide my best way of handling this. I just got a new set of wheels/tires that wont be used til the spring (I got a good deal), and I want to use my 18" stock rims for winter use only. I will be doing a bit of travelling during the winter, and absolutely must be able to handle 20-30 minute trips through a few inches of snow at times. The roads are generally cleaned off pretty quickly, but theres at least 4-5 times where we just get pounded on and I end up stuck (I had stock tires, and yes, I learned my lesson about that). So here's the questions...

Whats the best tire for an 18" stock rim? What tire size exactly should I get?

Is going to a 17" worth having to sell off the stock wheels?

Although 17" steels are Winter-preferred for lower cost and ability to mount a bit taller tires, there's no compelling need to sell your stock 18". Any of the snow tires cited in this thread will do well (Dunlop Winter Sport M3; Bridgestone Blizzak, the new Michelin X-Ice, etc.) and stay with the stock 225x45.

I couldn't put 17" rims on my car due to hitting the brake caliper. Be sure to have them test fit a set if you do it. Consequently, I run aftermarket 18s with snow tires. I have to drive in 4-7 inches of snow 4-6 times a year to get out of my house and they work great. I have plenty of traction, The only scary part is if the snow is going to be deep enough to come in over the front air dam. That's when I'll stop driving it.

Spend the money on good snow tires and drive nice during the winter so they will last a few years. Besides, that first week you put on the summer tires and waiting all winter you will have a blast sliding around. :)

what do u guys think about steelies w. winter tires?

Two posts above yours:

Although 17" steels are Winter-preferred for lower cost and ability to mount a bit taller tires, there's no compelling need to sell your stock 18". Any of the snow tires cited in this thread will do well (Dunlop Winter Sport M3; Bridgestone Blizzak, the new Michelin X-Ice, etc.) and stay with the stock 225x45.


Quote:
Originally Posted by GameGuy369
Hey guys. I am just banging my head against the wall trying to decide my best way of handling this. I just got a new set of wheels/tires that wont be used til the spring (I got a good deal), and I want to use my 18" stock rims for winter use only. I will be doing a bit of travelling during the winter, and absolutely must be able to handle 20-30 minute trips through a few inches of snow at times. The roads are generally cleaned off pretty quickly, but theres at least 4-5 times where we just get pounded on and I end up stuck (I had stock tires, and yes, I learned my lesson about that). So here's the questions...

Whats the best tire for an 18" stock rim? What tire size exactly should I get?

Is going to a 17" worth having to sell off the stock wheels?

If you woul dlike to give me a call i would be happy to go over a few different options with you. 800-428-8355 X269.

I am eyeballing options for winter tires, and simply can't afford to do a full wheel/tire package of $800 - $1000 that I keep seeing. (Blame roof, wife, and dogs). I definitely have to drive this winter. Not much, but it will be regular.

I see a couple cheap 215/50/17 tire options on TireRack, $103 and $89 respectively. What I don't see is dirt cheap wheels to put them on.

Are there any recommendations for identifying what cheap steelies or used alloys will fit? Heck, I'd even take used winter tires. I only expect on ~2,000 miles this winter, at most. And no pushing the car to it's limits either.

My summer OEM were terrible last winter, but it did get me through unscathed. I have Yokohama summers now, and the tread is definitely superior for the snow than OEM, though I expect that they will get just as hard and only suck slightly less. I would stay with these, except where I work happens to be the highest point in the state, and up until the last 200 yards everything is fine. Both options for the last 200 yards blow ass. Either a steeper straight with no run-up, or a shallower tight curve with a run up. :uhh: :squint: :icon_no2:

I have tire cables, and had to use them once to get up the hill last winter, but installation is a -pain-.

If you don't mind paying over 400 for the rubber --- what are you willing to pay for rubber mounted and balanced with lug nuts , UPS to your door?

Hey im new to owning a 8 i gonna pick it up about a week and i plan on driving it all year including winter. with that said can anyone give me feed back on daily life with the 8 in the winter. i also plan on getting winter tires but this will be my first year of driving a rwd in the winter and i just want to know what im getting my self into.

If you cherish life, for the love of God get winter tires. Last winter was my first winter in the RX-8, stock tires, and I HAVE driven a RWD car before. I had priceless moments where with less than an inch of snow, I'd pull out in my driveway, decide its best to leave it in the garage anyway and get a ride, and couldnt get back in without someone pushing.

Driving with the OE tires is suicide. You will love yourself for getting some Blizzaks or M3's on there.

Been there myself. :lol:

I never got stuck on Blizzak WS-50's and our Canadian winter last year was insane!

Can anyone recommend good snow tires for 18 inch rims for a car lowered 1.2 inches. It will be driven in NE snow to school and work daily.

Ok, my head is spinning (like I'm afraid I will be in my 8 on the snow this winter! lol) Here's my situation: new 8 owner, previously with only front-wheel drive driving experience (two Integras that could and did get through everything, all the time, with no extra thought), in NJ outside Philly, so amount of snow could be nothing or could be a few somethings, and my 8 is my daily driver (cringe). Do I get Blizzaks? Tires and wheels? And what do I get that will keep me from white-knuckle driving just in the rain, even!?!? Do I get all seasons and hope for no snow? Any help will be much appreciated, thanks!

Goodyear Eagle F1 all seasons are excellent in the rain and probably just fine for southern Jersey in Winter. You didn't get much/any snow last year. Major roads are plowed bare and salted within a day as well. Just telecommute if there's a really bad snowfall. ;)

RWD isn't that bad in the snow. Heck, when I was a young driver there were no FWD cars (well, ok, one - the Toronado) and roads weren't plowed as well as they are these days and we made it just fine. Just take it slow when inclement (good advice in any vehicle drive type).

Thanks! It's impossible to guess what a Jersey winter will bring because usually it's nothing, but then sometimes we'll get a few good ones, and one winter I remember getting an ice storm every Friday all winter long... which nobody got around in that! I like the idea of the all season tires because I need help in the rain plus I hate the thought of spending a grand on snows and then have one of our snowless winters. Thanks for the input :)

Stenobeth, the stock tires are fine in the rain as long as you leave traction control on. Take that off and it can be like driving on ice (read fun). You need to put some good winter tires on it for the winter if you are expecting to drive in the snow. I run a set of Toyo Observe. They are a stud-less snow tire and rated as a traction tire (like the Blizzaks and others). My 8 is my daily driver and I never had a problem in several snow storms last year.

Put them on some cheap steel wheels and you should be good to go! :rock:

-Lane

Thanks, Lane!

BTW, no traction control here -- base model -- and it's funny how you put that because that's exactly how I've been trying to explain it to friends, that driving on rainy roads in this car is like driving on snowy/icy roads was in my other cars.

It's always great to hear from others whose 8 is their daily driver too because I was starting to think I was the only one. lol

Can someone please help me!...I live in Iowa and am needing snow tires here very soon. Can someone that lives in the midwest give me suggestions on what tires I should get from Tire Rack? I've read a lot about different tires I just would like advice from someone actually using them on the RX-8 instead. Thanks in advance!

I've used the Dunlop Winter Sport M3s for 3 years now here in Milwaukee and have been very pleased with them. They are 215/50R17s on Kaza KZ-V 17" wheels. I've also used Blizzaks on other cars in the past and was very happy with those also. You probably can't go wrong with either one. Here are a couple pics...


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...7/IMGP1656.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...7/IMGP1663.jpg

Zoom, Zoom!

^+1 - agreed - I have the Dunlop M3's as well, heading into my 4th winter with them, they have done very well - I'm guessing that I may need to replace them before winter #5. I went with OEM tire size on Kazera KZ-A's, and haven't had any issues. I know some owners opt for the smaller size, but I went for the OEM size - thought it looked better, and since the car is so low, if you're trying to drive thru that much snow that smaller tires would help, I was thinking that you'd be dragging the underside anyway. I tried to drive thru a 6-8 inch patch last year, and once the snow hit the undercarriage...I was stuck. Either way, you'd be fine with OEM or the smaller size - to each his own. I also didn't mess with TPMS - I think most people don't - you just have to ignore the light for the winter.

Thanks guys, greatly appreciated it! We're suppose to get our first snow here tomorrow... I'm excited.

where in IA do you live?

Good ole Waterloo.. Really love it here...... NOT.. :banghead:

Im in cedar rapids every other weekend. There is a few people there with eight's as well. You should come by and check the cars out. Just search for cedar valley rx8 club on facebook.. lol. OK back to topic and sorry for the thread hijack.

Well I learned a good lesson with tires for snow driving in Colorado for the RX. I bought the Potenza's Pole position All Season tires OEM 18 in wheels. I found out yesterday driving it in the snow around the neighborhood that this tire combo is a total waste of money. The car is a whimp in the snow. It fish tails and it got totally stuck in just few inches of snow when I parked it. It would not pull out into the street and just went side ways. Embarrassing to drive a car like this with brand new all season tires and the low profile wheels. Not a good match to snow at all. This morning the streets were just ice and it drove ok over the ice and taking it easy and slow and allowing lots of stopping room. So now when it snows just an inch I am without a car because it just isn't safe to drive. Cornering is horriable and it can't go in a straight path without the car swaying light coming on. Bummer. I was going to get Blizzacks but they were a few hundred more than the All Seasons. This tire was evauated as excellent in Consumer's Reports too. I must say that is good for a regular car perhaps but never for an RX-8. I guess the best thing now to do is save up in a couple years either for a stand by 4 WD something or buy 17" wheels and Blizzacks. Then I still would hate to fork out all that money again only to see the car go side ways in the snow. I've seen several on here say their RX works good in the snow so I wanted to see if mine would. NOT. I just hope we don't get many snows around here or I might have to take the bus or find some other transportation. Yes I now know the hard way that wide tires in the snow is creating more resistance and thus not good traction or none at all.

It's all in the tires. Some work, some don't. The RX8 isn't any different from anyother rear wheel drive car.
We got a couple of inches of snow overnight and I didn't have any problems. I don't want an extra set of wheels dedicated to snow, so I use all-season tires. The first set I had for a couple of years was recommended by Omicron. They were Pirelli PZero Nero M&S. He is from Colorado and he loved them. They were just OK in the snow, great in the dry. I just got a set of Continental ContiExtremeContact from the Tire Rack. They did great this morning.

These tires were scored excellent by Consumers Reports and others also recommened although Tire Rack only showed the Pirelli's I think and of course the Blizzacks. I thought Omicon used Blizzacks but must have tried the Pirellis then later on. I am with you. I just don't like nor think its necessary to go with a complete set of winter tires such as snow tires and new wheels and then go in the Spring and Summer on different wheels. I know that the snow we had in Colorado yesterday was the worst kind. Thick, heavy wet slushy stuff and just about any vehicle will need to be careful in that stuff. Just is, my drive way had less than 1/2 inch and the car could not even make it up a slight incline which really puzzled me. So although the tires I have are highly recommended and very expensive, about $895 for four from Firestone, I might try another set of All Seasons when these wear out in a few years. They are 40,000 tires so should last awhile hopefully. When this car is paid off I will get me a second vehicle for these conditions such as a used Honda CRV. I just wasn't impressed yesterday with this sort of driving experience with this car. Meanwhile, when Consumers sends me their yearly form to fill out, these tires are going to get a bad report from me. Then it could have been with any 18 inch low profile tire so it might not be accurate but I'll report my experience with these. Wonder if anyone else on here used the OEM Pole Position All Seasons yet?

Hello, I live in buffalo NY and we just had our first decent snow, about 2 inches tonight. It was packed down and some roads unplowed. heres my setup:
2005 rx-8 mt
225/17inch blizzak ws 60
This is my first year in a rwd car and my first year with a manual transmission, i got my rx-8 in mid august.
Theres only one word to describe this setup in winter, BRILLIANT. its lightyears beyond my cavalier with all seasons. Its winter you drive smart with lots of space between other drivers, you know how your car handles but you dont know what another driver will do I don't see myself having any trouble.

I also did some testing with dsc in our local abbandoned parking lots seems that if you are in low speeds 30 mph or less you can turn faster and have more controll with the dsc off. If i was sliding i had no problems pulling out of the slide with a bit of countersteer. However if your going faster than that the dsc does a fantastic job of keeping you going in a straight line and feels a bit safer than driving without it.
Braking is also fantastic I could stop alot sooner than my friend in his dodge magnum.

I wanted to throw in a few words.

Last year I drove my RX-8 on stocks on snow and discovered that even a tad bit of powdery snow was enough to make the 8 a rollercoaster ride.

I threw on some Winter Sport M3's a couple weeks ago, and had both an ICE storm and a snow storm here. The Rx-8 was smoking jeeps, SUV's, and an assortment of other cars.

NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE. Best money I ever spent on my car.

Yep, it's all about 'where the rubber meets the road.'

Machine Road Interface as it were. ;)

Indeed. After countless posts just like this, I'm convinced a vast majority of 8 owners still believe switching to winter tires would merely make a bad-handling winter car (with the stock summer tires) merely a little less horrible. Amazing.

Blizzaks
 

I found some Michelin Pilot Alpines for a great deal, however they are 245/45/18. Would those fit the touring model, or would I have problems?

Thanks!
Andy

I dont know why people are even trying to drive without snow tires. I just got some for my rx8.. I bought a set from discouttiredirect with some cheap wheels and hankook winter ipike w409 tires and its great. here in sandy utah we had about 6-8 inches on the street (uphill) and I drove up without a single issue while a few other fwd and suv's were struggling (Even a subaru (awd)). not to mention the increased stopping and turning grip. Of course, if I want to get it swirly at all its not hard but overall the tires are great and I fear others hitting me much mroe then I fear the driving itself

I found a set of 4 nokias, 70-80% tread for cheap, and some 17 inch rims for them. I got 2 mounted and then found out the dent in one of the rims was too big to have a tire mounted. Dirt cheap rims, so I am not crying, but it did put me in the situation of having winters tires on my rears and my summers on the front. Not recommended, not ideal, etc... but in the snow, better than 4 summers.

Yesterday it was amazing the difference between the 2 ends of the car in the snow. I could get moving with ease, though I had to keep speed really low to keep the front end under control, and I stopped by an empty parkinglot to test out the real difference and the limits, and I found I could stop faster in the snow using just the parking brake than I could with the standard pedal. Fronts would lock up and abs would trigger in a heartbeat, keeping more braking power from the rears. Rears were solid under downshifting and e-braking. (not locking, just using it to slow down).

I am looking for a replacement rim so I can get the front on winters too, still unnerving with the unbalance, but the difference was incredible.

Advice on (Yokohama) Snow Tires
 

[INDENT]Good day folks, I live in Victoria, B.C., where it USED to snow about two days every three years; this year, Victoria was the snowiest city in Canada @ Christmas, and we couldn't even get the RX-8 out of the subdivision; the Mazda6 w/ All-Season radials had no problem on snow - it handles pretty much anything (except black ice, and there's nothing you can drive on that, without having very large studs), but that cuts us down to one vehicle between two people with different places to go at the same time; so: with Victoria being sold out of just about every winter tire there is (in 225/45R18 anyway), I basically have a choice of Yokohama W.Drives or IceGuard 20's.[INDENT]My question is: does anyone have any experience with either of these tires? I cannot find a Consumer Report on winter Yokohamas; Michelin X-Ice Xi2's seem to be the most poular snow tire (although, anecdotally the Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3 V's seem popular, even though CR gives them a mediocre rating). What with 'global climate change', I think Victoria's days of being snow-free for all but a few days each year are gone - at least that is what the last three years are saying. [INDENT]Any advice would be greatly appreciated;
Thanks to all

Whew!!! Just took me 2 Hours to go 20 miles here in CT this afternoon. I must admit it was very slick. I've got Dunlop Wintersport M3's mounted on my winter rims. Up hills were hairy, but parking lots were a blast :) Hope everyone else gets home safe.

I know what you mean. I got bad here in Philly and i couldn't work from home.

Thankfully, I found some stock Mazda 3 17" that I'll be wrapping in blizzaks tomorrow

I'm running 17" Graspics for my winter setup and twice now I've found myself blowing by front wheel drive jobbers... heck, this morning I even passed a jeep.

Granted a lot of it is bad timing (ignorance) on the part of the other driver, but between DSC, TSC, ABS, LSD, and my Graspics, I have a hard time not staying straight. I've found myself trying to get sideways a number of times over the past couple months to only get straightened out by the car and graspics.

Knock on wood for the sake of superstition.... I've had really good luck this year with my 8 and winter setup.

Me too. I'm just north of Philly myself, and I've used Pirelli snow tires for five winters now and just LOVE them. I've had the rear tires slip sideways a few times, but if I just ease up and give the car a second or two it always rights itself.

It's wonderful in really cold, powdery snow. But where I've had problems is in slushy stuff. I guess the wider sports-car tires don't help much there, as it feels like it just floats rather than digs through.

does tire rack ship to canada? toronto?

Hey guys i just got the best deal on winter tires i got 4 brand new Dunlop winter sport M3 245/40/18 for $300 :) I couldn't be happier the guy also balanced and mounted them on my oem rims for free. I think thats has been the best investment for my 8.

Yes they do. When you get the shipping quote on checkout, it will summarize the duties, PST, GST, provincial tire fee, etc. which they will collect on your behalf as part of the final bill.

where

winter tire size
 

Is everyone buying winter snow tires, rather than all weathers, stepping down to 17" tires or staying with the OEM size 18s? i've read some sticking with 18s in regions where roads are not snow covered throughout the winter but only occasionally from light snow and slush.

^ In Maryland you should be fine with all season tires on the stock rims.

Yay winter!
 

I just bought some Hankook Winter iPike W409 215/55R-17 94T BLK along with 4 MB Wheels Five X 17X7 5-100/114 42GBM off of Discounttiredirect. Anyone heard anything on these tires? They look really beefy and can even be studded I believe... even though I think studded tires are illegal in MA >.>

They had a great package deal 848$ that I couldn't pass up.. Merry Christmas to me!

Where are you seeing the package deal? I have the set in my cart right now for $907 shipped.

Once you choose the year/model car you have, on the right hand side it says see package deals for your car. I clicked on that, then it gives you the option for 17" or 18" and I chose 17". Hopefully the link works

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...=17&vid=008436

I didn't get the TMPS, and got the spare lugs, and total was 855$