OK, I need advice. I live in British Columbia and we just had a few "out of the ordinary" snowfalls. I found the tires equipped do not handle well and with rear wheel drive the car is a nightmare to handle. I grew up in the East so I have lots of experience in snow, what I would like to know from you guys in the snow belt, "What do you do to improve traction?"

 

snow tires! seriously, the OEMs turn into hockey pucks. the two i've heard most recommended are the M3s and the Blizzaks. I have the M3s and they make snow very very fun (and MUCH safer too!)

 

I live in the Seattle area and got hit with the same storm! My 8 stayed parked for 4 days. I had Michelin X-ice on a previous car and those worked great. More than anything you need to increase the surface pressure on the ground. For a car this light with wide tires (well, I'm running 245's) that means you tires need to get way skinnier. If you're really serious about snow driving, get some 16" crap wheels, and some 195/60 snow tires (might change the second number a bit to get the best rolling diameter match). You'll look like a dork but between the 50/50 weight balance, the low center of gravity, the LSD, and skinny *** snow tires your 8 should turn into a badass snow machine.

 

I wanted to get winter rims and snows but when my wife called the Mazda dealership (while I was stranded) they said the tires must be run flat and have the tire sensors installed. Minimum $500.00 per tire, a little expensive for the occasional snow fall!

 

Simply get snows, even cheapies like my Vikings on cheap 17' alloys do a great job.

Interesting bike collection...makes me wonder why you bought a jap car and not an old Fiat or Alfa.

 

I will look into rims and wheels, no problem with the wheel sensors not being there?

re bike collection: Been there, done that, as you can see from my collection it a little off the norm, just like my RX, love that rotary. I had an RX-7 for many years and loved it so much I just had to have the 8. Italian cars are great but hard to maintain in NA.

 

Heard the same about Duc's. But I do love tho new Guzzi Griso...but I digress.

Us Canucks don't have the wheel sensor...but we do have the headlight washers...again I digress.

Anyways, welcome!

 

BS on the dealer
$130x4 = $520 US for 4 195/60 snow tires (@15 or 16")
4 steel 16" wheels = 200ish
1 can run flat = $10
1 tire pressure gauge = $3
1 square black electrical tape for annoying tire sensor light (if the sensors don't fit) = .000001

total cost = 733 us


Sexy bike collection BtW. I got a Japanese ducati! (red Honda Superhawk 996 Vtwin)

 

Whoever your wife talked to is an idiot. Why on earth would the tires have to be runflats? I don't even think they make many runflat snowtires... Also, why would you even consider using SUMMER tires for winter driving, it's dangerous and irresponsible. Not only is the tread not appropriate for snow but the biggest problem is the rubber is unsafe to use on cold pavement even when it doesn't snow.

If you want the best snow tires on the market, Nokians are the way to go. But even the cheapest set of snow tires will be better in snow than any type of performance tire.

Lastly, ignore the 16" wheel comment made by a poster above. 16" wheels will not work on the RX-8 nor will steel wheels, you'll need 17" alloys at the very least if you don't want to use your stockers.

 

They lied. Cars sold in the Americas don't use runflat tires. That is a euro regulation. The TPS sensors are a US reg. I don't know about Canada. Even the OEM Bridgestone/Dunlop tires aren't runflat.
I am using Pirelli allseason tires for winter driving. They aren't as good as snows, but the roads don't have snow on them most of the time.

 

and I've seen even skinnier on the WRC

 

ike, forgive my ignorance but why 17"?
I just assumed you could run whatever you want.

 

If you read my post I said my wife called the dealer while I was stranded! There is little you can do when you are in the mountains far from home and the snow is dumping on you. I have a condo in Harrison Hot Springs and I had to limp there or leave my car on the side of the road, I was stuck there for three days.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

No. 16's will not fit over the front brakes. If he had an auto he would be ok but he has the 6spd model. 17's are the smallest he can go.

 

Not everyone is familiar with high-performance, STRICTLY-summer tires. I grew up in the midwest snow-belt. Snow tires, and all-season tires were preferred, but it was not uncommon for people to just drive the same "regular" tires year-round. They weren't so extremely optimized and didn't result in the kind of near-death experience that comes with the RX-8 OEM tires in the snow.

It's all based on one's perspective. For someone younger who wasn't around before car tires morphed into race tires, or for whom ultra-low-profile performance tires have been the norm, it seems obvious. For someone who's never driven anything less than a 65-series tire it can come as something of a shock to discover they have zero traction just because it snowed a quarter-inch. Carmakers, imho, are remiss in not making the issue very plain to their customers especially if it is an area that experiences freezing temperatures and snow/slee/freezing rain (= MOST of North America.). Although it sometimes seems that way, not everyone is from L.A.

 

ahhh. righto. To get technical how skinny can 17" wheels get on a MT Rx-8 given any offset and still clear the calipers? In other words, how close can an RX-8 come to the picture I posted?

Oh, and Harrison Hot Springs rules! That's the one with the tunnel, right?

 

i leave the sensors on the stock wheels which sit in my garage for the winter. the only issue is you will have to deal with the flashing TPMS light on your dash. Tho ... if you do like i do, the wheels in the garage are close enough to register while the shedevil is parked. so it usually takes a while before that damn light starts flashing again.

it's similar to the little green dash light that shows your lights are on ... you eventually learn to ignore it.

 

Well, looks like 17 inch rims and winters all 'round are in order! As soon as I buy them it probably won't snow again all winter. My Motto Guzzi is sitting at the shop waiting for me, that too won't drive in the snow

 

Could you take the sensors out of the wheel and put them in your glove box?

 

Yes, where they won't work as you will both not have any pressure for them to register and little rotational motion to activate them (though that last part is only theory).

edit: hmmm, beat me to it.

 

Get a 17inch tire and wheel combo from tirerack, will cost you a little over a grand. You don't need TPMS, all that will happens is your TPMS light on the dash will flash. No way I was going to pay an extra $125 for snows to have TPMS in the winter.

 

better act now, with the huge snow that just hit the midwest tirerack sells out of winter stuff really fast!

 

you sir are a moron!!


DO A SEARCH AND YOU FIND 500 THREADS ON THIS TOPIC!!!

Your performance tires don't work in the snow....go figure

 

hey ike why wouldn't steel wheels work? I have 17" steelies that seem to work fine.

 

I have steel wheels on mine and they work just fine.