depends, what tire size do you want to run?

ok sorry i keep on changing my mind. discard the previous post.

i'm pretty sure i have finally made up my mind, and this is what i want to go with:
18x8 5x114.3 +40 (front and back) what tire size and brand/type would you recommend?

and for winter rims i will probably go with 17x7 5x114.3 +40 (front and back) will those fit on 6spd mt sport suspension 8? is that a good size for the winter? i was looking at going with bridgestone blizzak lm-22. what do you think/know about those and what is a good winter tire size to fit the 17x7 rims?

yes they will fit. 225/45/18 is the tire size for 18x8. 225/50/17 for the 17x7...

might as well go 245/40/18 on those 18x8.5. no point in staying with the puny stock size tire.

225/50/17 will work for the winters

he said 18x8... they will be too wide for the wheel. Steering will feel number.

oh ok my bad. nothing wrong with going 245/40 though. they aren't too wide for the wheel at all.

if you want to retain the stock steering feel of the rx8, you need to retain a tire width to wheel width ratio close to stock. Putting tires too wide for a wheel has negatives, just like stretched tires. A wide tire won't necessarily give you more grip. The contact patch of a 245 on a 9" would be wider than a 245 on an 8". If grip is what you are looking for, get a stickier tire, not a wider one.

yes you are correct. the steering feel is also affected by offset. the turning radius is affected as well. it's going change, but how much will people who aren't familiar with this topic notice it or give a care? i'd say most who are asking here that aren't going for anything specific and are 'tucked' as you call it. they are just going for new wheels that they like.

245 is hardly wide for a 8 inch wheel. it's perfectly fine. weren't we just talking about a 225 tire on a 7 inch? a 225 tire on an 8 inch wheel is fine as well, but you will still get more contact patch with a 245 tire on that same size rim. you will also get sidewall protection.

Wheels
 

Can I fit 22's on my rx8?

you will have to run a 20 sidewall on a small tire (235 or 245) to stay in the ballpark of the OE tire diameter. which i wouldn't do. but 22s will just look dang awful. I don't recommend it on this car at all.

Ngo is the King of this domain. NIce job man.

225 on a 17x7 for winter is okay seeing as a larger, softer/flexible sidewall is the goal. No reason ruining the feel of the car with a fat tire on an 8" wheel. Keep the 225/45/18 size, just get better tires. If he wanted maximum grip then he should get a wider wheel.

^^ 245 does not ruin the feel of the car AT ALL. My last two sets of tires have been 245. I've driven RX-8's with 225, 245, 255, and 275 tires.

Lets get this back on topic...

The tires on the car when I bought it were 255/35/18s on the stock wheels and they corner just fine.


I'm mildly annoyed that the speedo is off by about 4% but when I get new wheel after the winter, I'm getting 255/40/18s on 18*8.5s.

ok so now i'm a little confused because everybody is saying different stuff lol...

need to know what is really the BEST tire size for 18x8 5x114.3 +40 rims (for daily/normal weather driving) and what is the best tire size for 17x7 5x114.3 +40 rims (for winter/snow driving)

*also... the rims i want for my daily driving come in either +40 or +50 offset... which would be better??

-thanks

18x8, run a 225/45/18 +40 offset.

275 on stock wheels? If you are talking about an aftermarket wheel that is wider than stock (the correct width) then it will feel the same. Driving a stock 8 and one with 275 azenis back to back, the steering is definitely noticeably different.

i've decided on 275/35/18 tires.

i'm assuming i'll need a 9.5 wheel with a... 35 offset?

can someone give me some parameters of offsets to look for?

you can mount them on a 9" wheel

what would an IDEAL wheel size for this be?

including offset.

9.5-10"

9.5 +45 275 fits without modifications...

well, i don't want to modify anything. i.e. no rolling or anything.

what else can i get away with with this wide of a tire?

let me clarify...

maybe i'm going too extreme with a 275.

what i want is a tire that's a bit wider than stock. i'm geared more towards performance, but i'd like it to look nice, too. what tire size is optimal, and what size wheel is optimal for that particular tire size? in other words, oh wheel gods, what would your ideal setup be?

A 255/40/18 is 30mm wider than the stock tires and they fit on a 8.5" rim which are generally pretty easy to find and reasonably light. A 18*8.5 wrapped in 255/40/18s with an offset between +35 to +50 will fit with with the stock suspension.

265 tires need an 9" rim and 275 need an 9.5" rim. Not sure how 'hardcore' you want to grip in the corners but I've been running on 255s for 8000 miles and I haven't slipped once without really, really meaning too.

I'm wondering if Axis Hiro 19x8.5's with a 35mm offset would fit a stock, nonlowered rx-8.

If it would fit, can anyone recommend a tire size?

Thanks in advance ~