Tires.

[brandonmpace]

Ok so I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna keep the 205/50/15 and get 7.5" rims. Hopefully I will have enough money to get a better tire.

[CHeavin_2006]

i don't really see the point in upgrading to a 7.5" width...
kind of a waste of my money in my opinion, you're already upgrading so might as well spend a couple more bucks and get some wider wheels, especially if you're upgrading for performance reasons...
but hey, that's just my opinion, i'm kinda bias towards wider wheels anyways

wider wheel=wider tire=better grip

[sammm]

wider wheel=wider tire=slower acceleration

Fixed.

[jrj512]

More weight, too. You only need so much tire in an NA or NB Miata.

[CHeavin_2006]

Fixed.

but what if you get a set of 18x10's that surprisingly weigh a little less than your stock 17x7's and throw on a nice set of tires?
sure you may sacrifice a little acceleration not sacrificed if you get the slimmer wheels, but the lateral grip you gain is well worth it

[sammm]

My stock wheels are 15x6 and weigh 12 lbs.

Reducing unsprung weight minimizes the load placed on controlling the motion of the wheels and tires. This means that suspension springs and shock absorbers will have a greater reserve capacity to control body motion -- just as they were intended to! The result is better handling, which we are all after.

[CHeavin_2006]

My stock wheels are 15x6 and weigh 12 lbs.

Reducing unsprung weight minimizes the load placed on controlling the motion of the wheels and tires. This means that suspension springs and shock absorbers will have a greater reserve capacity to control body motion -- just as they were intended to! The result is better handling, which we are all after.

Very good point!
Wider wheels/tires aren't necessary unless you have the power to actually need them...(forced induction)
That being said I kind of have the perspective that although wider wheels and tires may have a small decrease in your car's acceleration and maybe handling, you can always increase acceleration and handling in various other ways...engine mods, intake, exhaust, coilovers, sway bars, etc...
But what else is gonna give you better grip other than tires...

[CHeavin_2006]

My stock wheels are 15x6 and weigh 12 lbs.

Reducing unsprung weight minimizes the load placed on controlling the motion of the wheels and tires. This means that suspension springs and shock absorbers will have a greater reserve capacity to control body motion -- just as they were intended to! The result is better handling, which we are all after.

Sorry for the confusion Sam, I wasn't referring to your wheels.
I was making the point that the 18x10 RPF1's weigh about the same as my OEM 17x7's...

[sammm]

Sorry for the confusion Sam, I wasn't referring to your wheels.
I was making the point that the 18x10 RPF1's weigh about the same as my OEM 17x7's...

No confusion...my point was 18x10 RPF1's at almost 20 lbs., while much wider, are also much heavier than 15x6's at 12 lbs. You have a
bigger contact patch, but at what price? Unsprung weight is a killer and even more so in low HP cars.

[bnordin]

The debate is great but has anyone systematically tested one tire/wheel combination against another. These cars have been around for over 20 years but the debate goes on.

[Rob®]

The debate is great but has anyone systematically tested one tire/wheel combination against another.

I have. With 185/60/14 Dumflop Somethings on my stock daises I can't get to the end of the road without getting sideways. With my 16x7.5 SSR Comps with 225/40/16 Toyo T1-S it isn't an issue at all, unless I'm purposely driving like that. How's that for systematic?


And yes, I am being sarcastic on the systematic part. But the actual "test" results are true.

[CHeavin_2006]

I have. With 185/60/14 Dumflop Somethings on my stock daises I can't get to the end of the road without getting sideways. With my 16x7.5 SSR Comps with 225/40/16 Toyo T1-S it isn't an issue at all, unless I'm purposely driving like that. How's that for systematic?


And yes, I am being sarcastic on the systematic part. But the actual "test" results are true.

So are you saying that you like the wider tires better or you just like the Toyo's better than than the Dunlop's?

[CHeavin_2006]

No confusion...my point was 18x10 RPF1's at almost 20 lbs., while much wider, are also much heavier than 15x6's at 12 lbs. You have a
bigger contact patch, but at what price? Unsprung weight is a killer and even more so in low HP cars.

Yeah the 18x10's are 19.1 lbs... Brian Goodwin uses them on all four corners of his MX5 and says they feel great! Of course his is Cosworth Supercharged, without that power those wide wheels would be unneccesary... If I do upgrade my wheels anytime soon, I'd probably be in the market for some 17x9's at 15.9 lbs. 245 would be a good fit on those.

[MadMonkey]

I also can't seem to decide what color I want the rims to be. I'm curious what my car would look like with black rims.

I think the flat black would look nice with silver, but the bronze might really make it pop with the stripes.

I love black wheels but I think either black or bronze would look great on that car. Leaning toward black as my favorite though because it really goes with just about any color!

[Rob®]

So are you saying that you like the wider tires better or you just like the Toyo's better than than the Dunlop's?

I have nearly 3 times the power as a stock NA, so I'm thinking 185/60/14s in anything but r-compounds or drag radials aren't going to work very well for me. The Dunlops that I have on my daises don't grip at all under normal acceleration, let alone slightly aggressive driving. The wider Toyos are fine unless I am purposely trying to not get traction. The Dunlops are some H-rated M&S tire, the Toyos are obviously high performance summer tires - apples to bananas comparison.

If I didn't just buy a house and truck, I would get a set of 16x8 CCWs made and throw 245/35/16 T1Rs on them, but I don't have that spare cash right now That, and who knows how long Toyo will continue making that size. I just put my last set of T1S on the rear of the car, but need fronts soon so I am leaning towards 215/40/16 Kuhmo r-compounds this time. I am a Toyo whore (was Toyo retail certified back in 2002-2004), but willing to stray from the brand for the sake of traction. Compound is way more important than width, so a 215/40 r-compound will out-grip a 225/40 street tire any day of the week.

[CHeavin_2006]

I'm really leaning towards 17x9 RPF1's for the NC, they weight 15.9 lbs each...

[OZMDD]

Bear in mind that the tires you choose can often eat-up the weight saved on ultralight wheels. Some tires out there are 2-3 pounds different than other brands in the same size. I'm all for lightweight, but be realistic about what you'll actually get for your $$. I had 9.5lb Volks on my Yaris and a total wheel/tire combo weight of 23.5 lbs, but still couldn't beat the ST and STS Civics, CRX and Miatas. Samm's comment about letting the suspension work is the most important in this thread, even if he is a douche.

[CHeavin_2006]

Bear in mind that the tires you choose can often eat-up the weight saved on ultralight wheels. Some tires out there are 2-3 pounds different than other brands in the same size. I'm all for lightweight, but be realistic about what you'll actually get for your $$. I had 9.5lb Volks on my Yaris and a total wheel/tire combo weight of 23.5 lbs, but still couldn't beat the ST and STS Civics, CRX and Miatas. Samm's comment about letting the suspension work is the most important in this thread, even if he is a douche.

That being said, what size wheel do you think works best with the NC?

[lccreech]

You can always fix the speedo with a Dakota box no matter what tires your running.

Ok so I'm getting 15x8 6ul's and now I need to choose tires.

Right now I'm debating on keeping the 205/50R15, or going to 225/50R15 (which would make my speedometer almost spot-on)

I'm looking for good contact patch with good sidewall stiffness.
Anyone running these tire sizes on these rims? Any recommendations?



I also can't seem to decide what color I want the rims to be. I'm curious what my car would look like with black rims.

[OZMDD]

That being said, what size wheel do you think works best with the NC?

For the track/autox, I think its hard to argue that the 17x9 with 255's is an incredibly grippy setup. you have to roll fenders and will still get a touch of rub on the lower suspension arm at full-lock turning. I think 245's require fender rolling too, depending on how much the car is lowered.

My street wheels are 16x8 w/ 225's, and they are free of all rubbing and clearance issues, even on big dips, etc. There is a noticeable difference in grip, but I'm also on older tires, so its not a true apples-to-apples comparison.

If I was forced to live with one setup, I'd stick with 8-inch wheels, I think. Especially in the 16x8, you get a little more sidewall for ride comfort. The tradeoff of weight, rolling resistance and clearance issues just don't justify the aesthetics of 17x9's, IMHO, unless that's your priority. What's your ultimate goal? If you want a good DD that will also autoX well, its hard to argue with the 8" wheel with some StarSpecs. If you want to go full-on track-ready and look badass, then throw the big meat on there and don't look back! (or calculate 0-60 times, MPG's, potholes, etc.) :)