Guest xmaverickx
i have an 05 s with the stock 15 inch rims and 195/65/15 tires...i'm thinking about getting wider tires but keeping the same rims but i don't want the tires to be wider than the fender...i'd appreciate some input from you guys...
i have an 05 s with the stock 15 inch rims and 195/65/15 tires...i'm thinking about getting wider tires but keeping the same rims but i don't want the tires to be wider than the fender...i'd appreciate some input from you guys...
205/65 or 215/65 should work for you.....
205/65 or 215/65???shouldn't the 65 go down to 60 or 55??? someone told me that the diameter or something should stay the same...is this true??? will the wider tires give me the same ride or will this give me better handling???thanks...
Yup - as you increase the width - you would have to decrease the height of the side wall.
Unfortunately - trying to keep the 15" wheel with a wider tire would be very difficult to keep the tire height within tolerance. Going with a 205/60R15 is about 4/10 of inch too short and 205/65 is 1/2 inch too tall - both would through off your speedo - new a ECM update to allow for tire size difference.
Wider tires, lower profile tires = better transient response and braking ability. Your overall MPG, acceleration and ride quality may be suffer - depending on the weight and contruction of the tire (****uming you keep the same wheel).
Better off going to a 16" wheel to get the wider width - trying to fit a 205 or 215 width tire on a 6.5" wheel = tire load capacity and rotational dynamics will be severly comprimised and you WILL void your tire warranty, if you can find someone that will even mount the tire.
Of if you don't want to part with the 15" OEM wheels - go with a better quality tire - you would be very suprised how much of a difference a better tire will make in the car's driving attitude.
Good Luck.
hey fish...new ecm update if i go with wider tires (keeping the same wheels)???what does that do??? is it advisible???thanks
If you keep the same wheels and try to go with a wider width - you have to account for the difference in tire height because they don't make a size that will keep the same tire diameter as OEM. The only way to fix the speedo is to reprogram the ECU with the new tire dimensions.
Even with the correct equipment - reflashing the ECU is not advisable unless the existing program is screwed up, many have tried and either didn't get it to go or burned up/corrupted the existing program.
Dai_Shan
look on the upside...your mileage wil be lower 
and you'll just have to be carefull about speeding...haha
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
The above calculator will show that 205-60x15 is the way to go. Same diameter as present, but wider. I've been running them on my 03 Corolla S with stock wheels for the last 2 years.
Fish:
If I replace my stock 14" wheels on my '01 with 17" wheels and 205/40/17 tires do I need to reprogram my ECM?
You'll need new brakes(much larger), more power, and a reprogramming, all in one fell swoop.Fish:If I replace my stock 14" wheels on my '01 with 17" wheels and 205/40/17 tires do I need to reprogram my ECM?
Silver Bullet - depends if it came with 175/65R14 or 185/65R14 for OEM.
If it had 185/65R14 - the new tire size is close (diameter wise) - you will not need to reprogram the ECU in that case for running the 205/40R17.
If it had 175/65R14 - the new tire size is too small (diameter wise) - you can probably get away with it - but you will be moving faster than what is indicated on the speedo.
Stewardc brings up a good point here - if you run that big of a tire - you will definitely increase the amount of unsprung mass and have much more rotational inertia to overcome (unless you went all out and got forged, lightweight wheels - note that forged does not equal light weight in every case).
You need much more power to turn the heaiver wheels and need better brakes to offset the increased demands from the greater inertia.
It is interesting, because few people think about the consequences of these large wheels. Horsepower TV did up a Yukon for someone. They replaced the 16" aluminum stockers with light alloy 20 inchers, then they installed LARGE Baer brakes on all 4 corners.
End result...it stopped 3 feet worse, from 60mph, than with the stock setup.
how's the handling, better or worse???also did you reprogram you ecu???thankshttp://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.htmlThe above calculator will show that 205-60x15 is the way to go. Same diameter as present, but wider. I've been running them on my 03 Corolla S with stock wheels for the last 2 years.
My car is an '01 LE and it came with 185/65/14s. I upgraded those to plus zero 195/60/14s. Do I really need a big brake kit if go with 17s? That's sounds ridiculous!
Handling is some better. The car is more stable. No reprogram was needed as they are the same diameter as stock, just wider.how's the handling, better or worse???also did you reprogram you ecu???thankshttp://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.htmlThe above calculator will show that 205-60x15 is the way to go. Same diameter as present, but wider. I've been running them on my 03 Corolla S with stock wheels for the last 2 years.
You can go to 17s without a brake upgrade, but the braking will be very poor.My car is an '01 LE and it came with 185/65/14s. I upgraded those to plus zero 195/60/14s. Do I really need a big brake kit if go with 17s? That's sounds ridiculous!
I just added some better brake pads - the originals got chewed up fairly quickly (OEM wheels and tires) - the set I have now are paired with some 16" wheels and have lasted about twice as long as the OEM pads for the same type of service.My car is an '01 LE and it came with 185/65/14s. I upgraded those to plus zero 195/60/14s. Do I really need a big brake kit if go with 17s? That's sounds ridiculous!
Just watch the weight for the wheel and make sure your wheel offset is within specs - you will gain a bigger tire contact patch (enhance braking and handling) but it will be offset by higher moment of inertia (most 17" wheel and tire packages are heavier than OEM 14").
Good Luck.
