Just another wheel & tire thread..

CokeZero

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I'm wanting to start wheel shopping.

I'm looking to stay with a 16" wheel because I don't want anything big and heavy and most of the time you can get cheaper tires for 16"s rather than 17s

So my question is what is a common or good tire size for 16s? that don't make your speedo off by much and doesn't look like a mud tire, like a little low profile?


Or... What is a good low profile tire size I can get for around $100/tire if I went with 17's instead?


Thanks very much in advance!
 

RedRyder

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I believe your stock tire size is 195/65/15, so if you want to plus size to 16” wheels, the sidewall has to decrease since the diameter is increasing. When changing sizes you always want to keep the new overall diameter as close to the OEM diameter as possible. If you play with a tire calculator, you’ll find that if you go to 16’s you would want 205/55/16.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

16” tires will still look like balloons though, 17’s are a great size and not that expensive. Weight is a variable, there are 17” wheels that are lighter than some 16” wheels, and tire weight plays a role too.

Plenty of great tires out there, spend some time on Tirerack.com and you can put in your budget and specs and find all kinds of tires for your needs. Don’t forget to check out the tire and wheel review threads.
 

Sil2DrV6

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IMO, side walls going more than 50 series looks really balloonish.

(I have 50 series, and they look a tad balloon, but not so much when looking at them from a distance.)

I wouldn't cheap out on choosing tires so much, if that's what you're intending to do. Tires are one of the crucial parts that keep your car on the ground. It's literally the only part of a vehicle that are attached to the road surface, and they transfer all of the information (movements) of your car to the ground. Don't want you to risk your vehicle's safety by getting cheap tires. Just my 2 cents.
 

RedRyder

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I agree, I don't think a 50 sidewall is bad on 17's. For reference here is a 215/50/17 on 17x7 wheels. I think this drop was around 2".


0509001859_zps03ec943e.jpg
 

CokeZero

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Thanks for all the info/pic references.

Someone on another forum I was on before finding this place suggested a 225/50/16

I don't mind going to a 17 for a little lower profile. Lord knows I don't want to look like I can go mudding in it lol.

I would like something atleast 215 - 245 and maybe as low as a 45 series. Not trying to get through the roof with tire price though. I'd like to stay $100-140/tire. I need to do a little research.
 
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