Tires question

I`m Batman · Postby **I`m Batman** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

Yes, that is me on the bike... and yes, you're right... I have to be able to trust the tires to do what it supposed to do...
How small of rims can you put on our MS3 before it hit the calipers? 16s?

AIM WO4 · Postby **AIM WO4** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

Everywhere I read says 16.

I`m Batman · Postby **I`m Batman** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

cool... now where can I get some cheap 16s? =P

AIM WO4 · Postby **AIM WO4** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

wheels, tires or both?

Watch here and look on Craigs list

I`m Batman · Postby **I`m Batman** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

one more question... I'm not a rims expert... I know that our bolt patter is 5x114.3. Do I have to get the exact or can it just be close? If close, how close. Again, I know nothing about rims, I was never into rims stuff, so I know nothing.

AIM WO4 · Postby **AIM WO4** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

Exact. Some wheels will have to sets of bolt patterns (like my winters). Make sure your offset is compatible. Look in the Tire/Wheel Sticky for a way to compare. I think we have 52mm offsets on the 3's. It's stamped on the inside part of the rim (the rotor side).

MazdaTom · Postby **MazdaTom** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

If you want to keep the Mazda look, I believe 16" Protege wheels will work (I know the bolt pattern is the same, I just don't know about the caliper clearance and offset) and can usually be found pretty cheap via ebay, craigslist or the Protege forums. If you want to come by and test fit my factory Protege wheels, feel free.

And just because 16" is smaller does NOT mean that tires will neccessarily be cheaper. 16" is kind of the bastard stepchild of tire sizes for cars (trucks and SUVs- not so much). So you may also want to price out a 17" wheel and tire combo. 17" wheels off a Mazda 6, 3, 5 and whatever else should work great and be sourced inexpensively as well.

I`m Batman · Postby **I`m Batman** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

AIM, Thanks for the sticky... I learned a lot today.

MazdaTom, I might have to take up on your offer on the fitting. I think I found a set of 17s for a good price. I'll see how that turns out. Thanks.

Stealth01 · Postby **Stealth01** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

Don't buy into the negativity about all-season tires. As long as your driving is under control, all-seasons work just fine in everything except deep, accumulated snow. I drove the MS6 on General Exclaim UHPs -- technically all-seasons, but rated as summer tires by Tire Rack -- and they did fine. I drove my FWD 6S on all-seasons, too. The stock Michelins were crap, but the Potenza G009s were pretty good and the Kumho Ecsta ASXs were very good. As long as there wasn't 6-inches on the roads, I was fine in the 6S. After that, high-center problems came up.

Winter tires are, obviously, optimal for winter driving, but if you're not out hot-dogging it, all-seasons tend to be fine for Colorado's conditions. Except for heavy snow or ice. And on ice, only studs or chains will help.

Someday, I'll have a set of winters and summers, but not until I can afford it. Until then, it's a luxury.

AIM WO4 · Postby **AIM WO4** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

My 17 Winter tires were $85 each.

bobopud · Postby **bobopud** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

The other thing to look out for is the proper hub bore. You can get spacers that fix this problem, but that just adds to the complexity of the situation.

If you are looking for a dedicated winter I would recommend Pirelli Sottozero 240s Thay have been on my car for the last three winters and I have never gotten squirrly without intending to.

MazdaTom · Postby **MazdaTom** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

If you get a wheel with a hub bore that is too large, surprisingly, that's not that big of an issue. All you need to do is make sure the wheel is centered by tightening the lug nuts evenly while that wheel is in the air.

When I ordered my winter wheels and tires for my VUE, the concentric hub rings they provided were too small to fit over the VUE's hub. So for the past 3 winters I've been using the wheels without. Tire Rack explained to me that the centering rings are just that- CENTERING RINGS, and do not carry any load from the wheel to the vehicle. The load is carried by the clamp up friction between the wheel and the rotor/hub plane. I have a friend who rallyxes with wheels with a larger hub bore and he's never had a problem even with all the high speed hits his wheels take. Same is true with a bunch of autoxers I know.

dommo_g · Postby **dommo_g** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:14

I wasn't being negative about all-season tires. I'm saying what's the point? Why have a high performance car when you're only going to limit its performance with tires that are clearly not intended to be used for 'performance'? All seasons are fine for people who don't 'need' anything and use a car as only a means of practical transportation. But in my opinion, the typical Colorado driver who owns a high performance car 'needs' performance tires for 3 seasons, and if they drive that high performance car in the winter, they 'need' winter only tires.

And if you want to go the route of having a dedicated set of winter tires/wheels (the best option IMO), give Performance Tire & Wheel down on south Santa Fe a call. They should be able to tell you what wheels are compatible and give you a pretty good price on a set of black steelies.

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