Anyone ever put 20"s on a MS3?

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there is a formula as to tire diameter which is more important than rim size. you could infact have 20in wheels and tires and have the same size tire as a 17 or 18 depending on your tire size. take the 18's on the ms3.

tire size: 215/45r18

formula is 2x the width x the height divided by 2540 plus the rim diameter

(for those who do not know what the height ad width are on your tires the width would the 215 in this case and the height is actually a percentage of that width in this its 45 and r is the rim height)

your total in this case is 25.61811 or 25.62

with a 225/30r20
the total would be 25.314
thats smaller than your stock tire.

the only thing "posing a problem" is the weight.

but you really arent gaining enough to make a difference you only lose 1hp for every hundred pounds. you can make that up in other areas easily.

(sorry i worked as a tire tech for years and i now work for a tire and wheel supplier.)
 

I was just talking about 0-60 times and quarter mile. If you can run the quarter mile in only 3 gears instead of 4 your time would be faster if wheel weight doesn't hold you back. The center of the wheel is going to spin the same speed no matter what the size of the wheel.

If I change from 18" to 17" wheels for autocross then second gear is going to hit throttle cut off at a lower mph. Most courses already hit 6k and change in second gear with some time before the braking point.

I'm not saying bigger wheels are better for every situation. This isn't a simple yes or no answer. Depends on the application.
 
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If I change from 18" to 17" wheels for autocross then second gear is going to hit throttle cut off at a lower mph. Most courses already hit 6k and change in second gear with some time before the braking point.


Not necessarily, it depends on the outer diameter of the tire, not the size of the wheel.
 
20s on a performance car is sacrilegious (I checked spelling)

In fact, 17's should be the largest IMHO
 
Not necessarily, it depends on the outer diameter of the tire, not the size of the wheel.

Right on bro. But if you are running a higher sidewall you get less turn in response. Still not saying 1 tire size/wheel size is better in all situations. Need to find a happy medium. (hippy)
 
20s on a performance car is sacrilegious (I checked spelling)

In fact, 17's should be the largest IMHO

Just for the record I would never personally put 20's or even 19's on my car. 17"-18" FTW. Just trying to point out some of the advantages/disadvantages of different wheel/tire sizes.

And to get back on topic if you were going to put 20's on a ms3 you would probablly need to get your fenders rolled and keep the car stock height or you will get rubbing.
 
It used to be 17s were the performance size now it is 18 with the MS3 and with the dodge caliber having 19s I think the performance tire size seems to be going up. So I am just saying that if you found a good racing style 20 inch why not go for it.
 
It doesn't matter... it's a fad... it used to be cool to have the smallest wheels possible.

I was actually thinking today that once we finally get hover craft or space ships we can do more stuff. Like it doesn't matter if it's an old ass 1900 car or a brand new 2008 model and it doesn't matter if it's a civic or a benz, it's still got circular wheels and that's a style thing you can't get away from until we get away from wheels.

There are plenty of cars body styles that look nice but then you stick it on some circular wheels and suspension and it's like ugggggg
 
It used to be 17s were the performance size now it is 18 with the MS3 and with the dodge caliber having 19s I think the performance tire size seems to be going up. So I am just saying that if you found a good racing style 20 inch why not go for it.
Because it will slow down the Mazda 3...thats why.
 
It used to be 17s were the performance size now it is 18 with the MS3 and with the dodge caliber having 19s I think the performance tire size seems to be going up. So I am just saying that if you found a good racing style 20 inch why not go for it.

Just cuz the Caliber has 19s and a load of horsepower, doesn't mean it's the best thing for the car. The car is ugly as ****, and I sure hope that's not the best for it. Wheels are getting bigger and bigger because that's what people want. People like to see big wheels. There are so many mid-sized and full-sized sedans that are coming with 18s and 19s. I know it's not a direct comparison, but look at the Ram, it's come with 20s for 4 or 5 years now, not very practical at all on a truck. It's the way business goes, if people like it, manufacturers will do it. One day, it will fade out and you will see smaller wheels with big fat meaty sidewalls again. I'd say 17s are still the largest you would want to go for performance (with an appropriate tire size) on a smaller vehicle with <300hp. Any bigger and it's just for show.
 
I guess you missed where I said if there was horsepower to support the size.

Also, comparing a Porsche to a Mazda 3 is a huge stretch to try and make a point. (hand)

No, it's not a huge stretch because I wasn't comparing them at all.

I was pointing out that you made it sound like 18's were the practical size limit for high HP vehicles which that one is and it has 19's and is clearly purpose built for performance.
 
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