What's your winter rim/tire setup?

Hey guys, just wondering what wheel and tire setup you have for your CX-9. Any recommendations? Feel free to post some pictures if you have any!

Also, is anyone using OEM Mazda wheels from other Mazda models like the CX-5 or 6? I know the bolt pattern and center bore are the same, and most of them have a 45mm offset. Not sure about the width of the rims if they would accommodate a 255 or 245 tire.

Thanks!
 
I have a 2018. I've been running Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 winter tires in OEM tire size (255/50/20) on the OEM 20x8.5" +45 ET wheels for a few winters now with no issues.
 
I have a 2019 Sig that came with 20" wheels.
I installed 18" wheels from Gen 1 CX-9 that I bought on eBay. The width is only 8" compared to the 8.5 for the 20" wheels but the tire specs allowed for this. Same bolt pattern and offset.
Installed 235/65 R18 Continental Viking Contact snow tires. The diameter of the snows are essentially the same as the OEM tires. The speedo readings are identical to my GPS readings.
Frankly, these handle better than the OEM Bridgestones!
 
245/65-17 Blizzak DM-V2. The O.D. is within the 2% allowance for changing size. These 17" wheels I have fit fine, except they aren't wide enough for 255. Anyway, they have been completely satisfactory.
 
Mazda M011 19" with Blizzak DM-V2s


cx-9.jpeg
 
Mazda M011 19" with Blizzak DM-V2s


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You put your winter set on and the cops came by to give you a ticket?
That's not fair.
Or are they just admiring the good looks and safety?
:p
 
I have nokians R3 SUVs on steel rims in OEM 18’’ size. I will need to get some wheels as i found out too late the steel rims only come in 7.5 inch and that is borderline for the width of the tires.

Not mentioned here yet but dealers in my area usually go as far down as 17” for winter rims.
 
The taller the tire sidewall, the more cushioning you get when you hit a pot hole for less chance of damaging the sidewall or the wheel. 18" with a 60 aspect ratio or 17" with 65 or 70 aspect ratio gives more cushioning. 245 or 255 tire width both work well.
 
Mazda M011 19" with Blizzak DM-V2s


View attachment 295227

Same tires, same rims but in 18 in.

No real reason for 18, I asked dealer to build it into price and he went down 2 inches. I'd probably not like how it looks if side by side the 19 inches, but as is I've been happy.

Kind of a beefy tread look to the tire, which I like. Handles snow in Toronto fine, but we don't get a ton.
 
Nokian WRG3 SUV all-weather tires (235 55 R20 on OEM wheels)...Had to change the tires from the OEM specs of 255 50 R20 due to the availability of the Nokians but they were within the +/- 3% tolerance for overall diameter.
 
Back when I used to live where it snowed, I ran Blizzaks on the smallest diameter and cheapest rims that would fit over the calipers. I also ran narrower rims. For me, snow tires are all about functionality. Besides, if you really need snow tires, it is probably too damn cold outside to be concerned about aesthetics. Save that for when it's nice out.
 
There used to be the thought that narrow snow tires would dig down for better grip. Instead it has been found that wide snow tires actually grip better.

For the same tire inflation pressure and weight on the tire the footprint will be about the same. A wide, short footprint will have more gripping edges on the tread contacting the snow than a narrow, long footprint.
 
I'm considering a Cx-9 to replace my '08 Rav4. I currently have a set of winter wheels that I think would fit but wanted to check with the experts. . I'm only planning to use the wheels because the snow tires need replacing and are too small at 225/65/17. 5x114.5 ,17x 7.5, 42 offset with hub at 73. I know I'd need new hub centric rings but can't remember what size because I have Outback, RAV4, Cx-5, and Escape #'s all mixed up in my head.

If the wheels fit would folks recommend 225/75/17, 235/70/17, or 235/75/17 tires? I've used blizzaks on the RAV and Acadia so far.
 
I'm considering a Cx-9 to replace my '08 Rav4. I currently have a set of winter wheels that I think would fit but wanted to check with the experts. . I'm only planning to use the wheels because the snow tires need replacing and are too small at 225/65/17. 5x114.5 ,17x 7.5, 42 offset with hub at 73. I know I'd need new hub centric rings but can't remember what size because I have Outback, RAV4, Cx-5, and Escape #'s all mixed up in my head.

If the wheels fit would folks recommend 225/75/17, 235/70/17, or 235/75/17 tires? I've used blizzaks on the RAV and Acadia so far.

Are you considering a 1st generation or 2nd generation CX-9?

First I'd check the load index on the winter wheels to ensure they can handle the weight of the CX-9.

The OEM wheels on the 2nd gen are either 20x8.5 +45 or 18x8 +45. The OEM wheels on the 1st gen are slightly less wide at 7.5. Based on this, if the wheels are going on a 1st gen, they should fit fine, assuming the wheel spoke design doesn't come into contact with the brake calipers. If they're going on a 2nd gen, you might have some clearance issues with the suspension as they will sit about 0.5-1.0" more inboard. This is based on this pic I took of the clearance between my OEM inner tire (20x8.5 +45) and the suspension on my 2nd gen. Admittedly I'm just eyeballing it, I never actually measured the space in between.

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I believe other 2nd gen CX-9 owners have also gone down to 17s for winter wheels with no issues.

I use this site to determine what tire size comes closest to the original setup.
 
I was considering 2nd gen. Good point on the load rating. I totally forgot about that. The rim has 1400lbs stamped on the back so 5600lbs. That's right at the top of just below the gross vehicle weight I've seen so they probably aren't strong enough.
 
Hey guys, just wondering what wheel and tire setup you have for your CX-9. Any recommendations? Feel free to post some pictures if you have any!

Also, is anyone using OEM Mazda wheels from other Mazda models like the CX-5 or 6? I know the bolt pattern and center bore are the same, and most of them have a 45mm offset. Not sure about the width of the rims if they would accommodate a 255 or 245 tire.

Thanks!
Depending on where you live, there are different focuses for snow tires. Here in Ohio we get frequent snow, but it also frequently melts, so it rarely stays around and continues to pile up for more than a few days. I place more of an emphasis on dry cold weather handling (low temps) than constant deep snow (like in the mountains our out in the great planes states).

That being said, I went with Yokohama BlueEarth Winter V905's after a lot of consideration between those and the Blizzak DM-V2's. For my application, I wanted good snow performance, but was willing to sacrifice some deep snow handling for dry handling as I'm a sporty driver (my previous car was a 475 HP Mustang GT in Ruby Red) even in the winter months. The Blizzaks had a slight edge in deep snow over the Yokohama's, but the V905's provided better dry handling and don't float all over on the highway like the Blizzaks.

I stuck with the factory 20" wheels and will use them for the snow tires and buy a set of Flow Forged lightweight 20x8.5's for summer. I take a different approach than most people to get more performance out of a car.

No cold air intakes, no re-tuning the PCM (good way to crack a piston or bend a rod on a daily, especially as miles pile up) etc. Instead I use In Situ hydrogenated DLC coatings to reach super lubricity in the engine and drive train to regain losses and use ultra lightweight barrel forged wheels (lower rotating mass, you can shave around 45lbs of rotating mass over OE!), then repurposing the factory wheels for snow duty. Shaving nearing 45lbs of unsprung mass makes a huge difference in handling and acceleration and de-acceleration. I did the same thing with my GT (although that did have Ford's Power Pack 2 with the GT350 CAI and their own re-mapping the PCM, but that was covered under warranty unlike most hot calibrations).

Anyway, the Yokohama's have rounded shoulders unlike most other snow tires (similar to high performance all seasons, summer performance tires etc.), you don't get quite as much bite in cornering in snow as the Ice-X's or Blizzaks, but they corner like a V rated all season in dry cold weather. What works better for now doesn't work as good for dry pavement.

Since 80-90% of the winter is just cold with no snow here, I wanted to balance dry cold weather handling with enhanced snow capabilities and not have the car floating all over the highway either. These do a great job at preserving the CX-9's excellent chassis dynamics (for an 7 seater SUV that is). Braking and acceleration performance is on par with other snow tires, overall I think they are better balanced for how the car is used.
 

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