16" OEM P5 wheels on MS3 for snow?

[aidtwo]

Hello. I have four 16" OEM Protege5 wheels (from a 2003 P5 which I understand are 6" wide wheels). I would like to install 205/60-16 winter tires (possibly Firestone Winterforce from tirerack.com) on them for use on a 2008 MS3. The bolt pattern (5x114.3) seems to be the same - not sure about the offsets between them (MS3 vs P5).

Will these wheels properly fit on the MS3 and clear the brakes?
Have others tried this combination?

Thank you.

 

[aidtwo]

Still trying to determine if this is possible... it appears the best way to test is to lift the vechile, put a wheel on and see if there is enough clearance.

The following information is from a large reputable on-line tire reseller (that *might* begin with the letter "t" and end with "k") that has provided me with excellent service and advice in the past:

The OEM Protege 5 has a 16x6 et55 wheel. The tires are the correct size for the Speed 3 but the wheel may or may not fit. With the higher offset you may run into problems with caliper clearance. Since I don't have any fitment data on the OE wheels you'll just have to try it and see if they clear.

 

[GoFast]

yes they will work

 

[CTt3P5]

If you have them in your possession simply lift the car and try one on and see if the caliper clears. And the offset you were given is wrong. The correct offset for the P5 wheels is +50 (MSP is +55).

I can tell you for a fact that a 16x7 +45 Mazda Tribute wheel will fit and clear the calipers on the MS3.

 

[aidtwo]

Thank you for the replies. The 16" OEM Protege5 wheels do fit (tried them while the car was lifted) but they leave very little clearance for the front brake calipers.

EDIT: See post below - the wheels do NOT fit over the front!

 

[derspi]

^^

So long as they freely turn without hitting/scraping anything, you'll be fine. I have 16" steelies from TireRack that are 16x6.5 with a +55 offset and there are only a few mm of clearance from the caliper but not a single problem when I ran them last winter.

 

[Karateman]

I can only comment on your tire choice of 205/60R16 on 16" wheels. I can tell you it'll work as I run the same tire size on 6" wide black steelies for the winter without any problems.

 

[aidtwo]

Thank you for the replies. The 16" OEM Protege5 wheels do fit (tried them while the car was lifted) but they leave very little clearance for the front brake calipers.

I am writing to correct this post. The 16" OEM Protege5 wheels do NOT fit over the front wheels. It is close but not quite there.

The rims need to sit about 1/4" out further to properly clear the front brake caliper of the MS3). There are, of course, no problems in the rear. As a result, I am looking at 15mm spacers for the front to make them fit. (More info http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123732500&highlight=spacer and see the 3rd page of that post)

Posting this to hopefully help someone else avoid this problem.

 

[not yellow]

1/4" is just over 6mm. 15mm spacers might be a bit much...

 

[aidtwo]

1/4" is just over 6mm. 15mm spacers might be a bit much...

Good point. Attached (below) is an image of the spacing issue. The scratch on the inside of the rim was caused by hand turning the wheel while the car was lifted.

What size spacer would you recommend? 5mm? 10mm?

I would prefer to avoid spacers but consider them as a possible solution. The labor involved to remove the front bolts to install the longer bolts (which appear to be included in spacer kits) appears to beyond my comfort level. So I'll be looking for another set of 16" wheels that properly fit the MS3.

 

[not yellow]

interesting... so it's rubbing the inside of the barrel not the back of the spokes? i think that's what the picture is, right?! i'm running 1/4"(or 6.35mm) spacers with stock studs. there is enough thread that i feel totally safe with it. of course i have an MSP not an MS3, but imagine it would be a fairly similar deal. if you go with any spacers say 8mm or higher then you will need extended studs. you'll just have to do the best measurement you can there to see how much clearance you need. all you need is a couple mm between the wheel and caliper. assuming everything is in order there should be zero play between the two elements.

 

[aidtwo]

interesting... so it's rubbing the inside of the barrel not the back of the spokes? i think that's what the picture is, right?!

You are correct, it is scraping the inside of the wheel (towards the car) - outside (towards the spokes of the wheel) is fine.

Thanks for the reply. If I were to use a spacer, I would prefer one that can be easily installed and removed with the changing of the seasons. Of course, if this swapping required out bolts as well, it would not be worth the labor to do this twice a year, IMHO. I am still leaning towards another set of wheels that will fit properly but your comments have me thinking.

 

[not yellow]

if it's just a matter of adding a 1/4" spacer then it's pretty much as simple and cheap as can be...