215/45-17?

[crempel]

What do you think about this size tire on the P5. I believe it is the same as the Mazdaspeeds. I know the speedo would be out. Would the wheels rub? Could the brakes handle the extra diameter? Would the car be noticeably slower than with 205s or 195s?

Chris

 

[DE31]

i have them and i really didnt feel a difference in acceleration (still slow) but the handling increased, thats probably because of the RT-615s though (which are actually a wider tire than most 215s. braking... i've lost my brakes once before but i dont think it was because of the wheels/tire combo. and unless your lowered your car will look like a 4x4, my car feels high right now)

 

[SMOTUS3]

215/40/17 on mine. They look great and I don't notice any difference on that...wheels are pretty close to rubbing when turned all the way.

 

[Tom03es]

Could the brakes handle the extra diameter?
Chris

The brakes will handle the extra size and weight just fine. Brakes only fade out after repeated high speed stopping like at a road course. In which case you should probably have a different set of brake pads that can handle the high heat anyway. If you loose your brakes in normal driving, you are either driving like an idiot or there is something seriously wrong with your brakes.

 

[ho bag]

The MSP also has shorter lateral links in the back which pull the tire in closer to the center fo the car and away from rubbing the fender.

Not sure if it will make a difference or not but keep it in mind.

 

[DE31]

i lost my brakes during a downhill run following an evo.

 

[MonkeyBone]

195/50R16 : 23.67 inch diameter ; stock tires
215/40R17 : 23.77 inch diameter ; wont rub its a perfect fit
215/45R17 : 24.61 inch diameter ; may rub ..its an inch taller

seen one with 205/65R15 : 25.49 inch diameter ; dont know if it rubs it was in a parking lot. i parked next to him and my 215/45ZR16 (23.61 inch diameter)was so small (in height) in comparison!

dont go over or under 2/10th of an inch in diameter and youll be out of trouble

but if you wanna go bigger you can roll your fenders and beware your speedo will be off a little!

hope this was helpful(monkey2)

 

[JoshP5]

What do you think about this size tire on the P5. I believe it is the same as the Mazdaspeeds. I know the speedo would be out. Would the wheels rub? Could the brakes handle the extra diameter? Would the car be noticeably slower than with 205s or 195s?

Whether it will rub depends a lot on the wheel offset. Go with 55mm like the MSP any you'll be fine. Probably be fine with 50mm as well.

There are plenty of people running the MSP wheels and same tire size; haven't heard of any consequent brake issues or performance degradation.

Whether the car is slower depends on the weight of the rims as well as the different diameter of the tire. Get 25lb rims and you'll be noticeably slower--the stockers are 16lbs.

The MSP also has shorter lateral links in the back which pull the tire in closer to the center fo the car and away from rubbing the fender.

Nope, the MSP has the same lateral links as the ES and P5.

 

[joe944]

ditto

i lost my brakes during a downhill run following an evo.

Uh yeah, likewise for me. HWY 17. Evo's are a force to be reckoned with. Changed my rotors and pads after the "race."