I'm torn... 16x... 17x?

M

magnumP5

Member
:
'86 RX-7 Base, '79 RX-7 GS
Alright well I will soon be in the market for some new wheels and tires. Currently I am torn between going with something like a 16x7 or higher wheel or a 17x7.5 wheel. Both wheel dimensions have their pros and cons. For instance, I really like how most 17" wheels look but with my tiny rotors I think they might look weird. However, running something like 16x7.5 with some flat sidewall wheels gives the car that beefy tire and very race-like look. I'm just curious what people have to say about each. So... let's get some opinions, hell, post your setup with your opinions to prove a better point.

If there is already a thready like this, please point it out and call me stupid... I've been up since 4 AM and things are starting to get blurry...
 
Ive done both and can say 16's are really nice on this car esp with fat tires that have the strait sidewall.

Its not too much of a diffrence what really matter is what spoke design you get. 5 spokes look racey either way. The trick with the 17's is you can run 40 series sidewall and handle like your on rails.
 
^^^agreed. i think 16s are a much better choice than 17s on a protege, esp given the limited level of power and relative light weight of the cars. unless you're spending $$$$, 17s are usually too heavy.
 
I run the stock 16" wheels and tires in the winter, and have a 17" set for the summer. The 17's weight in at about 21lbs each (for just the wheel). I don't really notice the performance loss in a straight line 'cause the grip is so much greater than the stock wheels. Plus handling is a ton better. But I do notice that the car seems to brake easier with the 16's, and I think I get better milage, too. Probably 'cause I don't push the sh!tty Dunlop 5000's hard.
16's are gonna be cheaper and lighter, where as 17's are gonna show less sidewall which, IMO, looks better. It all depends on what you want to accomplish.
 
Some good points - a lot of which I have given some thought to. I'm still debating between a 16x7 or a 17x7.5. If 17x7.5 I would try to go with some D2's if they're ever available again because they look awesome but then again as was brought up, the weight/performance issues outweight some of the appearance qualities. I'd love it if I could run some 16x8 Slipstreams in black because they look pretty sweet and they are the same weight if not lighter than the stock 02 P5 wheels. Only problem is the max offset is +48 and I think I might run into problems there. I'm just looking for a nice wide tire... too bad they aren' really any 16x7.5
 
You'd also have to look at how heavy your tires are. It's not just the rims. Running larger wider tires are gonna be heavy as well. 20lb rims are ok if you got light tires. But most tires weigh in around 20lbs anyways for a 205/40/17 size. No point in getting 16" rims that weight 12lbs but running heavy tires.
 
I am having the same issue. I want the performance for autoxin', the light weight for basically everything but yet 17's look much nicer.
 
if you can afford really lightweight 17s then why not. otherwise 16x7s look great too. i love my rotas and im sure the ride quality is a little bit better with the beefier sidewall
 
jsgolfer said:
if you can afford really lightweight 17s then why not. otherwise 16x7s look great too. i love my rotas and im sure the ride quality is a little bit better with the beefier sidewall
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree 17's look good but I don't like the fact that there is so much space due to havinig such small rotors. What size tire would you run with a 16x7? I don't really want to run anything smaller than a 215 because it wouldn't really be much of an improvement over stock. Also, lightweight 17's tend to cost a lot! The best one's I've seen were like 19.5 lbs for $180 per wheel.
 
I wanna subscribe to this to see what comes of the little debate.

I have 17s right now with 205/40/17 (had 215/40/17 but the 205s were on a crazy sale). I'm in crappy New England or New York all the time so the roads are a bit crappy. It is either my goldline lowering springs making my car ride like crap (really, extremely jarring when first hitting bumps, maybe I should have gotten a progressive spring?) or it is my wheels/tires. I didn't notice any difference in terms of ride quality going from the 215s to the 205s. IIRC, even in the winter on my stock wheels with 195/55/16 tires it was pretty harsh.

I rode in a friend's stock MSP and it felt buttery smooth driving on the same roads that I drive on. They have 215/45/17 tires I think but I doubt I could get those to fit on my car unless I got wheels with an even higher offset. The 215/40/17s were cutting it way too close.

If this is a situation where we must pick 2 from handling, looks, and ride quality, I pick handling and ride quality.

A lot of people AutoX on 16s so 17s can't be that much better in terms of handling. I never had any serious performance tires on my stock 16s, just the stock Dunlops and Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50s.
 
magnumP5 said:
Yeah I agree 17's look good but I don't like the fact that there is so much space due to havinig such small rotors. What size tire would you run with a 16x7? I don't really want to run anything smaller than a 215 because it wouldn't really be much of an improvement over stock. Also, lightweight 17's tend to cost a lot! The best one's I've seen were like 19.5 lbs for $180 per wheel.
Click to expand...
the Kosei K1-TS is a pretty light wheel for not a lot of money...14.1 lbs for $199 in 17x7 size. they look nice on the protege as well. tire rack has several choice for under $200 and ~17 lbs, which shouldn't hurt you too badly. is a 7.5" wheel that important to you?

i think you might need to determine your priorities...looks or performance? the biggest/widest wheel is not necessarily the best-performing one, esp given your apparent budget. and wheel weight does not just come into play in acceleration and braking; it affects cornering as well. heavy wheels force your suspension to work a lot harder to control wheel motion, and controlling wheel motion is a big part of handling. this shows up especially when the corner surface is not pool-table smooth (i.e., on real-life road surfaces).

IMO, your best-performing option is a set of 16-lb or lighter 16x7 wheels (7.5 if you can find 'em) with a set of 215/45/16 Falken Azenis 615s. you'll trade some treadwear and noise levels for the grip, but nothing else will stick as well on a reasonable budget.

and if you think our rotors are small, check out some volkswagens sometime.
 
As much as I dig my 5Zigens, given the choice again I'd seriously consider getting 16s with some meaty rubber.
 
I had 17" Kosei K1-TS and loved them. However I think 16" rims will look better and ride better. Not to mention gearing better.
 
Wow, nice to see so many comments and opinions without all the bickering. Anyway, I don't really have a budget right now but I don't exactly want to spend $300+ per wheel; that's just a bit excessive. As far as going for a wider tire, I just like the looks - I am currently running 15x8's with a 235 series on my truck and it looks killer, even with a lot of sidewall. So if I were to decide to go with a 16x7 (likely -> Rota Slipstreams) would a 215/45R16 be the best choice? Seems like it might be a bit on the wide side (I checked the tire calculator site and they're pretty much the same size) - I thought you generally ran a 215 series with 7.5" wide wheels? Good comments all, no how about some pics :) !

...and yeah, I saw those slipstreams for sale. If they were black or silver I'd be all over them, but I just don't think bronze would go well with the current color scheme I am working for...

haze20 said:
Are you back in Va Beach or still in Blacksburg?
Click to expand...
Hey, yeah I'm finally back down here. I'm up for a meet whenever everyone else would be...
 
215/45 should be good on a 7" rim. You'll want to make sure the offset is pretty high, +48mm would be optimal. Otherwise you might rub with your drop. Some 205 series tires come pretty dang wide, like my friend's Azenis. That might be another choice.

Not exactly what you want but it might give you an idea of tire size and offset... here are my 225/50/15s on 15x7 Slipstreams, +40mm offset: http://www.khaosman.com/gallery/waterloo0409
Definitely not going to fit in the wheel well :D

Then with my old setup, 215/45/17 on Kosei K1-TS +50mm offset:
http://www.khaosman.com/gallery/wheels
http://www.khaosman.com/gallery/coilovers/head01
Those did rub occassionally in the rear when you'd go over bumps or have the car loaded. After I rolled the fenders I was okay.
 
Damn, those look pretty beefy. How do you keep from completely screwing up your rear fenders? I think I am probably going to be going with the 16x7's and getting the Rota Slipstreams. Through AutoRnD I can get some 16x7 with a +45mm offset, you think that'll be enough (or should I try +48mm which I currently can't find with a 16x7)? I'll probably be running a 215/45R16 as suggested earlier. <- If anyone has this setup or something remotely similar, post up some pics already!

Edit: (from Rishie's fitment guide)
Mazda Protege5 fitment guide

215/40/17; 215/35/18
-------------
7.0" +45 and higher
7.5" +48 and higher

...I can't image the 16x7 should be any worse than 17x7 but it still worries me though.
 
Last edited:
magnumP5 said:
Damn, those look pretty beefy. How do you keep from completely screwing up your rear fenders?
Click to expand...

The springrates are high enough that it doesn't let the tire hit the fender much. I just have to be careful when going over bumps and if I have much of anything or anyone in the car when I have those on. They are my autocross wheels so it usually isn't much of a problem.

+45mm sounds like it'd work well. I haven't seen any higher than that either. The 17s in the guide have a higher overall diameter and would probably hit the fender easier, so 16s will hopefully be okay.

Once you get them, just take it easy and check the rears for the first few days. See what it looks like when the car is loaded with people and junk. Take bumps slow. Look at the sidewall for any marring and feel under the fender for rubber :D Even when I did rub, it wasn't bad. I don't think it was going to kill my tires or anything.

Then come back and post pictures! I want to get some 16x7 Rota subzeros for summer wheels. I want to see what it looks like with a good drop and beefy tire :)

Oh yea, jlbmotorsports.com has great prices on Rotas. That is where my friends' have gotten theirs. Though I don't remember seeing the higher offsets there
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Wheel and suspension fitment question (1999 Mazda Protege)
Replies
0
Views
1K
Reeceselvey
R
M
Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement 2001 Mazda Protege
Replies
1
Views
830
sahol
S
D
Michelin Pilot Sport all season 4 vs Continental Extreme Contact dws06 plus
Replies
10
Views
4K
N7turbo
N7turbo

Latest posts

Back