Switched to 225/45/18s?
- Thread starter FlyMS6
- Start date
Waaahhh????
So is it safe to say that the stock tires are to small for the size of the rim. I don't understand how 245 can fit on a rim that comes with 215 which I think are way to small for the weight of the MS6. How can they put the same size tire for the MS3 and MS6.(headshake) I wonder if it so that the tire would slip instead of break an axle or diff.
So is it safe to say that the stock tires are to small for the size of the rim. I don't understand how 245 can fit on a rim that comes with 215 which I think are way to small for the weight of the MS6. How can they put the same size tire for the MS3 and MS6.(headshake) I wonder if it so that the tire would slip instead of break an axle or diff.
travis j said:
FlyMS6 said:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123658624
I say NO to all season tires they are good somewhere for example Florida but no places like PA NJ NY MI etc. You have to choose tires specially selected for the weather and road conditions in your area, its hard to change tires with the seasons (I mean costly) but can save you live.
I am probably wrong but will ask anyway, (someone here more capable of answering this please do so) Does'nt the wider 245/40 18 affect the AWD system? I either read it on a forum or was told by a service manager, I forgot which????????
And no, I don't know HOW or WHY, was just wondering if someone who knows, would chime in on this..........
And no, I don't know HOW or WHY, was just wondering if someone who knows, would chime in on this..........
tire sizing
If you are going to replace stock 215/45/18s with 225s you'll need to use 225/40/18 to keep the overall tire diamater equal. It could be slightly off, but it won't affect your speedometer more than fractions up to a whole mph. I am replacing my 215/45/18s with 225/40/18s. I am using General Exclaim UHPs - they are not quite as sticky as the stock potenzas but if you can exceed the capabilities of the General's in aggresive street driving then I'm impressed.
If you are going to replace stock 215/45/18s with 225s you'll need to use 225/40/18 to keep the overall tire diamater equal. It could be slightly off, but it won't affect your speedometer more than fractions up to a whole mph. I am replacing my 215/45/18s with 225/40/18s. I am using General Exclaim UHPs - they are not quite as sticky as the stock potenzas but if you can exceed the capabilities of the General's in aggresive street driving then I'm impressed.
FlyMS6 said:
Taken from a sticky/pinned thread in the other Mazda 6 site...
What follows is a guide, by rim diameter of the acceptable replacement sizes for your 6, which rim widths are acceptable for that size and the minimum inflation pressure for that size on your 6. Please refer to this guide before posting questions about what will work on your 6 (for simplicity, I am excluding the P designation and the load index/speed symbol, see above for requirements). This list has been thoroughly researched. If you don't see a size listed here (ie 215/45R17), then it is not recommended for the US-spec 6.
16" (original equipment wheel is 16x7)
205/60R16 5.5"-7.5" 32 psi *original equipment size*
215/55R16 6.0"-7.5" 33 psi
215/60R16 6.0"-7.5" 32 psi
225/55R16 6.0"-8.0" 32 psi
235/50R16 6.5"-8.5" 32 psi
17" (original equipment wheel is 17x7)
215/50R17 6.0"-7.5" 32 psi (93+ load index), 33 psi (91 load index) *original equipment size*
225/45R17 7.0"-8.5" 35 psi
225/50R17 6.0"-8.0" 32 psi
235/45R17 7.5"-9.0" 32 psi
245/45R17 7.5"-9.0" 32 psi
18" (original equipment wheel is 18x7)
215/45R18 7.0"-8.0" 35 psi (6s, 6i), 38 psi (Mazdaspeed6) *original equipment size*
225/40R18 7.5"-9.0" 38 psi
225/45R18 7.0"-8.5" 38 psi
235/40R18 8.0"-9.5" 38 psi
245/40R18 8.0"-9.5" 38 psi
19"
225/40R19 7.5"-9.0" 36 psi
235/35R19 8.0"-9.5" 39 psi
245/35R19 8.0"-9.5" 36 psi
20"
225/35R20 7.5"-9.0" 40 psi NOTE: This fitment is BORDERLINE, but acceptable. Make certain you are choosing a reinforced tire (LOAD RATING 90).
NOTE: Section widths of 235 and above will probably require fender rolling. Check the offset of your wheels carefully before purchasing replacement tires. I was going to also include the overall diameter for each tire, but this can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer by .1-.2". Suffice to say that these tires fall within the "-2%, +3%" rule, meaning they are not more than 2% smaller or 3% larger than the original equipment tires, which have an overall diameter of 25.5 inches.
TAKE NOTE: When selecting replacement wheels and tires, the relationship of the wheel width to tire section width is very important! For maximum handling benefit, mount the tire on the widest wheel that size will allow. Mounting a tire on the narrowest width allowed will give better ride comfort, but won't give the best handling. In many cases, handling may be worse than before by mounting a wider tire on a narrow rim (ie. 235/40R18 on an 8 inch wide wheel vs. 215/45R18 on an 8 inch). Installing wider tires on your 6 will likely yield a handling improvement only if you have a wheel wide enough to take advantage of the extra tire width.
What follows is a guide, by rim diameter of the acceptable replacement sizes for your 6, which rim widths are acceptable for that size and the minimum inflation pressure for that size on your 6. Please refer to this guide before posting questions about what will work on your 6 (for simplicity, I am excluding the P designation and the load index/speed symbol, see above for requirements). This list has been thoroughly researched. If you don't see a size listed here (ie 215/45R17), then it is not recommended for the US-spec 6.
16" (original equipment wheel is 16x7)
205/60R16 5.5"-7.5" 32 psi *original equipment size*
215/55R16 6.0"-7.5" 33 psi
215/60R16 6.0"-7.5" 32 psi
225/55R16 6.0"-8.0" 32 psi
235/50R16 6.5"-8.5" 32 psi
17" (original equipment wheel is 17x7)
215/50R17 6.0"-7.5" 32 psi (93+ load index), 33 psi (91 load index) *original equipment size*
225/45R17 7.0"-8.5" 35 psi
225/50R17 6.0"-8.0" 32 psi
235/45R17 7.5"-9.0" 32 psi
245/45R17 7.5"-9.0" 32 psi
18" (original equipment wheel is 18x7)
215/45R18 7.0"-8.0" 35 psi (6s, 6i), 38 psi (Mazdaspeed6) *original equipment size*
225/40R18 7.5"-9.0" 38 psi
225/45R18 7.0"-8.5" 38 psi
235/40R18 8.0"-9.5" 38 psi
245/40R18 8.0"-9.5" 38 psi
19"
225/40R19 7.5"-9.0" 36 psi
235/35R19 8.0"-9.5" 39 psi
245/35R19 8.0"-9.5" 36 psi
20"
225/35R20 7.5"-9.0" 40 psi NOTE: This fitment is BORDERLINE, but acceptable. Make certain you are choosing a reinforced tire (LOAD RATING 90).
NOTE: Section widths of 235 and above will probably require fender rolling. Check the offset of your wheels carefully before purchasing replacement tires. I was going to also include the overall diameter for each tire, but this can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer by .1-.2". Suffice to say that these tires fall within the "-2%, +3%" rule, meaning they are not more than 2% smaller or 3% larger than the original equipment tires, which have an overall diameter of 25.5 inches.
TAKE NOTE: When selecting replacement wheels and tires, the relationship of the wheel width to tire section width is very important! For maximum handling benefit, mount the tire on the widest wheel that size will allow. Mounting a tire on the narrowest width allowed will give better ride comfort, but won't give the best handling. In many cases, handling may be worse than before by mounting a wider tire on a narrow rim (ie. 235/40R18 on an 8 inch wide wheel vs. 215/45R18 on an 8 inch). Installing wider tires on your 6 will likely yield a handling improvement only if you have a wheel wide enough to take advantage of the extra tire width.
Well as for snow driving. Here in Ohio we got 8 inches in 1/2 of the day and the cor drove fine. Going to and from work the car did it's thing. Of course you can't speed your way home. Lewave enough space between cars and take your time and there are no worries. Did hace to get use to doing the clutch again in snow after about 10 years. My left calf is twice the size of my right...LOL
