Tire size on stock 17" rims

[carz8]

Has anyone upgraded or plan to upgrade tires? I was wondering what size tires can fit on the stock 17" rims. Thinking of upgrading to either 215\45\17 or 225\45\17 all season if they fit. Any suggestions on a good all season tire and sizes?

 

[goldwing2000]

Well... the 215 is too short and your speedo will be off, and the 225 is technically too wide for a 6.5 inch wheel (7.0 inch min width). It might work but you really need a wider wheel.

The ones I've been looking at are Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. All the rice-racers on this forum will tell you they suck for grip but they're about the highest treadwear rating you can find in our size and should last about 40,000 miles.

 

[Macadonious]

Chck this site out to help with your inquiry.

http://miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

 

[AzMz3]

Well... the 215 is too short and your speedo will be off, and the 225 is technically too wide for a 6.5 inch wheel (7.0 inch min width). It might work but you really need a wider wheel.

The ones I've been looking at are Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. All the rice-racers on this forum will tell you they suck for grip but they're about the highest treadwear rating you can find in our size and should last about 40,000 miles.

How is a 215 too short? Isn't that the width?

--Herb--

 

[goldwing2000]

How is a 215 too short? Isn't that the width?

--Herb--

Yes, 215 is the section width. However, when you add in the factors of the lower profile (45 series), it makes the overall diameter smaller than stock. The 225 tire is the right diameter but it's too wide for the stock wheel.

While different tires have different overall sizes, here's an example with Toyo Proxes T1-S:

The 205/50-17 tire has a diameter of 25.2" and should be used on wheels 5.5-7.5 inches wide
The 215/45-17 tire has a diameter of 24.6" and should be used on wheels 7.0-8.0 inches wide.
The 225/45-17 tire has a diameter of 25.1" and should be used on wheels 7.0-8.5 inches wide.

Info found here: http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_specsheet.cfm?id=2

If I'm not mistaken, the Mazda 3 wheels are only 6.5 inches wide. That leaves you with three choices. Retain the stock size tires on the stock wheels, get wider wheels and wider tires or try to force wider tires to work on the smaller stock rims.

If you choose the last option, the tire manufcturer will probably dishonor any warranty claims if the tires should fail.