Tire

[OceanPark]

I am looking for replacement for my MP3's Dunlop before the summer hit Toronto. And I had used to search button and read quite a few posts, however, some of you suggest 215/45/17 while other says 215/40/17 is a better fit. I just wanted to know which one is closer to the stock diameter and size. Further more, any suggestion for cheap, good and reliable replacement??? Z rated preferred (I have winter tires for snow)
Thanks people (bluemp3)

 

[JOS3]

ahh, font is small, having....trouble.....reading

 

[rowan]

205/45 or 215/45 ... those are better than 215/40's. (40 series just doesn't fit as nice on a 7" wide rim .. and I have 215/40's).

There are Yokohama AVS ES100's .. or Dunlop FM901 .. or Kumho Ecsta MX if you are looking for the medium-low range of tire prices.

 

[TXMazdaSpeeder]

i have 215/45/17 Mastercraft Avenger ZHP's, the fronts rub at full lock, the driver's rear rubs at bottom out but it doesnt do anything but make a noise. i wouldn't drop a 40 series, u stand a better chance of hitting a pot hole and ruining a rim (trust me) . My tires ran me $130 a tire and have laster me about 16k-19k miles (and i dirve my car VERY hard) and they provide good traction on the street (haven't had them on the track yet) as well as in the rain, good year carries them and they look like dis.....

 

[OceanPark]

But 215/45/17 will have an overall bigger diameter than the stock wheels, right?????? Then the speedo would probably read incorrectly, am I correct??

Does 215/45 and 215/40 has the same width as each other? Then why 45 is a better fit then 40???

Sorry for the many questions.

 

[70]

A 215/45 will throw off the speedo reading, a 215/40 is a better match to both the stock tires on the MP3 and the size on the stock 16" wheels for the regular Protege.

But, hey, do whatever you want. A 215/40 is a better fit IMHO...

 

[rowan]

My HO conflicts with yours .. a 215/40 does not sit properly on the skinny rims. I even have 215/40 and wouldn't go for that size again . Such a low profile tire needs to be on a wider rim to look right, and perform right. I'm not convinced that the extra 10 mm of width will even be noticeable, especially when it's on a skinnier rim than it is meant for.

.. and depending on the specific model of tire you get, a 215/40 will run smaller than stock, sometimes by the same margin that the 215/45's would be bigger than stock.

I've had the Mazdaspeed tires on and didn't notice any rubbing... maybe it all depends on the profile of the tire.

And yes in Toronto the extra sidewall will save you!
I think I have been pretty lucky so far mostly due to the weight and strength of the RacingHart's and the durability of my Continentals.

 

[Captain KRM P5]

How about four 215/45R17 Falken Azenis D1 Sports for $400?? I have another member looking into those right now.

 

[rowan]

Is that a new size for 2004? They used to only come in 225/45R17... which has been tried by a few Mazdaspeed guys for autocrossing, and usually rubbed at least a little.

The Azenis fits big, but 215/45 should work .. may or may not be better off with a slightly lower offset wheel too. like around +50 instead of the stock +55, just to give a bit more space around the inner wheel wells and suspension bits.

Ooooohhhh .. nevermind, it's a completely new tire ...
http://www.falkentire.com/tires/st115_infopg.htm

Wonder how the compound of those compares to the Azenis Sport.

 

[scott42]

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

I've got 215/45's on mine now, and I love them. 1.5% too slow on the speedo which equates to if you're doing 60, then you're realy doing 60.9...I can live with that difference...Even if you're doing 100mph on your speedo, you're actually only going 1.5mph faster. Once you're going that fast does an extra one and a half mph in reality really matter? btw, they also look better IMHO; fill in a bit more gap

 

[OceanPark]

rowan: what do you have for your summer tires??? size and model???

 

[rowan]

I've got 215/40/17 contiExtremeContact tires (by Continental). They're all-seasons and I've actually driven on them since last Winter. (Lack of storage space means I don't have separate Winter and Summer tires ... but All-sesons and Race tires .. haha)

They're great tires, but for Summer only you'd probably want the contiSportContact2 instead . . from Continental anyway, and as I said before, if I was buying them again I would have gone for the 215/45 size instead of 40. I originally tried to find something in the OEM 205/45 size but there wasn't much available in that size last year when I needed tires.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

A 215/45 will throw off the speedo reading, a 215/40 is a better match to both the stock tires on the MP3 and the size on the stock 16" wheels for the regular Protege.

But, hey, do whatever you want. A 215/40 is a better fit IMHO...

Mathematically, the 215/40 is not a better match. 40% of 215 does not match up as well with 45% of 205. 45% of 215 is closer to 45% of 205, if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say, is that the sidewall size will have less error with a 215/45 over a 215/40, and the speedo will have less error with a 215/45.

I face the same dilemma. I want a wider tire. However, I'm lowered, and don't have room for error, so I'll stick with the stock 205/45/17.

 

[OceanPark]

Mathematically, the 215/40 is not a better match. 40% of 215 does not match up as well with 45% of 205. 45% of 215 is closer to 45% of 205, if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say, is that the sidewall size will have less error with a 215/45 over a 215/40, and the speedo will have less error with a 215/45.

I face the same dilemma. I want a wider tire. However, I'm lowered, and don't have room for error, so I'll stick with the stock 205/45/17.

What other tires are avaiable for our 205/45/17 stock size??? The Dunlop isn't cheap ........... and I am lack of choice .(huh)

 

[Captain KRM P5]

What other tires are avaiable for our 205/45/17 stock size??? The Dunlop isn't cheap ........... and I am lack of choice .(huh)

there aren't many - Sears wanted $1000 dollars for parts and labor on that size so I went with cheapo Kuhmos in a different size for $300 parts and labor, and my car is lowered 1 inch, no problems.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Yokohama AVS ES 100s are available in 205/45/17 at $97 a tire + S&H at www.tirerack.com. Thats most likely what I'll be going with for my second set of tires this April.

Chris

 

[rowan]

Oooh .. those should be pretty nice. Thanks to Yokohama for actually making a tire that'll fit. I suppose it helps that 205/45/17 is now one of the stock tire sizes for the MINI.

Ocean .. get a price on those ES-100's then. Try Ben @ Wheels-Direct first I guess.

 

[70]

Mathematically, the 215/40 is not a better match. 40% of 215 does not match up as well with 45% of 205. 45% of 215 is closer to 45% of 205, if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say, is that the sidewall size will have less error with a 215/45 over a 215/40, and the speedo will have less error with a 215/45.

I face the same dilemma. I want a wider tire. However, I'm lowered, and don't have room for error, so I'll stick with the stock 205/45/17.

How are you geting that? The tire calculator everyone has posted a link to through Miata.net says otherwise.

The 215/40 is a closer match the 195/50 on the 16" rim...And is closer in size to the 205/45 than a 215/45 is...

 

[DooMer_MP3]

How are you geting that? The tire calculator everyone has posted a link to through Miata.net says otherwise.

The 215/40 is a closer match the 195/50 on the 16" rim...And is closer in size to the 205/45 than a 215/45 is...

I'm assuming OceanPark wants to replace his stock MP3 tires, which are 205/45/17. Whats this 195/50 stuff?

On the tire-size calculator, 215/40/17 is 2.0% too fast, while 215/45/17 is 1.5% too slow, hence a better fit.

Mathematically, 45% of 205 = 92.25mm sidewall, stock.

215/40/17 is 40% of 215 = 86mm sidewall (-6.25mm difference)

215/45/17 is 45% of 215 = 96.75mm sidewall (4.5mm difference)

While both are off, 215/45/17 is a better fit for accuracy in speedometer etc. However, 215/45/17 has rubbing issues on even some stock MP3s depending on the brand, and I could never use it with my drop, so I'll be sticking with 205/45/17. I don't want even more wheel gap than I already have in 215/40/17

That is how I'm getting that.

Chris

 

[70]

I'm assuming OceanPark wants to replace his stock MP3 tires, which are 205/45/17. Whats this 195/50 stuff?

On the tire-size calculator, 215/40/17 is 2.0% too fast, while 215/45/17 is 1.5% too slow, hence a better fit.

Mathematically, 45% of 205 = 92.25mm sidewall, stock.

215/40/17 is 40% of 215 = 86mm sidewall (-6.25mm difference)

215/45/17 is 45% of 215 = 96.75mm sidewall (4.5mm difference)

While both are off, 215/45/17 is a better fit for accuracy in speedometer etc. However, 215/45/17 has rubbing issues on even some stock MP3s depending on the brand, and I could never use it with my drop, so I'll be sticking with 205/45/17. I don't want even more wheel gap than I already have in 215/40/17

That is how I'm getting that.

Chris

The 195/50-16 is from the 16" rims the stock Protege ES and Protege 5 run. A 215/40-17 is .4% faster than 195/50... That's what I am getting at.