I'm new to the world of compact sports cars. Been driving lifted trucks for the last 20 years. Just bought an '06 3S hatch with moderate mileage. Have a set of Eibach Pros. I really like the MSR 045, 18x8. I know nothing about offset and tire size. I know what my factory specs are, and that I'll be incr wheel width by 1.5", and pushing wheel 17.5 mm more outward. My concearn, obviously, is rubbing with the car lowered approx 1.4". It's a daily driver, no track. Take my two kids to daycare 3 times/week, and accasionally the whole fam on the weekend. Any good, hard data would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking forward to future modding and am open to all technical advice.
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Wheel/Tire size dilemna
- Thread starter jetfixer
- Start date
arkansas dave
Member
- :
- 2006 Mazda 3i
Are you LS Binder Jetfixer from the other forum I frequent? If so we think alike I just bought me a M3 for a daily driver too.
Arkansas Dave
Arkansas Dave
Last edited:
arkansas dave
Member
- :
- 2006 Mazda 3i
bump, Didn't mean to mess up your post hope someone has an answer to your question.
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The quick search I did showed the 18x8 MSR 045 at a +35 offset. You'll rub with that drop and those wheels but you might be okay with rolled fenders. You might still rub with a full car since the spring rates of your suspension are not as stiff as coilovers are. The wheel will be flush with the fender so I could consider a 215/40/18 tire stretched on the 8" wheel to help minimize rubbing. 205/40/18 would work better but it depends how much stretch you are comfortable with. The stretched tire will pull the tire inside the fender while the wheel itself stays flush.
I run 215/35/19 on a 19x8.5 +37 and those wheels would fit about the same as mine at 18x8 +35 with 215/40/18. My fenders are rolled flat and pulled slightly so i don't rub often but I am on stiff coilovers and a lot lower than you are.
I run 215/35/19 on a 19x8.5 +37 and those wheels would fit about the same as mine at 18x8 +35 with 215/40/18. My fenders are rolled flat and pulled slightly so i don't rub often but I am on stiff coilovers and a lot lower than you are.
I've learned a good bit since I first posted... check it out. Got this from another forum, super helpful. Thank you to sdemo45 @ m****************.
Wheel fitment is a general science that takes into account wheel diameter, width, offset, tire size, suspension setup, and fender modifications. You must also realize that every car is built slightly different, so while one setup may work flawlessly on one 3, another 3 may have fitment issues (rubbing, etc). By posting in this thread, you are asking the community to give you their best guess on what will work for your car. You are hereby acknowledging that we are guessing based on past experience and experiences reported by others, and that in no way have we tried every wheel/tire combination that there is on our own vehicles. Our advice is to be taken at your own risk, and in no way are we responsible for anything that may happen to your vehicle.
FOLLOW THIS FORMAT WHEN POSTING:
Wheel specs (diameter, width, and offset):
Tire specs (e.g. 225/40/18):
Suspension (shocks/struts brand & spring brand, or coilover specs):
Fenders rolled/pulled already? Yes / No
If not... willing to roll/pull your fenders? Yes / No
Additional details (camber settings, intended use, other issues, etc... optional):
Basic Wheel Fitment Info:
Please read the quotes below carefully before posting. 99% of the questions asked here can be answered yourself by reading these and seeing where your intended wheels fit into the listed ranges. If you post asking whether wheels obviously fitting into one of these common ranges will fit your car, you will probably not receive a response other than "read the OP"
Quote from: Cali_Axela on January 13, 2010, 04:59:59 pm
Your Mazda3 or Mazdaspeed3 (and any other late model Mazda, in fact) requires wheels with these basic specs:
- 5x114.3 bolt patten
- 67.1mm hub bore*
* larger hub bore wheels can also be used (e.g. 73mm, a very common hub bore), however hubcentric centering rings are recommended for fitting wheels with a larger hub bore to ensure correct centering.
- Wheel diameter between 16" and 20"*
* the 2.0L "i" Mazda3 can also fit 15" wheels, but 2.3L or Mazdaspeed3 models cannot. 16" wheels are fine on any normal 3, but a very tight fit over the MS3 front brakes, so it's possible not ALL 16" wheels will work on an MS3. Wheel diameters larger than 20" may be possible, but the paper-thin tire sizes required for proper fitment would make the car very impractical and uncomfortable to drive and it's not recommended at all.
The other two factors in wheel fitment are width and offset. OEM 17" wheels have an offset of 52.5mm and width of 6.5". In general, the wider you go, the lower the offset needs to be in order to clear the suspension components. These two factors, width and offset, are the most variable components of wheel fitment, compared to all the other variables which are pretty much set in stone. Thus, they are the most important to look at closely.
"Safe" upgraded fitment -- these will work with any model, retain the correct speedometer readings etc just like OEM, and work in all conditions with any off-the-shelf suspension height and settings without any fender modification required.
17x7" wheels with an offset between +45 to +54
17x7.5" wheels with an offset between +47 to +50
The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/45/17. The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/45/17.
18x7" wheels with an offset between +45 to +54
18x7.5" wheels with an offset between +47 to +52
The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/40/18. The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/40/18. The 7.5" is strongly recommended over the 7" for an MS3.
Moderately aggressive fitment -- these are fitments that push the OEM fender envelope, so to speak. Depending on what suspension you're running and how much weight is in your car, you may or may not need to roll your rear fenders to make these work without rubbing. Higher offsets are more likely to work without a roll (e.g. 17x8 +50 will work without a roll on most cars, while 17x8 +40 will require a roll on most cars... but how much they rub depends largely on your suspension setup).
17x8" wheels with an offset between +40 to +50
17x8.5" wheels with an offset between +42 to +48
The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/45/17. The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/45/17.
18x8" wheels with an offset between +40 to +50
18x8.5" wheels with an offset between +42 to +48
The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 245/35/18. The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 255/35/18. The 8.5" is recommended over the 8" for an MS3; you could alternately stretch some 235/40/18 tires (the MS3 tire recommendation for narrower wheels) onto these wider wheels.
Extra aggressive fitment
Wider wheels (9" - 10") can also be fitted, with an offset in the +30 to +45 range, however a very good fender roll, exact measurements or trail-and-error, and even a minor pull will be required. Significant additional negative camber over OEM recommendations will also likely be required in order to avoid the wheels "poking" out of the fenders. Basically, be prepared to do work, not just bolt them on.
Aggressive Fitment Details:
Quote from: tigermack on January 13, 2010, 04:59:59 pm
I am bored and I think... this is quite accurate. I did it myself.
17x9 +40 front/+45 rear on 235/40 - perfect for more than 1.8" drop on the street. MUST rolled rear fenders. 235/45 works, too but it will rub from time to time through bumps even with rolled fenders. Keep in mind that this would probably work best on cars that have camber up front if you want to run wider than 235's.
18x9.5 +45 with 20mm spacers can clear strut, meaning +25, that's on 285/30/18 R-Comps. It'd require tons of fenders work to make it flush.
17x8.5 +38 is probably the lowest offset you want to run on a 8.5" wheel. +40 to +45 would be ideal for most.
For 8" wide wheels, you can go as low as +35 offset. Tire choice is up to you, anything wider than 7.5", I'd roll the fenders.
So... below would be the lowest offset you wanna get for the following sizes... it will be flush and won't poke.
7.5" +25
8" +35
8.5" +38
9" +42 (+40 pokes a bit, even with camber)
Fender Rolling Info:
Moderate and aggressive fitments will often require rolled fenders to prevent rubbing. Rolling your fenders means heating up and folding the 1/4" "lip" inside the fenders flat against the inside of the fender. Search on YouTube for "fender rolling" to see DIY videos showing how it's done, or take it to a body shop to have it done professionally. Only the rear fenders on the 3 need to be rolled, the fronts are already slightly folded up from the factory which is sufficient in most cases.
Quote from: cali_axela on May 19, 2010, 04:32:10 pm
What's with all the people lately asking if they can fit low offsets (less than +45) and/or wide wheels (more than 8") WITHOUT rolling fenders? The answer will ALWAYS be no. Yes, you need to roll your fenders for these fitments, and no it's not hard.
If you don't want to roll your fenders, you must stick with an offset above +45 and a wheel 8" or narrower, and no wider than 225 tires at the stock OD or smaller (they can not be any taller at all). Just so there's no confusion: yes, this will always hold true, on every model of 3 and with every style of wheel you can ask about, it doesn't matter. Stop asking, you will get the same answer as everyone else (or just get ignored).
If you want to go wider than the safe fitments listed in the OP, you need to roll your fenders... it's that simple. On an MS3 you can usually get away with running 235's (not 225's as mentioned above for all 3's) without a fender roll, using a wheel offset above +48. But that's still kind of pushing it without a roll, especially if you're lowered.
Lug Nut Info:
Your wheel studs accept 12x1.5 lug nuts; no other threading will work. Your OEM lug nuts are 12x1.5 "acorn taper" lugs, and they can be re-used with many aftermarket wheels, provided your wheels have large enough holes. However, if your aftermarket wheels have smaller lug holes (i.e. they are said to require "tuner lugs") this means you need to buy smaller diameter lugs, such as spline drive lugs. You still need to use 12x1.5 lugs, just with a smaller outside diameter -- they will usually come with their own special "thin wall" socket to install them with, too.
Wheel fitment is a general science that takes into account wheel diameter, width, offset, tire size, suspension setup, and fender modifications. You must also realize that every car is built slightly different, so while one setup may work flawlessly on one 3, another 3 may have fitment issues (rubbing, etc). By posting in this thread, you are asking the community to give you their best guess on what will work for your car. You are hereby acknowledging that we are guessing based on past experience and experiences reported by others, and that in no way have we tried every wheel/tire combination that there is on our own vehicles. Our advice is to be taken at your own risk, and in no way are we responsible for anything that may happen to your vehicle.
FOLLOW THIS FORMAT WHEN POSTING:
Wheel specs (diameter, width, and offset):
Tire specs (e.g. 225/40/18):
Suspension (shocks/struts brand & spring brand, or coilover specs):
Fenders rolled/pulled already? Yes / No
If not... willing to roll/pull your fenders? Yes / No
Additional details (camber settings, intended use, other issues, etc... optional):
Basic Wheel Fitment Info:
Please read the quotes below carefully before posting. 99% of the questions asked here can be answered yourself by reading these and seeing where your intended wheels fit into the listed ranges. If you post asking whether wheels obviously fitting into one of these common ranges will fit your car, you will probably not receive a response other than "read the OP"
Quote from: Cali_Axela on January 13, 2010, 04:59:59 pm
Your Mazda3 or Mazdaspeed3 (and any other late model Mazda, in fact) requires wheels with these basic specs:
- 5x114.3 bolt patten
- 67.1mm hub bore*
* larger hub bore wheels can also be used (e.g. 73mm, a very common hub bore), however hubcentric centering rings are recommended for fitting wheels with a larger hub bore to ensure correct centering.
- Wheel diameter between 16" and 20"*
* the 2.0L "i" Mazda3 can also fit 15" wheels, but 2.3L or Mazdaspeed3 models cannot. 16" wheels are fine on any normal 3, but a very tight fit over the MS3 front brakes, so it's possible not ALL 16" wheels will work on an MS3. Wheel diameters larger than 20" may be possible, but the paper-thin tire sizes required for proper fitment would make the car very impractical and uncomfortable to drive and it's not recommended at all.
The other two factors in wheel fitment are width and offset. OEM 17" wheels have an offset of 52.5mm and width of 6.5". In general, the wider you go, the lower the offset needs to be in order to clear the suspension components. These two factors, width and offset, are the most variable components of wheel fitment, compared to all the other variables which are pretty much set in stone. Thus, they are the most important to look at closely.
"Safe" upgraded fitment -- these will work with any model, retain the correct speedometer readings etc just like OEM, and work in all conditions with any off-the-shelf suspension height and settings without any fender modification required.
17x7" wheels with an offset between +45 to +54
17x7.5" wheels with an offset between +47 to +50
The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/45/17. The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/45/17.
18x7" wheels with an offset between +45 to +54
18x7.5" wheels with an offset between +47 to +52
The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/40/18. The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/40/18. The 7.5" is strongly recommended over the 7" for an MS3.
Moderately aggressive fitment -- these are fitments that push the OEM fender envelope, so to speak. Depending on what suspension you're running and how much weight is in your car, you may or may not need to roll your rear fenders to make these work without rubbing. Higher offsets are more likely to work without a roll (e.g. 17x8 +50 will work without a roll on most cars, while 17x8 +40 will require a roll on most cars... but how much they rub depends largely on your suspension setup).
17x8" wheels with an offset between +40 to +50
17x8.5" wheels with an offset between +42 to +48
The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 225/45/17. The recommended tire size for these 17" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 235/45/17.
18x8" wheels with an offset between +40 to +50
18x8.5" wheels with an offset between +42 to +48
The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazda3 is 245/35/18. The recommended tire size for these 18" common upgrades on a Mazdaspeed3 is 255/35/18. The 8.5" is recommended over the 8" for an MS3; you could alternately stretch some 235/40/18 tires (the MS3 tire recommendation for narrower wheels) onto these wider wheels.
Extra aggressive fitment
Wider wheels (9" - 10") can also be fitted, with an offset in the +30 to +45 range, however a very good fender roll, exact measurements or trail-and-error, and even a minor pull will be required. Significant additional negative camber over OEM recommendations will also likely be required in order to avoid the wheels "poking" out of the fenders. Basically, be prepared to do work, not just bolt them on.
Aggressive Fitment Details:
Quote from: tigermack on January 13, 2010, 04:59:59 pm
I am bored and I think... this is quite accurate. I did it myself.
17x9 +40 front/+45 rear on 235/40 - perfect for more than 1.8" drop on the street. MUST rolled rear fenders. 235/45 works, too but it will rub from time to time through bumps even with rolled fenders. Keep in mind that this would probably work best on cars that have camber up front if you want to run wider than 235's.
18x9.5 +45 with 20mm spacers can clear strut, meaning +25, that's on 285/30/18 R-Comps. It'd require tons of fenders work to make it flush.
17x8.5 +38 is probably the lowest offset you want to run on a 8.5" wheel. +40 to +45 would be ideal for most.
For 8" wide wheels, you can go as low as +35 offset. Tire choice is up to you, anything wider than 7.5", I'd roll the fenders.
So... below would be the lowest offset you wanna get for the following sizes... it will be flush and won't poke.
7.5" +25
8" +35
8.5" +38
9" +42 (+40 pokes a bit, even with camber)
Fender Rolling Info:
Moderate and aggressive fitments will often require rolled fenders to prevent rubbing. Rolling your fenders means heating up and folding the 1/4" "lip" inside the fenders flat against the inside of the fender. Search on YouTube for "fender rolling" to see DIY videos showing how it's done, or take it to a body shop to have it done professionally. Only the rear fenders on the 3 need to be rolled, the fronts are already slightly folded up from the factory which is sufficient in most cases.
Quote from: cali_axela on May 19, 2010, 04:32:10 pm
What's with all the people lately asking if they can fit low offsets (less than +45) and/or wide wheels (more than 8") WITHOUT rolling fenders? The answer will ALWAYS be no. Yes, you need to roll your fenders for these fitments, and no it's not hard.
If you don't want to roll your fenders, you must stick with an offset above +45 and a wheel 8" or narrower, and no wider than 225 tires at the stock OD or smaller (they can not be any taller at all). Just so there's no confusion: yes, this will always hold true, on every model of 3 and with every style of wheel you can ask about, it doesn't matter. Stop asking, you will get the same answer as everyone else (or just get ignored).
If you want to go wider than the safe fitments listed in the OP, you need to roll your fenders... it's that simple. On an MS3 you can usually get away with running 235's (not 225's as mentioned above for all 3's) without a fender roll, using a wheel offset above +48. But that's still kind of pushing it without a roll, especially if you're lowered.
Lug Nut Info:
Your wheel studs accept 12x1.5 lug nuts; no other threading will work. Your OEM lug nuts are 12x1.5 "acorn taper" lugs, and they can be re-used with many aftermarket wheels, provided your wheels have large enough holes. However, if your aftermarket wheels have smaller lug holes (i.e. they are said to require "tuner lugs") this means you need to buy smaller diameter lugs, such as spline drive lugs. You still need to use 12x1.5 lugs, just with a smaller outside diameter -- they will usually come with their own special "thin wall" socket to install them with, too.
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