Wheel & Tire Options

[Ped]

new ms6 owner need help with tire/rim

I have seen a few questions about this recently and since I am in the process of doing the research myself, I will post my results for others. My only source of data is what has and hasn't worked for other Mazda6/MS6 owners. If someone has verified information that one of these combos will not work then by all means post here and I will update this post.

Disclaimer
I accept no responsibility if you buy a set of rims based on this and they end up rubbing. I am simply compiling information and testimonials of other Mazda6 owners.

Wheel/Tire Education
If you don't understand all the numbers and letters in 215/45ZR18 please read the Tire Size Information article before continuing. If you don't understand what 5x114.5 means please read the Bolt Pattern article before continuing. If you don't understand what +55 means please read the Offset article before continuing. You should now have somewhat of an understanding of how tire size and wheel sizes are determined.

OEM Wheel Specifications

OEM 16" wheels
Tires:
205/60R16 - North America
205/55R16 - Everywhere but North America
Wheels: Mazda OEM 16x7+55mm 5x114.3 21.1lbs
(16" diameter wheel that is 7" wide with a +55mm offset weighing 21.1lbs)

OEM 17" wheels
Tires:
215/50R17 - North America
215/45R17 - Everywhere but North America
Wheels: Mazda OEM 17x7+60mm 5x114.3 21.1lbs
(17" diameter wheel that is 7" wide with a +60mm offset weighing 21.1lbs)

OEM 18" wheels (Mazdaspeed6)
Tires: 215/45ZR18
Wheels: Mazda OEM 18x7+55mm 5x114.3 23.5lbs

OEM Tire replacment options

Alternative tire options for OEM wheels can be determined using a tire calculator. A wheel radius difference of less than 1% is desirable but a difference of 3% is still acceptable. Any more than 3% is not recommended.

Aftermarket wheel/tire options

Diameter: Wheel diameters from 16"-20" will fit on the Mazda6 and wheel diameters 17"-20" will fit on the MS6. You might be able to go 1" smaller and larger but it is not recommended.

Width: Wheel widths from 6.5"-8" will fit on both Mazda6 and MS6.

Offset: The offset that will work depends on wheel width and tire size. To compare the offset difference between wheels of different width, use this offset calculator. However, even though the final outer rim location of two wheels may be the same, a tire mounted on each rim will stick out differenty. For example, a 225 series tire may stick out 17.5mm from the rim of a 7.5" wheel while the same tire may stick out 24mm on a 7" rim. That extra 6.5mm could mean the difference between rubbing and not rubbing. Here is a summary of the offsets I have seen work for other Mazda6 owners:

7 inch wheel with up to 215 tires: 38-60mm offset
7 inch wheel with up to 225 tires: 42-60mm offset

7.5 inch wheel with up to 215 tires: 42-55mm offset
7.5 inch wheel with up to 225 tires: 48-55mm offset

8 inch wheel with 215 tires: 45-50mm offset
8 inch wheel with up to 225 tires: 50mm offset

Note: 235 tires are not recommended for any wheel size unless you are willing to roll and/or pull the fenders.

Note: Whenever you are at the low end of offset specrum you may have rubbing under heavy weight conditions (full trunk and passengers). If you are concerned about this and do not want to roll fenders stay in the in the middle of the range. For example, some people claim the RX-8 wheels rub (18x8+50mm) with 225/40R18 while others say it doesn't.

Where to Buy Wheels/Tires Online

www.tirerack.com
www.edgeracing.com
www.wheelmax.com
www.machiii.net

Most of these sites will allow you to select your car and then choose from only the wheels that fit. Sometimes they hide the offset from you but you can be sure they will work on your car. Please be warned, WheelMax has been known to have a less than perfect customer service track record and they are famous for doing a shotty job balancing wheel/tire combos. However, their prices still make them hard to pass up.

Hi, I am wondering if you can tell me if http://www.mnsubaru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30946 will fit on my MS6. I just got the car last week used with everything stock very low miles. But it was spinning all over the place during the last snow fall. The original tires are on it still.

 

[chuyler1]

Step 1, click the tire calculator in my link to see if 225/45R17 is an appropriate match, it'll be close but not exact.

Step 2, contact the seller and find out what the offset is. If it is within the limitations posted then you are good to go.

 

[Koenig]

Ok, I searched up and down the forums..... I couldn't find anything. I also used the tire calculator, but it didn't seem to help much


Stock Tire - 215/45R18
Section Width: 8.46in 215mm
Rim Diameter: 18in 457.2mm
Rim Width Range: 7 - 8in
Overall Diameter: 25.61in 650.49mm
Sidewall Height: 3.80in 96.52mm
Radius: 12.80in 325.12mm
Circumference: 80.45in 2043.4mm
Revs per Mile: 812.1
Actual Speed: 60mph 100km/h
Speedometer Difference: -
Diameter Difference: -

Tire 1 - 225/40R18 Section Width: 8.85in 225mm
Rim Diameter: 18in 457.2mm
Rim Width Range: 7.5 - 9in
Overall Diameter: 25.08in 637.03mm
Sidewall Height: 3.54in 89.916mm
Radius: 12.54in 318.51mm
Circumference: 78.79in 2001.2mm
Revs per Mile: 829.3
Speedometer1: 61.2mph 102km/h
Speedometer Difference: 2.117% too fast
Diameter Difference: 2.07%

Tire 2 - 235/40R18
Section Width: 9.25in 235mm
Rim Diameter: 18in 457.2mm
Rim Width Range: 8 - 9.5in
Overall Diameter: 25.40in 645.16mm
Sidewall Height: 3.70in 93.98mm
Radius: 12.70in 322.58mm
Circumference:79.79in 2026.6mm
Revs per Mile: 818.8
Speedometer1: 60.4 mph 100 km/h
Speedometer Difference: 0.825% too fast
Diameter Difference: 0.82%

What threw me off was the rim width. I have 225/40/18 on the OEM Mazdaspeed6 wheels. it says rim width 7.5 - 9 inches. Although the OEMs are 7" width and I'd have no issues. And the fact it says the 225/40/18 is 2% faster than the stock tire size... but according to my GPS I'm actually slower (speedo says 70 and GPS says 67/68... but factory tires were pretty much 70 when it said 70)

I've been basically trying to search and find out if 235/40/18 tires will fit the OEM MS6 wheels... I was trying to search and see if anyone had attempted this first hand, or at least KNEW 100% whether or not it would work out? (Before anyone says anything, my fenders are already rolled)

So I just want to know if I can roll 235s, or I just need to stick with 225s. Oh and I need tires SOON, lol, that's why I'm asking cause I couldn't find anything in search and I'd like to know before I purchase.

 

[chuyler1]

235 is pretty wide for the stock rim. The car has outstanding performance numbers with 215 tires so I'm not sure why you would want to go with 235s other than for a bulgy american look.

225/40 looks small on the car, I have some on a set of 8" rims and they don't fill the wheel wells as good as my 225/45 snow tires. I personally would stick with 225/45 or 215/45 to keep the comfort level and look the same.

 

[gooniac33]

235 is pretty wide for the stock rim. The car has outstanding performance numbers with 215 tires so I'm not sure why you would want to go with 235s other than for a bulgy american look.

225/40 looks small on the car, I have some on a set of 8" rims and they don't fill the wheel wells as good as my 225/45 snow tires. I personally would stick with 225/45 or 215/45 to keep the comfort level and look the same.

I agree...

225/45 are what I have on my car currently. They are a little taller than stock but the car handles better and the rim is protected a little more than the stock size. The ride is a little bit improved. Not to mention the 225 costing a little less!

Also I got my tires from www.tires.com which is Discount tire. They were cheaper than anywhere! Also take a look at their ebay store which is even better!! http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Discount-Tire-Direct__W0QQ_armrsZ1

 

[Koenig]

I agree...

225/45 are what I have on my car currently. They are a little taller than stock but the car handles better and the rim is protected a little more than the stock size. The ride is a little bit improved. Not to mention the 225 costing a little less!

Also I got my tires from www.tires.com which is Discount tire. They were cheaper than anywhere! Also take a look at their ebay store which is even better!! https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)

Onlinetires.com is cheaper than Discount Tire Direct.... but I'm not sure how trustworthy they are. My friend has bought tires through there before, but that's all I know

I happen to LIKE my 225/40/18.... the whole reason I dropped the profile of the tire is because I have the MEGANS springs, which drops the car lower than the other springs I've seen... the only thing that would get lower is coilovers. So with 225/45/18 I'll actually rub when doing hard corners or I have people sitting in the back (because the car would slightly rub when I still had the factory bridgestone 215/45/18 and had passengers in the back, I could feel it rubbing against the inside of the wheel well... or something)

and 235s aren't that much wider to me, but more contact patch (aka more rubber) on the pavement, the better grip you'll have. That's why I was asking about doing 235s... I've seen a few of the MS6 over on the mazda6 club with 18x8 or 8.5 and 235s... it actually gives it a nice aggressive stance. Just something I happen to like is all.

Thanks for the feedback guys... no 235s on factory wheels (stooges) I'll just stick with the 225s then!!

 

[chuyler1]

contact patch is a factor of tire width, car weight, and tire pressure. In most situations, aka properly inflated tires for street driving, a wider tire gives you a wider contact patch but a narrower front-to-back contact patch. You sacrifice braking distance for lateral Gs, which is probably why Mazda didn't bother to put on 235s themselves. ...and of course you know that changing tire pressure to alter your contact patch affects tire wear. So my point is, there is more to tires than wider-is-better.

 

[Koenig]

contact patch is a factor of tire width, car weight, and tire pressure. In most situations, aka properly inflated tires for street driving, a wider tire gives you a wider contact patch but a narrower front-to-back contact patch. You sacrifice braking distance for lateral Gs, which is probably why Mazda didn't bother to put on 235s themselves. ...and of course you know that changing tire pressure to alter your contact patch affects tire wear. So my point is, there is more to tires than wider-is-better.

I understand your point... I didn't bother to go into indepth to explain mine, sorry for that, lol... It's not like I'm trying to squeeze 245s or 265s in there, heh... To be honest I wouldn't go any bigger than 235s on this car. I've already seen 235s and I think that's the widest that should be achieved on these cars.

Granted I haven't seen anything wider than 235s on a speed6 yet, but something tells me it probably wouldn't look right, or look like overkill, I dunno. I just like it when wheels are usually flush with the fenders of a car. That kind of look is aesthetically pleasing to me (breakn)

 

[ms6bb0y]

I'm going to buy a set of 18x8 next week for my MS6. They offer both +45 and +47 offsets in this size. Would the +47 be the better choice because it is closer to stock offset?

 

[chuyler1]

yes, go with 47. THe ideal offset for 8" rims is 50 but my 45s fit ok, they just stick out a little more than I would like.

 

[Koenig]

Just thought I would post......

My buddy (with his own performance shop yadda yadda yadda) told me if the wheel is 7 inches wide I'd be ok with 235s.... so I trusted him (since he knows his stuff, and I mean REALLY knows it), and had him mount up 235/40/18s on my car..... they fit like a glove AND no rubbing issues, so no fender rolling needed.

These are on the OEM wheels though..... I KNOW I'd need the fenders rolled if I had an aftermarket wheel that was 8 inches wide.

 

[chuyler1]

post some pics!

 

[Koenig]

post some pics!

Ok I'll step outside in 5 minutes.... just don't hate me cause my car is damaged from people backing into it in the parking lot.... lol (yupnope)

 

[Koenig]

Pics!!!!

****Warning, may not be 56k friendly****

 

[Neofolis]

Sorry, I'm also a complete noob to modding. I was wondering if there is any advantage to having wider wheels, assuming the tyre width would fit on a choice of different width rims. For example, if I wanted 225/45 R18's and the wheels I wanted were available in 18x7 or 7.5 or 8, would there be any reason to use the wider wheels, e.g. better grip, better tread wear, better ride comfort, etc. Assuming the 18x7's are going to be lighter, performance and economy should both be better with the narrower wheels, so I'm surprised that there are so few 18x7's about. Is it just because everyone wants wider tyres in 18" rims?

 

[chuyler1]

I don't think there is any advantage to the wider wheels except for maybe looks. They will weigh more which is a disadvantage.

 

[Koenig]

I don't think there is any advantage to the wider wheels except for maybe looks. They will weigh more which is a disadvantage.

Really? I thought wider wheels were used in racing for better cornering grip? Which, of course, also narrows the contact patch from the front and rear of the tire.

 

[chuyler1]

The width tires that race cars use are too wide to fit on your average 7" rim. Since the MS6 can only really fit a 235 tire without rubbing going with a wider rim is basically just for show.

 

[Koenig]

The width tires that race cars use are too wide to fit on your average 7" rim. Since the MS6 can only really fit a 235 tire without rubbing going with a wider rim is basically just for show.

I was thinking about people using wider aftermarket rims, like 8 inches, and 9 inches wide.... So even in that sense a wider tire wouldn't matter?

 

[InlineTwin]

The tire and rim association publishes a small book detailing the correct tire sizing and mounted section width, diameter, etc. It is only about $117.50 and it explains everything.