Any good rim options very close to stock?

Hello-

I'm new here, my apologies if perhaps this should have gone under "Rim & Tire Options", but that thread looked pretty dead. I've got an 07 MS6, all stock. It's my daily driver and I log a lot of miles, approaching 100K. I've already replaced three rims with OEMs over the years, and then I put it on a lift this weekend (I was getting some vibrations, especially under hard braking) and found three of the four rims are significantly bent, so I think it is time for a whole new set, and maybe time to get a away from stock since I've had poor luck with them. I generally baby it, but I drive the city a lot and can't avoid every pothole I guess, but maybe something else would be better? I'm researching wheel options and finding that there is very little out there that matches the 18x7 dimensions of the factory wheels. Tirerack and similar sites have a lot of 18x8 and some 18x7.5. I want to stay as close as possible, so I'm thinking I'll try and go with an 18x7.5 wheel and keep running 215/45/18 tires. Most sites recommend 225/40/18, but I don't want any chance of anything rubbing.

Does anyone have any thoughts on how the 215's are on the 7.5" inch wheels, or maybe recommended rim in that size? Also, what about offsets? I know the OEM's are 55 (High Positive Offset (HPO) - I think). With the 7.5" wheel do I try and stay at 55 or maybe just a tad less in order to the tire position about how it is now?

Thanks!
Jeff

stock wheels are 18x7 +55 with 215/45-18 tires. if you are constantly bending wheels, i would look for a "-1" wheel set. look for a 17x8 with something between +50 and +55 and a 235/45-17. performance will be the same or better than stock, the tires will fill out the wheel well better, and your rims will have more rubber between them and the road for protection. Win-Win-Win.

Thanks. I'll look into that, I hadn't though of 17s. I wonder how they'd look on the car (more space around them in the wheel well?) and how big of impact that would have on the speedo, or the odometer for that matter.

with the right tire size, there will be little to no impact on the speedometer readings. oh, and the regular Mazda6 came stock with 17's, so...

Thanks again for getting back to me. I really like the idea of the 17's and I'll probably go that way. If you would indulge me one more time... I'm not seeing as many 17x8 wheels as I am 17x7.5, and the 8" usually have 40-45 offset, while I've seen a few 7.5" that have a 55 offset, just like stock. Given that, I'm thinking maybe 7.5" rims? A couple of tire manufacturer sites I've checked do say that 235s are OK on 7.5" to 9", so I'm at the bottom of that range. The various wheel/tire calculators seem show this is a good match. Any thoughts on that?

there are a few options here:
http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Parts/Mazda6/Wheels-Tires.html

I went ahead and ordered 17x7.5 rims with a +50 offset, and I went with 225/50-17 tires. Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3's. Will let everyone know how it works out. I think I might have been able to fit 235/45-17 tires, but it might have been a close fit. I figure these are at least a little wider than stock, and they have more sidewall than the stock or the 235/45's. I really want to minimize the chances of bent rims as much as I can.

I'm way overdue in updating this thread, but in case it's useful for anyone, these tires/rims worked out perfectly. I've had them on for about six months now. They look good, and while the extra rubber seems to absorb the bumps a little better, I don't see any noticeable difference in handling. In fact, it may stick better now in all conditions, though I think much of that may have to do with the Pilot AS/3's. With my constant urban driving I was bending OEM rims like it was my job before, this seems to be a much better setup for me. 106K on my car now, still love it though.