How many of you here are running 15in wheels on ur P5?

Well im considering gettting some 15in slips for my Pro5...the roads here in NYC arent that forgiving so the extra meat could be helpful.....plus i rather improve my handling than be a stunner...
Well all of you with pics pls post so i have an idea of what im looking at...
Thanks in advance

ChickenSOup
 
This is not a direct answer to your question, but something that should shed some light. My 2000 ES sedan has OEM tire/wheel size of 195/55/VR15, and when I was living in new york even that size had a choppy ride on those horrible roads.

Anyway I used the tire size calculator on Miata.net, and downgraded to 195/60/HR14 for the winter. Of course, the speed rating and performance potential of these tires is lower than the OEM fitment (you will experience something similar but less drastic, since you can still find decent V-rated tires in 15"). However, the ride quality has improved substantially, with only a 0.5" increase in sidewall, and road noise has also decreased significantly. My guess would be that much of this improvement can be attributed to the softer sidewall of the H-rated, all-season tire, and the less-aggresive tread design.

So the take-home point from my experience is that downgrading can surely enhance ride quality but at the cost of performance. You can expect to have slightly more flex in the sidewall, which will make the car's body roll feel more significant, and overall traction may decrease a notch.
 
Cool...
i also feel that maybe the Dunlop sports that come on the P5 arent perfect for roads i encounter on a daily basis. Maybe all season tire might be better along with some 15's.
 
Since you are willing to take action on it and actually spend money, I would believe that the issue is significant enough to address. I just moved from NY a few months ago and I do remember how horrible a lot of the roads can be, especially in queens by 278 and the LIE.

Right now I have 3 sets of rims and tires... maybe a little bit overboard. But I think you'll find that it's hard to find one set that does everything great. There is always a trade-off involved in selecting one part over another.

But you're correct to say that all-seasons will ride better, since they will have softer sidewalls, and 15" will give you more sidewall, holding your rolling diameter constant. Just be careful not to toss your P5 as hard as you did before.
 
i have 1996 mazda 626 wheels .... they weigh 13lbs and i use them for winter wheels and for my race tires.....

i love them and i have no problems with fitting them....

i think im gonna run 225/45/15 race tires next year...

im running on 195/65/15 ... pirelli p3000 tires for the winter
 
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