jza80

iTrader: (32)

So I have been driving around for awhile with a Racing Brake F/R BBK on my FD, but these brakes won't clear the OEM 16" spare tire (I tried it...even the rear won't clear) Since the RX8 comes with a 17" spare tire as an option I thought it would be worthwhile to pick one up and put it to the test.

The results are better than my expectation - the RX8 spare wheel will clear both the front and rear brakes. Really all I was hoping for was to be able to mount it on the rear, and if needed swap tires rear to front in a pinch if I had a front blowout. But the RX8 wheel easily clears both ends. It also fits nicely in the spare tire well, although it may stand proud a few mm higher than the OEM 16" spare. A small price to pay for the peace of mind that if I have a blowout, I can actually fit a spare tire to my car and at least limp home or to a tire shop. I highly recommend this mod if you have a BBK front and rear.

Here are a few pics of the fitment


First, the rear axle:





Tons of clearance:




Front, again no problem with caliper clearance:





This may be common knowledge already, but I did not find anything in a search so I thought I'd post my results.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Legit, thanks for posting

Do you have the standard RB front BBK or the 'inboard' setup?

jza80

iTrader: (32)

The setup was on the car when I bought it, I think it has the standard RB calipers.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Evidently many/most RX-8s came with the can of aerosol glop and no spare--- the spare was an option, and a pricey one at that. These aren't as easy to come by as I had originally thought.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

that is correct, the Rx8 came with a can of fix a flat. the spare tire came in a kit, which was $$ and useless. perhaps there is another mazda with a 17" spare, the 6 has the same 5x114 bolt pattern

jza80

iTrader: (32)

The spare tire was an accessory option, there are always people selling the complete kit on eBay or whatever but that has a lot of unneeded parts like the mounting frame etc. I found that there are sellers of just the rim and tire that were coming up from time to time in the $200 range on eBay, I located mine from a Nor Cal RX8 owner who was selling the wheel setup plus the cover bag on craigslist as he was converting his RX8 for track duty. Picked it up for $170 shipped, which is a premium over a comparable FD spare for sure. But it was brand new, and priceless to have on hand when you have that flat tire IMO.

Good idea about looking for a different Mazda with a 17" spare though!

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

I think the Mazdaspeed 3 uses the same spare tire.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

i just looked a bit, and i think you're correct. it lists a 17" spare, for the 2300cc engine, which i think is the Mazdaspeed only? also the 14 and 15 6's have a 17" spare option. the miata had a fix a flat kit, like the Rx8.

i should maybe add that a 17" spare wheel in a 5x114 bolt pattern shouldn't be too hard to find, outside of Mazda.

if it matters the stock spare is 16x4 with a 40 offset

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

The later model fd came with a 17" spare. I have a couple for those interested =D

Brekyrself

iTrader: (30)

What size tire came on it?

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

man... i couldnt tell you off the top of my head. i will check for you tomorrow after work...

neit_jnf

iTrader: (17)

price ?

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

i need to find out how much they are to ship first. with a tire on it, its kind of heavy. could be expensive....

cr-rex

iTrader: (114)

got some pictures and stuff of the spares i have

Donthitme

iTrader: (4)

I have an 8 spare as well. I tested it with my stoptechs and it clears. The best part is the 8 owners sell these for cheap.

jza80

iTrader: (32)

Looks to be the exact same rim and tire as my RX8 spare.

04G35S

iTrader: (10)

Do these fit in the spare tire well still?

jza80

iTrader: (32)

Yes, with some room to spare. The only change point is that the wheel center seems to protrude slightly above the body trunk sheetmetal - so the spare tire cover floats a bit above the surrounding trunk area. But you really can't tell once the rear carpet is back in place. That is the only negative to this change.

I'll shoot a picture of it fitted to the spare tire well and post it later.

jza80

iTrader: (32)

Here's a couple of shots of the tire well area with the RX8 spare:

ZE Power MX6

iTrader: (157)

Thanks for sharing, this has always been a concern for me since I move up to 17" wheels. Time to search for some junk RX-8 in the area.

pd_day

iTrader: (6)

Seems like RX8 spare tires are going for $200 now and shipping from Japan for a 17inch FD spare is an arm and a leg.

I ended up getting a spare from a 2019 Mustang for $40.

It's the same diameter as the stock spare 125/70R17 and fits in the spare tire well in the FD.

Another option for people with BBKs.

jza80

iTrader: (32)

That's great information. Thanks for sharing.