first off i do not want to "make the tires fit." i want the correct fit. i was wondering how wide of tires fit on 7, 7.5, & 8" wide rims. thanks alot.

 

There's an added variable we need to know before that question can be answered for perfect fitment, that's the offset of the wheel. This will create a variance in the allowable tire width.

In general max widths for these are as such:

7" = 225
7.5" = 225
8.0" = 245
8.5" = 255
9.0 = 265 or 275 depending
9.5 = up to 275
10" = lots of options.

This will all depend on the offsets that you get.

Rishie

 

So in general 225s should fit well on 7.5s right? I forgot what offest I need for my FC. Looks like I am getting those konig subzeros in 17,7.5 all around. What was the offset I need again? And oh ya, what other rims are exactly like those? Thanks alot.

 

each tire is different. go to www.tirerack.com and see the different wheel sizes that correspond with tire sizes for each tire model/manufacturer.

 

JoeD is right, it depends on the tire. Look at the spec sheets for the tire models you are considering. Here's an example (Bridgestone Potenza S-03):
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...+Pole+Position

-Max

 

Yeah, the section widths will make a difference, but it should be minimal if the offset if correct.

I am placing a big order on Monday with Rota. Call me
408-799-6723. I guarantee you the best deal on tires and wheels.

I would suggest getting the Enkei RP01's. Much better wheel.

Thanks, Rishie

Need to know color and I will check for proper offset on Monday as well. You need around a +35. The Enkei's are available though.

17,7.5 front and rear with a +32 offset. Good fitment. Would suggest the same size tire front and rear. I will test fit to make sure that the 225's don't rub before shipping as well.

 

Do you want me to call you or could you give me a price on here? I want 17x7.5 all the way around. Are the Rotas cheaper than the Konigs? About how much would shipping be to ZIP 33534 anyways? Thanks alot.

 

For MAXIMUM performance, you want the wheel width to be 90% of the tires' section width dimension. Thus if you're fitting tires for a 7.5-inch wide x 16-inch diameter wheel, you'll want either a 205/55-16 or 215/55-16 tire.

Although 225/50-16 tire "fits" on a 7.5-inch wide x 16-inch diameter rim, there would be too much sidewall flex to take advantage of the wider 225 mm tire.

My preference has always been to run at least as wide as the tire manufacturer's spec wheel width OR wider.

ML
MDC
www.autosportoutfitters.com/mdc/

 

I know absolutely nothing about this, so bear with me.

I have the stock 89-92 T2 alloys. 16x7s and the offset is 40mm. Does the wheel only handle up the stock tire size?? I wanted to get 225-50/16s.

If you exceed the wheel manufacturer's recommended tire size wouldn't you run into the flex problem as well?

--What is offset??


Thanks guys

 

Do the math.

225 mm section width is 8.9 inches. You're trying to mount 8.9-inch wide tires on a 7-inch wide rim? It's clear if you take 90% of 8.9 inches you get 8.01 inches. So for max performance you'll want 8-inch wide wheels for a 225-mm section width tire.

The wider rim offers much more support for the tire sidewall than a narrower rim width. This translates into less sidewall flex, and better "feel" through the tires.

For your 7 x 16 stock wheels you should stay with Mazda's stock tire size which is probably 205/55-16. That makes perfect sense, as a 205-mm section width is 8.1 inches. 7-inch rim width divided by 8.1-inch tire section width is 0.86. You see that the rim width coverage is 86% of the tires' section width. Pretty decent for a factory setup, IMO. Mazda did an even better job with the FD by specifying a 225-mm tires on 8 x 16s. Again if you do the math, that's 8-inch rim width divided by 8.9-inch tire section width which is 0.898. Thus the rim width coverage of the tire's section width is ~90% which is fantastic!

My current road setup is 9 x 17 with 255/40-17. A 255-mm section width is 10 inches. The math is easy with this one--9-inch rim width covers 90% of a 10-inch wide tire!

Read some of the Tire Rack tech articles which is on the Tire Rack website at www.tirerack.com

 

Thanks for all the help!