17" Wheel Showdown

Hjt · Postby **Hjt** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:31 am

mind you they are orange now....looong story

Please link a current photo in either this thread or the NA rims thread when possible, I'm really digging bright wheels on plain colours atm

Benny · Postby **Benny** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:12 pm

I have 17X7's on my SP, and they are fantastic.
The ride is quite OK, even for an old fella like me, and with the RT615's on them, they stick like the proverbial to a blanket.

I have found that using a high pressure of 40lbs in the tyres does make the ride BETTER than it was using lower, or more normal pressures.

The ride and handling with 17's is very much dependant on how your suspension is set up and the springs and shocks you have.
I would imagine sticking a set of 17's on an NA and doing nothing with the suspension to suit the wheels and tyres would make the car feel like it has no ride and less grip etc., but of the suspension is set up OK, they can give a dramatic improvement in handling.

Postby **NitroDann** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:14 pm

Are you alright today benny?

Bigger Heavier wheels giving an IMPROVEMENT to ride and handling? You trolling right

Dann

Darius · Postby **Darius** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:06 am

Hah thanks for the heads up Benny, much appreciated. Looks like i'm going to go 16's though!

Anyone recommend a good tyre size for a 16x7 +38mm offset wheel? I'd like one to help fill up the wheel well as much as possible without looking odd or rubbing (see my original post for photos of my NB). I was thinking 215/45/16 - here's a few examples of other MX5's I found running those tyre sizes - Example 1 - Example 2. Thoughts?

Postby **NitroDann** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:17 am

SSR professors, see my build thread. Or my 'anyone done a paintjob for under $150?' thread for pics.

Dann

jerrah · Postby **jerrah** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:53 am

I bought my NA6 with 16" wheels. Had trouble finding decent priced 16" tyres (a few more options these days but they're still much more expensive) went to 14" semi slicks for a few years before going to 15x7's for the cheap cheap tyres. All around I find the 15" to be the best compromise and the widest tyre choices.

I'd either go 15" or 17" for the choices and price in tyres. 16" seems like an orphaned size.