Need some help choosing some new wheels, will they fit?

[Mr Sexy]

I'm currently in need of new rear tires for my nb se how ever I dont really want to put new tires on wheels that I plan to get rid of in 6 months time so I thought I might put the tax money to use.. I have been looking around and I really like the xxr 527 and xxr 530, I entered my car specs into the web site that are selling them and they say they will fit. I'm a bit skeptical about this as they look fairly big. The 530's are 17x7 and the 527's are 17x8.25.. would either option fit with out rubbing and what not?This is all on stock suspension as well. If some could shed some light on this it would be awesome, its my first time buying after market wheels so it looks a little daunting..

Here is the site I have been looking at..http://www.ozzytyres.com.au/store/wheel ... ckage.html[*]

[OurCognitiveSurplus]

There's no reason they wont fit provide you choose an appropriate offset.

That said, you will find no one on this forum that would endorse putting a 17" wheel onto an NB. The suspension geometry of the MX5 was first conceived for 14" wheels. There were minor changes for the NB and 15" wheels work well. 16" is too large. I used to run 16" wheels and the upgrade to 15" wheels improved the car dramtically. The change from 16" to 15" wheels was better than the change from stock suspension to Ohlins.

17" wheels on an NB is just going to wreck it. 17" and 18" wheels will FIT, but I would strongly suggest finding a light 15" wheel. Enkei or 949 racing...

*edit*

Just to be clear on fit - larger wheels means lower profile tyres. The overall diameter of the wheel should stay roughly the same. The thing that will cause fit issues is offset, not wheel size per-se. If you go with a known product like the 949 racing, you know you're going to get a width/offset combo that suits.

[meanmx]

Views haven't really changed here in the last few years have they As 17's came stock on the SE I can't really see an issue getting other 17's as long as they are relatively light weight. As mentioned though, a lot has to do with the offset of the wheel. Once that is known then more information can be given. I went from 14" wheels with good tyres on a NA to 17" and loved the difference the extra grip gave me. I don't see too many people going from SE 17's down to 15's

[Mr Sexy]

I hear what your saying, at the end of the day the car isnt a track car... I have to email them regarding offsets as they dont list them. Did have a look on xxr's site and they have them from 0 to 3 so I would imagine ozzy tyres would stock 0 off set so they will fit more cars.. Will email them and report back.

[NitroDann]

Its not about performance only its about comfort and how nice the car drives..

[Jeo]

17x8.25 +0? What size tyres?

Will probably "fit" but unless you're in love with that particular wheel, I'd be looking elsewhere.
Stock wheels on an NB were either 15x6 +40 or 16x6.5 + 40.

8" wide +0 offset will stick out 69mm further than the 6" wide, and 62mm more than the 6.5" wide.
Have a play here to see what your options are.

[SlugRacer]

I don't see too many people going from SE 17's down to 15's

I see a lot of people going down to 15's and I will also be getting some Enkei PF01 15x8 +35 for my SE soon.

I also considered buying new tyres for my stock 17s but would rather spend my money on some light 15s which will improve ride quality and will have cheaper,better and more tyre options.

Stock SE wheel size is 17x7 +40

I do like the look of the stock wheels

[meanmx]

Nowadays 17" tyres aren't much more expensive than 15" tyres. Used to be years ago but not so much anymore. Unless you are going to a racetrack I don't see a need for 15's. The idea of a comfortable sportscar though is laughable. Not that mine is uncomfortable on 17's anyway.

[Lokiel]

17" Rims on an NA/NB are for photoshoots and hard-parkers only.

Many MSM/SE owners upgrade their OEM rims to 15" Rims and will never go back - including me.

Now when I hit a pothole it's no longer a heart-stopper, wondering if I've just destroyed a rim.

The DD is much more comfortable and track times much improved as many experienced MSM/SE owners will testify.

[fastfreddygassit]

17" Rims on an NA/NB are for photoshoots and hard-parkers only.
Many MSM/SE owners upgrade their OEM rims to 15" Rims and will never go back - including me.
Now when I hit a pothole it's no longer a heart-stopper, wondering if I've just destroyed a rim.
The DD is much more comfortable and track times much improved as many experienced MSM/SE owners will testify.

Bold statement. Bordering on offensive for those that love their 17's.
So why are 17" rims on a NA/NB for photoshoots and hard-parkers? And why not NC's?
Interesting call since your SE and my SE came out with 17's stock.
I agree with the pothole example, but this has been much improved on my car since the suspension was changed.
I also agree with the comfort but I'd trade that off because of the comparatively crappy turn in feeling (objective) when
comparing 15's to 17's.
On my NA I ran 2 sets of 17's (different tyres), a set of 16's, the stock 14's and now Droo has it, it has 15's.
Both 17's just felt "better" in corners. My SE will stay with 17's.
And I, along with the OP, do not track my car.

I cannot think of another car that inspires so much passionate debate about rim size that the MX5.
The only example that comes close is on the 4WD forums (I have a luxy) where 15's are great for the extra sidewall
they give for a given size (say a 33" tyre) compared to a 16-17" rim. This extra sidewall allows for more tyre
flex so better ride comfort and increased compliance/grip (read: traction)on rocky ascents.
Unlikely that the SE will be going off road though.....

The OP asked about the xxr 527 and xxr 530 fitment and I am also interested in this too.
Awesome looking rim!

[Lokiel]

17" Rims on an NA/NB are for photoshoots and hard-parkers only.
:

Bold statement. Bordering on offensive for those that love their 17's.
So why are 17" rims on a NA/NB for photoshoots and hard-parkers? And why not NC's?
Interesting call since your SE and my SE came out with 17's stock.
I agree with the pothole example, but this has been much improved on my car since the suspension was changed.
I also agree with the comfort but I'd trade that off because of the comparatively crappy turn in feeling (objective) when
comparing 15's to 17's.
On my NA I ran 2 sets of 17's (different tyres), a set of 16's, the stock 14's and now Droo has it, it has 15's.
Both 17's just felt "better" in corners. My SE will stay with 17's.
And I, along with the OP, do not track my car.

I cannot think of another car that inspires so much passionate debate about rim size that the MX5.
The only example that comes close is on the 4WD forums (I have a luxy) where 15's are great for the extra sidewall
they give for a given size (say a 33" tyre) compared to a 16-17" rim. This extra sidewall allows for more tyre
flex so better ride comfort and increased compliance/grip (read: traction)on rocky ascents.
Unlikely that the SE will be going off road though.....
:

I don't believe it's a bold statement at all.

Just look on the mazda-speed.com forum and you'll find a lot of guy's who've upgraded to 15" rims and will never go back. I doubt that there are any serious track guys still running with their OEM 17" rims, they're heavy (a bad thing thing on an already under-powered car) and have more angular momentum than 15" or 16" rims (which negatively affects handling).

Worried about too much side-wall flex - just get a tyre with stiffer side-walls.

17" rims were fitted to the MSM/SE because some marketing wanker reckoned that MSM/SE owners demanded a "more sporty look" to their turbo-charged car to make it stand out from stock MX5s - they're a "for looks only" modification that has NO appreciable benefit over 15" or 16" rims and quite a few well-understood negatives.

Paired with the hard OEM MAZDASPEED shocks, driving my car for the first time from Melbourne to Brisbane on the OEM 17" rims was bone-jarring and convinced me that the 17" rims had to go.

If I've offended any 17" owners, so be it, you prefer form over function, I want both, to each his own, just pointing out the issues with 17" rims.

[OurCognitiveSurplus]

I thought the Racing Hart SE wheels where 16". Learn something new every day.

[meanmx]

Lokiel I've just gone through your garage thread and I'm very impressed with the work you've done on your car however I'm having difficulty with this close minded attitude. For starters the op didn't ask "should I get 17's or less", his question was whether those wheels will fit. As I mentioned previously, on a race track you may want to go to 15's. That's entirely reasonable for the demands of racing, greater tyre choice, cheaper tyres, whatever. What you have to understand though is not all of us go to the racetrack. Some of us like the look of them and to me personally your car looks underwheeled with 15's. That's my opinion only! You also claim to put 15's on for comfort but then go and put aftermarket suspension in. Don't tell me they are as comfy as stock because your lying. Why not put original NB8B suspension in as well as 15's? I'm not having a go at you personally, but this attitude does stink. How about we stick to the OP's question and not judge him.

P.S You're not offending any of us 17 owners because we just don't care what you think

[Lokiel]

Lokiel I've just gone through your garage thread and I'm very impressed with the work you've done on your car however I'm having difficulty with this close minded attitude. For starters the op didn't ask "should I get 17's or less", his question was whether those wheels will fit. As I mentioned previously, on a race track you may want to go to 15's. That's entirely reasonable for the demands of racing, greater tyre choice, cheaper tyres, whatever. What you have to understand though is not all of us go to the racetrack. Some of us like the look of them and to me personally your car looks underwheeled with 15's. That's my opinion only! You also claim to put 15's on for comfort but then go and put aftermarket suspension in. Don't tell me they are as comfy as stock because your lying. Why not put original NB8B suspension in as well as 15's? I'm not having a go at you personally, but this attitude does stink. How about we stick to the OP's question and not judge him.

P.S You're not offending any of us 17 owners because we just don't care what you think

Firstly, I think you're being too "precious" about your 17" rims and need to do some research on tyres, rims and suspension. Try reading some of the Keith Tanner books and see how your opinion stacks up against the "opinion" of a MX5 guru.

I don't think you've actually been absorbing anything I've been stating, I don't have a "close minded attitude", it's something I've experienced personally as have many other MSM/SE owners, it's not just my opinion.

I didn't start the conversation about 15" rims - OurCognitiveSurplus initiated it and I fully support his "17" wheels on an NB is just going to wreck it. 17" and 18" wheels will FIT, but I would strongly suggest finding a light 15" wheel." comment. I was trying to add weight to his comments from someone who did exactly what he suggested and can verify that 15" rims ARE better. Rims are expensive and heeding wise advice saves money in the long run. I still haven''t read on the internet about anyone reverting BACK to their 17" rims for track or DD'ing because they preferred them.

In my garage thread I even mentioned that it took me a while to get used to the look of the 15" rims on my car so I fully understand your "under-wheeled" comment. Now I can't look at 17" rims on an an NA/NB without cringing and thinking they look like over-sized wagon wheels - ie. it's just what you're used to.

If you put 15" rims on an MSM with OEM shocks, it looks too "4-wheel-drivey" due to the large gap between the tyre and the wheel arch. I was always planning on getting after-market coilovers so this was the perfect time to get them too.

Not sure what your "You also claim to put 15's on for comfort but then go and put after-market suspension in. Don't tell me they are as comfy as stock because your lying." comment was about though - you clearly haven't dríven a car with decent coilovers and adjustable damping. The "lying" comment was out of line and if you've read much on suspension you would not have stated that.

I understand that some people love their OEM 17" rims; I keep bugging crapweasel about his and he keeps sticking to his guns - I'll probably never convince him but I'll certainly continue to give him "crap" about it.

The original poster is talking about PURCHASING 17" rims, NOT just getting tyres on existing 17" rims; some of us here are trying to give him sage advice that he wont regret through lack of education.

If a buyer just wants 17" rims then this advice can be ignored because at the end of the day, whatever makes the owner happy is what's right for them.

This forum is a great source of education; I've learned a lot from it and the advice of others and share my thoughts here accordingly for the benefit of others.

Healthy debate is good - Blind faith/belief is not.

[emily_mx5]

Ok so, can we all note that the overwhelming consensus, whether it be from personal experience, or just repeated what one has read, that 17" are too big/heavy and should be avoided if possible.

Now that that is out of the way, can everyone stop with their opinions, because the poor bloke didn't actually ask about diameter nor weight.

@Mr Sexy, "fitment" is a pretty tricky question, because it all comes down to personal preference and how far you're willing to go.
Ignoring rim diameter and tyres for the moment, 8.25 width with an offset of 0 is really quite aggressive, and whilst NB's do have more room under their guards than NA's, you still will definitely need to roll your guards, might even need to compromise the wheel alignment for more negative camber. And if you still have stock suspension, the wheels will "poke" and imo look pretty derpy.

If you don't want to roll your guards or have a non-stock alignment, maybe look for a set of wheels that are 7 or 8" wide with an offset more around the +30's. And if you stick with 17" a tyre of 205/40/17.

I can try to find some pics of different fitments for you, but 99% will be lowered, which throws off how they would look at your stock height.

Hope this helps a bit