neilschelly

iTrader: (2)

205/55 or 205/60 would be a more appropriate profile for a 205mm width. Use this tire size calculator to see the differences: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I also know that UrbanKnight has gotten up to 225 width tires on the stock OZ rims. That's pretty much the upper limit for 6" rim widths, but it can be done. And I don't recall if he mentioned whether the profile would need to be lower to keep from rubbing...

Anyway, 205/55 or 215/50 should work out fine for you if you're looking for a wider tire.
-N

03RallyLancer

iTrader: (6)

i think they were 225/50 but not for sure...

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

Yes I have 225/50/15 tires for autocross. They are very close to the stock diameter so the speedo isn't off, but I do have -1.75 camber up front, so I can't promise they won't rub with zero camber (although it looks like there is plenty of room). For my stock rims, I plan on going to 215/55/15 if I can find it, just to have a more aggressive look to it. Also keep in mind these are good sizes for the OZ. The ES has smaller tires to begin with (185/65/14 I believe?) and a 215/55/14 or 215/50/15 would be very good sizes for those. All of those sizes will work for either model, but the speedometer could be off.

noriceoz

Im getting rims and tires soon, i want a 17 inch rim but dont want to throw may speedo off really bad what would be the best

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

try the link http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
just type in your stock tire size on the left and then try some sizes on the right, and see what's closest to stock.

Melaz425

iTrader: (23)

Sorry to bring up this old thread but Im currently looking for performance tires to put on my stock OZ rims.. Ill be using these tires street use and SOMETIMES tack.. ok

215-50-15 OR 215-55-15 Which one? Also, NEAL you guys dont sell any tires for this size? whats the deal man?

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

It's not so much a matter of who's selling much in that size, it's that most manufacturers don't even make them in that size. Your best bet is to look into 205-55-15, which I currently have. It's only off by abour 1% and the slightly smaller diameter will give you a better acceleration anyway (although it will be so little, you won't notice it). If you want more for the street and will only go to the track to kick it for fun, look at tires in that size like the Yokohama ES100, Falken Ziex, etc. For the record, I went with a Cooper Zeon, which is also aimed at longevity but with just enough performance to have some fun should I find myself on a canyon road somewhere. If you decide you want something that is more serious for racing, look into the Kumho MX, BFG G-Force, or Falken Azenis, which are still fine for the street, but will wear much faster (expect no more than 20,000 with these babies). Hope that helps, but yeah you'll be hard pressed to find a decent selection in 215/50 or 215/55. Last time I checked, all that was available in one of those sizes was the Kumho 711 (eh).

Neal@tirerack

iTrader: (25)

We do carry a couple of tires in those sizes

215/55-15 Kumho ECSTA 711

215/50-15 Eagle GA BFGoodrich G Force Sport Kumho ECSTA 711 Dunlop SP Sport 5000

Granted there isn't a lot to choose from, but the 215/50 has a couple of decent performers. The sizes in general are just a bit odd. Couple more years and I bet no one will make them.

Melaz425

iTrader: (23)

BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDW 2 205-55-15 $100ea
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport 205-55-15 or 215-50-15 71ea
Dunlop SP Sport FM901 205-55-15 or 215-50-15 $65ea


All these tires got terrific reviews and amazing ratings on tirerack.. Now the hard part is choosing which tire to go with.. Neal or brian, any favorites?? Will I notice a difference between the two sizes, 205-55-15 and 215-50-15?

-tyler

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

215/50/15 is 3% smaller than stock diameter, so your speedo will be off by quite a bit. For example, you will actually be going under 64 when your speedo says 65. And every time you drive 970 miles, your odometer will read 1,000. The 205/55/15 is closer to the stock size being off by only about 1%.

I can't say anything about the KDW, but I had the G-Force KD when I did autocross and they were an awesome tire. A bit pricey, but great performing if you can afford it.

oz4g94

iTrader: (3)

i had 205/55/15 in toyo proxes 4, they are .1 inch taller sidewall than the stock tire, so they dont throw the speedo off significantly. im going to be running them again after my bridgestones wear out, they are pretty awesome tires.

urbanknight

iTrader: (14)

^ That goes to show a good point. The online tire size calculator says that size should be smaller, not taller, which proves that these are all just estimations. Even a tire in the exact same size as stock can be off by a couple percent. Just wanted to take the opportunity to mention that.