New wheels for my MR2. Opinions

[JCH13]

if you do go with the TRmotorsport wheels go with the C1M's they are built to spec miata standards so stronger! and go 15X8 all around with 225/45/15 RS3's you will have 0 issues with traction from that setup

:thumbsup:

C1Ms might not come in the right widths, because they're only made in Spec Miata widths.

 

[cbrsurfr]

I've currently got RPF1s. They made a huge difference over stock, went from ~25lbs (17") per rim to 17.8lbs (18"). Turn-in and acceleration are greatly improved. I track the car so they get a LOT of abuse. I had an incident at Blackhawk Farms Raceway this weekend where I drifted sideways into some high concrete. The lip got scraped up but the wheel didn't bend and I was able to finish the weekend just fine (until my windshield cracked at least). If they can hold up to track abuse they can certainly hold up to road abuse as well (I use mine in the summer and on track).

 

[Black2na]

for the record the 15X7 C1M's will fit the MKI with the +30 offset but youd be better off with the 205 star specs then there is always the 15X9 C3M's but those will require some variety of flare or lip. but 225 is your reward. also the kosei K1's are an amazingly light and strong and have been a race favorite for years
always sexy

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Thread revival.


How about Tr-C1 15x8 +20 , with 225/45/15

I wonder if I would have fitment issues on the inside. gah.. cant make up my blody mind on this subject.

 

[Black2na]

15X8 +20 your gonna need flares so if you gonna do that might as well go 0 offsett

http://www.nlmotoring.com/XXR-527-Wheels-s/1649.htm

then use toyo proxies R1R's 225/45/15 rear and 205/50/15 and 240Z ZG flares

Pic for proof of awesome

 

[tcG]

Special for you, OP:

Max coolness factor reachable by MK1 MR2:

 

[phucheneh]

The black one with the two-pieces looks nice. Makes me think 'mini-Esprit.'

OP, 20 pounds is fairly heavy but not unheard of for a cast aluminum wheel. I would be dubious about the strength of lightweight castings.

And I don't think dropping to 15 is going to make a ton of difference. Also, remember to factor in the weight of tires. Even if they're the same size, all tires do not weigh the same; they can actually have some pretty vast differences.

 

[pandemonium]

Fuzzy, a couple things for you since you're stumped on making a decision.

I did a lot of research on this when it came time to replacing my the cheap aftermarket wheels that came with my car when I bought it used, and then of course, tires. I read countless threads on fitment, stretch factor, wheel weight, etc...

I did some searching and found that the Motegi Mr7 16" wheels that I currently have mounted on my MR2 weigh in at a honking 20lbs each

Would this really be a big performance factor?

The short answer is, not really worth the extra cost. From my research I discovered ultimately that wheel weight doesn't make a difference for performance. It only adds/subtracts the curb weight of your vehicle. This has been tested, and I've since forgotten where I saw straight-line numbers being negligible in difference, but I did find this old post and how wheel weight can affect drivetrain numbers, which correctly defines the physics involved for wheel weight changes:

Okay,

I recaculated. The kinetic energy of a non-rotational mass experiencing translational movement is:

Kt = 1/2 *mv^2,

where m is mass in Kg and v is velocity in m/s. For a rotating mass experiencing translational movement, the kinetic energy is:

Krt = 1/2 * mv^2 + 1/2 * Iw^2

where I is the moment of inertia and w is the angular velocity in radians per second. For a 18 inch (.4572 meter) wheel that has all of its mass on the outer rim (worstcase), it has an I of:

I = mr^2 = .0523m

and has a angualar velocity of:

w = 2pi * v / (2pi * r) = 3.03v

where r here is the radius of the 26" wide tire. Substituting back in to the earlier equation we have:

Krt = 1/2 * mv^2 + 1/2 *.0523m * (3.03v)^2 = .7398 mv^2

so Krt = .7398/.5 Kt = 1.480 Kt

Or, stated differently the energy needed to accelerate every 1 lb of wheel weight of an 18 inch wheel is equal to 1.48 lbs of payload weight in the car. I don't know where the "4 times" number comes from.

-Mr. Wigggles

Of course, how much this matters is whether or not you're tracking your car and pushing for better times...

another thing I am worried about. THe roads up here are not necessarily the nicest. WOuld a 9.5lb 15" wheel be more prone to damage with 195/50/15R than a 20lb 16" wheel with 205/45/16R??

It depends on the manufacturing process. If the wheel is gravity spun, then avoid a "light-weight" wheel at all costs. I had several cracks appear on my cheap Rota wheels (the ones I mentioned earlier replacing). They looked nice, since they were Work knockoffs, but really not worth the lack of ruggedness and dependability; especially if you're driving on roads that aren't absolutely perfect.

Generally, the higher the cost, the better the manufacturing process involved to reduce the weight.

In summary, go with a wheel that's within your budget, based on how crucial wheel weight is (if you don't track, DON'T bother with this), and only from a reputable manufacturer (no knock-offs).


As for fitment, I'd recommend finding people that have already made off from OEM choices, such as here or on forums, etc.. This calculator may help, too. Otherwise, I'd say don't stretch (unless you're just going for looks and like that look)! Stretching too much will detract from tire performance and ride characteristics.

Personally, I'm very pleased with my Falken wheels, and their Ziex 912 tires performed very well for me. They're decent grade and not super expensive. ^^

 

[Black2na]

check into these they seem like they would be up to any task and at 2-300 a wheel resonably priced.and no wicked heavy im gonna look for a set for my spyder
http://www.comp.co.uk/

CA dealer
http://www.fourstarmotorsports.com

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

^^ hmmm. Those are pretty expensive. like... as much as my car is worth.

Thanks Pande for the links.

That black car above has stretched tires on it... not really a great look IMO. I also do not want to put flares on my car. I prefer the stock look, but I cannot deny that there are some AWESOME looking MR2's with flares.
The red car above appears to have the Enkie RPF1's but is also lowered about 2".
Max coolness is achieved by this guy IMO. Body kit not available in North America unless you have lots of $$$$$ and speak fluent german

Ive been studying and brainstorming this whole tire/wheel fitment stuff and its a major headache. BUT i think Ive finally figured it out.

The Motegi wheels I have are junked - I busted one rim up pretty badly, cracking and chipping it after hitting a curb when I swerved to avoid debris on the road back in October. So I NEED new rims.
Anyways... they are NOT +38mm but actually +42mm offset. These rims sit about as close as I want to get to the strut housing... about 1/4" clearance. When I look at them on the car I want to get about 1" more poke, so they are more flush with the body of the car.

Small diagram showing what I currently have with the Motegi MR7's

With a 7" rim with +30 offset, that would give me 0.47" more poke, while also providing 0.47" more room between the rim and strut housing.

OR
I can get 8" wide rims with +30 offset and put me at 1" of poke that I am looking for while keeping the same rim to strut housing distance of about 1/4 inch. This may require a bit of fender rolling to prevent rubbing when going over bumps.

Ok. so 15" rims that are 8" wide will work on the Mr2.

Now for tire sizes.

What I have now is 205/45/16 and its DARNED close to the Spring Perch. So I really can not go any larger than that diameter.

205mm wide tire. 45 profile (as I understand, this means that the sidewall height is 45% of the total tire width)... so...
205 * 0.45 = 92.25mm of sidewall (3.63inches)

16 inch rims with 7.26" of rubber = 23.26" total diameter. So I do not want to exceed that total diameter with any tire I select.

225/50/15
225 * 0.50 = 112.5mm sidewall (4.23inches)
15 + 4.23 + 4.23 = 23.46inches total diameter. SOOOO darned close. thats 0.1" closer to the spring perch.. it may fit height wise. Width wise it might be an issue.
THe thing is... this size really doesnt exist for street radials

205/50/15
4.04" sidewall
15 + 8.08 = 23.08 Perfect fit. No question it should work width wise. AND there are MANY more options for tires in this size.


SO! Narrowing down the options. I am looking for 15x7, 15.7.5, or 15x8 inch rims with +30 offset. 205/50/15 rubber.

Or am I missing something blatantly obvious?

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

hokay.... sum more research.
Those are 15x7 +30 offset with 205/50/15
Pretty much what Im looking for. should work. My problems with grip will most likely be solved with just better rubber than the DZ101's i have been running.

Also, I found THIS AMAZING WEBSITE which says that my above drunken research was correct. Both 15x7 and 15x8 +30 will work and poke 1" further with 225's or .7" with 205's

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Dunlop Direzza ZII available in 205/50/15 hmmm

These Grey C1M's are catching my eye.

May pull trigger soon... soon.

 

[JCH13]

With my Miata on the race track my 195/50-15 S.Drives were quite disappointing, which is why I invested in some 205/50-15 Toyo RA1 on Konig Heliums for the wet and 225/45-15 RS3s on TR Motorsports C1Ms for the dry. However, I still find the 195 S.Drives are more enjoyable on the street.

Smaller, lighter, tires will make the steering and suspension more responsive, which is more fun IMO. Using tires with too much grip on the street mutes the chassis' communication and feel because you'll never approach the tires' grip capacity.

In your position I would consider any of the 195/50-15 summer tires on TireRack: S.Drive, Sport COMP-2, R1R, Z1, ZII, and RE-11, but not the DZ101 (never heard any good things about them). I would lean towards the Sport COMP-2 or ZII for good rain performance. I would wrap those around some 15x7 or 15x7.5 C1/C1M wheels with a sane offset. Just my $0.02.

 

[pandemonium]

Lol, I'm glad you found the rimsntires calculator. I used that when I was doing my deciding as well. Great visual and measurement layout tool.

 

[vertika]

I did some searching and found that the Motegi Mr7 16" wheels that I currently have mounted on my MR2 weigh in at a honking 20lbs each

Would this really be a big performance factor? I am looking at some Enkie RPF1 15" which weigh more than half at 9.5lbs. I would wrap them in "BFgoodridge g-force sport comp-2" for a total package of $1100. Shipping another $200.

$1300.00

Will I really see a $1300 difference?
Tell me.


another thing I am worried about. THe roads up here are not necessarily the nicest. WOuld a 9.5lb 15" wheel be more prone to damage with 195/50/15R than a 20lb 16" wheel with 205/45/16R??

MR7's

Enkies

Enkei RPF1 Wheel 15x7.0 4x100 VividRacing offers Quality Performance, and will suit on your car main thing you after changing wheels you should use Wheel Cover it will protect your car's wheels and make them durable with aggressive and new look.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Enkei RPF1 Wheel 15x7.0 4x100 VividRacing offers Quality Performance, and will suit on your car main thing you after changing wheels you should use Wheel Cover it will protect your car's wheels and make them durable with aggressive and new look.

wheel covers?
I dont trust that link, especially because you only have 27 posts to your name. Can you post a picture of what you mean? I hope you are not suggesting that I put Hub Caps on brand new rims.

 

[vertika]

Enkei RPF1 15x7 4x100 35mm Offset 73mm Bore Black.

Car wheel?
I was suggesting you that you should also use Wheel Covers to protect your car wheel.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

wtf is a wheel cover. I am NOT clicking that link.

 

[pandemonium]

I'm not clicking it either, but I think it's simply a misnomer for cover-ing, as in sealant. Not a giant cloth cover, heh.

 

[phucheneh]

The link doesn't go anywhere. Just some generic crap 'car accessories' site. Looks like Canadian JCWhitney, except worse.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Pulled the trigger finally.

15x7 et30 TRMotorsport C1M Bright Silver Paint
205/50/15 Dunlop Direzza ZII

Taking a bit of a gamble on the ZII because I havent read many reviews of it, especially regarding its wet traction. But if it is indeed better than its predecessor the Star-Spec then Im sure I dont have a lot to worry about. Im used to driving in crazy snow/ice conditions, Im sure I can handle the rain conditions.

Im having them shipped to my parents in Arizona and they will bring them to me when they come up here in April. By then most of the snow here should be going away so it will be perfect timing to switch shoes.

Yesterday was warm out ( +2* Celsius, haha... yes thats warm for us here) so I switched the winter tires over to the MK1.5 to see just how well it does on snow/ice/slush. I was VERy suprised. It handles GREAT in snow. Boost can get a little squirelly, but otherwise it holds traction very well. Thats with some crappy 195/60/14 winter tires that came with the silver MR2 when I bought it 2 years ago. I dont think they are nylon lined so, dont want to heat them up at all - somebody told me that tires without nylon lining can explode easily if they get too hot... is that true? Something to do with how nylon will shrink when hot and therefore hold the shape of the tire.

 

[JCH13]

If you stay under the speed rating and load rating of the tire you'll be fine.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

:awe:

Load Index 86 - 1168lbs per tire
Speed Rating "V" - 149mph

ya... ya I think Ill be fine.

 

[phucheneh]

I like the wheels.

But ew Dunlops.

You buying them together so they can ship them out as a balanced set?

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I like the wheels.

But ew Dunlops.

You buying them together so they can ship them out as a balanced set?

ya, bought as package.

Why ew dunlop?