[mumixam]

Philosophy behind the choices is strong and lightweight. I am looking for improved performance and comfort with the change. Looks come in last but i do like the look of bigger sidewalls and the oz wheels. I have a white m3 s-touring model for reference.

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Whe...h=Black+Painted&showRear=no&packageFlow=false

OZ Ultraleggara black 16x7 45mm offset - 14.7 lbs which isnt the lightest on tirerack but close. From what i know OZ makes some pretty high quality / strong wheels, the Kosei is lighter but the offset tucks it in more and i have read a few stories about them cracking under normal use. The RPF1s im not a fan of the look/ color available.

Was thinking of matching them to a set of 215/55r16 conti dws tires - they are 21 lbs and i think i would like to keep the same tirewidth. 205/60s dont seem to have as great of tire choices. They are slightly smaller diameter - 1.2% shorter gearing with the change, 69.2 mph actual at 70 indicated - doesnt seem bad to me. Looks like they will fit fine, not sure if scrub will be affected.

Was also thinking of picking up the Koni FSDs at the same time, or maybe slightly after to improve comfort a bit more - wasnt thinking about changing springs at all though, stock ride height is fine by me. Not sure if there is a spring setup more comfort focused - stock seems like it might be the way to go.

Feel free to leave a comment- im interested to hear thoughts or maybe other combinations i haven't thought of, i really have only been browsing tire rack because its easy and they will mount/balance for free and ship to me quickly.

-mum

 

[arathol]

17x7.5" rims are a good compromise. You can find light 17" rims fairly easily and somewhat inexpensively. Tralkites, Advanti and Konig are good ones to look at. The 7.5" Traklites are just a bit over 15 lbs each. Look at wheels for the 3rd generation Miata, 2006-2015 for a wider selection. Check out Goodwin Racing for more choices.

Better tires sizes are available for 17" rims too. 205/50s on 7.5" rims is a good choice for performance.

 

[mumixam]

The traklite gear 17x7.5 45mm wheels seem pretty nice - 200 with free shipping on ebay is nice and 15.5lbs - not a fan of the other styles for them.

im looking through the other brands now

Is there a reason you recommend a wider wheel than stock and a narrower tire? Im still learning this stuff but that doesnt seem like a logical choice. Unless its just to open up good options to choose from?

 

[arathol]

The traklite gear 17x7.5 45mm wheels seem pretty nice - 200 with free shipping on ebay is nice and 15.5lbs - not a fan of the other styles for them.

im looking through the other brands now

Is there a reason you recommend a wider wheel than stock and a narrower tire? Im still learning this stuff but that doesnt seem like a logical choice. Unless its just to open up good options to choose from?

You need to look at tire specs and actual pictures of various combinations to get a feel for how various tires fit. Not all tires are the same. Tread width can vary considerably from tire to tire. Performance tires can be significantly larger than standard all season type tires in the same size.
For example -

Both are 205 width. Continental ECS 205/50-17s on the left, Dunlop Signature HP 205/60-16s on the right.

As for tire/wheel choice, you can actually get more grip that way. A 205 on a 7.5" rim will stretch the sidewalls just slightly, enough to make the tire a bit stiffer and more resistant to rolling the sidewalls under in a corner. This will generally keep the tread face on the road better than a wider tire with a sidewall that rolls. You'll also see quicker steering response due to less sidewall flex.
Unless you buy a true sports car, OEM tires are usually selected for appearance and according to manufacturer recommendations more than to maximize performance. The market wants tires that have square shoulders with vertical sidewalls and perfectly flat tread face because it looks cool, so that is what you get. There are almost always better wheel / tire combinations that make the car handle better.
The Conti DWS is a good tire, but its not a real performance tire. It has real soft sidewalls, not great for ripping up a canyon or autoxing, but they ride well and are pretty good in the wet. A better choice would be the Michelin PSS or the new Conti ECS if you want a summer performance tire, or the Michelin Pilot A/S 3+ or BFG Sport Comp2 A/S if you want a year round use tire.

The Conti ECS tires on 17x7.5" Traklites -

 

[mumixam]

Im definitely a fan of how the traklites look - may need to go that route instead. Good info on the smaller tires - i was reading a bit about how tire rack measures treadwidth and i see a fair amount of variation in same width tires. I have read that performance tires get a bit out of hand with the extra width to get around tire regs at race events etc - thats not really my cup of tea tho.

I like the precise and sportier handling of the mazda but im not really pushing the car all that hard, if i can retain or enhance that slightly while gaining more comfort that i would say is my ultimate goal. The idea of lightweight and efficient appeals to me to aesthetically, if that even make sense because im not super concerned about the best looking wheel.

I sometimes think i would be happier in a Buick- i think im a bit more of a quiet comfort kinda guy. I still love my Mazda tho so.. =[]

I will look up the Michelin and BFG A/S tires for sure.

 

[Stewie]

Why'd you want go to lighter?

 

[arathol]

Why'd you want go to lighter?

Lighter is always better. Less unsprung weight is a good thing.

 

[mumixam]

Why'd you want go to lighter?

Less mass to spin up and slow down, less for the suspension to deal with also.

I know it will help keep my tires on the road and make potholes and expansion joints less jarring. The downsizing was to get bigger / softer sidewalls with the idea of smoothing the ride further.

SE Wisconsin here and our roads get fairly gnarly in winter times with frost heaves and tore up asphalt.

I'm a bit curious how much difference it will make in the comfort aspect.

Going 17s still gives a fair amount more sidewall but looks to be a better performance setup.

I wonder by how much over 16s. I think weight diff is like 1-3 lbs

 

[Stewie]

Less mass to spin up and slow down, less for the suspension to deal with also.

I know it will help keep my tires on the road and make potholes and expansion joints less jarring. The downsizing was to get bigger / softer sidewalls with the idea of smoothing the ride further.

SE Wisconsin here and our roads get fairly gnarly in winter times with frost heaves and tore up asphalt.

I'm a bit curious how much difference it will make in the comfort aspect.

Going 17s still gives a fair amount more sidewall but looks to be a better performance setup.

I wonder by how much over 16s. I think weight diff is like 1-3 lbs

I'm going 18s next year, currently got 16s about to go bald.

18s is more aesthetic and lighter ( depending on the type of wheels you have)

 

[mumixam]

I cant recall what the stock 16 alloy setup weighs, i think the steelies are like 24 lbs or something tho, i can definately see 18s coming in under both

what 18s are you looking at?

 

[arathol]

I cant recall what the stock 16 alloy setup weighs, i think the steelies are like 24 lbs or something tho, i can definately see 18s coming in under both

what 18s are you looking at?

Just for future reference, the 18" OEM rim/tire weighs in at just over 50 lbs. The steelies w/tire is ~44 lbs, the 16" alloys are ~40 lbs w/tire. OEM Mazda 6 19" rim w/tire is something like 53 lbs.:surprise:

18" rims are not lighter than 16" rims, not by a long shot. You can get 18" rims that weigh in at about 17 lbs but they are near $400 a wheel and up for good ones. Lighter rims are available at ridiculous cost, in the thousands.

 

[mumixam]

Just for future reference, the 18" OEM rim/tire weighs in at just over 50 lbs. The steelies w/tire is ~44 lbs, the 16" alloys are ~40 lbs w/tire. OEM Mazda 6 19" rim w/tire is something like 53 lbs.:surprise:

18" rims are not lighter than 16" rims, not by a long shot. You can get 18" rims that weigh in at about 17 lbs but they are near $400 a wheel and up for good ones. Lighter rims are available at ridiculous cost, in the thousands.

my point was its certainly possible to drop weight from the stock 16s with aftermarket 18s - there are plenty of sub 20lb options that are less than 250, even less than 200.

i understand that bigger is generally not lighter than smaller sizes -_-

 

[dradernh]

Below is a list of a set of lightweight options I've worked up for myself. Included at the bottom of the list is the 18" OEM setup that came with my car.

Left to right, the data fields are:

Total Weight of one wheel and tire
Wheel Mfgr
Wheel Model
Wheel Size
Wheel Wt.
Tire Mfgr.
Tire Model
Tire Size
Tire Weight
Tire Circumference
Tire Tread Width.

With its 23.3" circumference, the last lightweight option is probably not realistic, but the three above it are very doable and show that 16" and 17" combos in the 34-35# range are definitely within reach.

 

[sequentious]

Below is a list of a set of lightweight options I've worked up for myself. Included at the bottom of the list is the 18" OEM setup that came with my car.

Left to right, the data fields are:

Total Weight of one wheel and tire
Wheel Mfgr
Wheel Model
Wheel Size
Wheel Wt.
Tire Mfgr.
Tire Model
Tire Size
Tire Weight
Tire Circumference
Tire Tread Width.

With its 23.3" circumference, the last lightweight option is probably not realistic, but the three above it are very doable and show that 16" and 17" combos in the 34-35# range are definitely within reach.

FWIW, here's the OEM 16" wheels. They weigh 8.6kg, or 18.6lbs (yeah, my math says I need a better scale, too). They also have 100 units of weights added (but while each weight lists a quantity, it doesn't list which unit we're quantifying).

 

[minsanity]

There are affordable 18s out there that are as light as pricey 1s....
Genuine 57Xtreme 18x8.5 et45 weighs 9.2kg each


A cheaper & lighter option....Rota Titan 18x8.5 et44

 

[arathol]

There are affordable 18s out there that are as light as pricey 1s....
Genuine 57Xtreme 18x8.5 et45 weighs 9.2kg each


A cheaper & lighter option....Rota Titan 18x8.5 et44

There are 3 options when it comes to choosing wheels.
Light, strong and cheap. Pick two, that's all you get.

 

[minsanity]

There are 3 options when it comes to choosing wheels.
Light, strong and cheap. Pick two, that's all you get.

A theory that isn't always true....one just needs to search harder, sir.

 

[dradernh]

A theory that isn't always true....one just needs to search harder, sir.

What examples do you have of light, cheap, and strong wheels, and where did you find them?

My own experience has been that light and strong wheels are forged wheels; unfortunately, they are not cheap.

 

[minsanity]

Check Enkei, TSW, Oz, etc..... & the used market. 5x114 & our allowed offsets are not difficult to find. Rotas are made by PAWI, a known & certified OEM wheel supplier of nippon badges. They're affordable w/ some light, durable models.

 

[BadSeed]

Cheap is objective. HRE has forged wheels that run $2700 each. Stance has forged wheels at $2500 for the set. So if we're talking 100 a wheel then yeah you're choices in light and strong are gonna be limited

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