OK, after hours of searching, I can't find any info on new tires for factory 17's other than "What is the largest tire I can fit on them". I am not interested in the largest tire, just replacements for my RE040's that add a little more grip. I was looking at the BFG g-force sport (245/45F and 255/45R). Has anyone tried these yet? Impressions? I heard that they are much more quiet than the KDW's and they are a little cheaper. Also, do I have the right ratio? I used the tire calc and this was the closest to factory sizes that I can find. I think they should be flush with the wheel well since they add about 3/4 in total width. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Gracias.

 

bump

 

Your wrong on a couple things. First off adding another 20mm to your tire size on the front and the back is not going to make the tires stick out another 3/4" over the edge of your rim so they definitely won't be flush with the wheel well. As for tire sizes use this web site:

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

The factory 17" tire sizes are 225/50R17 and 235/50R17. As for tire selection I wouldn't go with the g-force sport as it is meant to be more of a discount tire for lesser cars. I would go with the great grip of the KDW. Anyways you can check all the tire sizes available for each at these linkes:

g-force sport:

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/asset...ForceSport.pdf

KDW:

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/asset...rce_ta_kdw.pdf

 

Yea, I used the tire calc, and that is how I got the 245/45 and 255/45 combo. It seemed to be the closest match to the factory 17's. So the KDW's are the way to go huh? I just heard they were loud, but still wanted something similar.

I don't have to have the tires flush, I just don't want them to stick out like some sort of low rider mini-truck or anything.

 

Thats what I'm telling you is that tire size doesn't determine how far your wheels stick out it will just slightly affect the bulge of the tire over the edge of the wheel and is barely noticeable.

 

Ahh, gotcha. So you think that combo is good with the TCS? I just don't want to have to turn it off every time I drive.

 

Did you ever try this?

Chris

 

jbenedict - you are correct, the 245/45 front and 255/45 rear tyres will result in the best diameter that equates to the stock diameter of the wheel/tyres combo.

Things to keep in mind:
1. These tyre sizes are the absolute maximum width tyres you can possibly fit on the 7.5" front and 8" rear wheels. Some tyre places may even refuse to put these sizes on for you as they may consider the tyres too wide for your wheels.

2. The size tyres will bulge out from the rim more than the Potenzas - by approximately 1cm. So you may want to look at your current wheel/tyre and image what it may look like and see if you would like this look.

BTW, I purchased some Goodyear F1 GSD3's in exact OEM sizes for my 17" wheels. I was also considering the 245/45 and 255/45 combos until I came across the Goodyears and thought why screw with a good thing. Also, the Goodyear's make the Potenza's seem like training wheels in terms of both dry and wet grip. Significantly less noise, more comfort than the Potenza's too. But with a softer tyrewall, the steering response of the Goodyears is down just a tad compared with the Potenza.

Good luck with your choice.

 

I haven't had to replace the fronts yet, but I did replace the backs with the 255/45's. I got some Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval's. They look like the exact same tire (tread pattern at least) as the Potenza RE750.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....hawk+Wide+Oval

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....=Potenza+RE750

They have some pretty good grip. Better than the OEM RE040's. But then again, I have an additional 2 cm of rubber on the ground, so it may be that. Honestly though, I do have a harder time getting them to break loose, and they were about $30 cheaper than the OEM's so I would say that they are a pretty good buy. They make a LOT less noise than the old OEM's also. As for fitment, I really don't have any problems (no rubbing, etc). Hell, the manager said that I needed something wider to put on there =) All of the reviews also agree that the Wide Ovals are good tires (for what they are worth) but I am happy with them.

 

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