What is the widest tyre you can put on a Mazda mx5. MK1 1993.?

Question

I want to put 17inch tyres on, would this be ok.

Answer 1

Yeah a 17-inch wheel will fit but it will detract from the ride and handling characteristics the MX-5 is known for - this is purely an aesthetic choice. Older Miata's/MX-5's work best with smaller wheels and tires. I autocross (Ghymkanna) with dozens of guys running MX-5's. None of them uses 17-inch wheels. In fact the hot combination is a 13x7 inch wheel!

Recommended tire size if you insist on a 17 is 205/40R17XL with a service rating of 84 and a speed rating of H or higher (84H on the sidewall). Do not use a standard load tire with a service rating of 80. You will also have to increase your tire pressure to about 40 psi as the 17-inch tire has a much lower load carrying capacity than the original 14-inch tires.

Also, if you insist on doing this make sure you use wheels with the proper offset for a Miata/MX-5. Your car uses a 4x100mm bolt pattern which is very common on FWD cars, so lots of FWD wheels seem to fit the MX-5 and most aftermarket wheels are made for FWD. Unfortunately FWD car wheels tend to have a 35 to 38mm offset while the Miata requires a 45mm offset. Using the wrong offset wheel will most definately upset the cars handling, more so than the bigger tires.

Answer 2

Yes-Pick the wheels first, then use tire size 205/40R17 or 215/40r17. Make sure the dealer fir checks first, and what ever you do, don't buy the from a national chain like sears, Discount or NTB. Go to the professionals- a local independent Tire and wheel dealer.