245/35/16 Toyo T1R with 16X8 Enkei RP-F1

[Steve in VC]

Brian at Goodwin Racing identified a wide set of tires with the right diameter, and it only requires rolling the fenders.

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Part/21-1050FS52.html

I expect to have enough $ to install the FFS cold side system mid year, and want to know if this wheel / tire set up helps get power to the ground.

Has any tried this set up and want to share their opinion?

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

I had the Enkei's awhile back and have the Kosei rims now. I got tha Kosei's from Brian as well. I have the Toyo T1-R on the street rims and the Toyo RA-1 for the track. Both are excellent tires. I run 7" rims with the 225/50-15 tire size. You should have plenty of traction with 245 width. :)

The first question is what is your intent for the tires? Street, Autocross or track. hat will help you determine the best tire and size. For the street, 245 is a lot of tire.

Brian is a great guy to get them from. Also check out http://edgeracing.com/. I have purchased a couple sets of tires from them at good price and great delivery. They also have a good line of Enkei wheels.

[Steve in VC]

Tom,

My application is street use. I will autocross with the same tires for fun, much safer than on the street, and it will give me a better idea what my car can do.

If you are running 225/50/15's. I prefer them to the 245/35/16. There are a lot of rough roads where I live, and the weight difference between a 16X8 to 15X7 is pretty significant (and an inch more travel before I dent a rim). It also opens up my choice of tires.

Edge Racing has slightly better prices than Brian, but I believe service has value, and like you, Brian adds a lot of value with his products.

I had been pestering Corky on getting CARB for a 2000 Miata (for 2+ years), until Brian told me his opinion on turbo vs. supercharger.

Thanks,
Steve

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Steve,

My Enkei rims were 16". I had 205/45-16 tires on them. I was in Chicago in the winter in 2004/05 and hit a chuck hole. It cracked the rim. That's when I changed to 15" rims just for that reason. I figured I could make the 16" rims more pot hole resistant but it would mean running more air pressure in the tires and I preferred the handling at 28 PSI with my previous 15" rims. 7" is plenty wide for 225/50-15 tires IMHO for street and track use. If I was really an AX fanatic, I would probably want 8" rims for the 225s. This is not my field of expertise, however, and my comments are purely my experience. I will add that I have near zero AX experience. I would just guess that AX would make better use of straighter and stiffer sidewalls than the street or track.

[wineguy]

Don't overlook Emilio's wheels (6UL) at www.949racing.com. $149 to $179 for 12.8 lb. 15x8 wheels & you can hook them up with a 225 or 245 pretty easily. I'm running a set of the nickel 15x8s with Hankook 225-45 RS2 on them and don't have any problem with rubbing except in driveway situations at full lock. BTW, height is at 12 1/2 front & rear... Now all I need to do is order the hotside & get rollin' -- Good luck!

[tann3r]

:stupid: I'll second Emilio's 6UL's. i'm running them as my track set but they would be awesome street wheels too, i love the design and the nickel finish is stunning. lots of 225/45 and 225/50 tires available, plenty imo for the street. and on an NB at least you wont have any rubbing issues. well none that a bit more camber wont solve.

fwiw i run 14" stockers w/ 195/60/14 falken ze-512 for the street. i drive pretty sedately on the public roads, so i dont need much tire. i dont really recommend 195's if you plan on driving hard. first gear just makes smoke, second will screech until redline. dont even imagine wot in the lower gears if turning is involved. its pretty bad in the wet too. 3k at wot in 4th gear will have you chasing the back end. but i've had enough tickets so i keep it on the track and granny style it on the street. its a good thing i have my motorcycle to have fun with between track weekends though.

http://lh5.google.com/tann3r/RyAIYt3miBI/AAAAAAAAAT4/VBeCqCeqjhU/s400/CRW_3375.jpghttp://lh5.google.com/tann3r/Ru6kP8qPk5I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/Q6QSQEQAVTQ/s400/big%20vs%20small.jpg

[Steve in VC]

Wineguy and Tann3r

Great suggestion, great prices.

I also like that they are available in black. My stock wheels look bad with brake dust a few days after I wash them.

I was disappointed to see their 15X9's won't fit on a Miata with rolled fenders. A 225 wide tire on a 228 wide rim!

I am running 195/60/14's now. It was easy to chirp from first to second (still NA). I swapped the rear end from a stock 5 speed (4.3:1), non-LSD to a 6 speed (3.909) LSD. What a difference! I can apply power on a hard turns, and can't get a chirp no matter how stupid I am with the clutch. This also lowered the RPM just enough that I stop checking to see I am in 5th on the freeway.

Tann3R,

It took me 2 years to re-learn how to drive a rear wheel drive, especially in the wet. Now you tell me the supercharger (either that or my car needs a tune up really bad) will make it worse ;-).

Works for me!

Wineguy,

I wish the hot side was CARB approved. Tom?

Thanks,
Steve

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Steve,

I'm sure the hotside will be CARB approved. Sent off the paperwork a week or so ago but my defined engineer is on vacation for another week or so. Are you in Kalifornia? I mistook "VC" for Canada?

All of the GOOD Miata supercharger and turbo companies have CARB at least up to 2003. :-) It's a given.

[Steve in VC]

Tom,

Yes - Kalifornia....

I found FFS by looking through the Air Resource Board list of approved suppliers for a 2000 Miata. No turbo's (BEGi only to 1999), no nitrous, and two superchargers, Jackson's M45 and your M62.

Is the hotside being CARB approved with an intercooler?

How long do you expect CARB approval to take and how certain are you of approval, I have about 1 1/2 year before I need to smog it again.

Enjoy,
Steve

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Steve,

I expect it will either be approved or denied by February. It will be without an intercooler. I only build for the 200WHP market. I am not sure that the IC needs to be CARB approved? Somebody else would have to step in there. In any case, I am required to keep the required parts identical to the coldside if I am to get CARB approval. That limits it to the 105mm pulley and it won't need an intercooler with that.

[Steve in VC]

CA's ARB controls intercoolers, exhaust systems, air cleaners.....
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/amquery.php

Feb is plenty of time, I will just have the money for your kit by then, and will get the ColdSide, HotSide if approved (easy to add an intercooler and swap a pully for a weekend).

Thanks,
Steve

[Steve in VC]

Wineguy, Tann3r, and others,

My 195/60/14's tires, stock wheels, stock springs (for my kidneys), and new adjustable shocks bounce on the rough roads here.

I like the 15X8 "6UL", which is just about stock weight. But the ~4lb weight reduction with the 15X7 "RP-F1" may allow the stock springs to keep the tires on the road.

Do either of you have any opinion on:

1. Will weight reduction reduce my tire bounce?
2. The difference between a 7" wide rim vs an 8" wide rim with 225/50/15 tires?

Thanks,
Steve

[lds2002black]

Just to throw another set of numbers in the ring ... I run the Enkei's at 16 x 7 with 215/40-16 Toyo's. This setup is about 2% short on diameter from the originsl setup. Not a big deal.

[wineguy]

Wineguy, Tann3r, and others,
-----
1. Will weight reduction reduce my tire bounce?
2. The difference between a 7" wide rim vs an 8" wide rim with 225/50/15 tires?

Thanks,
Steve

I am not a suspension guru, so I'm not sure I can speak to "tire bounce"... I had stiffer springs & adjustable shocks before I switched to the 6ULs, so I'm not sure how the stock springs would react. I would venture to guess that you *might* be able to more-or-less adjust out some of the bounce, since your springs directly affect the rate and/or size of bounce, whereas the shocks (or dampers) control the amount of "after bounce" bounce. For instance, softer springs over a given lump in the pavement would perhaps react "further" vs. a stiffer spring, and given the momentum factor of a larger unsprung mass (wheel & tire weight), farther than that even. I run with Koni shocks which if I understand correctly, only adjust on the re-bound. So, after going over a lump, and the spring compresses, when it de-compress to normal length, the shock adjustment dampens that throw, and doesn't allow the spring to "over de-compress", and you return to a normal ride state, hopefully. (I hope this is somewhat clear, because as I re-read it, I'm not sure it's coming out as intended!) Anyway, I used to have 195-60x14 ES100 on the daisy wheels, and I figure I had about 30 lbs. on a corner. I weighed the 6ULs with the 225-45x15 Kooks, and they came in at 33.5 lbs. each -- so I picked up a little more than 10% weight at each corner, and honestly, I haven't been able to feel much difference. The significant difference that I do feel is the amount of grip -- wow!

As far as a 7" vs. an 8" rim, I think they both fit, there's a lot of discussion abount that on m.net now and then, and then again, there can be significant width difference between two equivalent sizes from different tire manufacturers. Personally, I went with the 8" because I like the wider look, I like the amount of grip, and the squared look to the tire on the rim -- and they fit without rubbing terribly bad!

I hope this helps a bit, and if anyone corrects me on my suspension understanding, go right ahead, I won't take it personally. Just trying to learn... :offtopic:

[Steve in VC]

lds2002black,

If I were to go to 16" rims, I would go with the 16X8 with the 245 Toyo's (the start of this thread). The 16X8 is slightly more $ and weight than the 16X7.

The 16X8 RP-F1 rims are about the same weight as the 15X8 6UL's.

My problem with 16" rims is the roads here are full of pot holes - the additional inch of rubber is an insurance policy against a bent rim.



Wineguy,

I also would have thought stiffening the shocks would have reduced the bounce, and it didn't. I changed the shocks myself, I should look to make sure I didn't leave something loose.

I do believe adjustable shocks come in 2 flavors. Two adjustment - to control each direction, and one adjustment, which effects both directions. Otherwise , the shocks on full stiff would lower the ride height on a rough road (depress fast, and recover slow).

I am thrilled to hear the 225's give you a "wow" level of better grip than the 195's, and you didn't feel the extra 3lbs.

Thanks you both,
Steve