I have 7JJ (15") wheels fitted as standard on a mk1 special edition, and have been pondering the benefits (and drawbacks) to having such wide wheels.
I guess they’re principally a cosmetic thing, and the extra metal carries a weight penalty that makes the suspension less quick to react, which ultimately means less grip on less than perfect surfaces.
The tyres currently fitted are 195/50 Toyo T1Rs. There is a sticker in the manual saying 205 or 215 can be fitted too, but these sizes are a lot more expensive.
I’ve not experienced many ‘tail happy handling’ characteristics. The grip is beyond my nerve, and most passengers attest to my lunacy. The tail will step out slightly on slippery surfaces in a low gear with plenty of throttle.
I’ve read a lot about ‘progressive loss of grip’ etc., and wonder whether I’m missing out on the the full MX-5 driving experience because the 7J wheels and better-than-late-eighties tyre technology takes some of the fun away.
What do you reckon - do I just need to fit some 14" 5J steelies, clear with insurance and find out for myself?
What wrong with the factory 14" alloy wheels? The 93-96 14" wheel weighs 10.8-11.5lbs (14x6); 1.5lbs lighter than the 89-93 14" alloy wheel. 14" factory steels are 18lbs; much heavier than even a heavy 15" wheel.
This will come out as wrong, however there is nothing about 7 inch wide wheels or T1R that are stopping the car sliding. The tyres are not that grippy, you are just not pushing them hard enough. Find an empty roundabout and accelerate untill one end starts to loose grip. You can reduce the grip to give you what you are after, however while this will happen at a lower speed, if you can’t get the current set up to slide are you confident you will stay in control when lesser grip starts giving up?
Im after some more 7" rims in !5" dia, can I have first dibs on them if you are getting rid?
I have one car on 6.5J and the other on 7J both are 15"dia I much prefer the 7J as there is less sidewall flex on 195 tyres, I had the exact same thing on an Audi 80 Tdi years ago, we bought two brand new cars, both on optional 15x7 rims, my colleague stayed on 195 and I plumped for 205 tyres, his was a lot better to drive than mine, lesson learned for me…
Not really Jon, 205 tyres on a 7J rim is a bit over-tyre and can lead to a bit too much sidewall flex giving a sloppy turn-in. Oddly `Lightning is on 195/45/15 fronts and 195/50/15 rears on 7J Mim1900 rims, and the front sidewall is dead square almost, would buy 45 series again if they were were cheaper, it drives really well on the 45.
I’m bidding on a set of 16x7" Team Dynamics on the bay for my 99p 16x205x50 888s, might just accept the mismatch as, at the moment I’ll have a new set of (old) wheels and tyres for £60.99
Its ok, not really a mis-match as such, just that if you had two cars the same with those tyres on 7J on one car and 7.5J on the other you would probably rather drive the one with the wider rims, but without the comparison and of course you are going to gain a lot more grip (dry) with the R888s anyway, you would never know and is only a very small difference…
195/50R15 T1Rs on 7" wheels will definitely allow massive oversteer at 70mph, I’ve done it. I suggest driver training and a safe, non-public venue to practice. Barkston Heath has an excellent handling corse on which to hone your oversteer skills.
195/50R15 fits on a range between 5.5 and 7" wide.
Weirdly a 195/45R15 fits on a range between 6 and 7.5" wide.
They make the tyres, so you’d think they know best.
Getting back on topic - I find wider wheels reduce lateral sidewall flex, making feedback more useful and sliding a car around more controlable. The only drawbacks are the weight, which is a price I’m happy to pay for the feedback and handling, and reduced clearance to the wishbone at full lock, which is only a problem if you’ve modified your steering rack for more lock.
Heh! I can confirm that P6000s will unstick the back end pretty effectively - well on my Mk1 1.8 anyway. Having said that, being a ‘biker’ there’s sometimes something to be said for a tyre that slides predictably rather than one that sticks like the proverbial substance to a blanket but then suddenly lets go - that way highsides lay. Not that I intentionally ‘back it in’ much these days when speed hill climbing the YZ250.
By the way, thanks for the tyre advice by email Nick. I really must get something better on for the Blyton Bash. Not sure I can justify a really big spend at the moment though when the car also needs a new roof and the rear sills/wings doing. Too many powered two wheelers to keep in boots. If you think car tyres are expensive look at GP wets or dual compound sports bike tyres and how long they last.
