Wheels & tyres 😕

[Mx_Kacey]

my tyres say 205 / 45 zr 16 87w.
i’m buying new wheels for my mk1 and i’d like to use the same tyres i have already if possible.
does this mean i can only buy 16" diameter wheels / 8" width?

[mk375]

5.5 to 7.5 with the optimum 6.5 according to oponeo website. 8 would be a bit of a stretch fit and more suitable to a 225 section tyre

[Mx_Kacey]

thanks! that’s a great site.
i thought (guessing) it went off the 205mm which is roughly 8". lucky i asked.
it’s letting me select 14" - 17" diameter wheels for a mk1.
but if i’m going to be replacing one at a time, i need to make sure the new ones are also 16"?
one last thing, is the PCD 4x100mm for mk1s (K reg)? everything i’ve seen says yes.
i’ve measured it, but i just wanted to check.

thanks again

[Mx_Kacey]

ok, 1 last last thing i’ve just seen since the central bore is 54.1mm, does this mean i can only get wheels with a central bore of 54.1mm?

[ast]

If the bore size is bigger, you need spigot rings, and the MX5 is “hub centric” not “lug centric” (opens can of worms). If you are wanting to persist with over-sized wheels for the Mk1 (the optimal size is 14", 15" gives a better selection of tyres), the ones you have, which have come off a Mk2, are the best 16" wheel you can get for a Mk1 (though prone to cracking if powdercoated).

If I understand correctly, you want to transfer the old types onto new wheels? And you’re replacing 1 at a time. You also need to make sure the offset is correct. The offset of those 16s is 40mm. Most of the aftermarket wheels will be less than that (ie. stick out more).

[Mx_Kacey]

omg! this is what happened. one of them is cracked real bad.
thanks for the info about 14 and 15’'s.
ideally, i’d switch to one of those when i’m in a position to change the whole lot at one go.
for the time being i’ll have to stick with 16s with 40mm offset, as you say.
i’m just looking at some now and although they come up as 4x100mm pcd, they have 5 nuts?
how is that? there’s no way they’ll fit is there?

[Mx_Kacey]

any suggestions for purchases would be appreciated (cheaper the better)

[ast]

Those suppliers are probably showing a generic photo.

Sounds like someone powdercoated those wheels. If you just need 1, either keep an eye on ebay and buy a used one, or buy 1 wheel from MX5parts. Heftyprice for 1 wheel, but its better than buying an odd wheel, and crashing into a ditch because the fitment is wrong:

https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/alloy-wheel-mazda-mk25-sport-early-p-2026.html

Used one to match:

Mazda MX5 - Mk2 (NB) 98-05 - 16" SPORT ALLOY WHEEL - 4x100 16x6.5j - #SP01 |...

[Mx_Kacey]

aw thanks!
i didn’t mean for you to do a ebay search. i just thought you might know some wwws or makes of popular ones. i didn’t even know the mk2 thing. i never would have thought to look for another mk2 wheel. what you say makes sense. i dunno. i’ll have to look at prices. i can’t put any cruddy wheels on the love of my life.

[ast]

This was a S-Limited I used to have. I ordered the wheels from maxilite in Switzerland. Near enough a perfect look for the Mk1, I think. 15".

The Mk1 will drive way better on a smaller wheel than the 16"

[Mx_Kacey]

very tasty. pretty sure i won’t be buying the wheels direct from Switzerland. you got nice seats and steering wheel there as well. it’s a shame i can’t go lower on my wheels this time around. but that’s useful info for the future. i can’t do 4 new wheels and 4 new tyres at once after just paying for the car. you know the mk2 wheels i’ve got on there, are they gonna have any trouble getting those off? when i had my former mk1, it had different alloys on and whenever i needed a tyre changing they needed the little adaptor thingy.

[ast]

The wheels are regular Mazda wheels. Will work with the standard brace. Of course, yu might have a locking nut…

I think your best move is to get a used wheel to replace the cracked one. Then save/search for a deal on new 15" wheels and tyres.

MX5parts does decent price packages:

https://www.mx5parts.co.uk/calibre-motion-silver-alloys-four-mk1-25-p-2746.html

Very hard to find 4 wheels under £300.

[McTrucky]

Just FYI, a 205 on an 8inch rim should fail the MOT. Table below shows permissable sizing. (Table copied from babyBMW forum).

[Mx_Kacey]

yeah, locking nut, that’s what i meant. i know these photeys aren’t great quality, but can you tell from these if they have a locking nut on?

what you say makes absolute sense of course. thanks for that link. it’s a very good price.

[Mx_Kacey]

thanks McTrucky
yeah that 8’’ thing was just a guess on my part. won’t be buying any of dem.

[ast]

Look like standard chrome Mazda dome wheel nuts.

[Sunlight]

The 205 width is for the tyre, not the wheel which, as others have said, is a 6.5inch wide standard NB face-lift 1.8 Sport item, so not standard for any Mk 1. Any replacement wheels need 6.5 inch with the same offset and PCD. I would not consider wheels that use a spacer to achieve the PCD as offset and hence load on bearings and steering geometry could cause premature wear. Another issue is the brake calipers and discs you have on your car, as if someone has fitted the “big brake” setup you will have 11inch 275mm diameter front discs and you can’t fit anything less than 15inch diameter wheels and some aftermarket 15inch wheels won’t fit. If you don’t have big brakes, a correct PCD and offset set of 15 inch wheels and tyres might be cheapest option, otherwise find one or more wheels of the same type at a second hand spares provider, and get it powder coated if it is a bit scrappy. As for locking nuts, the Mazda OEM fit are obvious and you should have a been given a key socket when you bought the car. Your car looks like it has standard nuts.

[Sunlight]

Just to be certain, how do you know you have a cracked wheel - do you have a photo of the crack ?

Regards

[Sunlight]

There is a second hand set of 4 of these wheels in Peterborough for £70:

Mazda Mx5 set of 16 inch Svt alloy wheels - SET 6 |...

[Paul20v]

@McTrucky

Just FYI, a 205 on an 8inch rim should fail the MOT.

Really
Under what criteria ?