I just bought my first EP a few weeks ago which included stock wheels. I have my wheels from my last car (which caught on fire) that only have about 100mi on them and were a month old when I pulled them off. I really love these wheels and would like to put them on my EP without having to sell them b/c they are still almost new, though I am concerned about the tire size.

The rims are 16X7 and the tires are 205/45-16 w/42mm offset.

Will these fit on my EP? Will I have rubbing issues? Do I need to adjust the suspension (which is stock) at all?

 

those tires have a smaller overall diameter than the OEM tire size for EPs with 16" wheels. correct sizing would be 205/50-16. the offset is correct, i believe.

something i am wondering is whether of not the wheels were affected when the car caught fire. if so, the fire may have weakened the structure of the wheels, possibly making them brittle. if they weren't affected by the fire, no worries.

 

With those tires having a smaller overall diameter, am I going to be causing other issues for myself or will they run just as fine?

Also, the fire was completely contained in the engine bay and did not reach the wheels.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Noir &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">With those tires having a smaller overall diameter, am I going to be causing other issues for myself or will they run just as fine?

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Speedometer and actual mileage will be off.

 

Would 215/45-16 be the correct tire size then?

 

Saw your post on ephatch.com too...

What year is your EP, anyway?

For 02-03 EP's, 16" tire sizes close to stock are 205/50, 215/45, and 225/45. Trouble is, finding the wider sizes can get difficult, but there are good tires available anyway.

For 04-05's, 16" equivalents are 205/55 (of course, same as stock), 215/50, 225/50, etc. There are a lot more tires in those sizes.

Remember this site:
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

FWIW, I have an old set of Falken Azenis RT-215's in a 215/45-16 size on some RSX wheels that I use when autocrossing my EP. They're a good size.

For whatever reason, though, 16" wheels with '02-03 stock-circumference tires look really small on an EP when it's at stock ride height.

 

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For whatever reason, though, 16" wheels with '02-03 stock-circumference tires look really small on an EP when it's at stock ride height.</TD></TR></TABLE>

My EP is an '03 and is still at stock ride height. If I put the 16's on would I want the tires to be 205/50 or 205/55? I don't want them to look tiny, and even though I would like to adjust my ride height, it's not going to happen for awhile.

And yeah, I posted on ephatch.com too, just looking for all the advice that I can get since I am new to the Honda scene.

 

Hmm....

Somehow, I feel like I'd stick with the 205/50's.

I've got pics of my car with my first set of wheels and before-and-after comparisons between stock suspension and a 1.5" drop. Let me see if I've got them hosted already.

 

 

I think you're right, I'm going to go with the 205/50's.

What a difference an 1.5" makes, it looks great. What suspension mods did you do to lower it? Do you have any problems on the rough roads in DC? Where I live in Baltimore is surrounded by potholes.

 

That's the Mugen Sport suspension kit -- perfect drop, IMO, making it look better without attracting attention like slammed cars do.

It handles so much better that you'll be able to dodge potholes more easily.

Well, sometimes I feel like I'd like a smoother, more relaxed ride. It hurt the most in some parts of New Orleans a couple years ago (pre-Katrina, of course); they really let some of their streets go to ****, and my ABS would get confused by braking & bouncing across some of the concrete seams.

By myself, I enjoy how it rides. With a passenger, it depends on if they like performance cars or luxury. Backseat riders feel it the most, especially if they're female (their ***** bounce).

If the Mugen kit might feel too harsh, there's always the HFP kit, tuned about halfway between stock and Mugen. That's worth a look.

 

Good to know, I'll keep it in mind when I'm ready to put a suspension on.