syee99

Just got a decent deal on some wheels (they were off an Mazda MX5) to mount my winter tires on. Had them mounted and balanced, etc, but I'm a little concerned that the brake clearance is a little too close. The tire shop guys checked before hand and it's not touching, but anyways, here's some pics - what do you guys think?

Tires are 205/60 16" (on a TSX)

Wheel and brake caliper clearance:



Again, with a quarter pushed up against the caliper:



Here's a pic of the wheel in case you were curious how it looked.



What do you guys think? Too close for comfort or is it OK? I'm just curious as to what would happen if somethig were to get lodged in there (like small stones, etc?)

HI OFECR

Blasphemy !!!!!!!!!!!! mazda?, how dare you sir . lol

syee99

haha...I couldn't resist...they were cheap and looked better than steelies.
Gonna have to pop off the center caps one day and see what I can do with them (blank em out and buy some vynil stickers to cover them).

vwong

Are those brake pads new or used? If they're new, I wouldn't worry about it. If they're used, then you might want to double check the clearance when it's time for you to put new pads on becasue with new brake pads, the calipers will sit a littler further out.

BTW, please remove the Mazda center caps!!!

Simba91102

As long as you can get something between the spoke and caliper, you should be OK. If you're worried about it, pick up a set of 2mm or 3mm spacers (probably go with no more than that or you'd need longer studs)(of course that would take the shine off the deal you got on the wheels). Good looking wheels by the way; nice and easy to keep clean (only 5 spokes). Don't worry about the centers; can't see the logo when you're moving.

syee99

Brake pads are the original ones I got when I bought the car. It's only got 19,000km (about 12,000 miles) on it, so it's still a way from being worn.

I didn't think that would make a difference...it's only the pistons that move and not the entire assembly.

I might pop off the center caps and remove the logo when I get some free time. I figured I'd leave them on so the salt, snow and road grime doesn't get in there. I'm just too lazy at the moment...plus it's freaking cold out.

CarbonGray Earl

I was watching RedlineTV the other day, and they made a big deal about how Brembo only needs the clearance of a business card between their calipers and wheels. I took this to imply that regular calipers need more space due to expansion. Can't confirm this, but I'd be pretty cautious about only having a quarter sized space between your wheel and caliper.

chuson

I guess I had to take a picture of my 16" Honda Accord rims and brake caliper clearance. My issue is not it's close to the spoke, but rather close to the inner surface of the rims....

syee99

Good point. Hmmm...I haven't really rode the brakes hard so they haven't had a chance to get hot and expand. Planning to take a trip out to Seattle next weekend so I guess I'll see how they handle at that time. If it becomes trouble, I'll have to get some spacers as simba91102 mentioned.

chuson - can you take a pic of yours so I can see how it fits? I saw a set of Accord wheels for sale on Craigslist as well (I think it was from an 04 Accord?) and was wondering about the fitment of those. If they fit better, I might swap them out if the Mazda rims become a problem.

jswim99

Thermal expansion of metals is on the order of 10^-6 inches/inch for every degree fahrenheit.

That's millionths of an inch. You need a temperature delta of like thousands of degrees to even move one hundredth of an inch. My math might be off by a zero, but it's safe to relax about the thermal expansion.

vwong

Completely not true!!! The stock calipers are the "floating" design. The calipers do slide further in as the pads get worn, and when you have new pads, the calipers will sit further out. It is the brackets that are fixed, and won't move.

The reason why Brembo (as well as Stoptech, Rotora, etc...) only require couple of millimeters for wheel clearance is because their calipers are the "fixed" design. The calipers in this case don't slide in and out, only the pistons within the calipers do.

chuson

I have some pictures of mine, and the clearance is a tough call. So far it doesn't seems to hit or any scratch on the rims, so I guess it's ok.

LukeaTron

The clearance in that direction is fine as long the wheel fits over the caliper. The caliper is never going to get any closer to the inside radius of the wheel. It's only the caliper to spoke clearance that is variable. And even then, it's only get smaller, so if it fits when you put the wheel on, you're fine.

chuson

Thanks for confirmation.