tlrookie

Currently I have 215/55-16 on stock rims (16 X 7.5).

If I put 215/60-16, would it eliminate the fender gap a little bit because the tires are little bit taller?

Or should I go for 225/55-16? I'm worry that 225 is too wide for stock 6.5' rims.

Please help!!! Many thanks!!

subtledreamer

Go for 225/55-16.
If you use this tire size calculator here (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html), you'll see that 225/55-16 is a very good fit in terms of speedometer-error (only 0.2% off from stock), plus you get more grip of the road. Might affect your gas mileage by a little bit, but the extra traction is worth it, imo.

btw im using 225/55-16 too, it's great.

cc364

thats what i did a month ago,it close the gap and the ride is much better. kasey3881

jayhawk815

If you "close the gap" by getting a larger overall tire than you are going to throw your speedo and gearing off.

tlrookie

But 215/60-16 is only 1.2% larger compare to either 205/60/16 or 225/55/16.

Would it make a big difference??

Because in Hong Kong, roads are narrow and I need to turn very frequently. I just worry that 225 tires will affect the steering response too much.

Thanks again for everyone's reply and advice!

subtledreamer

i understand where you are coming from about the narrow roads... as i was born in hong kong.

I input the values for stock vs 215/60-16 and found a 1.8% error, which means when you tachometer is reading 100kph (only the stupid US uses MILES ), you are actually going @ 101.8kph.
The difference isn't TOO big that it'll screw you over in terms of tach/speed error, but I can see when you are on the highways driving no more than 105, cop pulls you over for going 107+, and he might just be right.

I would say steering has gotten sightly stiffer after i installed the 225's. It's nothing that would affect everyday driving on narrow roads, in my opinion, and it's totally worth it with the extra traction I got.

but if you insist on that size, go for it. I just feel that there are more advantages in getting a lower profile and wider tire compared to the stock or 215/60-16.

99TLHeather

There is so many people in Hong Kong...how fast can you really go b/4 you run somebody over!LOL

VTEClover

I've had 225/55-16 tires on stock 2000 rims for 4 years now. When the tires were new, I had the speedo checked and it showed 75mph, when the actual speed was 72mph. Lower speeds were more accurately displayed on the speedo. As the tires wear, the speedo gets more accurate, since the diameter of the tire is smaller and closer to the stock size.

In any case, the wider tires handle much better for cornering and braking and I'd continue to go for the wider 225/55-16. They look a little more agressive, the Outside diameter is close enough to the same, and most likely, you're driving under 100km so the speedo is pretty accurate over the life of the tires. If you are concerned about the top speed reading, then get a speedo check and keep that handy whenever you do any speed runs.