16" Alloys - Can someone please help me.

[bigyin]

Howdy,
I have been looking for another set of alloys. currently running 17's, and find the ride harsh, crashy and i have a fairly substancial vibration at speeds, no amount of balancing has resolved the proble,. They are also in serious need of refurb, so i figured i'd bit the bullet and look for a decent set of 16's instead.

I have found a pretty nice set of 16"alloys. They are 8J all round with an ET35 offset. Can anyone tell me if

a. There is any potential problems with fit?
b Would i need a spacer at the rear?
c. Anything else that might make them unsuitable

I'm unsure what the situation is with regards to the staggered front to rear, is it necessary to have this, or is it for asthetics?

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

[Scott Barton]

Hi, welcome to the club.

As far as i know you have to have a staggered set-up on an MR2. I am not the fountain of all knowledge on this particular topic but we have a few members who do know their offsets from their cambers!


If you are looking for a specialist to give you advice on your existing set up and handling problems, and even advice on any new set up you are thinking about, you can do no wrong but to talk to our affiliated specialist 'Elite' based in Rainham.

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewforum.php?f=65

Give them a buzz and ask to speak to either Barry or Claire. You will even get an IMOC discount if you do get anything from them! They have a massive premises and also an online store.

http://www.elitedirect.com/

To get the discount you will have to speak to them direct.

For what its worth i run 17" fronts 8J and 18" rears 9J. Complete with my Tein suspension set up and EDFC it's a good set up but i would not want it as a daily driver as all my fillings would fall out!
I had to utilise a set of custom H&R spacers on the front and also get the arches rolled on the rear to accomodate the tyres (215/40/17 & 255/35/18 )
Hope this helps.

[steve b]

Try rare rims, you'll really really struggle to get new 16"s with a stagger and correct offsets (35 is ok on an 8" rear, not sure about fronts). It isn't essential to have a stagger rev1 cars didn't. You can just put wider tyres on the rear, however a stagger is better. I ended up getting a 2nd hand set of Kei Office 16" for far too much money 2nd hand and refurbing them, cost as much as a set of new non staggered rims.

My Kei Office are :-

16"x7 ET32 with 205/45
16"x8 ET35 with 225/45





I want to get some lighter wheels at some point and I think the only way is new imported RAYS at around £350 a wheel.

[Turbo97]

Rays arent the ONLY light wheel out there you know

Keep an eye out for buddy clubs, enkeis, advans.....amongst many others!!

Rare rims is a winner though

And et35 with an 8" will be fine up front

I'm 17x8 front and 17x9 back et 35 all round and sits really nicely. No rubbing on Tein coilies

I'm happy anyways

[Scott Barton]

My 'Kosei' are lightweight Jap racing rims....

[bigyin]

i have 7.5 x 17 on the front just now, it rubs slightly at full lock at one side, so thinking the smaller rim will resolve that problem. more interested in how critiical the staggered set up iis, an whether ill need to put a spaceer on the rear or not

[steve b]

Rays arent the ONLY light wheel out there you know

Keep an eye out for buddy clubs, enkeis, advans.....amongst many others!!

Rare rims is a winner though

And et35 with an 8" will be fine up front

I'm 17x8 front and 17x9 back et 35 all round and sits really nicely. No rubbing on Tein coilies

I'm happy anyways

Enkei's are not that light at all, they produce all the OEM wheels for MAZDA, quality of finsh is also poor. Buddy club are very rare in correct size 16", 15" is easier but your still talking £300 a wheel I tried to get some P1's. Advans I can't stand the look of 99% of them.

Basically sourcing in the UK new rims you have VERY limited choice, try the club affiliates, I tried them all none could supply any 16" with stagger with correct offsets.

[Jim S]

It isn't essential to have a stagger rev1 cars didn't.

I agree it's not essential, but rev 1 do have a stagger. My 14"s were 6.5" Front and 7.0" back IIRC

[steve b]

It isn't essential to have a stagger rev1 cars didn't.

I agree it's not essential, but rev 1 do have a stagger. My 14"s were 6.5" Front and 7.0" back IIRC

Learn something new every day, I thought the 14"'s were the same all round.

[Turbo97]

Rays arent the ONLY light wheel out there you know

Keep an eye out for buddy clubs, enkeis, advans.....amongst many others!!

Rare rims is a winner though

And et35 with an 8" will be fine up front

I'm 17x8 front and 17x9 back et 35 all round and sits really nicely. No rubbing on Tein coilies

I'm happy anyways

Enkei's are not that light at all, they produce all the OEM wheels for MAZDA, quality of finsh is also poor. Buddy club are very rare in correct size 16", 15" is easier but your still talking £300 a wheel I tried to get some P1's. Advans I can't stand the look of 99% of them.

Basically sourcing in the UK new rims you have VERY limited choice, try the club affiliates, I tried them all none could supply any 16" with stagger with correct offsets.

compared to your normal aftermarket wheels...enkeis are alot lighter. i held my mates Enkeis from his integra type r, and they were surprisingly light!

Oh and yes P1's are very rare! but you'll be surprised at just how cheap you can pick a second hand set for these days!

With Advans, people automatically think of the 3 spokers, while i agree...defo not to my taste, but you do have the likes of the RG's the RZ's and the RS's to name but a few....which are extremely sexy wheels!!!! But, near on impossible to find 2nd hand and cost an arm and a leg!

but then again....TE37's cost a bloody fortune!!! Like 400 quid a wheel :O I sold my 16" TE37 with tyres 7" front 8" back in brilliant condition for £750! I regret it, cos now i am on the lookout again for some lighter wheels as my Rota torques 17x8&9 are alot heavier in comparison, and i dont think the car feels as quick

[steve b]

Yes, fitment and correct offsets are the big issue we seem to have.

I see now momentum motorsport are advertising the Enkie RPF1's, I've enquired about them, but when i've enquired at other Enkie dealers they have found they can't actually physically get hold of the correct sizes even though Enkie do list them. Will be interesting what they say, I'm trying to get my n/a as light as possible so asked about 15"'s this time, last time I'd asked about 16".

It isamazing how much more spritely and generally more responsive, particularly turn is improves with lighter wheels. My step from 17" 215 & 17" 235's to 16" 205's & 225s transformed my current MR2 for the better.

I've never tried wider than stock 15" wheels with good same sized rubber, so i'm interested to see what its like, my old rev2 on OEM wheels and flexi sidewalled tyres I didn't like, the OEM rims I think are too narrow for the tyres giving too much side wall buldge and not enough support.

[bigyin]

its become more hassle than its worth trying to get a set of 16's. decided to refurbished the oem 15's that I recently bought, perhaps a slightly different colour, favouring anthracite at the mo, an I'll lower car 25mm on eibach springs, that'll do until I can find the right set of staggered 16's, which could take a while lol

[CM1GT]

i switched from stock staggered 15s to 16 x 6.5 et46 all round and the difference is out of this world, so much more rear end grip with the same size tyres, ok it looks slightly odd as the rears sit inwards compared to the front but the drive is so much nicer and safer, launch it hard now and it'll spin up the rear wheels but keep going straight, with the stock 15s it'd spin up then go sideways, and in the corners you find the front end starts to struggle before the back steps out