myLexRX

I am currently running 245/45/17 on my GS4 and the ride is harsh for my liking. I was talking to the guy from a tireshop and he says I should switch to 225/50/17. What do you guys think? Will that size be fine for my car and 17x8 rims?
thanks a lot

DjFergi

That would be just fine. I actually ran 225/50/17 on my first set of OEM 17s. The car rode great and looked spectacular.

Spyder78

iTrader: (7)

sounds like it would fit fine. But do you really want to sacrifice handling for a softer ride?

chuckb

how old are your shocks?

myLexRX

My shocks and ball joints are 3 month old (OEM). I recently switched from 16' to 17' rims and the difference in the ride quality is huge. I am not really concerned about performance, I'd be happy if my ride was quite and soft.

Thanks

e-man

Maybe you could tell us the brand and model tire you're riding on. As I learned last summer, tires play a huge factor in how the car rides.

As for the difference in ride quality between 235/45/17 and 225/50/17, I don't think it will be noticeable. Here's why. I assume the reason you're thinking of going to 50 profile is because it will have more sidewall. Although it is true that, generally speaking, more sidewall equals a more comfortable ride, let's not forget that "45" or "50" is not the height of the sidewall, but rather, is the "aspect ratio." If the width of tires were the same, then yes, a 50 profile tire would have a taller sidewall than a 45 profile tire. However, you're not only changing the profile, but you're also changing the width of the tire. With a slightly narrower width, the 225/50/17 will have a slightly shorter sidewall than, say, a 235/50/17. I'm not sure what the difference in sidewall would be between your current 235/45/17 and a 225/50/17, but I have a feeling that they're pretty darn close.

If someone has a chance, go on the "miata" tire calculator web site and do a comparison between the two. Although 225/50/17 might be a little taller, if it is, it's not by much.

I guess what I'm saying is that your best bet would be to pick a smoother riding tire. I have Turanza LS-Zs on my 17s in 235/45/17, and they ride pretty much the same as my winter 16s (which are 225/55/16).

Hope this helps.

e

myLexRX

e - thanks a lot

I understand what you are saying about a small difference in the sidewall. The diff. in the sidewall is 2mm. I think that 225/50 tires have more rounded, thus softer sidewalls.
I know you got excellent tires, I just dropped $1K on my 90K service and do not want to spend another $1K on tires.
So I am figuring cheap 225/50 tires will do the trick.

I am wrong?

Thanks

chuckb

pirelli p-zero neros are cheap and comfy if that's what you're after.

e-man

Well, assuming you're getting 225/50/17 in the exact same brand/model tire that you currently have in 235/45/17, the 2mm increase in sidewall might make the ride slightly better (although, like I said above, I'm not sure you'd notice the difference). My concern would be that if you buy a cheap 225/50/17, you might be downgrading in tire quality from your current 235/45/17s, and the result might actually be a worse ride, which would suck. Let me ask you this -- what brand/model 235/45/17 do you currently have and how many miles are on them? A lot of people around here are running the Pirelli Pzero Nero M&S, and pretty much everyone says they ride very soft and comfy (Chuck has them on his 18s, and he says they ride almost as good as his 16s). I think they are around $130-140 in the 17 inch size you're looking at.

Also, as Chuck asked, how old are your shocks? Are they the originals? In addition to getting new tires, I also replaced my OEM shocks last year. The new shocks made a nice difference in the ride quality (although I have to say that the new tires made an even bigger difference in the ride quality).

myLexRX

The tires that I currently have on are 245/45/17 Widetrack H/P Radial that have less than 10K miles. I do have new OEM shocks (3 months).

thanks

e-man

Who makes Widetrack? Firestone? What make/model are you considering for the 225/50/17?

myLexRX

I bought these wheels/tires used and I could not fine any info on them. I have another idea now about a possible new tire size - 235/50/17. They would have taller side walls and I wonder if a bigger diameter (14mm extra) would be fine for a 2nd gen GS.

Does anybody run that size on 17x8 rims?

thanks a lot

e-man

Have you played around with the sizes on the tire size calculator?

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalcold.html

My1stV8GS

Thanks to this thread I'm gonna buy Blizzak's for next winter that I found on Craig's list just now! lol $100 for 4!!
I know they will fit on the OEM wheel.