Tire Questions/Share your experience

Hi Guys! I got inspired by Top Fuels awesome write up on the fuel efficient 15" wheels and tires for the Mirage. I found some American Racing rims AR-388 locally that are 15X7 ET+40, they are in great shape with no curb rash, super light and the price is cheaper than steelies. My goal at least for now, is to have an awesome set of snow tires on these and run the enslaves in the summer. In Top fuels write up, they recommended a 15X6.5 +40 Rim. Does any one think a X7 is not possible? Would I need additional spacers? I would like to keep stock suspension if possible. Also I was going to buy the same size tires they recommended 185/55R15, but do you think I may be better off going with a 195/55R15? 185 seem to have a max recommended Rim size of 6.5, 7 starts with the 195s. I know a 195/50R15 would be ideal but they don't seem to make that size in the Michelin X-ice X13s I was after. If anyone has any helpful tips or guidance, it would be appreciated. Maybe I am just overthinking things. Thanks for reading.

I would run the 15" wheels in the summer and get snows for the 14" wheels if it were me. Skinnier tires do so much better in the snow and plus the salt won't ruin those nice 15" rims.

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Originally Posted by Mossy1

In Top fuels write up, they recommended a 15X6.5 +40 Rim.

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I like a 15x6.5 wheel with this offset because I think it represents the most conservative way to up-size to a 15” wheel on a Mirage without concerns about sticking out too far, rubbing, etc. Plus it’s a perfect match for 185-55-15 tires, which gives you a lot of tire options including low rolling resistance and snow tires. And for those of us who monitor fuel mileage closely, you can run a 15” wheel/LRR tire combination like mine without taking a mpg hit vs Enasaves.

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I found some American Racing rims AR-388 locally that are 15X7 ET+40

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Those 15x7 wheels should fit. They are ½” wider than my 6.5” wheels. That extra half inch is split about evenly (be sure to plug your numbers into the willtheyfit.com website). They will stick out ¼” more than my wheels and will sit into the fender an extra ¼”. You shouldn’t need spacers with that setup. Honestly…you wouldn’t want to push those wheels outward any further. They will already be close to lining up with the edges of the fenders as is. The only issue is that you might have some tire rubbing in the front fender wells if you turn the steering wheel to a full lock one way or the other. There are people on this forum running 7” wide wheels with 195 tires. Search and you may find some photos.

I’m thinking along the same lines as Johnny Mullet. Why run the nicer wheels in the winter with snow tires? Once you get some larger wheels/tires on the car, you won't want to take them off. ;)

Thanks for the input guys, so what do you think about tire size, the 185/55 or the 195/55? My local shop will mount the 185s on my 15X7 even if it is 1/2 out of spec. I think there is more of a chance of the 195 rubbing and I would be all clear with the 185s??

185/55 would give you more clearance. All depends on the offset of the wheels.

You can physically put 185s on a 7" wide wheel...but that wouldn't be my first choice. Why? Because the rim will stick out further than the sidewall of the tire. I'm not a big fan of that look. Plus...if you get close to a curb, your wheel is going to get scratched up because you have no tire sidewall sticking out to protect it.

I would rather go with a 195. It will be a better fit on that 7" wide wheel. And the only time you will have any rubbing is if you turn the steering wheel to full lock and the front tire may rub the plastic inner fender liner. That wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. Keep in mind I'm basing this on what other's have said in the past. I don't have 15x7 wheels, so don't take my word for anything unless you can verify it in another thread. :)

When I have used Discount Tire in the past, they would mount a tire on a wheel and let me test-fit it without buying it. I couldn't drive around on it, but I could bolt it on the car and make sure it looks good and has acceptable clearance. You may want to consider doing something like that before buying a complete set of tires.

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Originally Posted by Top_Fuel

You can physically put 185s on a 7" wide wheel...but that wouldn't be my first choice.

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I believe I am going to go with the 195/55R15s, I did some comparison from what you are running and the difference is fairly minimal. The finished sidewall comparison from the tire you used to what I am looking at is only .10 of an inch or 2.54mm, the width of the rim is only 6.3mm (not quite 1/4 inch) closer to the suspension and stick out 6.3mm more to the fender edge. My biggest concern was the .4 inches (10.16mm) height of tire gain, however based on most pics I have seen the extra height would only be a concern if I wanted to lower the car. Based on your experiences do you think any of these measurements are that far off? I mean have you ever physically looked behind your rims? And if so do you think there is still some room? I appreciate all of your help and insight, have a great day!!

Check out post #10 in this thread. He's running 15x7 Konig Dial-in wheels with a 35mm offset and 195-50-15 tires.

Also check out my pic in post #10 of this thread.

The additional tire height wouldn't concern me too much. It will throw your speedometer off slightly. You can check it using this calculator.

Be prepared for a greater MPG hit with the 195s. I am not a hyper-miler and when I switched to 185/55/15 ECOPIA LrR, my MPG went down 2-3 mpg. The wheels are Konig Zero-In (15x6.5"/4x100mm)