Slash

Fill me in when you can, this is affecting the tire choice my friends have to make on the car soon. We arent sure if there was a 15 inch rim option becasue our manual is form a 1995 !

Loren

http://miata.net/faq/miatachanges.html

If you read the notes at the end of that table, it appears that the only 94-95 Miatas that came with 15" wheels were the M Editions.

I assume you're trying to stay legal for Stock Class autocrossing? If so, 14's it is. The 14" factory BBS wheels are the lightest if you can find a set.

platinum703

so even if it was an option in the specific year, you have to stick to the specific option of your car?

for instance:

if I have a 1994 and i wanted to stay in c stock, could i put on the r package springs and shocks and be legal? Im hazy on this


so using the following example, assuming it is correct:

I could put 15 by 6 on my car because in 1994 there was an option from the factory to carry that size wheel.

so am i right about this or way off??

Loren

You can add or remove any option that was available on your specific car IF that option was available separate from a package. If the option was ONLY available as part of a package, you must install the entire package to be stock class legal.

So, if there was a 15" wheel available in 1994 and it wasn't part of a Limited Edition package or something like that, you could run it. Since the 15's were only available on the M edition in 1994, you'd have to install the entire M package, leather seats, power everything, etc.

To convert to an R-package suspension, you'd have to change the springs, the rear swaybar (front swaybar is okay to change in stock, so it doesn't matter), the manual steering rack and the Torsen diff.

For serious stock class competition, it is usually best to decide what car you want first, then do the research and find out exactly which model has the best options for autocrossing and buy that specific car.

If you're just starting out, don't put too much emphasis on the car. Just go learn to drive it!

platinum703

so even if it was an option in the specific year, you have to stick to the specific option of your car?

for instance:

if I have a 1994 and i wanted to stay in c stock, could i put on the r package springs and shocks and be legal? Im hazy on this


so using the following example, assuming it is correct:

I could put 15 by 6 on my car because in 1994 there was an option from the factory to carry that size wheel.

so am i right about this or way off??

Loren

Go back and re-read what I said. If the parts were available as stand-alone options, you could use them. For 1994, they are not.

The 15" wheels were ONLY availabe on the M edition, so you would have to convert your car to ALL of the M edition specs to use them.

The R-package suspension was only available on an R model. You would have to convert your car to ALL of the R model specs to use that suspension.

platinum703

thanks for the input- just about to get some wheels (the tires that came on the car were super shitty- dry rotted to hell, punctured, not sticky at all- they SUCKED!) so i wanted to make sure i wasnt fucking myself by getting the wrong size etc- trying to drive the car with the old rubber was like riding on bike tires or something- any pedal pushing in the corners was instant spin- even for the "little thing"
once again thanks for the hookup with the knowledge

platinum703

so any 14 by 6 will be legal?

Loren

If the offset is correct, yes. Solo II rules allow for +- 1/4" on the offset, which is about 6mm. I believe the Miata 14" wheels are a 45mm offset, so as long as your replacement offset is between 40 and 50 mm, it should be fine.

But remember, it's a Miata. Lightweight wheels are a must! If the wheels you're buying are heavier than the stock 14" wheels, you aren't doing yourself any favors.

oilleak

Consider STS2, especially if your car doesn't have the LSD. STS allows any wheel up to 7.5 inches wide that fits over stock brakes. That way you can run the 15x7 Kosei K1's with Azenis or other sticky "Street" tires rather than spending mucho bucks on R compounds.