[NB] Wheel recommendations for a soft-spoken, confident NB [Archive] (2024)

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 18:09

This is my Miata!

http://i.imgur.com/TyvP4fU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0r4T7mX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YkxeytM.jpg

I'm looking for new wheels, but ones that match what I've done with the rest of the car so far.

I've tried to make the exterior as elegant and smooth as possible, kind of like a woman in a simple but gorgeous form-fitting black dress. A little splash of chrome, like a platinum necklace or bracelet.

In the interior, I tried to keep it understated, but still bring some racing heritage into it. The aluminum and few yellow accents bring a bit of usability and edginess. This girl knows how to dress well for a co*cktail party, but she also piloted an Apache in the Air Force.

But I don't know what to do with the wheels! I instantly know what wheels to avoid when I see them:

Wheels with holes:
http://www.4wheelparts.com/aux_incl/images.ashx?i=PCW_97_GLOSSBLACK.jpg&partNo=PCW&w=400&h=400

Eccentric wheels: http://www.zercustoms.com/news/images/Parts/MYSTIC-aluminum-wheels-2.jpg

And wire rims are a no-no as well.

But I'm not sure what to pick. So far, I know that I like 5-7 spokes (I think?) and silver/chrome/steel in color.

I want to keep the timeless elegance of the NB's lines, but not seem dated. I also want it to look updated, but not too "trendy," like a fad.

I know this is an incredibly thin line to walk, but I need some more minds on this one. Thanks so much guys!

BStathy

23rd March 2014, 19:04

Pressurized

23rd March 2014, 19:22

I have always found the place for wheels to be Goodwin's:

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda-Performance-Parts/Miata/Wheels-Tires/Wheels.html

I would stay with 15" wheels due to the tire options and if you run 195's, look at 7" wide wheels and if you are going up to 205's, look at 8" wide wheels.

I put the Racing Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 15x7 ET25 Spec Miata's on mine.

I think the Enkei J-Speed 15x7 ET25's would be classic on your car.

CharlestonMX5

23rd March 2014, 19:48

These would look nice and match your steering wheel

Enkei RSF5

http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/enkei_performance/swap/enkeiperf_rsf5_hs_ci3_l.jpg

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=4796704938HS&wheelMake=Enkei+Performance&wheelModel=RSF5&wheelFinish=Hyper+Silver&showRear=no&autoMake=Mazda&autoModel=Miata+SE&autoYear=2003&autoModClar=&filterFinish=All&filterSize=16&filterBrand=All&filterSpecial=false&filterNew=All&filterWeight=All&sort=Brand

socal pat

23rd March 2014, 19:52

Jee_Young

23rd March 2014, 20:27

Konig Helium.

Rota RB, and whatever other wheels share that design.

Rota RK-R (Watanabe rep iirc).

Jee_Young

23rd March 2014, 20:30

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 20:34

Alright, definitely scouring these forums for what other NB guys have, and this caught my eye.

http://claffie.com/photos/100831/images/100831_10.jpg

I hear they're Kosei K1's. The only thing that comes up is a "silver painted" wheel for sale. What does "painted" mean? Are the versions in that photo painted or alloy?

http://www.automotofoto.net/wp-content/gallery/miataphiles-meet-at-mt-motorsport/miataphiles-meet-at-mt-motorsport-gp_amf-012.jpg

These are also pretty sleek and simple. Any idea what they are though?

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 20:36

newold_m

23rd March 2014, 21:22

Pressurized

23rd March 2014, 21:43

Also depends on the fitment look you are after... those have way too much tuck for me, like ET40's. I need a little more flush in my life. ;)

What fit do you like or is the look of the spoke the only thing that matters?

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 21:55

I've never heard of "tuck" or "flush." What do they mean? I assume it's how far the spokes are from the outer edge of the tire?

I'm very new to this, and have only been a car owner for 9 months.

Also god damn, I just googled Volk TE37 and they're THOUSANDS!? My god. :(

777

23rd March 2014, 22:05

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 22:09

777: Exactly! I like something that is what it is, and does it well. Precisely my thoughts with where I'm moving my Miata.

I found these as close to being those Volk. Thoughts? http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheels/sportedition/swap/se_f12_s_ci3_l.jpg

socal pat

23rd March 2014, 22:17

Pressurized

23rd March 2014, 22:28

I've never heard of "tuck" or "flush." What do they mean?

"Tuck" has the wheel/tire tucked deeply under the fender. "Flush has the wheel/tire close to flush with the fender when looking from above. "Poke" has the wheel and tire sticking out past the fender and is also called "stance".

To me, too much tuck just looks like the wheel isn't properly fit to the car. The fitment I like is an 8" wheel at 30-36 offset and a 7" wheel at 25-30mm offset. The lower the number the farther out the wheel sits. If you go too far, you need to modify your fenders to fit...

Mine is a 7" wheel at 25mm offset and 195 tires, not quite flush but much closer than stock:

http://i1008.photobucket.com/albums/af209/trx-1racer/2000%20MX5SE/3dfaa33c-388e-4723-b5d1-fa59f9f08342.jpg

jh1129

23rd March 2014, 23:36

184657

All black w 949UL . Very similar to yours except mine still has the appearance package. Will lose them soon though. Love what you did with the interior! Any more interior pics and where did you get the aluminum gauge trim?

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 23:49

I do love those MSM seat covers! I got them too, to replace my original tan leather. :D

Aluminum trim is just off of eBay. I figured I knew enough about manufacturing that all aluminum trim could possibly be is a metal plate laser cut. It was cheap, and looks quite good!

http://i.imgur.com/v1SN0MA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NvCIljy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RpMPkmS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lcCFN9I.jpg

ArthurDubya

23rd March 2014, 23:52

Pressurized: Is the "offset" how thick the wheels are then?

What do each of these numbers refer to: "7" wheel at 25mm offset and 195 tires"

I thought Miata wheels were generally 14-16"? Are you referring to radius, as opposed to diameter for your 7"?

scenturion

24th March 2014, 00:39

Lanny Chambers

24th March 2014, 00:48

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=385976

Rota Slipstream, black with polished lip.

Pressurized

24th March 2014, 00:49

Pressurized: Is the "offset" how thick the wheels are then?

What do each of these numbers refer to: "7" wheel at 25mm offset and 195 tires"

I thought Miata wheels were generally 14-16"? Are you referring to radius, as opposed to diameter for your 7"?

The offset is the distance between the mounting plate on the wheel and the wheel centerline. I'm going to give you a website to play with below...

The 7 is the wheel width in inches. The wheel centerline is 3-1/2 inches from the face (as in splitting the wheel in half).

The 195 is the tire width in millimeters. The standard tire size is 195-50-15. The 50 is the aspect ratio, meaning that the sidewall height is roughly 50% as high as the tread is wide.

This website is a great tool to learn from.

http://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

If you input the stock information on one side, you can see what happens as you change specifications. When you change the offset you see the mounting plate move in or out.

The stock wheels are 15x6 with an offset of 40 and the tires are 195-50-15. Now put a 15x7 with offset of 30 and the same tire on the other side and you can see and read what it does to your fitment. The backspace is almost exactly the same at 5.1 and 5.2, but the wheel will be almost a half inch farther out towards flush on the face which will look much better.

Also, some wheels like the Sport Editions, although they do look nice they are pretty heavy for a Miata at over 16lbs each and many people on here wouldn't find them functional on a Miata. You should try to be around 13lbs or less for performance.

There are some must haves... Like 4x100 bolt pattern and light weight, but the variables like width and offset are just as important and before you buy, you should learn what it all means.

Good luck.

By the way, this is exaggerated tuck:

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8459/p1170188.jpg

jh1129

24th March 2014, 00:51

Pressurized

24th March 2014, 09:18

From an appearance perspective, you are only getting opinions from the rest of us and you know the old saying, opinions are like... everyone's got one. Make sure it looks right to you.

I read your post again and without trying to put too much of my own opinion in :D I think the MB Weapon is close to what you posted. Available in 15x7 ET 35 which is a decent fitment.

And that black car would look amazing and classic with Rota RB 15x7 ET30 in Royal Silver or Hyper Black. The hyper Black is a lot like black chrome in the center and it has a silver lip that would compliment your trim nicely.

Like this and notice the flush look:

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4603/cleanmiata03vb8.jpg

Jee_Young

24th March 2014, 16:16

Jee, those OEM's look real good. Any idea how easy it would be to find a set, and how expensive?

I'm afraid I don't have answers for those questions, as I've never searched for a set. A quick search on ebay only turned up 1 wheel (not 1 set of 4 wheels), but with a different word search, you may be able to turn up more. Craigslist is probably your best bet.

You said you want to retain the timeless elegance of the Miata. In my opinion, the best way to do this is with an equally-spaced 5 or 8 spoke wheel, with a slightly concave face, like the Konig Feather and Helium, Rota Circuit 8 (?), and Rota RB.

Putting a flat-faced 5-spoke, with rounded edges also works imo (OEM 2001 LS 16" 5-spokes). However, a flat-faced 5-spoke with sharp edges (where the spokes are more like fence posts rather than a pool cue smooth), will alter the look, making the car less feminine, and imo, less beautiful.

Check out the pic of the RB above my post, and also look up pics of the RB on NB Miatas.

I purchased a set of RB in 15x7 or 7.5, whatever they were, in hyper black off ebay, but after reading about flaking issues, sold them off for what I paid for them. Other colors should be ok, and more recently-produced hyper blacks might be ok too, but you'll want to read up on them.

IMO, the best looking wheel on any Miata is the Rota RK-R. It's basically a Watanabe with ridiculous offset. Handsome, but classic, yet somehow still modern. So, timeless I guess. Just Google Image Search "miata rk-r"

Jee_Young

24th March 2014, 16:21

ArthurDubya

24th March 2014, 18:58

Jee: Right on man. I'm definitely with you in the not-split-spoke option.

Why do you think 5 and 8 spokes though, and not 6, or 7?

Also, thanks for that rounded-corner insight. I hadn't considered that earlier, and I see that having those sharp edges makes it a lot more masculine. I think I'm leaning towards a 5-spoke like the Miata OEM, but with a flat face. I'll be sure to look around and see what's available in that area.

Thanks again guys! You've all been awesome.

Pressurized: I get it now! I definitely like flush a lot more than inset. I also never knew that so many options/variables existed for a wheel. Thanks for all the help there!

ArthurDubya

24th March 2014, 19:52

scenturion: Yes! I just had Adam change the main numbers to yellow. The needle caps are AWD. :D

So it turns out that I forgot about bolt patterns, and it seems somehow hard to find a simple 5 or 6-spoke design with a 4 bolt pattern. I've turned up these guys so far:

http://www.machiii.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/g/r/grid.jpg

http://www.machiii.net/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/r/7/r74-sil.jpg

I believe that last set is available in 4 bolts. They're from the same site, thought I'm not sure what the difference is between them aside from one having some extra holes. Thoughts?

2002tiitomx5

24th March 2014, 20:21

Jee_Young

24th March 2014, 21:43

Jee: Right on man. I'm definitely with you in the not-split-spoke option.

Why do you think 5 and 8 spokes though, and not 6, or 7?

Also, thanks for that rounded-corner insight. I hadn't considered that earlier, and I see that having those sharp edges makes it a lot more masculine. I think I'm leaning towards a 5-spoke like the Miata OEM, but with a flat face. I'll be sure to look around and see what's available in that area.

Thanks again guys! You've all been awesome.

Pressurized: I get it now! I definitely like flush a lot more than inset. I also never knew that so many options/variables existed for a wheel. Thanks for all the help there!

In all honesty, it's just because the wheels I find the most attractive have that number of spokes, but I would not foreclose the possibility of there being an odd-numbered spoke design out there that would strike my fancy. It could be something about the spacing on odd wheels I don't like aesthetically, but I can't explain it to you in words.

However, 3 spokes is out of the question imo. I don't like them on cars, I don't like them on bikes. One of my firstworld gripes about the Suzuki gixxers (dunno if they went multi-spoke in recent years though).

I myself searched for the flat-faced 5-spoke wheels you are currently seeking, but could not find any in 15" I liked. Coming from the OEM 16's, it's tough to find ANY 5-spoke that comes close aesthetically IMO. The way Mazda set the direction of the spokes, and the smooth, round shape of the spoke arms just complements the NB body so nicely imo.

I ended up selling my 16's for better comfort (taller sidewall) reasons, and went with 15" Konig Feathers. They're light, have a classic (not too modern, not gaudy at all) look, and are only $90-$100 each. I believe they're essentially a replacement for the Helium, which a lot of guys here ran, but which also have intermittent wheel cracking issues. I sold the Feathers after a year or 2 to get the Rota RB, but after selling those due to flaking possibilities, just got black steel Honda Civic wheels. My next set will without a doubt be RB or RK-R. They're the sexiest wheel, and REALLY complete the Miata imo.

Wish I had a flat-faced 5-spoke recommendation for you. You might want to check out clubroadster.net, since they have a lot of guys changing out their wheels. Good luck man, I'm glad you're showing your Miata some love!

ArthurDubya

24th March 2014, 23:29

I think you guys are right. The more I look at that OEM 5-spoke the more I feel like it fits so naturally with the Miata.

I see a used set on TreasureCoast, but it looks like there's some old wear and tear. So far I've renovated everything on my Miata myself. How do I remedy this? http://treasurecoastmiata.com/images/F61752693.jpg

I read that some of it is bubbling paint. Is that something I can sand away? My gut reaction is no, but I want to hear from someone with more experience than myself.

jh1129

25th March 2014, 00:29

ArthurDubya

25th March 2014, 00:41

JH, your private message inbox is full!

I'm not entirely sure what tires I have, to be honest. I feel like I should, considering I got them a few months ago. I know they're Hankook something-somethings from Discount Tire, so I'm assuming something generic?

silvernb03

25th March 2014, 00:42

jh1129

25th March 2014, 01:06

2002tiitomx5

27th March 2014, 23:13

I think you guys are right. The more I look at that OEM 5-spoke the more I feel like it fits so naturally with the Miata.

I see a used set on TreasureCoast, but it looks like there's some old wear and tear. So far I've renovated everything on my Miata myself. How do I remedy this? http://treasurecoastmiata.com/images/F61752693.jpg

I read that some of it is bubbling paint. Is that something I can sand away? My gut reaction is no, but I want to hear from someone with more experience than myself.
I have wet sanded (400 and 1000) my 16 inch OEM wheels a couple of times over the past 8 years to remove some of that corrosion (I drive year round). Then I used acid etch gray primer followed by Duplicolor silver and clearcoat. The fluid lines of the wheels make the refinish process easier than most others. The Duplicolor silver is very close to original.

1st NB

8th February 2019, 00:05

JonK67

8th February 2019, 03:05

I think you guys are right. The more I look at that OEM 5-spoke the more I feel like it fits so naturally with the Miata.

I see a used set on TreasureCoast, but it looks like there's some old wear and tear. So far I've renovated everything on my Miata myself. How do I remedy this? http://treasurecoastmiata.com/images/F61752693.jpg

I read that some of it is bubbling paint. Is that something I can sand away? My gut reaction is no, but I want to hear from someone with more experience than myself.

The wheels are aluminum but painted, you can strip all of the paint off and then polish the wheels to a near chrome appearance, it's a lot of work though. You can find BRG wheels for sale from Treasure Coast, Parts Group, etc. or from a private seller in the FS ads, CL, fleabay, etc. They came came stock on the 2001 SE British Racing Green, same 5 spoke as the painted ones just w/o paint, a polish and clear coat. https://www.miata.net/faq/images/2001se.jpg

The Driver

8th February 2019, 09:46

Wyldesoul

8th February 2019, 20:06

93miataman

9th February 2019, 13:54

The Driver

9th February 2019, 14:06

Folks... This is a 5 year old thread...

How about some classic, elegant 15" BBS wheels for your classic, elegant looking NB Miata.

:fp:

:ohno:

93miataman

9th February 2019, 15:13