Hi

I bought a 2005 mazda 3 hatchback, the wheels have a 16" rims and the tire size is 225/50/16 .

but when i read the recommended tire by the manufacturer written on the driver's door.

it said :

205/55/16

what problems could this change cause me???

should i replace the tires to the ones specified ???

 

Don't worry about it. The 50s have a slightly lower section height than the 55s and could be a more performance oriented tire. The wheels can handle the wider tire with no problem and you might actually see a slight improvement in lateral grip depending on other factors. Unless the tires on the car are some cheap off-brand or are worn appreciably there is no need to replace them with 55s.

 

Your speedowould read a couple mph low as well.

There is a tire size comparitor available at Tirerack.com that could give you the % difference.

 

SCOTT!!! YOU ARE GIVING AWAY SOME OF MY BEST SECRETS!!!
I know that, 'n' you know that, but why do you have to tell the (our) world that. I get some of my best wheel/tire info from that calculator.

OK, to the OP, the one that said a Volvo (and I AM an old Volvo guy) is better than a Mazda3: Are you in Canada, or Europe that you would have 16's on a HB? In the US, the HB's only come w/17's?
Second, are you running stock (Mazda) 16" wheels, which are 6.5" in width? A 225 is pushing it w/a 6.5" wheel but it can be done. The tire may be squeezed onto t a 6.5" wheel but most reputable shops will not do it.
I had to buy new 17"x7" wheels in order to install 225/45x17 tires (safely) on my '04 HB, but most suggest 7.5" wheels for that size.

 

Sorry there virg....

 

yes, i have a European car. I dont know what is the wheel size whether 6.5" or something else, how can i know that ? and how can i make sure that the tire is fitting well on the rim and its not dangerous ?!

and by the way, the production date on the tire says it was produced in 2003, does this mean that i need to change them ?!

thank you guys

 

 

The wheels size is usually embossed on the wheels itself, either the front or the rear. The offset is always on the rear, when listed at all. The factory 16's here in the US are 6.5", and I would think the same is true there too.
If the tire seems to be ballooning, the wheel is too small.
A production date of 2003 (5yrs old) is kinda' pushing it. What happens over time and through the heat cycles a tire goes through is the bonding interfacebetween the tread and belts weakens. This can cause the tread to separate from the carcass and eventually the tire will come apart. Ususally there are warning signs, but sometimes theywill simply let go, so to speak.

 

hi,

i took a look at the wheels, i couldnt find anything written on the rims ..where exactly can i find the size. I also noticed that the tires are ballooning !!!! is this dangerous ?!?!?!!??! should i change them immediately ?!?!

 

I would certainly consider it, especially w/tires that old.
If you wanted to run a wider than stock tire, you might consider a 215/50 (a little taller than OE,) or a 215/45 (a little shorter.) They will fit w/o any problems. I ran 215/50's on my OE 17" wheels, and they are closer to stock height than the 45's would be, but I felt I lost a little low end because of them and wished I had instead gone w/the 45's. A bigger speedometer error would have been the downside. 215 is a wide as you can safely go on a 6.5" wheel.
As for wheels size, did you check the owners manual? A lotta' good stuff in there if you look y'know. Or the door sticker? That information should be easily researchable.

OK, I dug out one of my OE wheels and on the back in one of the spoke depressions it clearly states "17x6.5." In one of the depressions around the bolt pattern it clearly states, "OFF." In the very next one it states, "52.5." Hence, my OE wheels are 17"x 6.5"x +52.5mm. That's where you need to look to be absolutely sure.