OPTIMUM SPECS OF STANDARD/LARGE DIAMETER WHEELS SETS.

[islandbagger]

I've not bought my MR2 MK3 yet but I'm enjoying being educated on this excellent forum! When I do buy it will be used for everyday UK road use. Not decided yet on PFL or FL.

Many of the cars I'm seeing for sale have been fitted with impressive non standard wheels - 17" or even 18", but maybe without any front rear dia/width/offset staggers.
From reading forum wheel discussions I reckon these wheels may have been fitted more for looks than for improvement to balance and handling.

So, for a standard roadgoing mk3.....
1. Is the sweetest balance/handling to copy the FL standard set up wrt front/rear diameters, widths and offsets?
2. Should a PFL stick with the 15" set up?
3. What would be a reasonable set up for larger 16/17/18" wheels (front/rear diameters, widths, offsets and tyre sizes).
4. If something larger/non staggered has been fitted, is it worth seriously considering 'downgrading' to the standard dimensions?
5. Just how important is staggering?

[shnazzle]

I've not bought my MR2 MK3 yet but I'm enjoying being educated on this excellent forum! When I do buy it will be used for everyday UK road use. Not decided yet on PFL or FL.

Many of the cars I'm seeing for sale have been fitted with impressive non standard wheels - 17" or even 18", but maybe without any front rear dia/width/offset staggers.
From reading forum wheel discussions I reckon these wheels may have been fitted more for looks than for improvement to balance and handling.

So, for a standard roadgoing mk3.....
1. Is the sweetest balance/handling to copy the FL standard set up wrt front/rear diameters, widths and offsets?
2. Should a PFL stick with the 15" set up?
3. What would be a reasonable set up for larger 16/17/18" wheels (front/rear diameters, widths, offsets and tyre sizes).
4. If something larger/non staggered has been fitted, is it worth seriously considering 'downgrading' to the standard dimensions?
5. Just how important is staggering?

Welcome! And thanks for the kind words.


Your initial thoughts are spot on. The bigger wheels are for looks. Unless it's a high-powered car and the wheel sizes have been well thought-through. Rare though and even then, the drive is not the same.

For "normal" and even spirited driving on public roads, you can't do better than stock. Be it FL or PFL setup.
PFL, together with the 5-speed box, makes for a slightly more enthusiastic drive. Facelift and 6-speed is definitely more motorway friendly.

Whatever you choose, stick with stagger. Square setups work, but I'd leave that to the track boys and girls.

Stagger is important and I would, personally, ALWAYS go back to stock sizes if 17s were fitted. Sell the 17s. Plenty who prefer show over go.

[The Other Stu]

Stagger is important and I would, personally, ALWAYS go back to stock sizes if 17s were fitted. Sell the 17s. Plenty who prefer show over go.

I spoke to someone who bought their car with 17s. I enthusiastically asked about his journey when I found that he'd driven about 25 miles across a mixture of single A and B roads to get to me.

He said that the car was great, but didn't really understand my excitement about country roads. He later replaced the wheels with a FL stagger and admitted that the car handles amazingly now.

[Ardent]

@islandbagger

Hello and welcome.

As already said. Stock is very hard to beat. The only real improvement over stock,  is stock but lighter.

I admit 17s do look nice.
But for me, makes the car handle/balance like a 5yr old in their parents high heels. Not to mention the extra weight. Which you really don't want.

[1979scotte]

Let's us not forget @StuC and @s12vea both love the larger wheel.

One drives a yellow car and the other keeps selling up so they're not very bright.

[StuC]

Let's us not forget @StuC and @s12vea both love the larger wheel.

One drives a yellow car and the other keeps selling up so they're not very bright.

You also drive a yellow car, which we both know is a good thing. UUC rules. 😂😂

[islandbagger]

Great info!

A big THANK YOU to all who've replied!

[Beachbum957]

We run 16x7" wheels all around. We went in that direction years ago partially for looks, but the tire selection was what we wanted at the time. Today, tire selection in 15" is much better.

BUT, the wheels are lightweight, the wheel offset is the same as OEM, and the tires we run have the same diameter and overall width as the original 15" PFL (staggered). The tire / wheel package is slightly lighter than stock. 

So we basically we duplicated the stock setup with a slightly wider (and expensive) wheel and lower profile tire.  It works very well.

We looked at 17" at one time, but it really offered nothing other than looks as tire selection wasn't great in smaller sizes and the wheels were heavier

Here in the US, FL rear tires are nearly impossible to find, so some people are downsizing the rear to 15" or a slightly smaller rear tire (205 in place of the 215), which is what we did.

[shnazzle]

Much like above, I run 7" wide front and rear. Albeit 15/16. But also the stagger in the tyre sizes.
So that is definitely an option. Run the same size wheels, but use different tyres.
I wouldn't say its the best solution as there is an optimal tyre width for each rim width. But it works.

For 7" I believe it's 215 you want. But 225 works absolutely fine.

[Ardent]

Might be handy.
You cannot view this attachment.

[McMr2]

Think carefully before changing from stock setup.

Not the first time I've said it, but I run 16s all round but with some stagger on the tyres (195/205). Lighter than stock so you can feel the suspension being slightly less crashy on poor surfaces but the balance isn't as sweet through the corners.

[1979scotte]

I shall reiterate my opinion that the original pfl tyre sizes suit the car best.
I've come to believe the FL sizes are just there for those who had no idea what RWD, mid engine or sports car means.