Help me buy snow tires and wheels?

Tire Rack should have them. Call Rudy Riedel at ext. 664 and ask. Rudy's a Miata guy, and he's 100% trustworthy.

They're cheaper, and let you run higher-profile tires with skinnier treads. In snow, skinny is better. But you need to be sure 14" wheels fit over your brake calipers; if the standard OEM wheel was 14", then you're fine.

BTW, I don't believe any consumer snow tire is V rated. Don't drive a snow tire over 100 mph. Maybe even 80 mph.

It seems like it was 2001 when the sport model had brakes big enough to need 15 inch or larger wheels, but it may have been 2000.

Definitely needs checking. Just slip any 14 inch Miata or Honda wheel on there and see if it clears. They should have a 14" wheel/tire combo up there that can be used to test it for fit.

Pat

Um...it's a Protege, Pat, not a Miata.

Ahhhh, missed that.

Trying a 14" wheel from a Protege or Miata on for size will still work anyway.

Pat

Did you tell them you wanted stamped steel wheels?

That's generally what people do. You want snow tires to be narrower, so going down a wheel size is very common.

Tire Rack sells them with snow tires mounted and balanaced.

It's usually cheaper.

It's a lot easier having a second set of wheels.

my advise is to listen to tire racks advise. they are good. they have steel rims, it is good to go down a size and up in side wall. one thing tr doesnt have is nokian hakkapalitta's (sp?), which are also a good choice for ice tires. look up pat greer iirc

Advice taken

Just seems weird that going down an inch in rim size allows for taller tire. Wont the total diameter of tire/rim combo be same no matter what rim size used?

But at any rate.... I will call tire rack and enquire abt steel rims

Not a taller tire. A narrower tire, with a rounder cross section.

Since the contact patch area will be about the same at a given inflation pressure, a narrower footprint will also be "longer" front-to-rear. That improves acceleration and braking traction. Skinny tires also carve through deep snow more easily than wide ones.

By "taller" he may have been referring to the sidewall height rather than the tire radius/diameter. My winter wheel/tire combo is a little bit larger in diameter, but it's pretty negligible.