FWD wheels on RWD RX8?
 

I have a set of wheels that i purchased for my old tiburon. They are the same bolt pattern as the RX8 but they are FWD wheels. They are an aftermarket set of Falken wheels and tires. The offset of these wheels are 42mm while the wheels on the RX8 are 50mm. I have had mixed responses if this will work. Has anyone tried this on the RX8? Thanks

It will work.

You don't think the difference in the offset will wear the tires or cause any issues? Thanks..

offset should work but I would have more of a concern of them fitting over the brakes.

whoa, Whoa, WHOA !!!!

You can NOT put FWD wheels on a RWD car. It is gonna seriously mess up your alignment.

Think before you do something stupid like that

Sarcasm is the best when used on the Internet. :)

What size are the new rims? That will determine whether the offset is ok..

The rims are the same size as the factory wheels, 18".. any more suggestion would be helpful.. thanks!

so they are factory 18 in tiburon wheel? what is the width?

If this is a

18x8 +42 offset then this will be a decent fitment for the 8.

If this is a 7.5" wide wheel then don't do the injustice to your car.

Wheel has to be minimum 8" wide. Verify that and you'll have my blessing.

I am about ready to go get the wheels. I am going to measure and see "Endless Rotaries".. thanks for all the help. I will let everyone know what i find out tonight. Thanks!

I measured the width of my new wheels and they are 7.5".. the wheels on the rx8are 8".. will this make a difference? i just installed them and everything looks ok and fit properly.. thanks..

The Mazdaspeed wheels that came on/with the '07 RX8's with the "Performance Package" were 18x7.5 aswell... Typically you would want to go wider than stock, but you can get away with them if you are happy with the look. :)

Post some pics!

a narrower contact patch, all other things being equal.
If you try using the same width tires then you may get more sidewall flex which would lead to slower turn-in.

for the time i will keep them on. eventually i will get some standard aftermarket wheels for RWD.. thanks for all the help!

Incorrect. All RX-8 18" wheels made by Mazda are 18x8, Mazdaspeed or not.

I wouldn't go with a narrower than stock wheel, but I value performance above appearances. If you're just doing it for the look and won't be pushing the car then it shouldn't matter.

Incorrect... The Mazdaspeed wheels that come with the Performance Package for the RX8 are originally made for the Mazda6, and ARE indeed 18x7.5

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/spee...4&categoryId=5

that was some weird Mazda Canada deal http://www.mazda.ca/files/2007_rx8_pp_en.pdf


i can tell you for certain that Mazda did not offer those wheels in any RX-8 package any where else.

Notice right under the title: MAZDA6 and MAZDASPEED6 (2004-2007) Mazda Canada might have offered it, but it doesn't look like it was with Mazda's blessing.

Correct me if I'm wrong please, but isn't the terminology of FWD and RWD wheels outdated? Isn't it just referring to the offset, which used to be very low, if not negative on all RWD cars and high on FWD cars? By those standards the RX-8's stock wheels are "FWD wheels."

all that matters is the width and offset, if they are similar than u should be ok, going narrower like everyone said will hurt performance

I don't consider RX8 wheels "FWD" wheels because they are 8" Wide. hehe.

it's aribtrary, just easier to use those lamen terms rather than getting into crazy specifics. Saves time.

Rishie

Just an update on the wheels. Everything seems to be just fine. I drove on the for 10 miles and it is the same ride as before. So I guess that answers the question on whether FWD wheels can work for RWD cars. I am going to keep them on for awhile. Thanks for all the help!

we have more of an AWD setup on the RX8, which is similar to FWD and can be applied to RWD as well. Just make sure not to use a RWD Setup on a FWD or AWD car.


And this is the first time ive used FWD/RWD/AWD to describe wheels. Your wheels are based on the width, offset, and diameter. This thread is WAY more complex than it ever needed to be.

If your OEM setup on the RX8 is 18X8 +50 (on all 4 wheels). While would running a similar non-staggered, even offset setup have any issue? Whether a rim came off a FWD or RWD means absolutely nothing in the equation.

Yes I noticed that... The fact of the matter is that they were infact offered with the RX8 for a period of time... The fact that it was Mazda Canada doesn't make any bit of difference...