Effective offset shouldn't be lower than +40.. most 17x9 wheels in our fitment are typically around around +45, being the median offset in +40 range...effective offsets of nearrly 30's doesn't make it that. Either way, it fits with a roll, and you can put a decent size tire on it. I'm also saying that you don't need a 5mm spacer to clear, people have gotten away with 3mm, it gives you that much more threads on your stock studs.

So right now to run a 17x9 +43 wheel with 255/40 tires I'll need to roll the rear fenders, trim where the bumper meets the fender and use either a 3mm or 5mm spacer in the front. Did I miss anything?

Edit: I'm assuming camber will also be a necessity to an extent?

Correct. Are you still on stock suspension? Hopefully you have those v1's that you were talking about a while ago. I could've sworn I saw a couple ms3's on 17x9 rpf1s with stock style struts and 255's at OCC meet this past spring. For the front camber you will not need adjustment, although the car greatly benefits from it. My Tein Super Streets do not have built in camber adjustment like other coils. I have spc rear camber arms dialed into -1.5* which isn't very far off stock specs. I'm not sure how much static camber you are getting without arms, but you can get a good amount. If you go with 255 I would get the rear camber arms. You can get away with 245/40 without arms, just depends on how much camber you have as is. I recently test fitted my wheels on a speed3 this weekend, it was dropped (close to max low) on bc's with a fair amount of rear camber (no adjustable rear arms) looked like he could get away with a just a roll, no arms needed. I'd get the adjustable rear arms just for the sake of not eating up tires. BTW, I have spoke to @tigermack regarding their STX speed3 and they seem to think 255 is good for the front but you're better off going 245 in the rear. Besides better rotation, I don't know why 255's all around wouldn't be more appealing. You're better off asking him or his brother @justint5387 regarding their car prep.


one of the cars at OCC, the other one was white, and I think he was the one on 255's. I know he's on here somewhere..

If you're adding rear negative camber via adjustable camber links in order to fit wider tires, you're "doing it wrong," IMO.

More negative rear camber means more understeer, which isn't what anyone looking for a well-handling MS3 should be after...

Like I said, it's pretty close to factory specs. Would you consider -1.5* too much? Just trying to get your opinion here, because I already know it works for me and have had great results at a regional level of autox with this setup. I'm not the only one either. I feel like you don't even need that much (-1.5*) camber to clear the rolled fenders. IMO, this setup is barely aggressive by any means. Yet, you can still fit fat tires without sacrificing performance. Plenty of people out there fitting this setup without "too much camber" or "doing it wrong" The Tsang brothers have used that much rear camber in their FSP 3 and in their STX speed3, tell them that they're doing it wrong.

Whether or not -1.5° in the rear is "too much" or not depends widely upon both what the car is set up for and what the front camber/caster values are.

For an MS3 with anything less than about -2° front camber, I'd say that yes, -1.5° is probably too much (especially for autocross - for open track it may be arguable depending on driving style/course layout).

But at any rate, I'm getting off of my original point, which is that you really shouldn't ever be adding negative camber with those rear arms. They're needed to remove unwanted increased negative camber in with relation to the front negative camber on lowered cars, or for the purpose of cross-camber removal. I'm just saying that you're not likely helping the handling prowess of an MS3 by adding rear negative camber with them unless you're running extremely aggressive negative front camber and need to dial the tail-happiness of the car down a notch or two.

Do you happen to know stock rear camber values? I know the car comes with at least a degree of negative camber from the factory. There are huge variances when it comes to alignment though, I just don't see .5* (if that) being very significant.

While I agree that the bigger picture regarding overall alignment is more important; I think the addition of more negative camber in the rear is a negligible amount. I do not find that i've sacrificed performance on any of the autox courses I have driven on. I'm open to trying new things, so I will try dialing the camber back a bit and see how that goes.

To OP, don't make that shy you away from that setup though. Driving styles are very different and what works for one person may not work for another. How you set your alignment up affects that.

Project Cars :: Project MazdaSpeed 3 - CorkSport Mazda Performance - 360-260-CORK

I'm not sure about the differences in fitment from gen 1 to gen 2, but CS's shop car in this blog has some good pics with 8.5" +45 wheels and 235 tires. They have pics on stock suspension and with H&R Sports a little further down the page. I like this perfectly flush fit personally, so 8.5" on +45s is what I'll be getting for my MS3. I'm still not sure about what I need for the MS6.

I have -1.8 rear camber, don't remember exactly. Could be just me, too little camber makes the car turn in a little slower, I prefer to get the turning done early.

The genpu has wider fenders. Lots of 17 inch setups have been done, where's Mack?

there is an evo tuner 2miles from me selling bbs mr 18x8.5...with 245s (i think)

OMG possibly my favorite OEM wheel on any car period!! How much?!

i actually sold them to him off my ms3 for his personal car for $1100...i will email and ask him and let you know.

How could you let those go?! lol

I run -1.1º in the rear, but I only have -1.4º in the front, so you could say that overall my car's a bit "camber-challenged." With my toe set to zero in the rear and with the front toed out 1/16" total in the front, my car turns in quite quickly. :dunno:


I'd also like to say that depending on the particular camber curve of the setup, yes, half a degree of static camber can make a HUGE difference in how the car responds.

Everyone has different interpretation of turn in, but i would never run front toe in on my cars

Why are you toed in? We ran 1/4" toe out in the rear... and about 1/16 toe out in the front.

I run close to -2 at one point in the rear. Faster turn in but in longer turns, it starts to grip harder so I dropped it to -1.8.

He said toed out 1/16, aka -1/16.

0 rear toe, -1.1 rear camber, -1/16 front toe, -1.4 front camber.

These posts are blowing my mind....

Do not feah de alignment specs.

^This.

I still can't find my last record sheet that has my final caster values (which is why I haven't yet posted in the recent Alignment Thread), but I basically had the guys maximize (while keeping them pretty much even from side to side) both caster and camber using the slop in the top mount bolts.

I probably have a little more camber to gain if I fuck with the front subframe, but I probably won't get around to that until this Spring when the summer wheels/tires go back on. I'm been toying with the idea of ever-so-slightly dropping the ride height on both ends and figure that might be a good time to give it the ol' college try.

...and again, you guys (tigermack and justint8357) are running a LOT more front camber than I am. If I were running as much as you, I'd have my rear camber set significantly further in the negative direction as well.

Good info getting thrown around in this thread.

I have purchased some RPF1s 17x9 +45 and they are fitted with AD08s 245/40s. Planning on fitting the wheels to the car in the next coming weeks, so I might try and post up some info with photos on the fitment.

I'm hoping that I won't have to use a spacer up front and might get away with just a roll/trim! Running stock suspension at the moment too.

Rolled in the rear
5mm Spacers up front
Stock Suspension - Needs moar low!
No rubbing at the moment!

Room Up Front
http://i44.tinypic.com/2btymc.jpg

Room In The Back
http://i39.tinypic.com/6f8idy.jpg


http://i43.tinypic.com/s6m06q.jpg

im looking at 17x8.5 +40 PF01's next year

will probably wrap them in 245/45's

also intend to drop down on H&R coils

should be interesting haha

I'm thinking about running a 255/40-17 @ same as stock height, 10" wide, what wheel offset would work best without rubbing? What width?

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hahah, good luck. only way i have seen tens run is stretch+camber

did the OP ever get the wheels installed? i'm interested in possibly running a 17x8.5 +44 with perhaps 235/40 all around. stock height ATM but looking into either coilovers or H&R springs/Koni Yellows.. .still have more research to do

that should fit fine.

You might find you'll have to roll the rear fenders if you drop the car, but on stock suspension that should fit no problem.

OP hasn't installed anything yet. Need more go-fast goodies first lol

Yeah should fit fine.
I run 17x8 +40 but I took off around 3mm so the actual offset should be around +43
I have 235/45 all around and I rub a bit in the back but since I have trackday-tyres they are a bit wider than street-tyres.
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/4...j1164313em.jpg
http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/4...j1164329em.jpg

Stock height
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/6...j1175628em.jpg
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4408/dsf3716.jpg

Kw coils
http://jonatanfoto.se/MPS/images/large/_DSF3830.jpg
http://jonatanfoto.se/MPS/images/lar...F4069_Edit.jpg
http://jonatanfoto.se/MPS/images/lar...F3870_Edit.jpg

@802MS3

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...7x9-cwp-78139/

but I'm sure according to the suspension guru's, my setup is probably not optimal. I only have bilsteins, with not much ability to adjust front camber, and have rear camber set at almost -2.0, eibach springs, with cobb rear sway set on the softer setting. I think it handles fine, and I kind of like how hard it is to get the rear to break loose, and I ran it at NHMS like this for 2 days straight, and it felt fine. So I dunno, but I would love to get more front camber in the spring. definitely gonna be changing it up when it gets warm.

Your car setup looks awesome, I'm thinking about getting 17's and 255/40-17. But lowering it like that wouldn't be to practical on the streets here, Last summer I had Cobb springs & 225/40-18's and my front lip was rubbing on all the approaches. So do you think your setup would rub fenders with the oe springs? I'm looking for something wider for more holeshot traction.


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I'm fine with rolling my rear fenders. the roads here in CA and back in Texas aren't that bad. I'd like to run the exact setup posted in page 1 (red MS3 w/17x9) but like I said, wanna research it more. I know it will depend heavily on what suspension setup I choose. and i don't want to rattle my kid in the backseat to death haha.

OP: go fast parts FTW

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