Guess what? 17" Mazda MX-5 / Miata rims fit right up. (with a 4" lift mind you)
I found a set locally at $220. I really wanted gunmetal and these are black but the price was highly motivating.
My old 15" ones were a bit rough and the tires were extraordinary bad. I tried to get some new ones but getting thinner sidewalls wasn’t possible so the next best option is to get a bigger rim.
Grant, you are the Stormtrooper to my Darth Vadar.
Nice.
Did you need spacers on any of the wheels?
The interwebs say the MX-5 / Miata rims are 4 x 100mm w/ 40mm offset, so I’m thoroughly confused because I see some posts / places saying 4-lug GEM rims are 4 x 4" w/ 0 offset…
yep. I have mad, huge spacers. If I recall 2" on the rear and 1 or 1 1/2" on the front. I think @Old_Houseboater said that the front and rear need to be slightly different for proper tracking. I hate poor fitment so getting things as close to right as possible is a wallet strain.
I also drink a lot so many things get fuzzy.
Thanks, appreciate the info.
I’m not a big fan of the stock 12" solid pizza cutters mine came with - not so much about looks, but rather too much sidewall and sway. I have a friend who owns a tire shop, but I’m still trying to figure out what size to ask him to look for.
I went to tire shop here last week. It was a shitshow.
him: “what is that?”
me: “a GEM.”
him: “is that like the nickname?”
me: “no its the name. Polaris, Global and Chrysler made them.”
him: “HEY BOB, DO WE GOT ANY TYRES FER A JIM?”
me: exit stage left
LOL.
My friend keeps trying to get me to put spinners on mine.
I sent the above pic to some of my bosses/friends and got this back.
I’m not sure they share my enthusiasm.
Did you gain much speed with the taller tires?
My previous wheels and tire combo was very close in total circumference. I had 15" rims with super tall 128/60/15 tires.
My reason for doing the upgrade was simply nicer looking rims and lower profile tires. I wasn’t able to find anything super-low profile for my 15s.
So no, no speed gain really. SkiTracks said I was doing 35mph yesterday and 38mph after the swap, but I may have taken a different route with a longer run.
They look great what was the cost of your total wheels and tires and spacers
$220 bucks for the used rims and tires.
Spacers I already had on there. If I recall it was 40$ for the front and 40$ for the rear.
If you have an older GEM (or Jim LOL), you will miss that sidewall flex. Especially if you have lithium batteries and lose the 400lbs. I love the look of my lopro tires, but it rides like a lumber wagon. Fortunately, my community is obsessive about road maintenance so its tolerable.
^^^^ Agreed. The Lo Profile tires give a harsh ride. If you live on a washboard road I recommend 16’s with a taller side wall.
My new 2016 Gem has HUGE side walls and the car rides and handles like a Caddy. Big smushy side to side roll and ride
Yeah, mines been like that since day one. I never drove it with the stock rims and tires so it’s the only thing I know.
New rim/tire combo feels the same as the old one. Much harder to lockup the wheels for a spirited stop now too. Actually having tread is the reason for that I’m betting.
I should probably put a gauge on the tires and check air pressure. I may have had 60pds in my old tires for all I know.
I have a lead bottom 2 seater with stock 12" wheels and it rides like a damn Cadilac compared to my lithium 4 seater on lopros. Every time I jump in that car I start thinking about making the air shocks I bought work. I’ve tried running the air pressure all the way down to a few pounds and it doesn’t make a bit of difference. The car is too light and the sidewalls too non-existent to have any effect.
Oh well, I’d rather look and feel cool than be comfortable I guess. LOL
There you have it. We just need air seats. LOL
My '02 long back already rides like a piledriver even with lead batteries. I guess maybe I should think about checking the tire pressure someday… lol
I’m in California, we don’t maintain our roads, we just wait for the earthquakes to shake them up a bit and move the potholes around.
Funny, I was going to sugguest the air cushion truck seats too for a 4 seater where someone isn’t afraid of cutting and rebuilding the fiberglass.
I’d love to try an aftermarket universal shock/spring but it’s a 3k investment, minimum. These look like a perfect solution but ooooof, the price tag.
https://www.ridetech.com/applications/streetrods/universal-shockwave-7000-series/
Could always get hydraulic suspension and see how high you can get the front to hop. Should be easy for a lithium pack car.
