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im about to order a set of the weld bc10s. the fronts are 18x9.5 and the rears are 19X10.5. many people on the forum go with 18s all around. wouldnt the 18x9.5s fit all the way around? when i asked someone at carlisle the said you need the 19s in the rear for the traction control/active handling to work properly (thats why oem are 17 fronts and 18 rears) they also said it would probly work with a higher tire on the rear (hugh). id prefer to go with the 18s all around but i dont wont to mess up the traction control or active handling. thanx brad
Hi Brad,
Although the general consensus is that you need to maintain the front-to-rear "stagger", there have been a number of people here who have stated they have run the same size wheel/tire combination at all four corners without ill effect. You'll obviously have to make that decision yourself.
That having been said, you can easily maintain a "stagger" (perhaps not the same % as the OEM, but it shouldn't matter), by utilizing different size tires front and rear (even if your wheels are all the same size). For example, let's say you go with a 18x9.5" wheel all the way around. For your front tire, you run a 265/35-18 or 275/35-18. For your rear, you run a 275/40-18 or 285/35-18. You can use a site such as www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to check and compare the circumference of the various size tires. Don't forget to check the manufacturer's specs too, as different brands may have fractionally different circumferences even though they are technically the same size. Good luck with your decision.
IMO, I'd just go with 18/19 wheels. That's what I did when I got new wheels.
If the look is most important to you, that's great. But with an 18" rear you have more tire choices which are less expensive, and your total wheel/tire package will weigh less than the same size/brand in 19"....