I have some nice 18s that I think would look great on the Mazda 3... for anybody who has put 18s on their 3 I have a few questions...
How is the ride?
How big of a gap?

Also, if anybody has pics I'd love to see some! Thanx

 

Hi velocity!

The ride will definetly be affected, as you are going to a more aggressive sidewall-The extent of which will primarily be defined by the tire you choose and if you started out on the 16's or 17's.

But the gap will really not be affected with a proper fitment. Really, the only way to get rid of that would be to change out the springs to somethign that would lower it.

Hope this helps!

 

yes it does Wes, Thanks!

 

I just put 18" Enkie RPM2's on my girls 3. They fit fine. Actually you can put up to a 20" wheel on the car without any rub. That is on stock springs of course. However, you will need to watch your tire wall. The bigger the wheel the smaller the wall has to be which in turn will effect ride quality. If you notice, the lower houseing for the front struts is right above the tire so the bigger you get, the closer you come to hitting the strut. As long as you have about 1/4 inch in between the strut and tire you will be fine. The tire will never hit the strut because as the tire is forced upwards from bumps, pot holes, etc the mount is forced upwards as well.

Another thing you have to kee in mind is that on the 17" factory wheel, it is 6.5" wide. The wheels I just put on are 8" wide so you will be fine with 18" x 8". But if you go any wider you will rub.

I also have a set of prototype Eibach Sportlines on the car which are a 1.8 drop versus th 1.3 drop Eibach, Progree and H&R currently have on the market. Still, there is no rub what so ever.

FYI - anyone who is looking to go with a bigger drop, the sportlines will be available in the end of October. And also Progress is currently developing coilovers for the M3 hoever it will not be your traditional design. It's still a one piece design but the rears will be MUCH wider. Almost like two cylinders welded together. Hard to explain but if you call progress they will send you pics on the 1st series.

Sorry this sounds off, I'm supa tired...

~Keith

Oh and as for wheel gap, it will be considerably noticeable. Approximatly 1.75 - 2.25" depending on the tire size you get.