To Be or Not To Be???
 

sup guys and gals, well, i need some opinions here, i can't seem to make up my mind as to if i should get some 17 in. rims with a set of coilovers, or get a set of 18 in. rims and a set of springs??? if anyone has one of these combinations i would greatly appreciate your opinions, and if you don't have these comb. i would still be appreciative to you also...thanks

yea im in the same position. however, no matter what i think im gonna go with the eibach pro kit springs. Cmon everyone, post pics here of your car and state

(1) Make/Model rim and size
(2) What type of sprige/coilovers/shocks your running

I changed the title of your thread to be more descriptive of your question. As for your question, ask yourself what you will use the coil-overs for? Greater lowering than lower springs only can provide? If so, I'd recommend staying with springs only. The front suspension travel of the Protege is somewhat limited. If the front is lowered more than an 1" you will hit the bumpstops fairly often on rougher roads. This hurts both handling and ride. Most lowering springs will cause this to some degree also, but not as much as coil-overs at or near the bottom of their adjustment range. True coil-overs are a much better option, since they incorporate shortening of the strut tube to maintain decent suspension travel. They are available for 3rd gen Proteges from Mazda Motorsports.

Not to contradict an administrator but...
Personally I would go with 17's with a set of springs (I see that is not one of your decisions to make). To me 17s with 215/40 tires would look the best plus keep the ride a little better than the 30 series tires with 18's. Plus they are a good bit lighter, especially if you don't have the budget for forged wheels. The brakes on the p5 are not huge, yet not terribly small (I guess fairly large for a stock compact) and I have seen plenty a Civic with 18inch bling blings and it looks dumb with the 10 inch rotors in there.

With the power output of a P5 the lighter you go the better, and 18's would be more weight, harsher ride, and more risk to bending a wheel on a bumpy road.

Its your money man and that is just my opinion

i like the opinions here, but does anyone actually have these kind of setups??? i live in wisconsin, so i get pretty much snow in the winter and my P5 is out all season...that's why i thought the coilovers would be a better fit for me, but i like the idea of having a set and consistent spring height with springs...i guess, i want to know if anyone has 18's or 17's on their P5 and like or not???

I know a guy with a yellow p5 from Jersey , who does a show every now and then ,. He said that his tires keep rubbing in the fender and his car was not lowered yet . so I don't know what you will want to do withthat
Bruce

Yea theres some good points here. im in california and wont be in any snow. I think im gonna go with 18s and the eibach pro-kits. I like how 18s look better. they will be in silver, not chrome. I am a little worried about the whole weight thing but the way i figure, my p5 is already so slow that i dont really race anyone and so im not really racing around everywhere like i used to in my other car. therefore i dont really care about light rims as much cuz although its important, the shag wagon is slow anyway, so whatever. haha hope that made sense. anyone got pics of p5s on 18's?

I don't recall anyone with 18" wheels on a Protege, but many people have posted having 17" wheels on Proteges, including P5's. Look through the Wheels and Tires area for more info on the wheels, and the Photos area for pics of what other people have done. I'm planning on going with 17" very soon to clear the brake upgrade I'll be installing. I'm after the lightest wheel I can afford. Wheel weight affects more than just acceleration, it puts more load on your springs and struts, and affects ride and handling as well.