Mazda Repair: strut tower brace, dunlop dz101, stock rims

Question
Hi this is my third post to you and all your ans were great. my next question is on my 2007 Miata will a strut brace make any difference? or would i be throwing money away.also i have the stock rims and tires on the car(205 50 16) could i go to say 215-45-16 or 215-50-16 without compromising anything? car has 16k original miles and i want to change them soon. I figured with these two upgrades I can get a little more out of the car for a relatively low price considering i would have to change the tires soon anyway. what are your thoughts on these two subjects?   RON

Answer
A front strut brace only comes into play during hard cornering.  The car does not have much range of flex at the point where the brace ties in.  However, for structural rigidity anything that cross ties the inner structure of the car makes the car stronger and more rigid.  The only draw backs being a little extra weight (not much to speak of) and if say the car is struck on one side the impact will likely transfer to the other side via the brace.  As far as handling, on street applications no measurable difference unless you repaint the lines on the clover leaf.

A 215/50-16 is considered a Plus Half size increase.  Your tires will be (roughly) .25" wider in tread and .25" taller in section width (distance from the rim to the ground) the over all diameter will increase by .43" (7/16").  This is a good size upgrade, takes up some air space, fattens up the stance and gives you more rubber and air between you and the road.  No real negatives, in reality it should have been the OEM size in my opinion.  You can go beyond this size on that body, but there are compromises and benefits beyond the plus half size increase.

As for tire choice, the Dunlop DZ101 Direzza is a smooth a tire for the Miata as has ever been available for street use.

See you at 216k.  Miatas are long term.

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