Cody,

Check out the following site http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html , it’s a great little applet that calculates and compares two different size tires. If you know you’ll have problems with a certain size tire, as in 205/55R16 in your case you can set that as the “Stock Tire” and compare different sizes and see how you’ll make out.

After you’ve narrowed down your search take a look at http://www.TireRack.com , http://www.discounttiredirect.com or your other preferred retailer and see what they have to offer. You might find the limited availability of one particular size to be limiting, so that could also impact your choice or tire sizes.

I think you can probably get away with a slightly lower and wider size, providing its not dramatically wider then your current setup. The lower/wider setup should give you a better performance setup, however they will reduce the dampening effect those monstrous 55 series tires give you. It’s your preference.

The particular tire you select will make as much difference in the way the car handles, grips, and in the dampening as the size change. So read peoples preferences on the BrickBoard, and also the ratings and reviews on TireRack. There is a great deal of facts and opinions out there.

By the way I’m running the Bridgestone RE730’s in a 215/45ZR17, and love them.

Good luck
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'97 854R