just came back from the garage (crappy tire), and the guy told me with authority that they have had lots of problems putting 16" steel rims on mazda3's and 6's because the calipers are oversized, and that i would have to contact my dealer for custom rims.
i read somewhere that the mazda3 equipped with 2.3l engine comes with oversized calipers, but the same article or post said that they couldn't handle rims smaller than 16"... which is what i wanted, and what i was told i couldn't have. so, frustrated, i called my dealer, who is, of course, on holiday, leaving me stuck in the snow.
out of desperation and exasperation, i raced (hazardously) to another c-tire... and of course, just to instill disorder and confusion in everything they come in contact with, the gentleman there says they've replaced mazda3 and 6 rims with no problem. i told him to order the rims, as he didn't have any in stock, and am going to go in tomorrow with fingers crossed, 4 leaf clover and rabit feet in hand, with the car fully feng-shui'd, etc.
none of these guys mentioned anything about 2.3l models or anything like that. obviously, one of them doesn't know what he's talking about. i, of course, don't know what either one's talking about.
furthermore, i have the gt gfx model, and with it, stock 17" rims... could this be the culprit that caused the chaos, confusion, and complication?
please, experts, be my hero and help me sort this out.
stock wheel size: 205/50/17
wanted: 16" rims w/ crappy tire icetrac (on a budget)
