RoadsterLover

I apologize if there is already a thread for this question, if so please direct me to it and delete this one. I am a new owner of a 2005 350z roadster. New to nissan and the Z vehicles, but i can already say i love this car. It has very nice looking stock wheels, but also put aftermarket wheels on my past cars. Since i just got the car, i want to start slow with just wheels. Suspension upgrades to come in the future once i get my school situation settled for sure. My question is, what size wheels look/perform the best on a stock suspension? Call me crazy, but i like the stock height and wheel size that came on this Z. If anyone else is also running aftermarket wheels on stock suspension, please post pictures so I can get an idea of what it looks like. Thanks for any help!

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

19's and 18's are popular, look at the threads for them

RoadsterLover

what is the best width and offset so that i dont get uneven wear on tires? or will that be inevitable?

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Width and offset won't matter much for tire wear , but it's been proven that alignment can be off when changing offset.

For staying at stock height I would say 8.5 to 9 front and 9.5 to 10 rear.

Don Nguyen

iTrader: (21)

If you are planning on getting suspension in the future, I think 19s would look/work best for you.

-Don

Bama J

I agree on the 19's. A good width/offset for stock suspension is 9.5" fronts 10.5" rears with offsets in the +20s.

travlee

iTrader: (8)

depends on his budget.... 19" tires are more than 18's. take that into consideration OP

18" bfg sport comp2 275/40/18 - $190
19" bfg sport comp2 275/35/19 - $220

Z1NONLY

iTrader: (2)

For aesthetics, I would worry more about offset and width than diameter.

If you like the look of 18's don't increase the diameter. It usually adds rotating mass and hurts performance. (I noticed reduced acceleration when I "upgraded" from 17's to 18's, and I used lightweight 18's...only added 3lbs per wheel.)

I'm now running 18X10.5 +15 (all corners) and that's a bit aggressive. (Barely fits with fenders rolled) I bet 9.5" / 10" with a +15 offset would work well and still look good.

Spike100

Hi RoasterLover… and welcome to my350z.com.

A stock suspension isn’t what limits your wheel choices. In fact a stock suspension allows a wider choice in wheel selection because typically there is more height (i.e., fender clearance). People upgrading the suspension typically lower the car (and almost never raise the vehicle).

When choosing wheels, you need to make the following decisions:

• Wheel diameter
• Wheel width
• Wheel offset

Wheel diameter

• 17” and 18” are favored by owners interested in handling and performance. 17” and 18” wheels are lighter, and therefore, they provide better performance.
• Owners interested in appearance tend to favor 19” wheels.
• 20” wheels are typically “show” wheels.

Wheel width and Wheel offset
I group wheel width and offset together because offset is a significant consideration when selecting a width for your wheels mounted on a stock suspension. You can go at least 9.5” wide (and a fairly aggressive offset) without having to do any fender modification. And, depending upon the offset, you can even go 10.5” wide on the rear. Read the wheel threads here to see various combinations of wheel-widths and offsets that work without modifying the car’s fenders.

Also... Read the Enkei wheel thread and the 19” wheel thread to see a lot of options for wheels and tires.

RoadsterLover

Very informative and helpful! So I believe I want to go 18. If I do 18x9.5 in front and 18x10.5 in the back, what's the max offset without having to roll fenders?

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Lots of variables to include the actual car. Our alignment specs have a wide range in the rear , that affects if it will rub. Next tire will also matter , but I will just mention the standard 275/40-18 rear, my car started to run between +25 and +20 on a 10.5. Up front mine slightly rubbed with 255/40-40 on 9.5 +15.