BWD

Gentlemen,

I have been reading through the many posts on the wheel and tire sizes. I am not all the way through the he hundreds of page yet. A couple questions stick out that I have read firm answers to. Assumptions are made nothing that appears to be concrete.

1. From my reading it seems that a a front end 18x9.5 +15 wheel 255/40/18 tire may rub on a stock suspension. I understand that tires makes and models vary in size for the same spec tire. What will need to be done to the front wheel well to accommodate that size wheel and tire?

2. Am I correct in understanding that a rear wheel 18x10.5 +15 and 275/40/18 tire will require a fender roll?

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

slight pull of a hair of extra front camber and the rear needs to be rolled

BWD

Great! Thanks for all the information.

BWD

Terrasmack,

In the Enkei thread (https://my350z.com/forum/wheels-and-...thread-82.html) you mentioned needing spacers for the NT03 wheels 18x9.5 +27 offset with 275/40/18 tires. Is there a performance improvement with the spacer versus the +27 offset or is it strictly for appearance?

Thanks,

BWD

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

You don't need spacers, but you can use them. I had spacers laying around, so I used them

Zoom750

iTrader: (4)

I have the NT03 18x9.5 on a 2004 G coupe. I needed spacers (5mm) to clear the Brembos. Not sure if this is the same on a Z, but it's something to keep in mind.

dboyzalter

iTrader: (3)

So for the residential tire experts... I was going to do 245/40 245/45 square but, then I was thinking 245/40 265/40... And even played around with the idea of 235/40 255/40

I dont have traction issues with the current 245s on the back of the car now, I keep going back and forth on wheels but it seems most that have a decent 350z offset are 9'5 or wider(10-15offset)... While all the 8 or 8 1/2 inch wheels have 25+ offsets..

I dont know if theirs a question in their but damn I dont feel like having buyer's remorse once I get off the rag and finally order a set... My back tires are almost spent so its almost prime time.

MicVelo

Mike, not sure what the question is.... "Do I run square wheels with staggered tires?" Or "What sizes should I run?"

In any case, if it's performance you're after (and who isn't?), select the tires that fit well (proper clearance and wheel fit) THEN choose the proper wheels to mount 'em on.

For the Z33, that's pretty straight forward... 245 (or 255)/40-18 F and 275/40-18 rear.

Yes, other options exist but this is about as large as one needs to go because as you get into larger, wider sizes, handling changes and part of that is due to the fact that you can't really get the tire up to it's proper operational temperature for them to make much difference - off the track. The pyrometer doesn't lie.

Those will fit perfectly on any 8.5/9.5 combination or better yet, 9/10 (or 9.5/10.5 with conservative offset) and you won't have to do any body mods at stock height or modest (less than 25mm) lowering.

On the issue of offset, there's nothing wrong with a 25mm+ offset. As you know, factory is 30/33 on the staggered sets and the only thing that's "wrong" with that is the "sunken appearance" but don't forget that if you're going aftermarket, the wheels will be wider and will make up for some of that "sunken look".

Note the conservativeness of my recommendation. Yes, everybody and their brother are running 9.5/10.5 +15. Me personally, it changes the scrub too much for my taste so I run mid-20mm offsets and the reaction to steering input is best for my taste and style of driving.

If you read my "War & Peace" style treatise on my cheap wheels, you'll see that I did NOT like the effective offsets of my front wheels so I took off the spacers. Ahhhhhhhhhh..... way better response, quicker/sharper turn in and all is good again.

Bottom line: nothing wrong with conservative and closer to factory tolerances unless you're going for the stance thing.

On the issue of square setup, I'm not big on that either; preferring to run the stagger setup and mechanically manage the understeer through roll stiffness adjustment (bars and shock settings).

Yes, this is my opinion and it suits my driving so YMMV.

BWD

Good information. Right now the car is stock, but I would like to add some nice brakes in the future. Did you notice a handling/steering improvement with the NT03? They caught my eye because of the Enkei description of being a little stiffer and being very responsive to steering. They are a tad heavier than the RPF1 which I am also considering. Why did you decide to run the NT03?

Thanks.

BWD

Thanks MicVelo. I have been reading your thread on the rep wheels. I am not so much interested in the wheel styles as your knowledge base and how/why you evaluate the wheels the way you do. As I have spied on Zs in my area, I am not overly concerned with a stance/flush appearance, unless it yields a better handling vehicle. If there are diminishing returns I will stick to near stock offsets and not worry about it. Luckily, there is no rush. I am happily learning and compiling information. Now the question of suspension comes into play. I need to see what all needs to be done versus what I want done and then budget according to need/want and willingness to spend

Thanks again!

Zoom750

iTrader: (4)

Handling improved with the wheels, but it's because of the ability to fit wider tires = more grip. Right now, I have the Potentza RE-11s 265/35 front and 275/40 rears. These are used as my daily and for track days.

Going from 225/45 to 265/35, you will feel the difference. There is more inertia, and the wider tires seem to re-center a little more slowly. They also seem to follow grooves quite a bit.

Chose the NT-03s because of the low cost for a high quality wheel, plus I like the look. That said, I had to replace one rim because my tire shop found a crack on the inner lip that couldn't be repaired. Tire Rack had it in stock and had the lowest price around - it's still a great bargain. Although, because the rims were previously painted, I now drive around with 3 gold and 1 silver rim.

I don't think you'll be able to notice the difference in weight between the NT 03s and the RPF1s.