I got a call from HRE that my 18 inch 445's are ready to be picked up. Look at my pick, They are the same type wheels as Russ' Z in my picture.

I am still debating on sizes of rear + tires on Toyo T1's . Here are my choices:

Ft = 265/35-18 or 265/40-18

Rears = 285/35-18 or 295/35-18

I think I am going to go 265/35-18 ft and 295/35-18 rears. What do you think guys? This is it, I live with what i order tomorrow. Wheelmaker (Bob) , if you are out there, please give me feedback, thanks, Jeff

 

the best setup is 245/40 and 275/40

its a perfect match for the stock rolling diameter.

 

actually the best set up close to stock rolling diameter is the stock rolling diameter, not 245/275! I want to go bigger. Thanks for input though, Jeff

 

i really woudlnt go bigger than 245 in the front ... as for the rears, you dont really need huge huge tires until youre planning on making alot more power ... 275s will fill the wheel well perfectly.

it really is the perfect performance/aesthetic option, imho.

 

Jeff

If there is truth to the VDC etc issue then 265/35 295/35 combo would give the same difference in rolling diameters as stock 18s (24) rpm difference front to back. You know that these choices are slightly smaller in dia than stock, so your speedo will be off. Weight? if it matters, both the wheels & tires individually will be lighter than stock.

 

Jeff,

I agree with Redfoot. 265/35 & 295/35 (but damn that's a big tire in front!)

Where you going to get your T1-S's from? Try Tread Depot if you order online. That's where I got mine from. Took a week for delivery (they are in Atlanta). 265/35/18's are $202 and 295/35/18's are $238. (285/35/18's are $229, in case you go that way) Shipping will probably be around $80.

 

Russ:

I already went to teadepot.com as you mentioned. I priced them including shipping. then, i called my local tire guy, told him if he could match the price I would buy from him, otherwise i would pay him to mount the ones from treadepot. He match the price, included mounting and balancing for free and will rotate and repair for life of tire for free +handle warranty issues. How could I refuse that bid?

Just so you guys know, I spoke with Bob, wheelmaker of HRE before selecting my wheels. He fitted the SEMA show car for HRE with 445's like mine on 19" wheels (not 18 like mine) but with 275 fts and 295 rears. The car was lowered with eibach (.8 ft/1.2 rear). He drove it everywhere for 2 weeks (including San Diego to LA round trip everyday to show) and never had any rubbing problems etc and said it handled great (all positive, no negatives). Since he is the tire fitter for HRE and they do all top in cars, I feel he does has a level of experiece on a daliy basis that we lack. If he is wrong, it reflects on HRE's reputation so my bet is, he is not off many times. That is the basis for my large wheels and going beyond the 245/275 combo most people are selecting. Maybe 245/275 is better on the track but for me, the look I want is bigger. FYI, the new Z06 Vette has 265 fts and 295 rears too. Now, I will have a better excuse then others to get a TT/SC.

Jeff

 

I'm not ignoring you, Jeff! Here's a cut & paste from my e-mail reply to you:

Hi Jeff,

I’ll lay out all the numbers here so you can see the differences. My tire diameter calculations are all done mathematically, so actual diameters may vary a bit depending on the make & model of tire.



Front OE 17” 225/50-17 = 25.86”

Rear OE 17” 235/50-17 = 26.25

Difference F/R = .39”



Front OE 18” 225/45-18 = 25.97” (.11” taller than OE 17”)

Rear OE 18” 245/45-18 = 26.68” (.43” taller than OE 17”)

Difference F/R = .71”



So, as you can see, even the OE tire set-ups are not a perfect “plus one” from the 17” to 18.”



That said, here are the tire dimensions we had discussed for your 350Z:



F: 265/35-18 = 25.31” (-.55” shorter than OE 17”)

F: 265/40-18 = 26.34” (+.48” taller than OE 17”)



The 265/40-18 is taller than OE. Considering the rear tire options are all shorter than OE, I would not consider this an option. I’d go 265/35-18.



R: 285/35-18 = 25.85” (-.40” shorter than OE 17”)

R: 295/35-18 = 26.13” (-.12” shorter than OE 17”)



I like the 295/35-18 for the rear mostly because it is closest to the OE rolling diameter. This will keep the speedometer & odometer more accurate. The disparity between the front 265/35-18 and rear 295/35-18 is .82”, but the OE 18” set-up is .71”- this is a negligible difference, and I am 100% confident you will have no TCS or ABS issues whatsoever. I also think you’ll like the look of the slightly taller tire in the rear.



BTW, the T1-S is a great tire, I have a set of 20s (245/35-20 + 275/30-20) I hope to use on my forthcoming Lexus SC400.

I have heard good reviews about their low noise, excellent traction, and good wear characteristics. Plus the sidewalls & tread design are bitchin’!



Your wheels are boxed & ready to go… I’m excited to see your car “HRE’d”



Regards and congratulations,

Bob Hale

Technical Specialist

HRE Performance Wheels

 

I picked up my HRE 445's from the HRE factory in Vista Ca. today. Most of you that ordered HRE's that have not seem them before are going to be VERY pleased. As some of you might remember, I visited the factory in January prior to ordering so I knew how stunning these wheels are. Now, I got to wait until Monday for my tires to arrive and be mounted. FYI, i went all out and opted for the 295/35-15 tires on the rear. As you can see from the post from Bob, wheelmaker, he recommended them and since he drove over 1000 miles on 275/295 combo with the SEMA car, I think he is a great judge on the functionality of that set up. After all, fitting wheels and tires is his full time business and they cater to the high end of the car market.

For those of you that have not seen the HRE wheels in person, I suggest you hold back judgement on them until you see them in person. I personally went to wheelwarehouse in Anaheim and looked at all Volks and other top wheels prior to seeing my HRE's. I am not trying to be critical of other wheels and like many others but for me, when you see an HRE in person, it is a whole different level quality. These wheels are specifically made and mesured to YOUR car and not a generic set up for several models. You can have the set backs any way you want as well as finish etc. Just having Bob expertise alone sets them apart because no matter what size you get, it will fit the wheelwell perfectly with out even worrying about it. The bottom line is they are a first class wheel and first class service goes with them. Sometimes you do pay for what you get. Yes, i like performance and like many of you weight is a concern. These 18's will be about the same or slightly less wt than my factory 17". I could have lossed some wt going with a Volf or other wheel but for many of you, I am amazed at how picky you are about 1-2 lbs in your wheels ( iundertand about unsprung wt and loss of 1 hp per 6lbs at wheels) yet not concerned as much about tire wt. In addition, if this wt is so critical, maybe you should have ordered a base model and save 100 lbs. After all, who is to say my 2 lbs a wheel is not as important to me as your leather seats that are heated are tto you? Again, i am not suggesting your model is not right for you but just responding to those people that are so critical of HRE wheels due to weight. In the end, variety is the spice to life. Thank God all of you are getting different wheels and tires than me. I love to see all different set ups and that is why I often look at the wheels section after purchasing my own. I could have purchased at least 5 other wheels than my own and really liked them. I just happen to like these more.

I will post my pics of my 265/295 tires on my 18" 445 brushed finish wheels when I get them mounted. It should be about Monday or Tuesday when i will post them.
Jeff