Sooo my NISMO's tires are getting close to the end...need advice!
 

I am not sure what size to get but I want wider than I have now. Pretty much as wide as I can fit. Cost is also a issue. I am seeing prices from 250-500 for the rears and I am like eek! I have the 18x9 front and 19x10 rear like the Grand Touring wheel sizes, but the NISMO wheels for my car. I have the stock crappy RE050s which I hate. I have hated every Bridgestone tire I have owned. They just don't last and don't produce the grip that some of the other tires GSD3 as a example do and last.

I wanted a GSD3, but the tires sizes just weren't there to what I needed to keep my speedo from getting too far off. And I don't want the car to have a smaller height tire at all which would make my wheel gap larger. So I would have to be the same or slightly larger.

Any help would be apperciated in this area. Tires I have seen and like are:

BFG KDW
Goodyear GS-D3

I am open to other brands as long as they are good tires, last much longer than the RE050, and quietness as well. I know the KDWs aren't quiet I hear, so that has me a little worried. The Z is already noisy enough, I don't want to add so much noise that it's hard to talk in the car.

Also if anyone has pics of GT or NISMO wheels with bigger tires please post em!

advan sport...

Thanks but way to pricey.

I actually think the stock RE050As are pretty decent. On a past Z, I upgraded to the RE050A pole positions which are superior to the stock tires and comparable to the Michelin PS2s IMO, but at a lower price point.

I've had the F1 GS-D3s in a different car and thought they were good, but consider the pole positions and PS2s to be better all-around, expect in the wet.

Other than the PS2s and pole positions, I'd consider the advan sports and RE-01Rs. The pole positions should be some of the cheapest out of the four, but it still offers some of the best performance. As far as tire wear, they should all wear roughly the same. In the max performance tire category, the continental contisport 2s or 3s should offer superior tire life, but will likely be lacking in performance.

I had an '06 track, which have 18/19s like the Nismo, and up-sized to 255/275. You can go larger than 275s, but with stock power, it's unnecessary and just for looks. Other members have gone 285s without problems, but any larger than that might rub. I think the 255s up front made the biggest difference as far as performance, but the sidewall was a bit too thick/wide for my liking.

Well these aren't PP tires. These tires are scary in the wet and the dry just plain don't grip. 1/4-1/2 throttle first gear I just start spinning, 2nd gear flooring it I spin.

Even a instructor at the track that drives a 350z I let her drive my car, she loved the way it handled, but I warned her about the tires. It was wet, and we took a turn and she started to get on the gas, tires just completely gave out and we spun out. Her yoko's were better than my tires.

I had GSD3 and loved them, they were so much better than these tires. Well I think the car could use 285s at least in the rear. The HR has a great deal more power than the older engine it replaced.

I upgraded to the PP from the RE050s. A much better tire all-around. If you're concerned with wet performance though, the goodyears are probably the best bet.

They would be if they had the sizes I needed. :(

kdwII FTW

What sizes are you looking at? And what did you think about the sidewall on the goodyears?

255/40/18s and 275/35/19s are a solid choice and the goodyears are available from the tirerack in these sizes. When I need new tires on the Nismo, I'm likely going to go with these sizes myself.

Sidewalls were great to what I could tell. I took them to MSR and basically melted the tires because they had so much grip! It was a blast.

and a nizmo z is cheap? :icon22:

I am not paying 400 a tire man. There are tires that are just as good near 250-300~. And you got Toyo's didn't you? :)

What about those Vredstein Sessenta tires?

Solo, you should consider a set of dedicated track rims with r-compounds. Should be a bit cheaper in the long run.

Seriously, that's what I was thinking.

If you can pay for a Nismo Z, why can't you take the extra step to get some good suitable tires for the car.

The tires being considered are not cheap tires by any means.

GS-D3 FTL. I hate them! If I could go back in time, I'd spend the extra $300 for the PS2.

My new GS-D3's have much more tread noise (compared to OEM RE050a). They are not too good for straight-line acceleration - hello wheelspin. GS-D3's have decent lateral grip, but the sidewalls are so soft that I feel like I need sways. The RE050a was much stiffer and I never felt like I needed sways with those. GS-D3 handling feels very good and they have decent hydroplane resistance. They also run very narrow, which might be why hydroplane resistance is decent. These tires now have "tread joint blocks" (not pictured in the tire rack photos) that tie the outer edge tread pieces together, so hydroplane resistance is not as good as it was when these originally came out. The tread joint blocks are used as a band-aid for the v-grooved tires that all seem to develop noise with wear. That's why all the v-grooved tires are going away now - They have good hydroplane resistance when new, but they develop unacceptable noise with some miles on them. So manufacturers put on these tread tie-bars on the tread edges to cut down on the noise, but this blocks the side-tread water evacuation route which cuts down on hydroplaning resistance.

We bought the RE050a Pole Position tires for my wife's car and they are incredible. (255/40/18, 275/40/28) These would be my first suggestion for your Nismo Z. I'd get them for my Z, but I have 19's front and rear and they don't make a 255/35/19 for the front. :( I am running 275/35/19 rear.

Definitely go 255/275! The front of my wife's car has grip for days!

I am afraid to push my car around the corners because the rear tires don't seem to grip well (GS-D3) and the sidewall is too soft, so the car leans a lot.

My second choice for your car would be PS2's which I LOVED on the M3, but they are $$$ in 19" sizes. These are my 1st choice now because the RE050a PP does not come in the sizes I need, and I hate the GS-D3 (Did I mention that?)

I hope this helps...

I would go with 265/35/18 and 295/30/19 for tires sizes if you are looking for as wide as possible

Spend the extra money and get PS2's. They're worth every penny. Damn I miss them:(

255 F/285 R is what I went with on my GT Rays wheels (profile unchanged). It won't give you any VDC issues, excessive sidwall bulge, or rubbing (my Z isn't lowered though).