Anyone else notice that the majority of the wheels for sale in the…

MY350Z.COM Forums > Marketplace> Private Classifieds > Wheels Tires

…have reported curbage (curb damage on the rim)?

Why are our Z’s wheels so often damaged this way?

--Spike

 

I've wondered this as well. I park by curbs quite frequently and have never curbed a wheel. It doesn't seem that hard to not hit the curb.

 

yea tell me about it. the last owner of my Z curbed all 4 of the wheels. i was bummed about when i bought the car. good thing everything else on my Z is in great shape.

 

lower profile tires?

 

Alot of Z owners love the stretch look. Where the tires do not protect the rim correctly. Some owners run 10.5 in the rear, but opt for a 275 tire. This is actually to narrow for that wide of a rim. Same for the fronts. Owners run 9.5 in the fronts and opt for a 235-245 tire.

 

Try again...

Maybe you should ask, why are Z drivers so prone to curb damage.

Cause they're ****ing idiots lol.. jk but ya they need driving lessons.

 

I could blame it on the Z, but that wouldn't explain the curbage on the last 5 or 6 cars that I've owned. I blame it on Fluoride in the water.

 

low profile tires are easier to scrape. I don't think wheels on the Z are any more prone to damage than any other wheel with short sidewalls.

 

Good points…

Certainly a stretched setup makes you more vulnerable to “curbage.” 245’s on 8.5” and 275’s on 9.5” wheels are stretched a little making the wheels more vulnerable to wheels scrapes. But, curb scrapes seem to happen with the Z on even 8” wheels, which is a common setup for many cars.

I wonder if some of this has to do with the Z’s rounded hood and its “high beltline.” That arrangement hampers visibility and makes it more difficult to gauge the wheels’ position in relation to a curb.

If you have the chance to drive a Corvette or a Porche (911 or Boxster models), you notice that the hood is more flat and descending allowing a better view and perception of the wheels’ positions.

--Spike

 

Something else that I find strange…

Many (most?) members selling their wheels in the MY350Z.COM Forums > Marketplace> Private Classifieds > Wheels Tires section painstakingly describe wheel damage (curb scrapes), and take and post pictures of the damage.

Why not fix the damage before you sell the wheels?

--Spike

 

Most Z owners I know run 9.5 front and 10.5 rear.

 

I think is has something to do with drivers hitting curbs.

 

Probably because it's a PITA to have the tires removed, wheels gone for 1-2 weeks, then pay to have the tires remounted, just to get rid of them...nevermind that minor curbs don't hurt the integrity of the wheel.

 

Might be on to something...
My Z is not my daily driver and I drive either my suv or girlfriends car most of the year. Whenever I switch back to the Z after not driving it a few weeks/months I tend to involuntarily park extremely close to curbs. Feels as if the Z is much wider than my daily drivers, when its really not.

... luckily no rash just yet

 

some curbs are just REALLY high

 

I've scraped three of my four wheels. On both fronts I know it is because I misjudged where the wheels were relative to the hoodline. The wheels are "outboard" more than I was used to on prebious cars. This is what Spike mentioned above.

How do you fix "scraped" wheels? Did not know you could.

 

^wheel repair shops can do this for about $100-$150 per wheel. I'm skeptical of the guys that are fixing these with the tires still on, but from the pictures I have seen it looks VERY good.

 

It is because our cars are too wide for people that are used to driving little compacts.

 

Just because someone buys a Z...

That doesn't mean that they can drive worth sh*t...

 

Regardless of low-profile tires, it's all driver error. And ugly stretched tires are not helping matters.