Stagger, as in the tire sizes are different from front to back (245 vs 275).

And... ok, whatever.
There are no fitment issues mounting a 275 mm wide tires on a 8.5" tire, but generally, those 275 mm wide tires are recommended for wheels that are 9 - 11" wide.

One thing you should keep in mind is the fact that 275/35/18 has a smaller profile, and thus smaller overall diameter than 245/45/18 - 26.68" vs 25.57" respectively. I suggest you go with 275/40/18 so there's not a huge difference in the diameter, which also affects your odometer, speedometer, sometimes VDC, etc.

Tire professionals don't have to answer any of your questions. These are basic knowledge.

 

I suggest a 265/40 on a stock 18" wheel. As you said, a 275mm wheels should be on a 9"+ wheel. You were more gentle and technical about it, but Ninja should be clear that a 275 should not be on an 8.5" wheel for everyday use for 95% of tires out there.

 

Thanks to both of you for the info, thats exactly why I asked the question. For myself I don't like trial and error if the info is out there. As you have demonstrated even experts can give out incorrect info (rim size). 265 is the conclusion I came to also. Thanks again.

 

265/40/18 is smaller in diameter than 275/40/18 by a little. It's not a noticeable difference, but 265/40/18 is more off from 245/45/18 (stock) than 275/40/18.

Use the below for your future questions. It'll save everybody time.
http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

 

I run the following on my 2003 350Z

245/40/18 front
275/40/18 rear

The wheels are
18x9 F
18x10 R

With a +25 offset all around and lowered .75", there is no rubbing and some wheel gap. I wouldn't put a 35 series sidewall (275mm tire) on an 18" wheel -- wheel gap like WHOA.

 

Welcome Neal!

 

A 275/35 tire is very close in diameter to 245/40.

I run a 265/35 on a 18x9 wheel. I was worried about wheel gap, but it barely made a difference.

 

Neal, truth time.

My next set of tires will be Michelin PS A/S Plus 255.40.18 F 275.35.19 R and I've read up a lot of reviews for this tires.

So tell me straight, because of its high treadwear number (500), is this tire really as loud, un-grippy, and generally hard as lots of the reviews say?

 

I'd say they haven't been out long enough for us to get a true feel of how it performs thru the life cycle. It's hard to get a true idea until there are about 500K miles reported on our customer reviews.

Tread wear numbers really don't mean much. There is some truth to lower number softer compound and the opposite with higher numbers. However, they are assigned to the tire by their own testing and such. They could put 1K on there, doesn't mean you'll get 100K miles out of it. I wouldn't base my sole decision on it.

The original Sport A/S was a good tire. Top 5 performer and had been out forever. They really made upgrades to wet, a/s traction and wear. Looking at the old and new, there are no changes to the internal construction. So ride should be the same between them. Problem with the customer reviews is you never know what tire they had prior that's now being put up against their current tire. If they had a touring tire and wanted to try a sport a/s then yes, the Michelin will be louder and ride stiffer. Compared to a summer only performance tire they don't handle as well but ride better and last longer.

Overall, the sport a/s class is the "Jack of all trades" tire. They have a bit of everything (good dry, good wet, above avg a/s traction, decent wear, etc). Traditionally the Sport A/S was a great tire. I doubt they would take a very successful tire like that off the market and replace it with something not as good. Expect the same type of reviews and performance as the original but with better wet traction and longer wear.

 

Hi Neal,

I am in the market for new tires since my stock tires is pretty much going bald. I am thinking to order from TireRack for the prices is much cheaper. I don't see many choices to choose from for 350Z. I am leaning toward the Michelin PS2 since the reviews are pretty high. Would you suggest those tires for my Z?

Thanks,
KP

 

KP,
ANYone with a head on their shoulders would suggest the PS2s if your budget allows for it. You could also shop for a used take-off set, as they are often floating around here for cheaper.

 

Great tire for aggressive street driving. We tested them last week and performed awesome. Decent life, not loud, practical for every day use. Can't go wrong.

 

Scotts, thanks for your tips
and thank you Neal for your hands-on perspective. I will be ordering a set from TireRack soon.

 

Hello Neal,

I am eyeing a set of work rims with tires size:
245/40/18 with 28 offset and rears at
265/35/18 with 30 offset.

What are minimum and max offsets for the 350z?

Thank you for your time,
Luckyboy06.

 

^^
those offsets are weak

In a nutshell:
The lower the offset number the more the wheels stick out away from the hub.
The higher the offset number the more your wheels will look sunken inwards toward the hub.

 

Hello Singh,

Thank you for the information.

What rims, size and offsets are you currently running?

Thank you for your time,
Lboy.

 

i'm on stock wheels.

I suggest you search around and get a feel for offsets and which one suits your type. Some people like aggressive offsets (+15 to +20) while others tend to remain conservative.(+22 to +25).

 

Hi Neal,

do you offer international shipping? cuz on tire.rack.com you don't.

 

Yup. Just email me and I'll reply with the info we need to get a shipping quote.