I was hoping to get some help from all you owners of 19" wheels. I'm debating on whether to upgrade to 18's or 19's, from 17's. I know that almost everyone recommends 19's, but I wanted to see if the 19" decision backfired on anyone.

If I lived in Cali, then no question, 19's all the way!!!! But I live in the Chicago area and even though we pay tolls on a daily basis the DOT can't keep up with these nasty pot-holes.

Bent rims? Not much difference from 18's? Negative handling? You get the picture.

 

You drive will be rougher from 18's for sure. Porpoising increases in violence noticeably. I went with some progressive springs to ease things a bit.
From 17's the difference would probably be large in ride comfort.
If my commute had worse roads I'd probably switch back.

 

Check out my sig. Yes, I kind of do regret 19"s. Ride is slitghl harsher, but like you, pot holes just wreak havoc on my wheels.

 

Well, not to stir the pot here (certainly not my intention), but I went from the factory 17's to 20's and it's been a good move all around.

The ride is substantially LESS harsh, 100x LESS bounce and well, it handles gobs better and the larger front tires completely eliminated understeer and honestly, you shouldn't be hitting potholes anyway in a sports car!

 

Thanks Brad4rdHay for sharing your experience. The harsher ride won't bother me, but maintaining my rims will. I don't want to have to repair my rims every other year. Seeing your sig makes me want to continue looking at 18's. Did your rims get bent or was the "havoc" from rock chips?

Thanks for the input

 

I ve got 19 inch gt7's for my g35. I drive a civic from december to end of march. That way there are no pot holes, they are all fixed by april.

 

Oh, I just noticed you guys are up north. Frost heaving is a ***** on roads.

None of that here in Texas. I've got 25,000 mi on my Z already and I've had it one year today! (just realized that)

I've got about 3500 on these wheels and I'm so glad I did. It was a huge improvement over stock in all respects.

 

Good to hear your side of the story too Jeffrey.

About the comment regarding pot holes... so I shouldn't be taking my Z on mountain hikes?

But seriously, I agree with you about the pot holes. I've been in most major cities in the US and I can easily conclude that Chicago has the worst roads. If it isn't pot holes then it's road construction (roads torn up, then harshly hit paved roads). There are some roads that have so many pot holes that it's like taking the lesser of 2 or 3 evils. It's due to the combination of the weather and the clay soil that retains a lot of water.

 

Ive noticed when i go to california or seattle etc. the highways are concrete. I find those big cross ruts that connect slabs quite brutal. The highways in bc are all nice smooth asphalt.

 

Sounds like most of you with 19's & 20's drive carefully or have smooth roads in your area. I don't have the luxury of smooth roads, but I do have a Camry as a winter beater... but then again Chicago's pot holes are year round. If I had 19's I definitely would be careful with them, but I just don't want to feel like I'm "walking on eggshells".

I think I might be toooo paranoid with 19's (like hitting small children to avoid a pot hole), but I wonder if anyone with 19's or greater have survived pot holes or any other obstacle???

Doesn't sound like Brad4rdHay had much luck in that area. Sorry to hear that.

 

no regrets.... they look too nice for me to regret my decision.

 

ive got 19"s am in the north west sub area(niles)...i love them ride is stiffer but feels strong. I had the same fear but i think as long as your aware of your surroundings then the odds are better. Of course you can't predict everything so when i head to chicago i basically take it slow and prepare myself for a fast turn/stop(of course aware of the drivers behind me etc) I become more cautios when driving in an area i'm not too familiar with. the only way i'll bend my rims in my area is when natural corrosion creeps up in my normal daily driving routine?

daily driver! only minor rock chips..so it looks like. hit some minor potholes and freaked out! but it was okay NOTHING. I'm sure i wont be able to handle anything bigger then the ones i've experienced. But i love my 19"s

ps.s anyone with advice on cleaing the polished lips?..i can't seem to get some brake dust off...it's probably the chicago weather/salt/breakdust/ etc. Cuase some stains wont come off..=) ---sorry rims=)

 

i went through the same thing!? i love the look of a 19"! and i love a BIG lip!! but the roads around here HATE both! i decided to stick with 18's. (nismo lmgt4's) and i have no regrets. this is my daily driver, and if i bend a volk, im on a list for 3 months to get a new one! and if i mess up my nismo, i can go to my local nissan and pick up a new one off of the shelf!! (knock on wood!!) and if you realy want to get into it 18=less rotational mass. and i track my car as much as i can. just my $.02

 

It is wise you are asking for opinions. I think you got a grasp on the issues. The bottom line is which will bother you more, buying 18's and wishing you had 19's everytime you look at it or having 19's and being worried all the time or having to replace a wheel?

I debated the whole issue, got 18's and never missed the 19's for one minute. The key to it was lowering my Z which makes the 18's look sweet.

Good luck with your choice...Jeff

 

I have 18" Nismos, which I am very happy with, it was the right choice for me. IMO, they handle better than 19s.

However, another option however, whould be to run 18s in front and 19s in back. Run 245/40/18s in front and 275/35/19s in back. The side wall height of the tire will be the same front and rear, and you'll have the 19" look in back. You'll also have less of a chance for rim damage, because most damage occurs in front.

BTW, it's not uncommon to do this. The Vette runs 17s in front and 18s in back. The new C6 runs 18s in front and 19s in back. and many of the exotics also run staggered wheel sizes.

Lou

 

I think I'll regret it when it comes time to buy new tires. Very expensive.

 

The entire reason why I won't be going to 19's

 

I'm just down the road from you. If you are using your Z as a daily driver, I would advise against the 19's. I have them but only drive on nice days. Even at that, I have to keep a keen eye out for the pot holes. While a previous poster had trouble with his I-Forged's, I think my Volk's are probably stronger. Regardless, there just isn't enough rubber to protect the rims.

My wife has 17's with low profile tires on her BMW and has been able to keep the rims intact for two years. You might be able to go with 18's and a lowering kit to get a good effect.

Now if you don't use it everyday, I would definitly go with 19's.

 

Keep in mind that it's the tires that make the ride quality and dictate harshness. Wheels have nothing to do with it. If you get 35 series tire, the ride will be stiffer than 40 series tires regardless of wheel diameter.

I have 19's because I like the look of a larger wheel. Whether I went with 18's or 19's was irrelavent from a ride quality stand point since I would have bought 35 series tires either way.

 

If you used 35 series tires on an 18 inch rim, wouldn't you decrease the overall diameter and mess up your speedo etc.?