King_Koopa

I'll start this off by saying I'm not too knowledgeable with tires and rims.

I'm looking to buy some winter tires for my 18" rims, but I'm thinking it might be cheaper to just get a new set of rims for the winter and just have winter tires on them permanently and switch rims for the seasons. It would be nice to cut the cost of switching from summer to winter tires and then back to summer tires twice a year.

Tires are obviously cheaper when you have a commonly found rim size, so my question is:

What size rims would fit a 350z, but not look silly on them, and be able to have winter tires put on them at a low price? Is there a specific rim size that only fits a 350z? I'm sorry if this sounds dumb, but I'm actually pretty clueless about this.

King_Koopa

Also, would something like this fit?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-215-65-16-Blizzak-Winter-Snow-Tires-on-5x120-mm-ASA-Wheels-Rims-BMW-/221359108879?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Wheel_Packages&hash=item338a07f30f&vxp=mtr

pyshin

iTrader: (14)

Do you have stock 18's now?

If so just buy winter tires for those and purchase aftermarket wheels/tires for Spring/Summer/Fall (what many owners in the East do)

But this does come down to your budget.

Blizzaks are a common choice for winter tires but those specific ASA wheels will not fit your Z because they are not the proper bolt pattern (they are 5x120 and Z's are 5x114.3)

Also I've never seen someone run 16's on their Z, not even sure if they will fit but the general consensus is that even 17's are small (18's for performance/looks and 19's to sacrifice a little performance with better stance)

Hope this helps

King_Koopa

I have aftermarket 18's

And yeah, budget in mind, I'd like to get some decent winter tires for under $150 each

POS VETT

If you have the smaller brakes, you can probably use 16" wheels. Keep in mind that the smaller wheel diameter means cheaper wheels and cheaper tires.

If you have the bigger brakes, 17" is minimum size. I'm unsure about the OEM Brembo brakes, so I'm going to let someone else chime in. I know you will need to consider lateral clearance with it.

Regarding winter tires, they can be categorized into dual compound and single compound. The dual compound, like Blizzak, has a very soft outer layer which like a sponge to water. This layer wears very quickly in dry and wet, especially at higher ambient temperature. The second layer is a merely all-season compound.

The single compound has, well, only one layer of rubber compound. Generally, it's a stiffer compound and it wears a lot better in the dry and wet and even in the higher ambient temperature.

Selecting which category is better for you will need information on how harsh winter is at the area where you drive. Heavy snowfalls, extended periods of snow presence on the road surface, extreme low temperatures (weeks of below zero F), presence of ice, and so on will require a dual compound or a soft single compound found mostly in Hakkapelliitta line up. Winter tires with a low speed rating (T, Q) likely indicate a soft compound.

If the area you live in barely go below 20F at night, highs in the 30s or even in the 40s, has snowfall but last only 2-3 days on the ground, is mostly wet, the roads are salted, once or twice yearly freezing rain, and mostly dry then, IMO, get the cheapest single compound.

Get the cheapest set of wheels that are still structurally sound, if used, or new. Keep these in a protected space away from sunshine during the summer.

King_Koopa

I'm definitely in an area with a ton of snowfall/ice

1upZ

iTrader: (4)

My snow setup is a set of touring v.1 wheels with 235/45 Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT on all four corners (my car is a base model). Drove all winter in North Dakota with out getting stuck, and actually handled surprisingly well.

TEF

I'd suggest getting the 17" OEM alloys and fitting them with snow tires. 17 inch tires are much cheaper than 18's. Also, you'd be better getting the skinniest snow tires that will safely fit a "Z". Wide tires are a liability in deep snow as they tend to ride up on top of snow rather than cutting through it - just look at the tires used by WRC cars in snow. To answer POS VET's question, yes the OEM 17's will fit a "Z" with OEM Brembo's and those 17's are dirt cheap on ebay.

Spike100

I have a 2003 350z that I’ve driven during the winter in Minnesota for years. Maine (like Minnesota) has plenty of ice and snow during the winter.

I run a dedicated wheel/tire setup for winter. The wheels are 17x7.5” with 225/55-17” tires. Right now I have Dunlop Graspic DS-2 studless tires, 225/55-17”. I run an all-square setup so that I can rotate my tires. Using the rear tire diameter works best with my VDC-equipped Performance model.

Here is what I’ve learned while experimenting with winter wheel/tire setups in cold climates:

1. Studless snow tires are the best for cold winter climates where you are driving in snow and on ice.
2. If you run all-square, go with the rear tire diameter at all corners.
3. There is a much larger selection of studless snow tires for 17” wheels.
4. 225 is as wide as you want for studless snow tires. Wider tires tend to float and loose traction in snow.
5. Don’t get wheels with aggressive offsets. You need room in the wheel well since snow sticks to the tire.

The 350z is a great winter car if you mount the correct tires. Here are pictures showing my winter setup (and the chemicals and salt).