twuzi

I had this 2003 350z Base Model for awhile now and finally had a flat tire for my first time owning it , I’m running 225/50 R18 in the front and in the rear 245/45 ZR 18… when I had to change out my tire for the space I noticed it was rubbing in the inner side of the tire and in only one place , I’m assuming it’s my wheel offset because of my Z having 370z 18 inch rims would cause the rub. My question is what should I do to solve this issue , should I do wheel spacers or try and buy suspension parts instead. Currently the car is completely stock besides the bigger tires and rims than OEM.
SIDE NOTE:

I currently feel like wheel spacers would be the best bet , knowing staggered fitment tends to rub , I would want to go with 20mm spacers since it would move the tire out more a bit and help with steering and tire rubbing. But I know wheel spacers are always laughed upon during professional needs so I really don’t want to put a bigger wheel spacer than I need and then end up with more problems. Please comment for any questions , I’ll be able to answer them in the earliest of convenience

EDIT:
I forgot to mention , since I bought this car the only problem so far that the last previous owner said was that one of the rims was bent ? now on the first test drive I never even felt a problem, but after awhile I noticed it tends to shake at around 35mph and 70 mph, also when I do semi fast turns it will turn on the slip indicator…I also felt it wasn’t because of the bent rim for the shaking and the slip indicators

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

If you're keeping the 370Z stock wheels, then the easiest thing would be to get some spacers for the front, at a minimum. Get some bolt-on hubcentric spacers and torque everything properly. Drive ~100 miles. Retorque everything. Done and done.

Or, get some proper wheels and tires with better offsets and the right tire sizes and then there is no need to run spacers. This would be my recommendation if one of the wheels is bent anyway.

Running a 50 in the front and 45 in the rear is, uh, interesting...

Slip light with a base model?

Paging resident wheel fitment expert...

MicVelo

Yeah, base model doesn't have traction/VDC but may have some slip warning. But the problem here seems to be caused (or exacerbated by the tire height differences F to R.) But, just to fix the listed problem...

Stock Z34 18" have a +43 offset. Use a 20mm bolt on spacer per heel and follow his suggestions on install. That brings the offset down to a Z33 friendly +23. Do this AFTER changing the 370Z front tires (size) to a Z33 size, 225/45, 245/40-18. The 225/50 is almost an inch too tall for a 33. (The Z34 is spec'd with taller tires.) This will tame the front end and probably remove any issues with SLIP.

twuzi

I actually think I wrote the wrong way the sizes of my tires were..... sorry guys!
Currently the fronts are 225/45 - 18 : So I'm glad that I can buy the 20mm spacers to resolve my issues but will it solve the rub issue as well?
I actually was concerned maybe I was running a weird tire setup because of the previous owner being oblivious of mechanical stuff. I found out that I'm indeed running two different size tires in the back which are
Driver Side Rear: 245/45 - 18
Passenger Side Rear: 255/45 - 18
I'm guessing this would be the reason I'm having all these issues all together to be honest.
Thank you guys for the Help! Down below should be some more pics of the tires and beat up wheels
P.S I also don't even know if the previous owner even verified if the rim was bent because I've taken them off plenty of times and not once seen an issue and trust me I take them off just to clean the inside so I would know.



turn the montior upside down

twuzi

I also don’t even know if I have a Base Model , I been told it was from the start but now it’s seeming like a Touring… I have seat warmers , TCS by Gas Cap and even Cruise control on steering wheel so no clue lol

Heel Til I Die

iTrader: (2)

Most likely the different sized tires on the rear are causing problems. But seriously, what kind of ******** does that?

The 20mm spacer on the front should stop any type of contact on the inside of the tire hitting something as it is basically moving the tire/wheel away from the suspension components and body by 20mm.

As far as the naked eye being able to detect a bent wheel/rim, I would be very impressed. Unless the outer rim of the wheel is completely destroyed, it could very well be bent and you would not be able to tell by a visual inspection alone.

MicVelo

Run your VIN through the decoder. Will clarify trim level once and for all.

https://my350z.com/forum/vindecoder.php

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Def not a base with TCS

twuzi

yeah I figured since usually TCS wasn’t common in bases , the guy I bought it from had exactly no reason owning this car because he also has removed all skid plates , and even the front undershroud and back engine undershroud for clearance but I just think he broke them from thinking he isn’t that low…. Also is it bad to not have my undeshrouds in ? , I already had them ordered…just wanted to know if it’s okay to drive while I wait a bit

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

they aid with cooling , but many seem to operate perfectly fine without them