jtown

This is a topic near and dear to my heart because I've been battling it ever since I purchased the 350Z back in 2004 (in 2009 I upgraded ti the 370Z). I can tell you with utmost certainty that the stock wheel configuration does burn though tires even with normal driving habits (no racing). Furthermore, even though it is possible to "square up" all of the same size tires on the staggered rim configuration, you will NOT find a tire shop willing to rotate the tires for you without a substantial charge because obviously, the tires have to be pulled off the rims to perform a true front to back rotation. So, I'll share my experience with all of you which has finally lead to me being able to have my 370Z tires rotated AND maintain the optimal driving performance and handling that we 370Z fans have come to appreciate and love. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but I think it is important to give a complete history of my experience in the interest of knowledge but it may also help others in similar but not identical situations determine their best options.

I went in to purchase new tires and wheels for my 370Z with the intent of being able to rotate my wheels from front to back as opposed to just side to side. I was getting 20K to 30K miles on a brand new set of tires and burning through money in the process. Worst part is I don't even race the car except for modest to aggressive driving in traffic (yep that was me that flew by you in the blue 370Z if you were wondering).

The store manager got me in to a new set of Drag DR-33 18X7.55-100/11445GB rims. The gloss black color was definitely the look I was going for but after the wheels were on I could see that the rear tires were sunk way back into the car. This was a result of the slimmer rims and also the larger offset (sit further into the wheel well). Aesthetically I wasn't thrilled but I was looking forward to being able to rotate my tires finally. Plus the mechanic in the pit told me I could always get rear spacers to bring the wheels out up to an inch (this was later discouraged by the manager).

Well, to be blunt, aesthetically it was less than ideal but functionally it was an absolute NIGHTMARE! The stability on the road was atrocious as the car would veer to and fro even on a straight line and turning at moderate to high speeds was nye impossible. The car would begin to literally slide out of control at 50 miles per hour on a turn I had previously taken at 80+ with no problems at all. Quite simply I did not feel the car was even safe to drive anymore. Upon returning to the shop, I was told these effects could be due to one of two causes.

1. I was now riding on two different types of tires. They were both the same size Yokohama (245/45R18) but the newer set I purchased was rated for higher speeds and as such the tread pattern was a bit different. I was told the difference in tread could be causing some of the instability. This was not likely the main source of my problem because I've driven different tread patterns before and did not see these types of effects on the vehicle's handling. My Nissan Frontier truck could now out maneuver and out handle my 370Z on a dry summer day.

2. The likely source of the problem was the fact that the 370Z is a sports car which was originally designed for staggered wheel configuration giving the rear a wider base to push into the turns and in my opinion also keep the vehicle centered on the road. Now with the rear wheels tucked in all of that handling went completely out the window. It seemed this vehicle was destined either for amazing handling abilities and shelling out a small fortune for tires every two years or no handling whatsoever and being able to rotate.

Sure it would have been nice for the staff to have known all of this from the git go, but I doubt I really would have believed them anyway. They are afterall in the business of selling tires are they not? After going through my options, I decided to give it a go on a new set of wheels, plus purchasing two new tires to get 4 identical. The new wheels were a wider base plus had a smaller offset (stuck out further than the old ones). I went with the Voxx Maglia 18X8.5 5-114.3 40GB wheels and Yokohama YK580 245/45R18 tires.

The best part of this story is the new configuration was a NIGHT AND DAY difference! The car handles JUST like it used to and now I can finally rotate my tires regularly because all four wheels and tires are the same, a TRUE "square configuration" not like what other 370Z reviews I've seen where just the tires are the same size ans still had to be swapped off the wheels to rotate. Plus I LOVE the new gloss black finish as it really goes nicely with the Monterey Blue body color. I hope this helps others out there looking to get the most out of their vehicles without sacrificing performance.