Tires: How wide can you go on stock ray wheels??

Mr_Z

Hello,
I couldn't find a clear answer in this forum...

Tires: How wide can you go on stock ray wheels without any rubbing on fenders or fitting issues with the wheels??

The suspension has not been modified and I don't want to put any spacers.

Any suggestions for tires brands/specs?

Thanks alot guys!

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2005 350Z 35th - SilverStone
2009 370Z Touring/Sport - Platinum Grey

Mr_Z

From what I see.. if you want to fit the same tires brand front and back:

Ventus V12:

Front Either
245/40ZR19 (26.7" vs 26.8" oem)
255/40ZR19 (27.1" vs 26.8" oem)

Rear:
305/30ZR19 (26.3" vs 26.5" oem)

Anybody knows if this setup will rub? I am not to worries about the front but what about the back?

Also the V12 305's require a rim of 10.5" to 11.5". I beleive the stock rays wheels are 10"? Any thoughts?

Cheers!

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2005 350Z 35th - SilverStone
2009 370Z Touring/Sport - Platinum Grey

cossie1600

probably not the best in terms of traction/safety, but it fits

Push370zzz

A lot of people are running 305 on the rear, and I will be included in that group post-winter.

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Range Rover Sport Supercharged
Nissan 370z Touring + Sport

Azroadster

I was running (until yesterday!) 305/30 Hankooks on the stock Rays wheel with no problems whatsoever, and I am also running spacers. Here's a pic of my stock wheels with 275/35's in front with a 15mm spacer and 305/30 in the back with a 20mm spacer. No issues at all.



I just yesterday had my new wheels put on and retained the spacers and the same Hankooks now. Here is that pic.



You will have no problems at all running a 305 in the back with the stock wheels. I now intend to lower the car about an inch and I don't anticipate any clearance issues. Alignment issues maybe, but I'm sure that they won't hit anything.

AZ

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AZ Roadster
'09 Base|Chicane Yellow|TSW Nurburgrings|Stillen CBE|Eclipse AVN726E In Dash DVD/NAV|Clear Bra|H&R Spacers 15/20|Hankook Ventus V-12's 275/35 & 305/30

Cmike2780

How does widening decrease safety? and traction? Your gaining traction if anything.

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[09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R]

SoCal 370Z

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cossie1600

You are stretching a tire beyond its recommendation, there is a reason for that. For racing, it is probably okay. Street tires? I don't know.

The car already plows like a truck stock, extra wide tire in the back and still the skinnys in front? The car will turn worse than my Prius!

AutoX Z

You can go to 295's on the front without rubbung but I wouldnt go above 255 for street tires.

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2013 SCCA Solo National Champion
VVV For Sale VVV

Neo187H

If anything you will be making the tire bulge as your putting a slightly to large tire on the rim as opposed to the stretched tire that is on the rear rim now. Also you can go 275 on the front as many people have and that will retain the same 30mm difference in width between the front and rear of the non-Nismo cars. If anything your actually reducing the difference between going 245f 275r to 275f 305r, from a 11% difference front to rear going to 10% difference. Whopping difference, I know

Neo187H

After reading this thread I got a bit curious and started looking into this, it seems max for the 10" rear is 295 and for the 9" front would be a 265. So to agree With Cossie I wouldn't go over those sizes.

Personally I think I'm going to go with the Bridgestone. RE11s 265/35 for the front and 285/30 on the rear, it seems that will be the best combination of getting more contact in the rear while also reducing understeer. Any thoughts on that logicc? I'm far from a pro in this area.

Chris_1

Sexy no matter how you spin it.

Cmike2780

I retract my previous comment.
I thought the sport wheels were 10-1/2", but after doing a search, it turns out thats only for the Nismo. with the above, 285 series is the max for a 10" wheel without risk of failure or premature wear. Too wide a tire on a narrow wheel will put stress on the shoulders of the tire wall, which could result in excess heat build-up.

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[09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R]

cossie1600

I think I have 285 35 in the back, not 285 30. The speedo is more accurate now than with stock tires. I have 265/35 in the front. (RE11)

Next year, I will do 285/35/19 all around. I will stretch the tire in the front, but my car is mostly used for track and autox. I don't have to use the car for commute. I can tell you there is plenty of understeer with the 265/285 setup, you are better off with 265 all around or 285 all around if you plan to race the car and want the car to handle better. God, I get all pi$$ed just thinking about the understeer.

Oh yeah, tire compound is way more important than tire sizing. A little RE11 can still do circles around big V12s. I have both tires on the two cars I own.

I just saw the specs on the RE11, the 275 they have are 30 series, so it might be a little small. I guess 275/30 all around isn't too bad either. Matter of fact, the extra gearing might help it pull off the corner.

I know it is hard to see, but I was struggling a lot harder with the 265/285 RE11 on my 370 vs 235 RA1 all around on my 350 at the same track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTu3E66mydE 370z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtASpcAAxZI 350z

Of course as much as I love the RE11s, they are expensive and probably wont last more than 15K.

Neo187H

You are correct on the sizing, they are 265/35 and 285/35. As far as expense I'll only be driving a max of 6-8k miles a year so two years out of them would be plenty for me, also the 285/35 are actually $70 cheaper a tire than the 305/30s at "only" $281 a tire according to tirerack.