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

Mr_Z · 09-23-2010, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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!

Hi,
Small tires up front and large tires in the back do not mean that the car will turn worst then a Prius! IT depends on the car’s need... Check out the Ferrari Enzo for example:
FRONT 245/35 ZR19 – REAR 345/35 ZR19 !! And I am pretty sure it handles pretty well

But I agree with you and most of the others that you should not stretch a tire beyond its recommendation. A therefore, I do not suggest going with tires that require rims of 10.5” if you have the stock wheels. ...I won’t !

Too bad I can't find 305's that fit on 10" wheels...

Neo187H · 09-23-2010, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Z

Small tires up front and large tires in the back do not mean that the car will turn worst then a Prius! IT depends on the car’s need

Thats exactly what he is saying, the car needs larger tires in the front as it already understeers with 30mm difference between them. So by making the difference front to rear larger by going bigger in the rear and staying the same in the front your going to have more understeer.

Rhinetom · 09-23-2010, 10:20 AM

Nissan engineers have spent countless hours testing proper tire sizes for the stock set up. Any deviation is pointless and may cause negative handling issues. But, what do I know.

Neo187H · 09-23-2010, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinetom

Nissan engineers have spent countless hours testing proper tire sizes for the stock set up. Any deviation is pointless and may cause negative handling issues. But, what do I know.

And they spent countless hours determining the amount of power the car will make, the spring rates, the ride height, the swaybar stiffness yet they can all be improved upon, why not tires too?

Though you make it sound like you have some knowledge in the area so please share as thats the whole point of the thread.

cossie1600 · 09-23-2010, 11:46 AM

enzo has the engine in the back, they are not balanced to begin with!

nissan put stagger tires to protect the guys who cant drive, not because it is fast. also are you telling me the re050a are good tires? really?

tjlazer · 09-23-2010, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

I hate to say it but the OEMs look better IMHO!

christian370z · 09-23-2010, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjlazer

I hate to say it but the OEMs look better IMHO!

If they had some concavity, they would be straight sex. It will also look much better when lowered in my opinion.

Mr_Z · 09-23-2010, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhinetom

Nissan engineers have spent countless hours testing proper tire sizes for the stock set up. Any deviation is pointless and may cause negative handling issues. But, what do I know.

Sorry to say that I don't agree because they have cost limitation... Even more, by default all companies make their car on purpose to understeer a little, easier in case of slippage for the average driver.

I am an engineer with design and race experience... There is always room for improvement, trust me! When you design a car for road use, it is different from track use. It always a question of compromise. Also from a handling point of view, most of the time the more rubber the better ( if you have the power for it that is...)

And I agree with Cossie1600, on a track, I would put some more rubber up front for sure! But on the roads, it’s another story. Having wide tires in front would cause my car to swing left and right on roads where trucks have distorted the road with their tires.

Anyways, the point of this discussion was to figure out how wide we can go on stock wheels without any issues.

Seems like so far the answer is:

REAR:

305’s will fit in the back (but not recommended because tires are wider than wheels specs)
295’s Would fit on rims... but no tire has a good enough diameter compare to stock.
285’s Would fit on rims too and better diameter available... but there is not much difference with stock in width.

FRONT:

255's to 275’s will fit in the front (It’s a question of personal choice as long as you find a good diameter.)

Let me know if you disagree with anything

Neo187H · 09-23-2010, 04:05 PM

I THINK that 275s on the front 9" rim would be to wide just like 305s on the rear 10" would be to wide, from what I was reading 265 front is the most thats adviseable. Also increasing the tire size will give some added traction but the real increase will come from putting better rubber on it, going from say the RE05s to RE11s.

Push370zzz · 09-23-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Z

Sorry to say that I don't agree because they have cost limitation... Even more, by default all companies make their car on purpose to understeer a little, easier in case of slippage for the average driver.

I am an engineer with design and race experience... There is always room for improvement, trust me! When you design a car for road use, it is different from track use. It always a question of compromise. Also from a handling point of view, most of the time the more rubber the better ( if you have the power for it that is...)

And I agree with Cossie1600, on a track, I would put some more rubber up front for sure! But on the roads, it’s another story. Having wide tires in front would cause my car to swing left and right on roads where trucks have distorted the road with their tires.

Anyways, the point of this discussion was to figure out how wide we can go on stock wheels without any issues.

Seems like so far the answer is:

REAR:

305’s will fit in the back (but not recommended because tires are wider than wheels specs)
295’s Would fit on rims... but no tire has a good enough diameter compare to stock.
285’s Would fit on rims too and better diameter available... but there is not much difference with stock in width.

FRONT:

255's to 275’s will fit in the front (It’s a question of personal choice as long as you find a good diameter.)

Let me know if you disagree with anything

Azroadster · 09-23-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neo187H

I THINK that 275s on the front 9" rim would be to wide just like 305s on the rear 10" would be to wide, from what I was reading 265 front is the most thats adviseable. Also increasing the tire size will give some added traction but the real increase will come from putting better rubber on it, going from say the RE05s to RE11s.

The sport package has 9.5" wheels on the front and 275's fit just fine. I knew I was getting new wheels for my Z when I bought the tires so I purchased 305's for the back. My new rear wheels are 10.5" and the 305's fit great on them.

AZ

cossie1600 · 09-23-2010, 05:20 PM

mine has 19x9

Azroadster · 09-23-2010, 05:55 PM

Are the they stock Sport Package wheels? The Sport Package came with 9.5's and 10's.

AZ

theDreamer · 09-23-2010, 05:56 PM

Sport package wheels are 19x9 & 19x10
Nismo wheels are 19x9.5 & 19x10.5

Azroadster · 09-23-2010, 07:25 PM

You are correct. I stand corrected. Been dealing with spec'ing, purchasing, mounting wheels all week and it all kind of ran together. Anyway, my new wheels are 9.5" & 10.5". Trust me, it's hell gettin' old!

AZ

09-23-2010, 05:55 PM	#28 (permalink)
Azroadster Base Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 195 Drives: 2009 370Z Yellow 7sp Rep Power: 16	Are the they stock Sport Package wheels? The Sport Package came with 9.5's and 10's. AZ __________________ 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

09-23-2010, 05:56 PM	#29 (permalink)
theDreamer A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 30,879 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 4210	Sport package wheels are 19x9 & 19x10 Nismo wheels are 19x9.5 & 19x10.5 __________________ theDreamer's Z // Fast Intentions // Uprev // GTM // HKS // TEIN theDreamer's Silvia // URAS // GREDDY Houston Zs // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

09-23-2010, 07:25 PM	#30 (permalink)
Azroadster Base Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 195 Drives: 2009 370Z Yellow 7sp Rep Power: 16	You are correct. I stand corrected. Been dealing with spec'ing, purchasing, mounting wheels all week and it all kind of ran together. Anyway, my new wheels are 9.5" & 10.5". Trust me, it's hell gettin' old! AZ __________________ 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

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09-23-2010, 10:20 AM	#18 (permalink)
Rhinetom Base Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: United States Posts: 92 Drives: 09 370Z auto, red Rep Power: 16	Nissan engineers have spent countless hours testing proper tire sizes for the stock set up. Any deviation is pointless and may cause negative handling issues. But, what do I know.

09-23-2010, 11:46 AM	#20 (permalink)
cossie1600 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: californee way Posts: 5,380 Drives: 370, Leaf Rep Power: 30	enzo has the engine in the back, they are not balanced to begin with! nissan put stagger tires to protect the guys who cant drive, not because it is fast. also are you telling me the re050a are good tires? really?

09-23-2010, 04:05 PM	#24 (permalink)
Neo187H Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 302 Drives: PW 370Z Rep Power: 16	I THINK that 275s on the front 9" rim would be to wide just like 305s on the rear 10" would be to wide, from what I was reading 265 front is the most thats adviseable. Also increasing the tire size will give some added traction but the real increase will come from putting better rubber on it, going from say the RE05s to RE11s.

09-23-2010, 05:20 PM	#27 (permalink)
cossie1600 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: californee way Posts: 5,380 Drives: 370, Leaf Rep Power: 30	mine has 19x9