New front tire fail on my part

phunk

Just installed new tires. I screwed up. Here is the relevant specs and information about how I went wrong. Probably more than anyone wants to read but I'm putting it together for myself to make a decision anyway, so I'm posting it too!

Front Sport Tire Diameter: 26.8"
Rear Sport Tire Diameter: 26.5"

The car is lowered on H&R springs. I had not yet touched the alignment after lowering when....

Last year I installed TE37SL and RE11.
Front Wheel: 19 x 9.5 @ +22
Rear Wheel: 19 x 11 @ +23
Front Tire: 275/30/19
Front Diameter: 25.6"
Front Tread Width: 10.1"
Rear Tire: 305/30/19
Rear Diameter: 26.3"
Rear Tread Width: 11.1"

Notes:*
This setup changed the F/R diameter ratio a lot. VDC self adjusted after a few blocks and then performed flawlessly. I did this because for one, I wanted a 275 and the RE11 didn't come in a taller 275. I figured this would look better anyway because I am just used to a slightly shorter front like a 350z has. I am not sure why the 370 has a taller front. In retrospect, this shorter diameter did not fill the wheel wells quite enough and the front end lowered a bit and scraped more. The front looked like it could use just a little spacing and I ordered spacers but did not install yet.

As for the rear, it needed spacers ASAP. I put 15mm back there and it looked great.

My car is twin turbo and I was getting tired of poor traction. I added SPC rear camber arms and toe bolts and got the car aligned to take out some rear camber and get the toe near stock. Rear tires got closer to the fenders, but still no rubbing/contact. All was well.

Next:
Rear tires quickly became bald from spinning all the time. So I knew I had to buy new rears before spring. Winter has been real soft in Chicago this year. A month ago I took the Z out for a spin. Before I left I checked the tire pressures, all was good even after the car had been sitting for a month or more.

30 min later I had a flat, drivers front. Turns out the o-ring in the Volk valve stem cap came half out when I took it off to check pressures and I did not notice. When I reinstalled the cap, the o-ring was pressing the valve stem and letting air out rather quickly. When I was able to pull over after noticeable vibration and pulling, the tire was already cut around the inside sidewall. So now I needed new front tires too. So I ordered some.

Front Tire: Yokohama AD08; 275/35/19
Rear Tire: Toyo R888; 305/30/19
Front Diameter: 26.6"
Front Tread Width: 10.6"
Rear Diameter: 26.5"
Rear Tread Width: n/a, probably 11.6" or so.

Notes:
So I went to the Yoko in the front. Every comparison I found said its better than the RE11 (for grip, and that's all I care about), and it came in a taller 275 to get the diameter ratio back in spec and fill the wheel wells better... Yet it's only just barely taller than rear, so hopefully shouldn't look bad. The extra inch diameter should raise the front end .5" to more where it belongs so less scraping of the front lip. The tread width is .5" more than the last tire, but I was saying I needed spacers before, so the extra .25" on the outside should fit right.

NOPE: chuck testa. The front tires look massive (too tall, stupid looking) and rub on the slightest bump. The sidewalls do not protrude past the fender, they are pretty much flush. But they come in and nail the plastic lining and clips from minor dips in the road.

While Yoko has a 9.5" wide wheel as the measured specs for this tire, this tire belongs on a 10.0" inch wheel. It is too wide for 9.5", the sidewall has slight bulge. Ehh.

I am really surprised that this tire is rubbing with the rather conservative offset of the front wheels. I really thought I had more than enough room for this tire. The width, sure... Or the diameter, sure... But the increase on both was just too much.

Now I have to decide if I want to mod my front fenders to fit these things, or eat the $700 I spent on them and get them in the 265/35/19 that I should have got!

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W.O.W. 370Z

Try and sell the 275/35/19 and cut your losses.

In the long run it will be the better choice.

Without seeing pics I think the a 275/35 series in the front will be too chunky.

Rear tread with on the 888 are 11.5

phunk

I agree for sure... my concern is that I will probably have these tires until they are dry rot and no good if I dont just use them. I have a feeling that it would be nearly impossible to sell these tires as I very rarely find others that are willing the spend the money for the best tires. Most guys are more concerned with lower cost and longer life.

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cossie1600

Your car is too low. I believe my 285 35 19 is taller

phunk

It's a monster truck on these suckers!

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98intrigue

Charles, I had the same tires sizes and springs on my Z. I had the same problem with the front rubbing only on hitting decent dips in the road. It only rubbed on the mounts where the fender liner/fender were screwed together. Have you tried bending the mounts or that won't do it justice?

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phunk

I haven't yet. I am confident that I can make them fit but I am not sure I like how they look anyway. I posted them for sale local and I will let the car sit a couple weeks to keep miles off them and see how it goes.

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cossie1600

How much for the AD08?

Have you consider jacking it up? My 285/35/19 are a little bigger and they don't rub what so ever.

Actually nevermind, I just read that you have 22mm wheels. When I ran 35mm wheels on 285/30/18, they looked like they were going to rub.

phunk

Well i just paid $691 shipped for the AD08s from TireRack. I drove maybe 10 miles on them or so. Where they rub is only the plastic liner clips, and there are no marks on the tires from it yet, and I do not plan to drive on them anymore at all. I will probably take them back off this weekend.

I have them posted locally for $600. I would really like to get $600 for them, they are like new. When I get desperate I will go lower, but its still technically winter around here and I am not really driving the Z. I only took it out because it had rained 2 days and washed the salt off the roads.

But I am open to offers. The sooner I could sell them the better, I am not going to let myself buy new ones until they are sold.. penality for my negligence in research.

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