[texas._.Z]

I have found a set of wheels that I really like and I'm pretty sure they will fit with the set up I'm running but I need help to make sure they will. I'm new to the Z community so some help from a senior Z owner would be great. I'm on stock shocks but i have put on Godspeed Lowering springs. i plan to run a staggered wheel set up with 18x9.5 +25 sized wheels in the front and 18x10.5 +25 sized wheels in the back. i know the with and diameter will fit but i wanna make sure the offset will fit with my z being lowered a little bit. i would also like to get some good tires for daily driving and have then be screeched JUST A LITTLE BIT so if someone could suggest some good tires and sizes that would be greatly appreciated. I don't want complete rubber bands for my daily because I'm not trying to debead or anything. if you could throw some advice and help my way that would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. these are the exact wheels I'm planning on getting
Front: JNC JNC004 18x9.5 +25 18510227398
Rear: JNC JNC004 18x10.5 +25 18510227398
thanks

 

[dkmura]

It looks like you found out how to post a thread with no problems- congrats! But why do you want such wide wheels? As a Z racer, I'm all about performance. Putting such wide and heavy wheels on your Z will degrade acceleration, braking and handling. Is it all about looks?

 

[texas._.Z]

It looks like you found out how to post a thread with no problems- congrats! But why do you want such wide wheels? As a Z racer, I'm all about performance. Putting such wide and heavy wheels on your Z will degrade acceleration, braking and handling. Is it all about looks?

haha yes I figured it out lol. so yeah this Z as of right now is my daily so i just want something that looks kind of cool. if there's a different wheel size that you can recommend that will still give me good fitment please do. i really like the way a larger offset looks. but I've also read other forms that say that that wheel sizing set up is one of the best for 350z's and there handling. also I'm right there with you about the performance aspect of things. I just want my z to keep good performance and handling and still look cool. I'm very open to recommendations as I am very new to this so anything helps. I used to have a 98 wrangler that was lifted on 35's so this world is quite different lol.

 

[dkmura]

Here's a link that may help:

Flush fitment??? - MY350Z.COM - Nissan 350Z and 370Z Forum Discussion

Take a close look at what MicVelo suggests. He comes on here occasionally, but we're both mods on the other site and he's answered these type of questions before and and does a great job.

 

[MicVelo]

Here's a link that may help:

Flush fitment??? - MY350Z.COM - Nissan 350Z and 370Z Forum Discussion

Take a close look at what MicVelo suggests. He comes on here occasionally, but we're both mods on the other site and he's answered these type of questions before and and does a great job.

Thanks for the nice words, dkmura.

For the OP:

First, those wheels will fit just fine. Likely no rubbing, with "likely" being the key word. Many cars are different (from accidents or suspension issues) so just be careful on first run out on new tires. Listen for interference over bumps and potholes. But, 25mm offset is pretty conservative and standard for aftermarket setups. If you want to be scientific about it, get out and MEASURE your fender clearances and use a tire calculator to see what offset changes will do. dkmura and I are mods on that other forum so I'll point to that one: Tire Rim Calculator - MY350Z.COM - Nissan 350Z and 370Z Forum Discussion (but there are many others out there that people use.) A quick run on your desired sizes show clearance reduced 17mm on the inside and as much as 33mm outside. That's a whole two inches from stock that you can play with. Pretty safe.

I needn't say it but... tires are the only contact with the road. EVERYTHING depends on them. Steering, braking, response, proper alignment setup, etc. So, don't scrimp on tires. You can save money elsewhere but tires are the critical link and can make/break your happiness with the car overall.

Run with a good set of 245/40-18 Front and 275/40-18 Rear and you've got a good street setup. You can go larger but even these sizes will never heat up enough to get to optimal operating temp (unless you track the car or go on a really long drive) so there's no reason to go larger.

As far as tire brands, well, I've run at least one set of every major brand tire from Yokohama to Conti to Bridgestone and so on. Won't bother with models because most have been superseded by new models (my last set of tires was at least 2-3 years ago.) I stick with the big names because I know that I can expect a high level of quality and performance. Loosely defined, "big names" are those found on Tire Rack. But, there are a lot of tires from lesser known, less expensive brands that could do the job, depending on how your car is used. Just be careful to read the specs (and to some degree, reviews). I even ran a set of Ling Long (or something like that) on my Z32 and they were still OK. Not a car or tire I'd push too hard but they did the job - commuting - just fine.

Final note: pay close attention to your environment! This will determine the type of tire you can/should use. If you live where there's lots of rain or snow that you are going to drive in, you cannot use a Max Perf or even UHP (ultra high perf) tire. You will need an all-weather performance tire (rated M&S, mud & snow) rated tire else life will be miserable in the car.

 

[texas._.Z]

Thanks for the nice words, dkmura.

For the OP:

First, those wheels will fit just fine. Likely no rubbing, with "likely" being the key word. Many cars are different (from accidents or suspension issues) so just be careful on first run out on new tires. Listen for interference over bumps and potholes. But, 25mm offset is pretty conservative and standard for aftermarket setups. If you want to be scientific about it, get out and MEASURE your fender clearances and use a tire calculator to see what offset changes will do. dkmura and I are mods on that other forum so I'll point to that one: Tire Rim Calculator - MY350Z.COM - Nissan 350Z and 370Z Forum Discussion (but there are many others out there that people use.) A quick run on your desired sizes show clearance reduced 17mm on the inside and as much as 33mm outside. That's a whole two inches from stock that you can play with. Pretty safe.

I needn't say it but... tires are the only contact with the road. EVERYTHING depends on them. Steering, braking, response, proper alignment setup, etc. So, don't scrimp on tires. You can save money elsewhere but tires are the critical link and can make/break your happiness with the car overall.

Run with a good set of 245/40-18 Front and 275/40-18 Rear and you've got a good street setup. You can go larger but even these sizes will never heat up enough to get to optimal operating temp (unless you track the car or go on a really long drive) so there's no reason to go larger.

As far as tire brands, well, I've run at least one set of every major brand tire from Yokohama to Conti to Bridgestone and so on. Won't bother with models because most have been superseded by new models (my last set of tires was at least 2-3 years ago.) I stick with the big names because I know that I can expect a high level of quality and performance. Loosely defined, "big names" are those found on Tire Rack. But, there are a lot of tires from lesser known, less expensive brands that could do the job, depending on how your car is used. Just be careful to read the specs (and to some degree, reviews). I even ran a set of Ling Long (or something like that) on my Z32 and they were still OK. Not a car or tire I'd push too hard but they did the job - commuting - just fine.

Final note: pay close attention to your environment! This will determine the type of tire you can/should use. If you live where there's lots of rain or snow that you are going to drive in, you cannot use a Max Perf or even UHP (ultra high perf) tire. You will need an all-weather performance tire (rated M&S, mud & snow) rated tire else life will be miserable in the car.

sorry its taken me so long to respond but this was extremely helpful thank you. i live in Texas so i don't have to worry about snow. i have also lowered my Z on Godspeed lowering springs and have about 4is degrees of camber in the rear and 3.5 in the front. negative camber that is. even with that set up will tires last that long? also my Z is mostly a daily driver with occasional spirited driving. if you have a specific tire model that you liked please share it with me. once again thank you so much.

 

[dkmura]

sorry its taken me so long to respond but this was extremely helpful thank you. i live in Texas so i don't have to worry about snow. i have also lowered my Z on Godspeed lowering springs and have about 4is degrees of camber in the rear and 3.5 in the front. negative camber that is. even with that set up will tires last that long? also my Z is mostly a daily driver with occasional spirited driving. if you have a specific tire model that you liked please share it with me. once again thank you so much.

That much negative camber will wear out the inside of your tires prematurely. As for tire recommendations, I liked the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp 2 most recently.

 

[MicVelo]

sorry its taken me so long to respond but this was extremely helpful thank you. i live in Texas so i don't have to worry about snow. i have also lowered my Z on Godspeed lowering springs and have about 4is degrees of camber in the rear and 3.5 in the front. negative camber that is. even with that set up will tires last that long? also my Z is mostly a daily driver with occasional spirited driving. if you have a specific tire model that you liked please share it with me. once again thank you so much.

That much negative camber will wear out the inside of your tires prematurely. As for tire recommendations, I liked the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp 2 most recently.

Yup, for sure your new tires are going to die premature deaths with that much negative.

I'm going to guess you lowered without camber adjusters. If so, would suggest you install adjustable FUCA (front upper control arms) and REAR camber adjusters with offset bushing for toe. It's the correct thing to do and with adjustment, you can run whatever angles you want. I run my car as a semi-daily with hills runs as the most "spirited" driving I do and with camber at the outside limit of stock settings (from memory... -1.3 deg Frt, -2.1 deg Rear) with toe set on the money at .10" F&R. No unusual wear at all. Turn in response is high, ultimate grip good. -3 and more angle doesn't buy any additional grip on the street.

I run SPC 72050 Rear and 72123 FUCA. They are middle tier priced. There are alternatives both higher priced (SPL) and lower priced (Megan, Cusco, etc). Have never heard of any of them failing but the SPL stuff is really trick, lightweight and strong. Get what you pay for.

S'far as tire specifics, as I mentioned, can't really say as all of the tires I've run with success have all been superseded by replacements. Not that they're any better as I cannot say anything bad about the tires I've run. And I've run a lot of different ones. 😆 But you can't go wrong with Michelin PSS, Conti ExtremeContact but those are pricey. The one surprisingly GREAT tire (for my needs) that I ran and that's still available: Kumho PS91. Wow, grippy, sharp, confidence inspiring. Lots cheaper than any of the above too.

Anyhow, before you invest $800+ on good tires, do the adjustable suspension and proper alignment first and save the tires from an early demise!