07 M35 going from 19" to 18" wheels

[fusionchickenleg]

I have an 07 M35 with 19" factory wheels, looking to go 18s for smoother ride from thicker sidewall and much cheaper tire selections

From my research it looks like most Infiniti and Nissan ie G35 and 350z 18" wheels with 5x114 lug pattern would fit, is this correct?

Has anybody tried any non-M35 18" wheels with any luck in terms of offset etc? I would like to stay with factory wheels

How would the TPMS work? If the 18s I get come with TPMS is it just plug and play? Or would I need the dealership to reset the TPMS?

[Ilya]

18" are fine. Can't tell you anything about offset is that is largely a matter of trial and error from others depending on how wide the wheel is, type of wheel, etc.

TPMS needs to be the same type for your car...you can't just buy (as an example) Acura OEM wheels with TPMS and expect them to work.

[fusionchickenleg]

Thanks for the reply. Definitely - I am planning on staying with OEM Nissan or Infiniti wheels, that said for the TPMS can I take mine off and put them on the "new" 18" wheels? Or would the TPMS from say a set of factory G35 18" wheels work on my car? Would I need a dealer reset as that's $100+?

Not terribly sure how the TPMS works from car to car

[Ilya]

The G35 ones might work, but if you can salvage the TPMS for your 19's I'd just go that route. They'll definitely work in newer wheels.

[Larz]

I'm not all that sure going to an 18 wheel is necessary. My 09 M35 came with 18 x 8s and 245/45/18 tires. I upgraded to 19 x 8.5s with 255/40/19 tires. If anything, the ride and handling has improved. No noticeable difference in ride quality, noise, bumps, etc. Has your suspension been replaced in your 07? I ask because all things considered, it's the suspension that handles bumps and such, not just the tires. However, when you go down to say a 30 sidewall, the wheels can become warped or dented over huge bumps. I have hit some major DEEP holes (thank you NY city) but no damage.
But to answer your question I reckon any 18 inch wheel from a G series, M series, or even the newer Q's will fit your car - you just have to check the offset.

Infiniti doesn't make a wheel I really like, so I went with another brand that had the same offset as OEM. Since my car was already a few years old when I upgraded, I had tire rack mount, balance, and install new TPMS before shipping to my tire shop for installation. They do that for free if you buy wheels and tires at the same time and they throw in road hazard coverage as well. My dealer charged me about $100 to program the new TPMS, but since the mounting, balancing, and installation of TPMS were all free, I reckon that charge was a wash.

[fusionchickenleg]

Ahhh really? 19s didn't make much difference from 18s in terms of ride quality?

When my car was purchased it went through a PPI and the shocks were given a clean bill of health

Maybe it's the no-name brand 245/40/19 tires that came with my car that make the ride quality and especially tire roar on the freeway subpar

Perhaps I should just seek out better 19 tires but they'll cost a pretty penny lol

I actually prefer the oem m35 18" wheels appearance but can't find a used set for sale

[James_05_M35_RHD]

My Japanese FUGA lists 17, 18 and 19 as OEM sizes in the door shut. The VQ25 Japanese cars came delivered with 17" alloy wheels and 225 55 17 size rubber.

I am too wanting to go to 18's for a better ride on our crappy roads, I believe TPMS should work correctly without doing anything else.

[Ilya]

Ahhh really? 19s didn't make much difference from 18s in terms of ride quality?

When my car was purchased it went through a PPI and the shocks were given a clean bill of health

Maybe it's the no-name brand 245/40/19 tires that came with my car that make the ride quality and especially tire roar on the freeway subpar

Perhaps I should just seek out better 19 tires but they'll cost a pretty penny lol

I actually prefer the oem m35 18" wheels appearance but can't find a used set for sale

Tires play a HUUUUGGEEEEE part in comfort.

[Larz]

As usual, Ilya is dead on. I was just making the point that if the suspension is worn, tires can't make up for that. Conversely, even new suspension cannot compensate for crap tires.
I always recommend Tire Rack - not for purchasing, but they have a great website that has video reviews of tire brands, tire comparisons based on your size, and a wealth of information about tires in general. http://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerac ... guide.html
Use the tire 'decision guide, answer a few questions, and the guide will show you the tires that meet your criteria. Personally, I prefer 'ultra high performance all season' tires and I have Ventus S1noble2 in 255/40/19 and after 20,000 miles, they still perform great and are no where near time to replace.. Others here have praised Michelin, Pirelli, and Continental. Tire Rack is selling a set of 4 Ventus s1noble2 in your size for $638 after rebate. A set of 4 Continental Extreme Contact DWS in your size are $700 after rebate. They will ship any tire to your local tire shop in 2-3 days and that usually includes road hazard coverage for free. I'm not certain that all Infiniti dealers do this, but my dealer will match ANY price on tires that you bring to them.

[James_05_M35_RHD]

I must admit, whatever wheels you chose the Ventus S1 Nobles are fantastic. I have just had them put on my new wheel in 245 45 18 to replace the Japanese 17's.

In New Zealand the Course chip is hard on tyres. My car now rides fantastic and has heaps of grip compared to it behaving like a drift missile before and getting loose all over the place.

[BlackCat81]

A lot of good info here. The difference between 18's and 19's as far as ride quality goes is pretty non existent. Super cheap, name brand tires can be found all over the place. I got 4 245/45/19 Pirelli P-Zero tires on Tire Rack for less than $450 shipped to my door for my 06 M.

[jiggersplat]

I'm sure someone here would be happy to trade you stock 18" for stock 19"