Another Version of "Summer" Wheels

[rontek]

This is what I decided on for my Summer Wheel/Tire set up. I did not want to go far from original, or too expensive.

18x8 Rims WITH Infiniti Center Caps from OE Wheels in Florida - $500.00 shipped

245/50 ZR18 KUMHO ECSTA SPT- $780.00 Installed mounted and balanced with TPMS install included - Town Fair Tire

4x TPMS and TPMS nuts $90.00 ea at Infiniti-parts.com - $360.00

Forgot to add the new Lug Nuts and Locks. Factory Lugs and Locks not right for these rims.

Gorilla 12mm x 1.25 Acorn Bulge Tire Install Kit - $39.99 - Indy Auto Parts (Local Shop)Kit comes with Lugs, Locks and Valve Stems. Did not need the stems, but the kit was in stock, so I got it.

REAL Total $1680.00 for everything

Note: I went back to Town Fair for a slight shake at 65-70 MPH. They re-balanced the Wheels for Free and had also obtained the device to re-set the TPMS for Infiniti and other newer vehicles since my initial visit. Lights out, no dealer trip necessary.










Modified by rontek at 2:24 AM 6/9/2009

[lybrian1]

looks good but so are the stock rims

[rontek]

Even though they are 18" they are VERY different from stock. The tires are a ZR rated performance tire, not M&S, they are a little shorter on the sidewall and about 1" wider. Handling is MUCH improved. The reason I did not want to go larger is because you lose ride quality with lower profile, and because it appears the steering rack on the EX can be finicky, going far from the stock sizes could be asking for trouble. The pics are not the best, but I am pleased overall.

[G35 Toronto]

Even though they are 18" they are VERY different from stock. The tires are a ZR rated performance tire, not M&S, they are a little shorter on the sidewall and about 1" wider. Handling is MUCH improved. The reason I did not want to go larger is because you lose ride quality with lower profile, and because it appears the steering rack on the EX can be finicky, going far from the stock sizes could be asking for trouble. The pics are not the best, but I am pleased overall.

Looks great....those should be the rims that come with the EX35.

Although....I would say that anything lower than a 40 profile on a tire and you sacrifice quality. There are lots of benefits with a lower profile tire.

[sg77]

The tires are a ZR rated performance tire, not M&S, they are a little shorter on the sidewall and about 1" wider. Handling is MUCH improved.

Could you give more details on what you've noticed regarding the handling being improved?

[rontek]

Although the ride is "slightly" more harsh, the wider performance tires REALLY hold the road and make steering much more responsive. Also, I never felt comfortable at higher speeds with the stock tires. With these I would have no problem giving it all it has.

The below sites tire size calculator lets you input the stock wheel size and shows you what the differences are with other sizes. They say you should not go over 3% of the diameter of the original tire. Its a really good tool when shopping for rims and tires.

http://www.1010tires.com/tiresizecalculator.asp

BTW - These are NOT Infiniti Rims. they are aftermarket with supplied Infiniti center caps in case anyone wondered.

[rontek]

Looks great....those should be the rims that come with the EX35.

Although....I would say that anything lower than a 40 profile on a tire and you sacrifice quality. There are lots of benefits with a lower profile tire.

Thank You !

I agree with you 100% on the benefits of low profile. When you go as large as 20", to keep the same diameter, you will need at least a 40 series tire. I am pretty sure 245/40/20 is the closest match to the 225/55/18 that come stock. As you said, when you get into the 40 series range, you really start to feel the road defects more. Roads here in MA are REALLY terrible, and I wanted to keep some of the "luxury" ride feeling of the car, hence my choice. Also cost was another major consideration and finding 20 series rims and tires for $325.00 ea (not including the TPMS) is VERY unlikely.


Modified by rontek at 10:11 PM 6/6/2009

[AWGD8]

Very nice! but I raced my EX35 on a snow tire (Michelin Xice Xi2) at 125MPH

and it seems like I can read news paper while doing it. It handled pretty

steady on the highway. I couldn`t image how much better it is on the

stock tires. The low profile tire only benefits you on turns and quick high

speed manuevers... on straight lines , there is a little difference bet. stock

tires and the 50 series (low profile).

[rontek]

I commend you're driving skills.

True, in a straight line you can hold the wheel with one finger and go as fast as you want on any tire, but maintaining that speed for any distance, I personally would not trust any snow tire, or anything under a VR rated tire I also dont plan on driving my EX on a drag strip. I enjoy driving on public roads, (which are rarely newly paved), and ocasionally a Autocross course in the summer. Believe me there is a HUGE difference between the stock tires and a ZR rated performance tire. While the difference between a 55 series and 50 series may not be that significant, the larger patch of rubber on the road with the 245, and the composition of the tires themselves makes a difference.

[AWGD8]

True. Will never do it again. (High speed driving using snow tires). It was just a quick burst of speed and wasn`t really speeding for a long time.I`m sure the 18" rims and low profile and wider tire makes the steering wheel a little stiffer on the highway compare to the stock tires that sometimes feel a little loose but manageable. Toyota/Lexus seem to have that steering wheel floating feel on the highway.

[302@12psi]

I like those wheels a lot better then the "bling bling" that frequents this forum.

I would however liked to see a bit more rubber tucked under the EX.

[EXceptional]

These are the nicest Rims I've seen so far on NICO for the EX35

So for the record on this thread, what is the Part Number of the Infiniti Rim Center Caps you bought... and how much are they ?

You left that off your List, up top.

[G35 Toronto]

These are the nicest Rims I've seen so far on NICO for the EX35

So for the record on this thread, what is the Part Number of the Infiniti Rim Center Caps you bought... and how much are they ?

You left that off your List, up top.

From what I can tell, OE Wheels INCLUDE the caps in the price.

[G35 Toronto]

BTW, what is the offset on the rims?

[rontek]

Yes, the caps came with the rims. When I called O.E Rims, they checked and made sure they sent the correct offset. They carry most of their stock in multiple sizes and offsets. He told me at the time and honestly I forgot. The boxes said G35 sytyle, and gave all the measurements, but they threw them away when I had them mounted, so I cant even check there. I will give them a call on Monday and get the full size spec's of what I purchased. They are pretty good about confirming and making sure you get the correct size and offset for your vehicle. They dont want people returning rims because they didnt know how to fit them. Once I have all the info, I will post it.

I just found a piece of paper I had written some notes. I am pretty sure the offset is +38 . I will confirm Monday, but I am "almost" positive that is it.
Modified by rontek at 4:20 PM 6/5/2009

[rontek]

I like those wheels a lot better then the "bling bling" that frequents this forum.

I would however liked to see a bit more rubber tucked under the EX.

Thanks , I am not a "Bling Bling" sort of guy !

I too would have liked a little more rubber, but I was trying to be somewhat conservative, and keeping it "semi" close to stock.

[rontek]

These are the nicest Rims I've seen so far on NICO for the EX35

So for the record on this thread, what is the Part Number of the Infiniti Rim Center Caps you bought... and how much are they ?

You left that off your List, up top.

Thank you for the compliment. I really had no idea what they would look like on the EX when I purchased them, but of everything I had seen, and especially for the price, I figured I would give it a shot. Once I had them on, they looked better than I had even expected.

As I said in my other post, and correctly posted by G35 Toronto, the caps come with the rims. OE gives you center caps for whateve make you have. With my BMW rims, they sent me OEM BMW caps. I dont think these are OEM Infiniti, but they look fine.

[G35 Toronto]

I just found a piece of paper I had written some notes. I am pretty sure the offset is +38 . I will confirm Monday, but I am "almost" positive that is it.

Modified by rontek at 4:20 PM 6/5/2009

sounds about right... +38

[CaribMon71]

I really like those rims on this car. Great choice.

[BrokenTiller]

Very nice. I ended up with ugly 5 spoke rims from the dealer with my winter tires. Much prefer these.

[rontek]

I really like those rims on this car. Great choice.

Thank You !

[rontek]

Very nice. I ended up with ugly 5 spoke rims from the dealer with my winter tires. Much prefer these.

Thank You !

I have always tried to run two sets of wheels split between Summer and Winter for all my vehicles. It doubles the life of the tires, and postpones having to replace tires more often on a single set of rims. Plus I believe that different rims can REALLY change the whole appearance of a vehicle, and it does not have to be too expensive if you shop around. The place I got these from sells tons of rims at very inexpensive prices. They are knock off's made in China, but the materials and finish are actually really good. Even some of the name brand rims are made in China these days, so the quality is not much different. This is my 3rd set from these guys and I have been pleased with all of them. With the included Infiniti center caps, you would never know they were not original OEM. I had a set of chrome rims from these guys, on my BMW, and when I traded it in for the EX, the dealer gave me an extra 500.00 for the set. Granted it was less than I had paid, but the tires did not have a lot of tread left, and the rims had 3 years on them, so it was a bonus. If you look at it like you are just buying your 2nd set of tires early, then spending a few hundred on the rims is not that much of an investment for a big change in appearance.