Stick with 'em, or upgrade 'em?

[SneaKe]

Hey guys, I've been silently reading lately. Good stuff out there. Thought I'd post what I'm thinking of purchasing for Gianna now that 'spring has sprung' ( I dislike that saying too...)

Nitto INVO:245/35/19275/35/19

My Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta's lasted 20k of street light launches and high speed highway runs. Not bad for tires I expected very little out of. I'm actually still considering buying a 2nd rear set, since the fronts are still in excellent shape. But I want that wide look now and like the Nitto's. But the cost of course comes into play.

So, what to do? Pay for 4 new wider tires, or 2 replacement rears? I can't complain about my Ultrac's. They stick like glue rain or shine, and I've never felt more comfortable taking hard turns. Infact, I very often loose grip between my a$$ and seat, before I loose between road and rubber. They wore fast, but I did put 20k on them in under a year.

Is the look of the 275's in the rear worth they extra $? Could I keep the 225's in the front and have 275's in the back? Not sure how that would work out. I think I'd rather just upgrade the rears if I can and keep the Ultrac's since they do rule. But I also like new things...
Modified by SneaKe at 11:54 PM 4/9/2009

[SVTCOBRA]

I would go to 275's in the rear if you needed more traction there.I went from 245's to 275's on my old cobra and it made a HUGE difference hooking up at launch and kept me from going sideways in 2nd gear!!!!At the time, I also went to 275's in the front. Was great for real curvy roads, but keeping it straight on uneven pavement was a pita!!!Also, it was a bit darty on bumpy/pot holy roads w/275's in front.I regretting the 275's in the front and wished I had kept the 245's there.Thinking Joe has the 245/275 setupBetting that the 225/275 setup would be fine

[SneaKe]

I think I want to try 225/275 after sleeping on it, If that works. I live in an area filled with horrifying roadways that are capable of eating entire wheels. Also, the roads are warped from all the truck traffic, so sometimes I catch a rut. 245's in the front would probably cause me to make random lane changes if I caught one.

[joe603]

The problem is that to go with the wider rear, you have to use the 275/35...the OEM size is 245/40. The tire is smaller in height and width. If you do the 225/40 front and 275/35 rear, the difference in height could cause your VSC to malfunction.

I would go with the wider setup on all 4:

245/35 front275/35 rear

They don't stick out from the rim like others will tell you (the OEM size actually is beneath the rim, so the wider size looks much better.)

[SneaKe]

hmm. Then perhaps I'll stick with 245's in the rear. I'm trying to keep my budget down, and don't know if I'd truly benefit from a wider setup. I want it, but 4 tires are twice the cost of course.

But if I did go wide, It wouldn't bother me if the tire came over the rim a bit. I'd just consider it 'curb armor'.

[joe603]

I was faced with this very question a few days ago...my Toyo Proxy T1R's have a little over 20k, and the rear is almost a drag slick. But my fronts have plenty of tread. So I take it to a tire place and they said that for front tires, the sides are what matters not the middle (opposite for the rear). They recommended that I replace all 4. You may want to do the same.

I'm going with Yokohama S. Drives in the wider size. You will benefit from a wider tire...trust me. (we have the same car!) The grip is much better then the OEM setup. And yes, I like the 'curb armor', but some don't...it's not like my old firebird with 1.5 inches of curb armor on a 16" rim!!

[SneaKe]

Very true. I'll have to take a good look at my front sides, but I think they are showing a good amount of wear.

[kmckis1029]

when my stock bridgestone EL42s wear out... i want some Nitto INVOs too... they looks so nice... and every review is great about them. I think ima go to the stock infiniti 18s though when i get them... and same size all around cause i have an g35x... probabaly wont be til end of this year or next year cause my EL42s are holding up well...