Upsizing the tires on stock 19" rims

[joe603]

I've been asked to provide pics of my new tires that are wider than the stock sizes...but on the factory 19's.

Let me just say this; these tire sizes are safe and will not affect your VDC. Check out the tirerack.com for info:

Optional 19" Sizes for 2005 Infiniti G35 Coupe Performance Wheel Pkg

Front Optional 19" 245/35-19

Rear Optional 19" 275/35-19

[G_whizz]

Thanks Joe!

[joe603]

I was wondering when you where going to chime in!

[G_whizz]

I know I know... sorry.

Between me getting literally slammed at work, my Grandfather in the hospital and house hunting... I'm stretched a lil thin.

That's ok... all the boys seem to be getting on well. I just been popping on reading posts and everything seems to be running fine. I've been lurking..lol

I'll be back in full effect soon

[hollant]

Which tires did you get? Is there any such thing as all season tires to fit the 19" wheel package? I know, I know "all season" tires are for whimps, but I am just not too hard core.

Thanks

[G_whizz]

I bought Blizzaks Winter tires... I'm going to presume you get snow... you WANT a solid winter tire for the snow... I recommend staying away from all season with this car... trust me

[soul_hfk]

sorry to hear about your grandfather G. hows the house hunting going ? and are they toyos little hard to see i got my face all up in the screen anyway they look great

[joe603]

+1 Your best bet is to get a cheapy set of winter rims with winter tires.

Not sure how much snow you get, but if it's over 5 inches, you will need winter tires!

[hollant]

Almost no snow, lots of rain though! If there is any snow I stay home! So back to the question of a tire that is more than a hot, dry, super performance summer tire?

Do any exist for cars with 19" wheels? Toyo Proxes 4 not in our sizes...

Closest I can get are Kuhmo Ecsta SPT...

[Warpkor]

Thanks Joe. I would have thought the wider tires would look funky on the stock 19s. I might just do the same, but I'm hoping my tires will make it through the winter!

[slobo7x]

you are really pushing it with 275 on 8.5 inch wide rim, but i guess you like changing tires everynow and then. The max i would go is 255 on the rear with stock wheels.

[joe603]

I've had zero problems with my set-up...I don't see how increase the width would make the tires wear any faster. It is perfectly safe for the rim size...TireRack has them for the optional size.

Understeer is drastically reduced with larger fronts, so you can really push it into a corner. Traction is improved for better launches, for better exits. The only downside is that wider tires don't carve like the skinny stock tires...but the good outweighs the bad by far!

[Cali 2 Balti G]

I was beginning to wonder if those were the BEFORE pictures - those tires seem to fit the wheel very well - makes curious how the stock set-up looks.

[joe603]

Here is a quick comparison between stock size and upsized. You can really tell on the rear driver side. The stock tires dip in (narrow), while the upsized are bulged out a bit (wider).

Rear stock/upsize





Front Stock/upsize





Rear drivers side Stock/upsize

[slobo7x]

I've had zero problems with my set-up...I don't see how increase the width would make the tires wear any faster. It is perfectly safe for the rim size...TireRack has them for the optional size.

Understeer is drastically reduced with larger fronts, so you can really push it into a corner. Traction is improved for better launches, for better exits. The only downside is that wider tires don't carve like the skinny stock tires...but the good outweighs the bad by far!

You are going to get the bubble effect on the sidewall if you mount 275 on an 19X8.5 rim. In saying that, You will also lose grip in that fashion b/c the tire is not making complete contact b/c the sidewall is not stiff enough. If you want to run wide tires get 19X9, 9.5 or 10. Again it would be much better to go with a wider rim..

That's all.

[hollant]

you are really pushing it with 275 on 8.5 inch wide rim, but i guess you like changing tires everynow and then. The max i would go is 255 on the rear with stock wheels.

I know this will get all sorts of smart remarks about other brands, but... Mustang guys put 275s on 8 inch rims every day. I've even seen them on 7 inch rims (not 19s obviously) It is about what you want, a bit more tire to fill up the wheel well or handling like the factory intended... If you are not on a race track a few times a year or more, a bit wider tire to fill up the wheel well might not hurt.

I like the look of the wider tires! Nice job!

[joe603]

slobo7x,

It's the internet and everyone has their own opinions. There was a HUGE debate in another forum on this issue...I don't want that.

Saying that, my traction has increased substantially with the new, wider, tires. It could be because they are new...

Hollant, thanks for the complement, I love the new look too

[slobo7x]

It is just common sense and physics, it isn't an opinion. I'll say no more.

Best of luck.

[Repo Man]

It is just common sense and physics, it isn't an opinion. I'll say no more.

Best of luck.

This coming from a guy who can't even spell "Infiniti" correctly? Wow, you have really done a disservice to your own credibility. Good job noob.

[RED_DET]

This coming from a guy who can't even spell "Infiniti" correctly? Wow, you have really done a disservice to your own credibility. Good job noob.

after that post, I'm not going to even say anything further.

[slobo7x]

I'm sorry but where in this post have I mentioned Infinity? Yes, english is my second languge + the fact that I type really fast can contribute to a few spelling mistakes, but what can I say nobody is perfect.

Spelling mistakes cost less then tires.

[RED_DET]

maybe you should look at the spelling of it under your name for the type of vehicle you own.

[slobo7x]

touche

[adren77]

I've had zero problems with my set-up...I don't see how increase the width would make the tires wear any faster. It is perfectly safe for the rim size...TireRack has them for the optional size.

Understeer is drastically reduced with larger fronts, so you can really push it into a corner. Traction is improved for better launches, for better exits. The only downside is that wider tires don't carve like the skinny stock tires...but the good outweighs the bad by far!

Wider tires wear out faster because when you turn, the inside and outside of the tire want to move at different speeds, but are forced to move at the same speed. This effect is not so big when you have skinny tires, but when your tires are so wide the effect is much more pronounced.

[joe603]

...we're talking about +30mm guys! It's not like they're 315's

I think the benefit of the wider look and increased traction make up for the increased wear of a 30mm wider tire than stock.

[C-Kwik]

30 mm can really make a difference. While I won't argue about this particular combination of wheel size and tire size (I have my opinions on what it will do to tire wear), too wide of a tire for a given wheel can cause the center of the tread to want to bow out. How it affects overall traction will be dependent on a lot of factors, and it would be hard to gauge short of some skidpad and slalom testing back to back with controlled conditions and using the same model of tires. There is some anecdotal evidence that supports this with the 18x8's that are available for the G35 and the the 350Z. They used a 245mm wide rear tire on these and from what I can tell, there was a very universal complaint about the center tread wear on the rear tires. Interestingly, Nissan and Infiniti started using 8.5 inch wide rear wheels when they changed out the Z wheels, and upgraded to the 19's on the G's. I haven't heard much complaining with the newer sizes.

The initial difference in feel (positive) and/or traction can be attributed to many factors. Switching to a better tire would have a huge impact. But even if you select the same model, wider tires on the same wheel change how the tires respond. So much so that race teams, when allowed to do so, will purposefully size a wheel/tire so that the sidewalls are bulged or spread out depending on how they want the break-away traits to be. Switching to a new tire, particularly when it is the same or similar type can yield more traction. Worn tires have gone though many many heat cycles and have weathered the time it was on the vehicle. Tires age. As they age, they tend to become increasingly brittle and hard. They begin to lose some of their suppleness that helps adhere them to the road. Want a real eye-opener? Try shaving the tread of a new tire down to about half and then put it up against a new tire with full tread. The difference will generally be quite remarkable as the rubber will be new, but will have less tread squirm. A worn tire will not perform like this even if the tread depth was the same as the rubber will have been compromised. Of course I wouldn't recommend you shave every tire you get as it will have much less useful life and be less capabale in wet conditions.

But circling back to the tire bulge issue, the effects of this will be most noticible in tire wear on a street car. The race track however, may depict a much different story. Since tires are designed to work best in a certain range of temperatures, it is important to try and maintain an ideal temperature across the portions of the tread that are used. Ideally, this is across the entire width of the tread. But if the center does bulge, it can overheat that section of tire causing a decrease in traction. While it is possible to tune around it, typically, it is easier working with a flatter contact patch. A situation like this is particularly accentuated on a track as most people typically try to run higher tire pressures to get better load capacity from the tires (which generally requires less slip angle from the tires when turning).

Now I won't say blindly that this is the case here. The general rules of thumb can be worked around, whether it occurs intentionally or by chance. For a street car, I really wouldn't worry about it too much. Wide tires look sexy. I remember when I had my S14 and put 255's on it a guy who had brought in his Viper looked at my tires and thought I had some 300mm+ tires on it. Wide tires can really make a relatively narrow car appear to have a rather wide stance. And for all intensive purposes, if it feels better to you, then that's really what counts. The feel of a car inspires driver's confidence which is just as important as raw performance.

[C-Kwik]

Wider tires wear out faster because when you turn, the inside and outside of the tire want to move at different speeds, but are forced to move at the same speed. This effect is not so big when you have skinny tires, but when your tires are so wide the effect is much more pronounced.

Negligible. Typical street driving involves a relatively small amount of turning. At that, the load generally shifts towards the outer edge of the oustide tires. Furthermore, if you consider the radius of the car when turning, it's not like the tires are pivoting arond the center of the rear tires. For example, if you were to turn your front tires left and right while stopped, there will be a huge ratio of distance travelled between the center of the tire and either edge of the tire. But in the case of a 90 degree turn at a 20 foot radius (to center of the tire), the outside of the tire (275 wide) will have travelled 385 inches and the inside of the tire will have travelled 368 inches. A difference of 17 inches. By contrast, a 245 wide tire's outer edge would have travelled 384 inches in the same turn and the inside edge would have travelled 369 inches. A 15 inch difference between the edges of the tire, but a 2 inch difference between the two tire sizes in a 90 degree turn over a center tread distance travelled of 31.4 feet or 376.8 inches. To put that in perspective here, you're talking a 0.5% difference during the turn.

[slobo7x]

Negligible. Typical street driving involves a relatively small amount of turning. At that, the load generally shifts towards the outer edge of the oustide tires. Furthermore, if you consider the radius of the car when turning, it's not like the tires are pivoting arond the center of the rear tires. For example, if you were to turn your front tires left and right while stopped, there will be a huge ratio of distance travelled between the center of the tire and either edge of the tire. But in the case of a 90 degree turn at a 20 foot radius (to center of the tire), the outside of the tire (275 wide) will have travelled 385 inches and the inside of the tire will have travelled 368 inches. A difference of 17 inches. By contrast, a 245 wide tire's outer edge would have travelled 384 inches in the same turn and the inside edge would have travelled 369 inches. A 15 inch difference between the edges of the tire, but a 2 inch difference between the two tire sizes in a 90 degree turn over a center tread distance travelled of 31.4 feet or 376.8 inches. To put that in perspective here, you're talking a 0.5% difference during the turn.

+1 man, solid info!