Really liking my Cheap Winter Tires/Wheels
 

For anyone contemplating winter tires for their 370:

After initially planning to swap rubber on the stock sport rims twice a year, I instead opted for a dedicated set of winter tires and rims. Tirerack recently expanded their list of what will fit the Sport pack on the 370 with many 18" options. They were very nice about taking back my 19" LM-25 Blizzaks (never used, still wrapped) in exchange for a complete setup. This was partly prompted due to the fact the LM-25s were on closeout (see important note below).

I went with the 18" MSW Type 11 wheels and Blizzak LM-60 winter tires. The rims were $143 each and the tires $186. Given that the TPMS sensors cost $360 for a set, I didn't buy any and will just enjoy my warning light all winter. Price with tax out the door was $1406 in comparison to $960 for the 19" LM-25 Blizzak tires alone that I initially bought. No road hazard insurance given the tires are relatively cheap anyway.

All in all, I'm much happier with the convenience of having my own set to swap out rather than scheduling with a shop twice a year. Also, I can switch right before the first snow rather than who knows how many weeks early.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO TIRE BUYERS: Tirerack has a number of winter tires on 'closeout'. While they are a nice deal, the key thing to know is that you can't get new ones if you damage a tire down the line. Road hazard insurance will only reimburse you, but you'll still be stuck with 3 original winter tires and one oddball replacement.


***Edit: After installing the wheels, it's evident that having the same offset for all four wheels makes the rears very sunken inboard. While having four identical rims allows one to rotate front and rear tires to prolong tire life, things look pretty crappy in the rear. The fronts look just fine with regard to flushness. Instead of playing with rims of different offsets, I'm ordering 25mm spacers for the rear. More pics once they are installed.

What size did you go with front and rear?

I like your new wheels as well.

I did the same thing you did (bought a set of 19" LM-25s) about 2 months ago. They're sitting in my attic unopened waiting for the first snowfall. Do you think Tirerack would take them back after that amount of time so I could opt for a tire/wheel deal like what you got? ;)

Look great, take some pics when you have them on the car.

I'll get some pics of them on the car in a couple weeks. I think the look is pretty good especially since I was shopping for dirt cheap rims only. The silver part is machined and unpainted which will be easy to clean. The black portions are painted, so they may need some touchup at the end of the winter. Mainly I was looking for a decent setup that wouldn't look filthy with the winter grime all over them.

I went with the Tirerack online program recommendation of 18x8s all around. They clear the Akebonos and the narrow tires should give better 'bite' in the snow than the wide 19"s. The LM-60s are directional, so I'll only be able to swap front and back tires on the same side when it comes time for rotation. Another thing I noticed is that the 19" LM-25s I returned were V speed rated, while the 18" LM-60s are H rated. Per Tirerack, the LM-60s will be better snow and ice performers though.

On a side note...I took my tires back myself to avoid the extra shipping. I have to say, the main Tirerack facility in South Bend, IN is pretty amazing. All the rims are on the floor to see in person and they even have a test track out front for autocross events and for tire testing.

G35guy84, I bought mine in early June and they took them back without a hitch. I hadn't taken the shipping straps off them, so they were still factory bundled in pairs (not sure if that matters or not). As long as you're buying a new set from them, I can't imagine they'd give you a hard time. Tell them I just did the swap too!

For anyone who has never installed an aftermarket rim before, I learned today that to get these rims to fit one has to remove a locator bolt on each of the car's hubs. Per Tirerack, the assembly line robots use the locator bolt to find and mount the wheels in the factory. The 12mm locator bolt is nestled between two of the 5 bolts on each hub and will prevent an aftermarket rim from fully seating until it's removed. Apparently it's not a big deal and Tirerack said to just take them off and dump them. I was sweating though, thinking my new rims didn't fit after my 180mi round trip drive in the Explorer to pick them up!

exactly the same rims i got for my G..... they look nice for a set of winters

fantastic thread!
 

I am quietly looking for a winter set myself as well. Now, I was testing around some other rims and have some questions

Here's your wheel. I looks okay but I'm not really sure if black outline would look good on blue z. So, look below...
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...com/wheel1.png

Now, it says the weight is 25.5 lbs. Which is not bad but look at this model that's just few bucks more

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...wheel3want.png
ONLY 21.2 lbs. But this one has +38mm offset. Would this offset clear the AKEBONOS? Is there extra benefit of running heavier winter wheels? I always like light rims because of the performance point of view.

Also, I really liked this rim design. almost has the stock rays look to it. what you guys think? But this one is 40mm . When it comes to offsets and bolt patterns, I'm a complete noob :o
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...com/wheel2.png

Doesnt look bad on blue AK.... looks good to me



http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/p...ntitled-11.jpg

I just went with what the tirerack program said would work. The cheap rims are gravity cast as opposed to vacuum cast or forged. Gravity casting makes weaker rims pound for pound due to air bubbles so they make them heavier to increase strength. Since I'm already compromising performance with winter tires, a few pounds makes no difference to me. I will say they feel a good bit heavier than the forged stock sport rims. I like the last pic you posted. Nice clean look to them.

Agree with nogood. Looks good on blue too. They have a nice rugged look that compliments the aggressive snow treads.

/\ That looks okay IMO. Not too crazy about it. But take a look at these two models. One is really lightweight and other is still pretty light. They look pretty good

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/bluewant.png

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/bluegood.png

Def looks better, don't they? :drool:

thanks for the reply . What do you think about the offsets (35 38 40). Do they play any role clearing AKEBONOS?

+38 and +40, the difference is that the +38 will stick out 2 mm outwards, u're good to go

get the C2's AK, they look like TE-37 that 2theex has.... would be sweet if they have a black finish option




EDIT: i mean the hub will be 2 mm further outwards and looking at the spoke design... it should clear it

Thanks. Yea the c2's does look like TE37s. But I think they will be delayed due to late arrival date. hmmm.. I will do more brainstorming. So , I should be good with any offsett (35-40?).

spearfish25, those rims looks great on your PG. I hope I didn't upset you by saying I didn't like them on Monterey Blue. I do like them but I think they look better on Platinum Graphite. I may get them if the other ones are back ordered :D.

No worries buddy. Given my budget, beggars couldn't be choosers anyway. I'm just glad that one of my viable options actually looks pretty good.

Seriously though...go to Tirerack if you live nearby. The South Bend headquarters is ridiculous. I think I left a puddle of drool around most of the rims they had on display. :drool:

I don't think they have any tirerack center near me :(. I think the closest is the Delaware warehouse but it's just a warehouse.

I have been doing some research on those TR C2s and seems like many BMW/SCCA guys use them for track for their lightweight and good craftmanship( they are made by Enkei).

Front Wheels (Sport Package): 23.2lbs(10.52kg)
Rear Wheels (Sport Package): 23.8lbs (10.8kg)
these C2s (21.2 lbs each wheel) actually lighter than the Rays meaning at some point if I want to use them as track wheel, I can do so too. I haven't called them yet but I hope they still have it when I call by the end of this week.

Thanks for the thread spear!

My pleasure. What widths are you going with? The 'ideal' snow setup is a narrow rim, but after reading many reviews it sounds like people get by just fine with snow tires on wide rims.

I'm not sure. 8.5 maybe (?). What width did you get? Btw, did you use the stock lug nuts (the ones with neck) or did they (tirerack) provide you a new set?

Thx

aftermarket rims require cone head lugs

only the stock rims require the cone & washer head lugs...(stock lugs)

Order Is In!
 

Thanks nogood. You're correct. They told me FREE lugnut set will be included.

Just put the order through TireRack for the TR C2s. They will be shipped on 11.10.09 (I'm in line for first shipments) . Very excited :excited: Seems like a good investment as we (peeps in East Coast) see pretty long winter.

Spear, def make a new thread with your rims mounted. I'll do the same when I get mine. :tup:

Yeah, Tirerack gave me a pouch of lugs. I'll probably swap the rims in two weeks and I'll be sure to post up a new thread when I do. Looking forward to seeing your new setup.

Next issue: which wheel lug locks will work with the aftermarket rims?

Awesome. I'll keep an eye out for the thread.

As for wheel locks, i'm not sure but I think any universal wheel locks would work. Maybe we can use the old 350z wheel locks? Or we call call Mcguards and ask them which lock ? We will figure it out :)

theres some sets available, but they are lug sets with 4 lock lugs in the set

check Amplified or Forged's site for them. all the lugs on their site will fit aftermarket rims only!

So, Spearfish, I'm probably going to send back my LM25s and opt for the wheel/tire package also. But before I do, who did you use to ship the tires back (i.e., UPS, FedEx, USPS) and how much did it cost you so that I have an estimate?

Spearfish25 - Thanks for this thread. I was in the same boat as you and will likely be buying winter tires soon as well. I was contemplating buying some 350Z rims (I could never determine that they would fit), but now with the Tirerack package I can just buy the rims and tires without worrying about fitment and going to a shop/transporting tires, and the other headaches that would likely ensue.

I do have a question, since you chose not to opt for the TPMS. Does the code clear when you put the stock tires back on? $360 seems a bit expensive to get another set of TPMS sending units and if there's no consequence (other than not knowing your tire pressure and seeing a warning light) of opting out of purchasing it, maybe that's the way I'll go too. It would be nice if there were a way of deactivating it.

I don't exactly know how to deactivate the TPMS light, but I do know that it is illegal to do so. My last car had a damaged TPMS sensor and I didn't want to go through the hassle of replacing it, so I also thought about disabling it. But after doing a little research on the subject, I found out that it wasn't such a smart idea.

Tire Review - The Final Word: NHTSA Clears the Air on TPMS Regs and Plus-...

driving without tpms, a light will blink at 1st and will turn solid forever after a few miles.

put the tpms back on and the light will turn off after a few miles.

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s..._com/tpms1.png

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s..._com/tpms2.png

No problems other than the TPMS warning sign on the dash and you have to physically check tires before driving off EVERY TIME. I personally think it's worth the $360 since it's a safety issue.

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses, G35guy84, nogoodname, and AK370Z.

I had no idea that it was illegal to disable the TPMS warning light. My last car was a 2002 model, which didn't have TPMS. As someone who has lived without it up until 3 months ago, this is a new technology that I could consider living without., but won't disable something if it is illegal. The Nissan manual does make it sound like one should never drive with a non-TPMS equipped tire. What I'm not a fan of is having to take the car back to the dealer to reset it or get the light to turn off.

Can anyone who has bought the TPMS's as part of the rim package confirm that the new TPMS sending units need to be calibrated by the dealer? Is this something I will have to do everytime I swap my tires from summer to winter?

once they are calibrated, its good to go...... calibrate once........... each time.... :icon14:

my winter wheels have no tpms and its not a big deal at all. trying to disable the light by pulling out the dash isnt worth the hassle.

Just spoke to TireRack and dealer. The new TPMS needs to be calibrated by the Nissan Dealer after they are put on since the car won't recognize them as is. The fee that dealer will charge is half hour labor which is $52/50 for all four rims. BUT when it's time to put the summer wheels backs on (19" rays), I have to bring the car BACK to the dealer again to get those calibrated to car. Which means, every time you put new rims on (once summer, once winter), you have to recalibrate TPMS. Hope this helps you.

For this reason alone, I decided to dump the TPMS sensors on my new setup. When you also account for the butt-reaming price of $80/sensor, leaving them off was a no-brainer for me. Why the car is too stupid to just learn 8 sensor codes is beyond me. The light will go off when I put the summer tires/rims back on, so it's no big deal.

As for this whole TPMS issue...frankly I think it's a formality that only benefits house-wives who wouldn't notice a flat tire if it hit them in the face. If the 370Z still showed each tire's pressure individually, I would have bought the sensors. But for a system to tell me that my tire pressure is >25% below the ideal pressure and to NOT say which tire it is...well that's just a stupid system. I check my tires frequently enough to find a problem anyway. Hell, I've driven 13 years without a TPMS system. The times I had a flat, I knew I had a flat.

G35Guy84, I took the tires back myself to save the return shipping cost since South Bend is only 90 miles from me. I suppose you could always just take them to a local UPS Store and have them quote it for you. Knowing what you paid to have them delivered, I bet you could get the same deal. Just make sure you tell them you're shipping to a company/business...it's always cheaper.

Wow, I love that bottom set of rims. Does anyone know if there is somewhere in Canada that would sell them? I'm looking to get some winter tires/rims in the next couple of weeks, and if I can find the set on that bottom pic I think I have a winner.

Yes, 1010tires.com.

I just finished ordering my tire and wheel package from 1010tires. I got the Sport Edition F10's with Blizzak LM-60"s. It was looking like the tires were starting to sell out. I won't get the car for a month or so, but I want to make sure I have winter shoes for her when she arrives.

Seems like a great website, I think I will be placing an order, excuse my massive ignorance but what size rim and tire will I need to fit the car? I'm looking at the Sport Edition C6 Black.

225/50R18 Tires, 18"x8" 5/114.3 Rims. You can call 1010tires and they can check fitment for your care as well. Tirerack.com has a winter section that you can enter your car and it will tell you the right tires and rims for your care.

Thank you, you've been a great help. I think I'm going to go ahead and order the SE Rims and Blizzaks this week, seems to be a good combo.

One thing to remember, if you are driving on different non-OEM wheels, your space saver spare will require the original lug nuts, so you should put some in a baggie and duct tape it to the spare.

:iagree: Good replies. Thanks for helping out your fellow forum member.

This where our positive rep system come in. You can give them positive rep by clicking on this icon http://www.the370z.com/images/buttons/reputation.gif next to their names. :tup:

yes Spear, I wasn't too thrilled to hear that I have to recalibrate the sensor everytime I change the tires. Also, I have to set up appointments and go to dealer to get this done (I'm not too fond of dealers and my dealer is 50 miles away). I took the TPMS off the order. As long as there's no annoying beep (not that I know of), I think I can live with the small light on the dash. In future if I DO want the TPMS, I can always add it in future. Shaving off close to $360 on the order makes a significant difference. This money can go toward other mod(s) ;).

I just put in order for a set of SE A7s .. They're not as good looking as the ones in the picture but hey, still functional~!

For canadian buyers, it still comes out to be cheaper to buy it from tirerack as their price to canada include Tax/Duty etc...

Exact same set up from 1010tires came out to be $1900cad+tax whereas tirerack $1780USD including tax. (which comes out to be around 1900cad tax included)